My kids and I already had two dogs. Meba, a 120# Lab/Bull Mastiff, and Molly, a 70# Lab mix. I was going through Facebook sale pages and came across the most handsome 8 week old Chesapeake/English Mastiff. He was a very very dark brown, almost black, with the typical black mask. I instantly fell in love! We HAD to have that boy!! A few people had already commented on the man's post, but i figured, "Why not?" So I put in my two cents, and waited. The next day, the man had sent me an inbox message. WE WERE SO EXCITED!!! He explained that he only had 3 feet, and a partial leg. Mama had chewed part of it off when he was a week old. Okay, No problem. He expressed concern several times about his missing leg, and made sure I understood that he would never be a "normal dog". I then got notifications from the post. People asking if he had replied to anyone. Out of the 15 or so people that commented on his post, HE PICKED US TO BE HIS FAMILY!! So a couple days later, July 3rd, 2016, My kids and I made the 2 hour drive to go pick up our new baby. He was the fluffiest little wobbly puppy I had ever seen!!! It was Love at first sight!! We stopped by a lake on the way home to stretch our legs and let puppy have a potty break. He wouldn't walk. At all. He would take one step and lay down. What did I get myself into?? When we finally got home, I looked closer at his little nub. It was open, and raw. Weeping even. We had a camping trip planned in a few days. How was I going to deal with this out in the woods? Simple. We went to Walmart. We bought gauze, antibiotic ointment, medical tape, and fuzzy baby booties. It was perfect. His little nub healed up great in no time! He was getting steadier on those 3 legs every day, but also used his nub to walk. At this point, it was only about an inch shorter than the other leg. Using that nub caused it to reopen several times, and a repeat of the bootie. I was really worried we would have to amputate the whole leg. But Mr. Mace starting growing. Fast. That one inch difference in his leg quickly became two. Four. Now 6 inches difference. And was the man I got him from wrong!!! Never be a normal dog?? Oh boy!! Mace can run like the wind. Play fetch like a champ. And he cannot get enough of hiking!!! Nothing can stop that boy!!! My Mace is now a year old. He is the biggest pain in the rear!! If you know anything about Chesapeake's attitude, if they don't want to, they aren't going to! Mace has taught me so much patience. Showed me more puppy love than I could imagine. And Completed our FurFamily!! Life would not be the same with out that boy. He wont let me ignore the alarm clock in the morning. He will plop his huge slobbery head on mine and keep nudging me until I get out of bed. He makes sure I get outside and take him swimming, or to play out in the snow. He is the best at snuggling when any of us are feeling down, and he got my Meba out running and playing as well!