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The Great Dane has been my passion for the last 20 years but it was only 17 years ago that I acquired my first Great Dane. Kaayla was a fawn bitch that after years of nagging my husband finally bought for me. He was not impressed as he continually insisted that I should get something like a Dalmatian or a Doberman (both of these breeds I admire) but it was a Great Dane that I wanted. We lived on acres and with my husband away a lot I wanted a dog that would scare away unwanted visitors, but also be a gentle giant. Kaayla fitted into the household like one of the family. My children who were quite young at this stage and loved to use her body as a pillow as they lay on the floor to watch television. Only a month after she entered our lives I became very ill and was hospitalized for 5 days with a severe Kidney infection. Typical of kids and Danes the day I came home from hospital was to see my kids lying on the floor watching television with Kaayla lying next to them. As I walked in I got a very soft "Hi Mum" (as though I had just been to do the shopping) not my Dane though, she sniffed me thoroughly and as I laid on the couch to rest she plonked her hind legs on the couch next to me and spent the whole afternoon just keeping me company. Every Sunday morning Kaayla and I would take off to Dog Training, she never misbehaved toward any other dog or people, although I must admit people would stare and laugh when I would pull up for training and out would step this 5 foot woman with a Great Dane on the other end of the lead, especially when it came to the Drop exercise. One Sunday morning nearly ten years later, I woke up to find her lying down and refusing to get up. She had bloated and there was nothing the vets could do to save her. I still have her ashes in my wardrobe as I cannot find "Just the right place" to lay her to rest. Never was I going to get another dog (how many times do you hear that) after loosing my best friend. Funnily, it was my husband who insisted that we get another Dane, mind you in the beginning he did not want me to have a Dane! And that is when I fell in love with the Blues and Blacks. When I went to purchase my last Dane I had decided to go back to a fawn bitch, maybe I was hoping to find another Kaayla. There did not seem to be any litters around at the time, so at a Dane meeting I spoke to Elva Yarra (Secretary Great Dane Club of Victoria Inc) and she told me that Rhonda Harvey had just had a litter. Three weeks later I went up to select my fawn bitch, but the only bitch that I liked was to go out on breeders' terms. It turned out to be my good fortune because as I looked at the rest of the litter there was a black dog and I said to Rhonda I love him can I buy him?? As Elva entered the room and upon hearing that I was going to take the black boy I remember her saying "Oh Tick, he will break your heart!" When I asked why she said Blacks never do any good in the show ring, which was fine because I did not want him for the show ring I wanted to do Obedience and Hospital Pet Therapy with him. Well, those plans went astray as he turned out to be a magnificent specimen. Underane Barbarossa lovingly know as Maximus after the Gladiator Character, went on to prove so many people wrong. As a junior he was a multi Best in Group All Breeds and Multi Best in Show All Breeds, and earned his title of Australian Championship as a Junior Dog. He has fathered many litters successfully passing on his special presence to many of the pups. Funnily enough he is the largest and heaviest of my Danes. His height at the withers is 37 inches and he weighs about 85 kilos, and yet he is the gentlest of my dogs and he sits at the bottom of the Hierarchy, even our Jack Russell uses him as a bed. |
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Max is at the bottom of the hierarchy, so much so, that the Jack Russell even uses him for a bed. |
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My passion and desire had been to breed Great Danes, but not just any Great Danes, so I decided that Blues and Blacks being the love of my Canine Life was to be where I would start the Emblazzon (to beautify, to mark a permanent mark, to enhance) prefix. I only breed from the best Danes, and therefore I call myself a "Boutique Breeder". I source only the best Pedigrees whether it is in Australia, Europe or where ever. I do not breed many litters and never will, but I am dedicated to breeding for temperament, soundness and as close to the Great Dane Standard as possible. Tickie Spencer |
Maximus
wins best of Breed at the Royal Melbourne Show 2007, view the Boys page
to see more information and photos, we are so proud!!!