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Danielle | Great Danes + a Malamute

@thehullpack

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ᨏ Cozy Colorado Life with Giant Dogs
❊ Home | Adventures | Holistic Living
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The Hull Pack 🤍

Meaning behind our handle:
Our last name is Hull - we thought it would be perfect to add our last name in instead of “whole” for the whole pack! A fun fact: our wedding slogan was “One Hull of a Time.”

A little backstory:
I grew up with horses and cats, never had a dog. When I met my husband, Kyle, in high school, his parents had two Great Danes. I will be honest, it took me a while to get used to having dogs around the house, especially HUGE ones.

A few years later, Kyle and I moved in together in our first home with my childhood cat. As much as Kyle loved her, he just couldn’t not have a dog. He wanted a Great Dane puppy so bad but I just wasn’t ready for one. I kept saying, “they are just too big and drooly” (funny looking back now).

I’ve had a love for nordic breeds my whole life, so we compromised and got an Alaskan Malamute; Sully!Knowing they were bigger than Huskies, still to my surprise, he grew MASSIVE! He truly made me fall in love with the giant dog personality. A year later, we got Ivy and….the rest is history!

We never expected to have four giant dogs at once, but it honestly just happened. Each of our pups came to us at the right time! I’m not going to lie, it’s not the easiest taking care of over 460 lbs of dogs but it’s worth every moment. It’s an experience we will never forget!

What about you, did you grow up with dogs?
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#greatdane #greatdanesofinstagram #alaskanmalamute #cutedogs #bigdog #bigdogsofinstagram #doglife #dogs #dogsofinstagram #ilovemydog #lifestyle by @thehullpack

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3 years ago

The OG’s 🥺🤎

Quick little update before my trip… Unfortunately, Sully’s arthritis has been getting the best of him lately, and our hiking has slowed down quite a bit these past few weeks. We have a vet appointment set for him as soon as I get back from Utah, and with that, I’ve made the decision to leave my sweet boy home with Kyle for this trip.

Selfishly, I want him to come SO badly. But I know the best thing for him right now is to skip the long road trip and all of the long days and hiking activities. As hard as it is for me to accept, it’s just too much for him right now. And honestly, I think he’ll be pretty happy at home without the Danes bothering him 😆

We have contractors coming while we’re gone who absolutely LOVE him, so I know he’ll be getting plenty of attention, cuddles, and spoiled Sully treatment. But dang… the mom guilt is REAL. 🥺 I’m so sad that he won’t be with us, but I know in my heart that this is the right decision for him.

We’re trying to stay hopeful that our upcoming vet appointment will give us some new ideas to help him feel his best. We’ll do everything we can for this boy and just keep making decisions based on his comfort and quality of life.

For now, I’m going to soak up every second with my Sully boy before I leave. My first baby. Always. 🤍
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#greatdane #greatdanesofinstagram #alaskanmalamute #adventuredog #fall taken in Twin Lakes, Colorado by @thehullpack

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8 days ago

Happy October 🎃🍂👻

Spooky szn is officially here! And I’m pretty excited to experience Halloween in our new neighborhood this year!

There are SO many kids in our neighborhood, and the community does trick-or-treat tables at the end of each driveway instead of everyone going door to door. Honestly, I’m very thankful for this setup because it means our doorbell won’t be going off all night and sending all four dogs into a frenzy 😂

We’ll most likely bring one of the dogs out to hang with us for a little bit, and help pass out treats. That should also help me break out of my comfort zone a bit! I have a feeling they will love being part of the neighborhood Halloween festivities.

Bring on all the spooky, cozy October days! 🎃🍂

Do you usually do trick-or-treating or any other traditions for Halloween?

Bandana: @pawsific_pine | HULLPACK
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#greatdane #greatdanesofinstagram #adventuredog #fall #spookyseason taken in Como, Colorado by @thehullpack

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15 days ago

I can’t believe Sully is going to be 10 in just a few weeks. Where does the time go?! 🥹

The arthritis in both of his hips definitely has its good days and bad days, but keeping him active has made such a difference. As long as he’s moving, he’s feeling pretty good, and that’s what matters most. I’ll be taking him back to our holistic vet soon to explore some more options to keep him comfortable and feeling his best, but overall, he’s doing good!

He is VERY happy that the cooler weather is finally here! He’s back to spending lots of time lounging on the deck and hanging out in the yard.

Sully’s thriving season is here! 🍂❄️

Bandana: @pawsific_pine | HULLPACK
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#alaskanmalamute #malamute #adventuredog #fall #leaves taken in Breckenridge, Colorado by @thehullpack

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17 days ago

Hop in! Next stop: Utah 🏔️

A few weeks from now, I’ll be loading up the Sequoia and heading to Utah with @cotailsandtrails (Jessica & Shad), and all four pups!

Kyle unfortunately has to work, so this one will be a little different. Jessica and Shad will be taking their own car and staying at their own Airbnb, while I’ll be doing the whole road trip and Airbnb stay solo!

A couple of firsts for me… first little road trip in the Sequoia without the van or a second vehicle, and my first time staying at an Airbnb alone with all four pups!

We’re planning to explore around the Salt Lake area, get some hiking in, check out the Salt Flats, and find some new spots! I’ve never been to the area and I’m so excited to take the Sequoia on its first big adventure! 🤍

I’m open to suggestions on things to do with the pups in the Salt Lake area!

Do you do road trips with your dogs? 🐾
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#greatdane #greatdanesofinstagram #fall #leafpeeping #roadtrip taken in Como, Colorado by @thehullpack

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21 days ago

Hello fall 🍂🤎

Our favorite season is officially here! Fall started early here in Colorado, and with how dry it’s been, the colors have definitely been a little patchy this year. The trees are stressed, but we’ve found some pretty great spots still!

