Keymaster’s Web Log

What is it about Americans? We have to have everything big. Our cars are big, our food is big, and correspondingly, our butts are big. So of course, our dogs have to be big too. Most Dane breeders have had macho guys who inquire about male puppies and want to know if they’ll grow up to be 200 lbs. Well people, it’s a "Great" Dane. Not a Minor Dane or a Mun Dane. The dog will be big. He’ll be the biggest dog on the block, okay? You’ll have to buy an SUV to haul him around in. Pedestrians will cross the street to avoid him. You will gather crowds when you go to the park.

What the macho guy who wants the enormous Dane doesn’t realize is his dog will probably live a shorter life. In my first litter, there were two Danes that had to be put down because they could no longer stand up on their own at age 8 and age 9. Sadly, owners must realize there is no choice in that situation, a dog the size of a Dane must be put down if it can’t get up. Sadder still, many older Danes are put down for this reason. It is by no means a rare occurance, though rarely talked about. One could argue that age 8 or 9 is within the average lifespan for our breed, but still I find this unacceptable. To paraphrase Dylan Thomas, ‘I will not go gently into that good night; but rage, rage against the fading of the light." In other words, I refuse to accept that a dog living to age 8 who is otherwise healthy has to be put down because it can’t get up. Something is wrong in the state of Denmark. (Pun quite intended.)

Its not just people who want big pets that are to blame. Big Danes also WIN in the show ring. Too many judges reward a Dane for size and penalize for a smaller Dane. Consequently, breeders continue to breed for size. When Envy took her first points, the judge complimented her on her working type but commented that he would "have liked more of her". This means, he’d have liked her better if she were taller and heavier. Envy is just over 32 inches tall and weighs 115 lbs. Our breed standard says,

"The female shall not be less than 28 inches at the shoulders, but it is preferable that she be 30 inches or more, providing she is well proportioned to her height."

Still, this is the feedback I get from conformation judges. And it’s not the first time, either. Envy’s father and grandmother often elicited the same reaction, successful show dogs though they were.

But what the judge didn’t see was Envy easily learning to go through the 24 inch diameter tunnel at agility class. I think if he did, he would have realized the inherent conflict between his comments. Envy is the 5th Dane I have trained in agility and without a doubt the most gifted athletically. With her compact (yet to breed standard) size and correct structure, she has tremendous promise. As for the conformation ring, there may be times in the next months when I am showing Envy that we will walk away without wins because there was not "more" of her. But when we fly around that agility course, the idea of there being more of her will just seem silly.

As breeders we must ask ourselves, do we want true working dogs with health and longevity or do we want huge dogs that look good standing still but fall apart as they age? I’m continually disappointed by the lack of owners and breeders who participate in performance sports with their Danes. If the majority of breeders don’t care about working ability or type, the Great Dane should probably be moved to the Non-Sporting group. What a sad day that would be for our intelligent, athletic, and versatile breed.

My grandmother used to say, (and still does at age 99) "In all things, moderation". So yes, the Great Dane is a giant breed and should be the heights specified in our breed standard, but let’s not sacrifice the athleticism and longevity of our dogs for a winning show career or the ability brag to our friends about having a big dog.

I’m in my 13th year of showing dogs, which really isn’t that long. Many people have been breeding dogs successfully for 25, 30, 35 years or more. I’m amazed. What keeps them in it? What is it about dog showing and breeding that inspires people to devote a lifetime to the passion?

My favorite description of dog shows:

"A constant series of occasions for hope."

Breeders are optimists. Every time a breeder enters the show ring, whelps a litter of puppies, plans a breeding, or trains a show dog they really don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s an occasion to dream, to hope for what might be. Things could go wonderfully right or horribly wrong. Uncertainty might not seem like an attractive element, but people love to roll the dice, and breeding and showing dogs is one of the most unpredictable games around.

Breeders are patient. In some ways breeding dogs is a little like golf. I don’t happen to like golf, but I do know it’s a sport that requires a tremendous comittment to master. Breeding is a lot like that, it’s a slow, often bitterly disappointing process involving a lot of hard work. There are no shortcuts. You are constantly learning. Tiger Woods makes golf look easy. What we forget is he’s been swinging a golf club since almost before he could walk and practices very hard to stay on top. Every great athlete works hard at being great. Breeding dogs is no different from any sport in this respect.

There is an old saying that if you stick with breeding for five years, you’re in it for life. In five years a breeder will experience enough success and heartbreak to figure out if it’s for them. They will probably have at least on litter and figure out if that arduous process is for them. At my magic five year point, I knew I was staying with Danes good, but I probably couldn’t have told you why. Now with a little time and perspective, it’s clear what keeps me in the game.

The simple joy of working with dogs. My love for canines only increases as I continue welcome more individuals into my life and experience the differences in their personalities. Cliche though the statement may be, dogs really can be our greatest teachers. You just have remember to shut up and listen. (I learned that from a dog.)

