Introduction

I came to have a dog in my teens he was mine to do what I wanted. So I went to the local clubs and was introduced to agility with my Alsatian Flash yup my dad named him for me and I was like bummer well I was a teen at the time.

I would go through the circuit with him as he was shy to start with but we managed to do the course. I ended up doing agility at shows not just with Flash but Thumbalina not my dog but Maggie's dog she was older and asked my father if I could handle her dog as I was only 13 at the time.

She liked the way I moved in the ring with my own dog. I was secretly chuffed she thought so highly of me. So for certain shows I would swap so both could do the circuit which we all loved.

Till I took a bad fall from my horse one day and that put paid to me showing as I hurt my back badly and was laid up for over a year till I healed. I was also frightened of my own horse so he was put out on loan and then sold.

I did go back to the circuit but things where changing for the worst for me for the Alsatians but Maggie refused to breed the sloped back ones and wanted me to continue with agility.

Sadly Flash came down with an unknown illness and died at aged 7 and Thumbalina was getting on in years and Maggie was getting on and wanted to retire but wanted me to continue but I was hitting that age that I thought I knew better typical teen, young adult.

I moved out of my parents home and went to live with my boyfriend and we had a dog there too a wee mongrel mix Belle that I would walk for miles with her. I then went on to get another dog Max and he was really hard work that I got a behaviourist in for him and spayed my girly but sadly she got an infection and died 2 months after surgery at 2.

I begun to research behaviour in dogs and took up a courses in psychology so I could get ahead in my chosen field.

My boy dog Max another mongrel mix went to live with my ex as he has more time for him than me as I was working full time up to 16 hours a day. I had no time for him so it was the fairiest thing to do.

The years passed in a blur of work and marriage and splits and divorce and children.

I then got another mongrel mix but this time he was a Dane crossed with Alastian and was the biggest sook going called Flint. He had DCM so we made sure he was never stressed and lived a happy life till 7. He was my pet and is sadly missed all the time.

I had been looking into getting another Dane or Alastian and hadn't found any I liked so far.

We then went to a breeder to have a look. It was only for a look and we came away with Murphy a 10 month old fawn Dane. He didnt have papers sadly as he was a good looking dog and I think he would of went far in the show ring. I wasnt sure to begin with but we grew to love him. He was a big part of our lives and that is how I got hooked on the breed and we then went and got more and more as one was never enough for us.  Sadly Murphy went to the Rainbow Bridge aged ten and half. he is still greatly missed to this day.

We then got given a bitch on terms that we got her for nothing and she was to be bred from. She was health tested to the hilt as was the sire and we came away happy and sad once the puppies left. I loved the experience of it all but knew that it could be a different story for each girl and boy and took all that on board.

We have only been showing and breeding for the past 3 years with the Danes,  but I have always had dogs since my teens. I have also had a Dane or Dane cross in my household for the past 20 years now.  I do not see myself as an expert and do have mentors out there I can telephone if stuck at all or I will leaf through an old book about the breed and research, research and research.


I still research them to this day and wont stop doing that ever.