Colorado always finds a way to show off 🍁

Bandanas: @pawsific_pine | HULLPACK
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#greatdane #greatdanesofinstagram #fall #fallvibes #leaves taken in Fairplay, Colorado by @thehullpack

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24 days ago

N I N E 🥳🤍

Nine years with this beautiful girl, and we feel incredibly lucky to still be celebrating another birthday with her. Great Dane years are precious, and we don’t take a single one for granted.

We’re so grateful that Ivy is still so active at nine, enjoying her adventures and keeping up with her pack…but of course has to nap hard after 😆.

Happy 9th birthday to our sweet Ivy girl! Here’s to another year of making memories, enjoying the little things, and celebrating this incredible life we get to share with you! 🎉
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#greatdane #greatdanesofinstagram #happybirthday #adventuredog #dogtreats taken in Montezuma, Colorado by @thehullpack

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a month ago

Happy September! 🍂☕️🏔️

There’s just something about crisp mountain air, changing leaves, and fall adventures with the pack that makes this my favorite time of year. I’m all about all things cozy. Already counting down to more days like this! Although, I will miss summer adventures, because fall means lots of snow coming and I’m not a huge fan 😆

Who else is a fall person?! 🍁🎃🤎
I’m about to start putting some fall decor out of storage, I usually can’t wait for the actual first day of fall!

Bandanas: @pawsific_pine | HULLPACK
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#greatdane #greatdanesofinstagram #adventuredog #fall #fallvibes taken in Winter Park, Colorado by @thehullpack

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a month ago

I’m not sure I’ll ever get over the fact that all four of our pups fit in the Sequoia 🥹🤍

After years of having to take the Transit van any time the whole pack came along, it feels pretty amazing to finally have a 4x4 that fits everyone and gives us the freedom to explore more of the places we’ve been wanting to go that the van just couldn’t make.

To make that happen, we removed all of the seats in the back of the Sequoia. So thankful that Shad (@cotailsandtrails) built us a platform to level everything out, giving the dogs a much more comfortable space for everyday transport and quite a bit more storage for hiking & camping trips!

I’m already so, so happy with this rig. It has officially earned it’s place, no doubt 😍

Bandanas: @pawsific_pine | HULLPACK
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#greatdane #alaskanmalamute #adventuredog #toyota #offroad taken in Colorado by @thehullpack

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2 months ago

Just me and my “couch potato” 😂🤎

We get quite a few comments from people on our hikes questioning why a couch potato is hiking big mountains. They are always impressed, like, it’s so rare to see!

Great Danes have this reputation for being giant, lazy couch potatoes, and while I will absolutely agree that they LOVE a good nap… they are actually incredibly athletic dogs and need much more exercise and activity than their stereotype would have you believe.

They’re big dogs, but are not meant to spend their lives lying around the house. Regular, appropriate exercise is so important for keeping their bodies strong, their minds engaged, and their overall quality of life where it should be.

And with three Great Danes and a Malamute, I’ve definitely learned that exercise doesn’t look exactly the same for every dog. Age, personality, conditioning, and individual needs all matter. Some days we’re out doing dog sports, exploring trails and climbing mountains, other days it’s a slower adventure off roading, camping and sometimes the biggest accomplishment is simply getting everyone outside and moving.

The goal isn’t to completely exhaust them. It’s to give them opportunities to use their bodies, explore, sniff, think, and enjoy being dogs. Seeing them climb mountain after mountain, always having energy for more, is exactly why I’ll never buy into the idea that Great Danes are just lazy dogs.

They can be couch potatoes AND athletes! And honestly, I think that’s one of the best things about them.

Does your dog’s breed have a misconception about them?

Bandana: @pawsific_pine | HULLPACK
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#greatdane #greatdanesofinstagram #couchpotato #hikingdogsofinstagram #workingdog taken in Winter Park, Colorado by @thehullpack

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2 months ago

Well, we did it 🏕️

A little last minute adventure, a little out of my comfort zone, and a whole lot of memories made with these pups.

Our first camping trip was only one night, but I think that was the perfect way to start. We learned a lot, laughed a lot, and managed to get all three of these giants settled into camp! I’m so proud of them. They had a blast and were soooo good!

Sully stayed home for this one and apparently spent most of the weekend sleeping, so I think he was pretty happy with that arrangement. 😂

It definitely wasn’t perfect or fancy, but it was pretty darn special. I’m already looking forward to the next one! I think this might be the beginning of a new adventure for us. 🤎
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#greatdane #greatdanesofinstagram #adventuredog #campingwithdogs #camping taken in Buena Vista, Colorado by @thehullpack

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2 months ago

I thought it was about time for a little Sully update 🤍

Not every part of this journey has gone as planned. After some challenges with the hormone replacement therapy, we’ve decided to take a step back and let his body reset before deciding where to go from here. Right now, Sully is taking some Chinese herbs to help support his body while we navigate everything.

The good news? His thyroid supplementation has been working wonderfully! No more hair loss, his coat is soft and fluffy again, and his energy has been amazing. Seeing him happily splashing around in the lake reminded me that the little wins are worth celebrating.

As much as we’d love to bring him along, Sully will be staying home while we head out on our very first camping trip this week. With everything going on lately, we’re trying to make the best decisions for him, even when they’re the hard ones. Right now, he just needs some time to rest and reset, and he’ll be more than happy relaxing at home with Kyle while the Danes and I sneak away for a night. 🏕️
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#alaskanmalamute #malamute #adventuredog #holisticliving #holistic taken in Nederland, Colorado by @thehullpack

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2 months ago