Apollo the Great Dane: Photos from the Life of a Gentle Giant

Mar 07, 2016

Michael Zhang

Onceuponadanepetapixel

“Once Upon a Dane” is an ongoing photo project that documents the “life and tales” of a Great Dane named Apollo.

It’s “an ongoing journey to learn the customs and traditions of this proud race of gentle giants,” photographer Benjamin Peniche tells us. By day, Peniche is the founder and CCO of an architectural firm called Arkham Projects in Merida Yucatan, Mexico. In his free time, Peniche is a photographer that likes to focus on his beloved puppy.

Peniche and his wife got Apollo as a puppy 2 years ago. Shortly after, he began creating a photographic record of Apollo’s life after realizing that they hadn’t taken a single photo of their precious dog.

"Centerpiece dane is a very useful accessory for getting the remotes without having to reach for it.... the only problem is the occasional disappearance of snacks and drool on the remotes..." — “Centerpiece dane is a very useful accessory for getting the remotes without having to reach for it…. the only problem is the occasional disappearance of snacks and drool on the remotes…”

Peniche then started an Instagram account for the project, sharing little stories of Apollo’s life in a humorous and heartwarming way. Thousands of people have started following the project thus far.

"Apollo hiding in the tall grass like a lion waiting for his prey... only slower, whiter , clumsier, cuter and lovable..." — “Apollo hiding in the tall grass like a lion waiting for his prey… only slower, whiter , clumsier, cuter and lovable…”

"The little cocker was yelling about there being another dog. Apollo ignored him, not wanting to explain the complexity's of light and reflection all over again... Danes are wise" — “The little cocker was yelling about there being another dog. Apollo ignored him, not wanting to explain the complexity’s of light and reflection all over again… Danes are wise”

"Here we can find Apollo in a minimalistic landscape one of his favorite surroundings." — “Here we can find Apollo in a minimalistic landscape one of his favorite surroundings.”

"Really long day at the beach. We took some great photos." — “Really long day at the beach. We took some great photos.”

"Team work. Nice right? Nope. The reality is that as soon as Apollo gets to the shore, Hotch will go directly to the neck to get that coconut." — “Team work. Nice right? Nope. The reality is that as soon as Apollo gets to the shore, Hotch will go directly to the neck to get that coconut.”

"You got a friend in me. Hotch and Apollo are always together. Hotch takes care of his huge little brother, even if he has to defend him against a pit bull in the park." — “You got a friend in me. Hotch and Apollo are always together. Hotch takes care of his huge little brother, even if he has to defend him against a pit bull in the park.”

"The original purpose of a bird fountain was for great Danes. But as their numbers decline in the wild, birds start using it." — “The original purpose of a bird fountain was for great Danes. But as their numbers decline in the wild, birds start using it.”

"Danes love to play in tall grass. It makes them feel small again." — “Danes love to play in tall grass. It makes them feel small again.”

"You wake up in a little box one day, and that's all your world until one day you feel to big for your little world and decided to explore. And outside there is a huge new world and suddenly you don't feel that big anymore... Apollo's thoughts when he realized he has a new little brother to take care of." — “You wake up in a little box one day, and that’s all your world until one day you feel to big for your little world and decided to explore. And outside there is a huge new world and suddenly you don’t feel that big anymore… Apollo’s thoughts when he realized he has a new little brother to take care of.”

"Did you know that Danes are great babysitters? This is the definition of a gentle giant" — “Did you know that Danes are great babysitters? This is the definition of a gentle giant”

"Once upon a Dane, there was this big dog that refused to grow he wanted to stay a pup, he would bark to the second star to the right, until the morning" — “Once upon a Dane, there was this big dog that refused to grow he wanted to stay a pup, he would bark to the second star to the right, until the morning”

"Danes are often hard to spot, as they tend to blend into their surroundings" — “Danes are often hard to spot, as they tend to blend into their surroundings”

"Not longer able to fit on a chairs, danes slowly move up the hierarchy until they claim the throne. A clumsy and awkward game of thrones" — “Not longer able to fit on a chairs, danes slowly move up the hierarchy until they claim the throne. A clumsy and awkward game of thrones”

"Young danes often take a year to meditate in solitude in the mountains to get wiser. Unfortunately they don't allow cameras up there, maybe to cover up the fact that all they do is sleep." — “Young danes often take a year to meditate in solitude in the mountains to get wiser. Unfortunately they don’t allow cameras up there, maybe to cover up the fact that all they do is sleep.”

As his Instagram account grows in popularity, Peniche is taking Apollo on tours around the south of Mexico, “especially to places that are very poor and where they have never seen a great dane before,” Peniche says. “The reaction of the people and kids is priceless.”

You can follow along with the life of Apollo on the Instagram account @once_upon_a_dane.

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