Mack

After losing Duke, my first Great Dane, to heart disease at such a young age, I swore I would never have another Great Dane. The heartbreak was just too much. But eventually I opened my heart again, and that’s when Mack came into our lives.

Mack was adopted through Boise Bully Breed Rescue and was part of their “BBT 2” litter, short for Big Bang Theory. The puppies had temporarily been given names from the show, so when we adopted him, Mack was actually “Howard,” or “Howie.” We tried what felt like a hundred different names, but none of them seemed right. Then someone suggested Mack, and that was it. It fit him perfectly.

He came to us looking like an old soul…and then proceeded to be an absolute terror for about the next year and a half. It makes us laugh now thinking about those days. Once he matured, though, he became the most loving, gentle, amazing dog and such an enormous part of our lives.

Mack was our gentle giant. He gave the best hugs, sat on laps despite having absolutely no understanding of his size, and somehow decided the kids big trampoline was his personal neighborhood watchtower. Nearly every day, he would climb up on it and stand there looking over the fences, keeping an eye on everything happening around him.

Somewhere along the way, Mack also earned the nickname “Boob.” It sounded a little strange to anyone hearing it for the first time, but all it took was spending a few minutes with him before they’d say, “Ahh…now I get it.” It just fit him.

He made us laugh, made us feel safe, and filled our home with a presence that is impossible to describe unless you knew him.

We lost Mack to lymphoma far too soon. Not a day goes by that we don’t think about him. The pain changes with time, but it never completely goes away. We still laugh at the memories, and usually end up crying because we miss him so much. ❤️