HOW DO I BUY RESPONSIBLY? WHO DO YOU RECOMMEND??

I am asked this particular question over and over again so I thought I would address it on my website.
People contact me interested in buying a  dane and are looking for guidance.



FIRST DONT'S

- Do not buy from any broker site, puppy importation site or petwholesaler or petstore---
These sites are designed to market puppies as commodities for money, and just like pet store sales you will not have any ongoing relationship or any relationship with the breeder of these dogs.

You need this for a very important reason, when your puppy has difficulty growing or adjusting, or any health issues, it doesn't matter what type of guarantee is offered by these professional web sellers...they are not going to give you the assistance that you need to take care of your puppy properly... You are making a huge investment in your personal time and your resources and you and your puppy need the best chance at a happy and healthy life, and the only person that can help you the best with that is a committed breeder.

-Do not buy any puppy that does not have health checked parents and pedigree---
Today there are great strides being made in the health checks that can be done on breeding stock. In North American (USA and Canada), breeding stock are routinely checked for :

~Hip dysplasia, (very painful and dibilitating condition)
~Cardiac/heart issues (congenital defects)
~ Thyroid function (improperly functioning thyroid can affect most body systems)
~ Eyes(cataracts that can lead to blindness, eyelid abnormalities that require mutiple surgeries to correct)

These health checks are done in many European countries as well----do not settle for anything less, ask for checks and insist on proof and verification.

-Do not buy any puppy that you do not know the family history of---
In addition to health tests, there are many health issues that we cannot test for and when you talk to your breeder about the health history of the puppy that you are buying, they should be discussing these with you.
These health conditions, DCM-Dilated Cardiomyopathy, a serious and life shortening heart condition, is an example of a disease that can run within families of Danes. 
Today a breeder that is not routinely health testing breeding stock is going only on their intuition or past experience with their Danes is breeding in another century, not the 21st. 

-Ask for personal references---
If you can't personally visit the breeder because of distance, get a reference. Breeders who breed responsibly have them no problem, they belong to Great Dane Clubs worldwide, they have vets that know their dogs, they have co-owners that they show dogs with etc. etc.


DO'S

-Do your homework, research the breed, talk to breeders, the world is really much smaller than it was before and it is possible to talk directly to a breeder at a distance...

REMEMBER DON'T SETTLE FOR LESS....SETTLE FOR THE BEST...YOU AND YOUR PUPPY DESERVE IT!!!!!!