Derek Jeter has a giant, adorable dog

Travis Durkee

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Derek Jeter has a giant, adorable dog image

If you weren’t jealous enough of Derek Jeter for being a beloved athlete with a supermodel fiancée, maybe his adorable dog will do the trick.

Jeter wrote about his 1-year-old Italian Mastiff, Kane, for The Players’ Tribune to kick off a series about athletes and their pets.

MORE: Derek Jeter through the years | Jeter's girlfriends

Jeter said Kane was a gift from his fiancée, Hannah Davis, who had Mastiffs growing up.

"When I first got Kane, I panicked a little. I’m lying. Actually, I panicked a lot," Jeter wrote. "We had some epic standoffs at the beginning. He was energetic, thought he was king of the house, and I was a nervous owner. Kane would bite and nip and not pay attention to anything I said. My panicking was probably making him panic."

Now weighing more than 100 pounds, Kane appears to be more trusting of Jeter. But caring for a beast of a dog like Kane has been an adventure for the five-time World Series champ, who said he never had a pet in his life to this point.

"After I retired, I didn’t expect I’d go from one job right to another,” Jeter wrote. "As I train him, I’ve also had to be trained. I’ve learned that dogs thrive on routine: regular walks, chasing a ball and lots of sleep. He probably loves to sleep more than anything, which is ironic because I’m getting less sleep than I ever did before."

For a dog that cool, a little less sleep is totally worth it.

Travis Durkee