How I became interested in the breed hinges on meeting several Great Danes, all of which have been comical and intelligent dogs that exude grace and strength. The have an inner serenity, laid back demeanor, and childlike goofiness that is not common to other breeds of dogs. In addition, I grew up around medium to large dogs. So the decision to get into the breed was clinched by the interaction with several different Danes. They immediately won my heart! Eva Robinson and Laura Kiaulenas are the reason in got into harlequin and mantle Great Danes. The slow demise of their lines, the graceful girls and big sturdy boys, makes me sad and it causes me to wonder if I would some day have what it takes to follow in their footsteps and breed in their image. Finding the perfect show dog is a long and arduous journey, but I am in no rush and have plenty of time. I had secretly hoped my first show dog would be a Riverwood boy from Eva, but in the few short years since Eva has retired the Riverwood look as all but disappeared.

A little about Luna…she was born 8-1-01 and has 3 brothers and 1 sister. Due to the fact that the litter was both conceived and born on a full moon, our breeder choose a moon theme for the litter. I asked if I could pick her name, both registered and call…. the answer was yes! Since I enjoy Latin and ancient cultures so much, I thought Luna would be perfect for a short and simple call name. The registered name was a bit more difficult though, as I needed something that sounded nice with a German name. After much reflection, I decided on Von Bonehenge’s Moonlight Sonata…the kennel name plus one of my favorite classical songs.

I am so very lucky that Luna’s breeder let me be involved in everything post birth. I got to be there for the removal of dewclaws at 2 weeks and I went every week for a visit with the pups. Luna was the last pup born, and the biggest. She was the first to figure out how to get out of the whelping box…she wandered down the hall and got lost. She was the most outgoing of all the pups and would boss her brother’s and sister around. She would climb into my lap during every visit and I fell in love with her confidence and radiant personality. Growing up, Luna was nicknamed Curious George, as she was always getting into everything. She loves to be the center of attention and is very inquisitive…and a bit stubborn and strong willed too! Luna and I are very much alike in personality; it is uncanny and a bit scary at times. But we are peas in a pod, so I understand how she works.

We have been in OB since puppy K at 9 weeks of age. We plan on working towards our CD and an agility titles. We might try tracking in addition to agility, seeing as Luna loves to do anything that involves using her nose. We are also planning on getting Delta Society therapy certified so that we can work on the R.E.A.D. program. Luna has already passed her CGC test and the TDI test, so I see big things in our future.