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THE HISTORY OF MAGNOLIA GREAT DANES
I
sat down at the computer today to describe to you, the reader, my life
and those of the Danes who share it. I started typing several
times and just couldn’t seem to find the right words; causing me
to type and erase the type more times than I care to admit.
Finally my 7 month old puppy Grace decided to intervene. She was tired
of being ignored so she climbed half way onto the couch and put her big
head on the keyboard, effectively blocking any further typing I may
have done and reminding me why I love Great Danes.
My name is Kari Miller. I got my first Great Dane child the summer between my junior and senior years in college. I contacted several responsible breeders trying to find the right puppy. However, most of them were concerned about where I was in my life and the effect it would have on the Dane. I then learned of a litter from a backyard breeder near me. There was one blue girl in the litter. I went with my mother to visit and fell in love. Her name is Steel Magnolia, Maggie and with her began my deep love for this wonderful breed. Maggie has Secondary Addison’s disease which simply means that her body does not react well to stress. However, she is the most devoted companion a person could ask for.
Maggie and I moved into our own house after college while I attended medical school. She was always ready to help me stop studying and enjoy life by taking long walks or giving wet kisses. Maggie went through the hospital therapy dog testing requirements and started her observation visits to the hospital. She loved going to visit the cancer patients at the Children’s hospital though was not thrilled about dressing up in her Halloween costume. Unfortunately, she was unable to finish her observation period due to her Addison’s disease and so retired in her prime.
During our time in Norfolk, Maggie and I became involved in Great Dane rescue with MAGDRL. We worked in short term fostering bringing in homeless Danes and helping them to become well adjusted members in their new families. As I moved on to my residency training I decided it was time for another Dane. I had seen so many Danes with health problems from ill-thought breeding programs through my work with the rescues that I knew that I wanted to do my best to help improve the breed.
I started doing a lot of research into breeders and in the process found Phyllis of Willowrun Great Danes in Wilmington, NC. I decided to visit her kennels just after Christmas in 2005. She had a litter of puppies out of Shale and Whistler whom you can view on her web page willowrundanes.com. They were adorable crawling around their pen. I continued to correspond with Phyllis through email and we realized that we shared many of the same goals and as well as our love of these wonderful dogs. When the litter reached 10 weeks Maggie and I visited again and came home with Willowrun Magnolia’s Grace. Grace is co-owned by myself and Phyllis.
The girls and I recently moved to Battery Park Va and are adjusting to our new surroundings. Grace is currently in conformation and obedience classes. For more information on either girl please see the Current Danes page. I will sign off now so that I can spend some time reminding Grace that puppy’s are not allowed on the couch. Any questions feel free to contact us.
Kari, Maggie and Grace
My name is Kari Miller. I got my first Great Dane child the summer between my junior and senior years in college. I contacted several responsible breeders trying to find the right puppy. However, most of them were concerned about where I was in my life and the effect it would have on the Dane. I then learned of a litter from a backyard breeder near me. There was one blue girl in the litter. I went with my mother to visit and fell in love. Her name is Steel Magnolia, Maggie and with her began my deep love for this wonderful breed. Maggie has Secondary Addison’s disease which simply means that her body does not react well to stress. However, she is the most devoted companion a person could ask for.
Maggie and I moved into our own house after college while I attended medical school. She was always ready to help me stop studying and enjoy life by taking long walks or giving wet kisses. Maggie went through the hospital therapy dog testing requirements and started her observation visits to the hospital. She loved going to visit the cancer patients at the Children’s hospital though was not thrilled about dressing up in her Halloween costume. Unfortunately, she was unable to finish her observation period due to her Addison’s disease and so retired in her prime.
During our time in Norfolk, Maggie and I became involved in Great Dane rescue with MAGDRL. We worked in short term fostering bringing in homeless Danes and helping them to become well adjusted members in their new families. As I moved on to my residency training I decided it was time for another Dane. I had seen so many Danes with health problems from ill-thought breeding programs through my work with the rescues that I knew that I wanted to do my best to help improve the breed.
I started doing a lot of research into breeders and in the process found Phyllis of Willowrun Great Danes in Wilmington, NC. I decided to visit her kennels just after Christmas in 2005. She had a litter of puppies out of Shale and Whistler whom you can view on her web page willowrundanes.com. They were adorable crawling around their pen. I continued to correspond with Phyllis through email and we realized that we shared many of the same goals and as well as our love of these wonderful dogs. When the litter reached 10 weeks Maggie and I visited again and came home with Willowrun Magnolia’s Grace. Grace is co-owned by myself and Phyllis.
The girls and I recently moved to Battery Park Va and are adjusting to our new surroundings. Grace is currently in conformation and obedience classes. For more information on either girl please see the Current Danes page. I will sign off now so that I can spend some time reminding Grace that puppy’s are not allowed on the couch. Any questions feel free to contact us.
Kari, Maggie and Grace