As a child my favorite television show was a Canadian production called "George", based on a full-length film of the same name. The series was filmed in Switzerland, and starred a mammoth Saint Bernard (played by a dog named Monk), his young charge, and his newly appointed guardian.
The story was of a pampered 5th Avenue, New York, Saint, who found himself relocated when his owner sent him off to live with her bachelor brother in the Swiss Alps. Most of the stories hinged around George and the young boy he watched over. The series played all over Europe and Canada, but never made it to American television.
At the time I was eight years old, introverted and painfully shy, and I dreamed of having a Saint Bernard as a best friend. Thirty-seven years later, that dream came true.
Norm arrived home on October 23, 2009 at eight weeks of age. He was an exceptional traveler and spent the 3½ hour journey asleep on my lap. Calm doesn't do justice when describing his incredibly mellow demeanor. Nothing fazes him. He takes everything in stride.
Norm was considered a good prospect for showing. He was incredibly handsome, had nice conformation, and a phenomenal amount of bone for a young pup. At three months of age, he started to toe out, within weeks he was cow-hocked, and by four months of age, he was hyperextending his hocks, which allowed for lateral movement. Our plans to show Norm were extinguished as we searched for a solution for his wobbly hocks.
Norm was diagnosed with severe bilateral hip dysplasia at six months. Given his young age, we decided to pursue a treatment regime that included maintaining a lean weight, nutraceuticals (i.e. glucosamine/chondroitin, sockeye salmon oil, ester-C), physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, and controlled exercise. In the months following the onset of therapy, Norm showed much improvement. As he approached one year of age, there was noted improvement in his musculature and ease of movement.
Norm experienced a grand mal seizure when he was 22 months old. In hindsight, we suspect this wasn't the initial episode, just the first that was detected. At 18 months of age, Norm had begun an odd cycle of behaviours. After witnessing the succession of events that comprise a seizure, we could see the obvious correlation between them and Norm's previously inexplicable quirks.
At two years of age, Norm is 32½" tall at the withers and is 165 very lean pounds. Although Norm has some health challenges, he remains a happy boy. He is engaging, affectionate, comical, and a wonderful addition to our family. Everyone who meets Norm falls in love with him.