Striving to meet clear goals. I’m very goal-oriented (it even says so on my resume). I know where I want to go with my breeding. I know what qualities I want to breed in my dogs. Easily said, but DOING it is slightly harder. Breed. Evaluate. Refine. Repeat. This is the process that one must continually go through. Weigh out the relative qualities of each sire and dam, to finally arrive at an acceptable estimation. Then play a little game of genetic roulette and see how it shakes up. Wait until the pups mature, evaluate what you’ve got (which might be nothing) and then figure out the next move. It’s a little like chess. And like any good chess player, a good breeder is planning three or four moves ahead of where they actually are in the game.

The people. I genuinely love people and I get to meet a lot of different flavors of folks through showing, breeding, and rescue work. There is my family of puppy people who own dogs I have bred. There is also my family of local breeders, exhibitors, and rescue volunteers. I have yet another family of blue and black Dane breeders all over the world. I value these friendships and connections highly. Everything is more fun when you do it with somebody. I don’t know about you, but I figured that out in kindergarten.

Promoting natural eared Great Danes. This evolved accidentally.  My first Danes were cropped when I bought them. But when it came time for me to crop my first Dane, I couldn’t do it. Over the years my feelings about the procedure have only gotten stronger. Promoting natural Danes has become one of my greatest motivators to stay in the game. But quite honestly, I just do "that thing I do" and let other people draw their own conclusions. Affecting change is always the same, the best way is to lead by example. Natural ears is an exciting cause. I believe this will see a great change in attitudes about ear cropping during our lifetime. How many issues can you say that about?

So, now you know why I’m here. What you keeps YOU in the game?

Button found her forever home today.

Three weeks ago she was a stray in a shelter scheduled for euthanasia. The shelter felt she was unadoptable due to suspected bone growth problems. Dane Outreach got a call and I was dispatched to see if we could help. The little 3 month old puppy was indeed a mess. Starved and confined for much of her life, she was so weak she could hardly walk. Improper nutrition had weakened her bones, her feet were splayed and her knees and wrists were swollen. Every rib was visible even though she’d had steady food for several days. But she was so bright and happy and outgoing I just had to give her a chance. I took her immediately to my vet with a heavy heart, dreading the pronogsis. After an orthopedic exam and x-rays I was elated to hear that "Button" as I decided to call her ("Bug’s Ear" wasn’t as catchy), would make a full recovery with proper feeding in a few weeks. So this little cutie came to stay for three weeks. She became Envy’s shadow and Envy loved her right back, playing down to her level. Button is a different dog now. You’d never know she was a starved puppy a few short weeks ago. How these animals can endure such suffering and keep their sweet, loving temperaments and happy outlook is one of life’s great mysteries to me. Congratulations, Button. We’re going to miss you here at Keymaster, but you’ll always have a place in our hearts.

Tonight was Envy’s first agility class. It’s exciting to be embarking on another journey with a new dog in performance. I love the feeling of starting with a blank canvas. At this point in our training, (and only at this point) the sky is the limit. Soon enough I will make mistakes and Envy’s limitations will become clear, but now is the time for high hopes and delightful daydreams of fun training sessions and clean runs. I can’t wait until the time when we can fly around a course together and run as one. I know its coming and I’m itching. I need to remember that I am experienced but my dog is learning. ‘Encourage but don’t push’ needs to be my theme. But who can blame me for being eager? If you’ve never had the experience of the heightened bonding that occurs between a dog and its handler during training and performance of a sport, you are missing out on one of life’s greatest joys. Envy did great, she is again proving to be her grandmother’s reflection. She showed a little timidity on the equipment at first but quickly overcame that and was quite pleased with her achievements. The A-frame was her favorite. I love that she has elements of Zool, but is still a very individual dog with a distinct personality. She is very focused on the other dogs (wants to meet them and play) but works through her distractions well. I’m proud of her. Tonight I’ll be dreaming of running agility courses as well as show ring wins with my darling girl. I can’t believe I ever questioned whether to do this breeding of Schnitz to PashN. It was a long time coming, but it’s the best feeling in the world to have the qualities I value embodied in the dog standing at the end of my lead. Sleep tight my Little Pumpkin, we have great days ahead of us.

As much as I was dreading the Seattle Kennel Club show, I have to confess it was much more pleasant this year. Everything was on one level, the rings were spacious, there was cordoned off exhibitor space ringside and bleachers to allow spectators to see without getting in the way of exhibitors. Of course, the security guards were as ridiculous as always. Where do they find these people? One guy on the last day decided that you had to be wearing an armband to LEAVE the building. Huh? The great news is that Envy got her first AKC points and her brother Otto got a reserve. He could have done better with more training and that is my goal for his next shows. The Dane Outreach booth was also a big success and Button my rescue puppy spent some time there on Saturday. The one thing I would change for next year is more space for the Dane Outreach booth. The Mastiff booth next door seemed nearly three times as big. It was kind of funny to see 3 or 4 Danes, their owners, and interested visitors crammed into our tiny booth, yet next door Mastiffs sprawled out on the floor relaxing in their palatial "castle".  How’d they manage that? Our Dane crew walked over to the Pyramid brewery on Saturday afternoon and had a fun lunch full of laughs and stories. It was Georgia’s birthday, so we also met near my house for a birthday dinner for her. On to Bremerton in two weeks!