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Erin Verwey

Erin with Tyler, the token “small dog”, Tessa (Libertesse’s I’m a Pepper) and Baby Meena (Ch. Adonis’ Etched in Stone CGN CD RN)

Adonis AtitudesEvrythng Kismet

Ch. Kismet’s Area Fifty One CGN CD RN

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In our “Sculptors” series we ask blue breeders questions to provide some insight into the various schools of thought found around the world. In this article, we interviewed Erin Verwey of Kismet Great Danes in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Her website is www.kismetdanes.ca.

BGD: How did you get started in Danes?

EV: Growing up I had a friend who had Danes and always loved their regal appearance and gentle temperament. When James and I decided to add a second dog to our family I knew I wanted a Dane. So off to the dog show we went so I could introduce James to this breed that I loved. Our first Dane “Tessa” we purchased 9 years ago as a pet. At that point I had some interest in showing but it wasn’t until Tessa had been with us for a few years did I know I wanted to add more Danes to our family, and to start showing them as well….and then of course to start breeding too.

BGD: Who has helped you the most in your time with Danes?

EV: This is such a hard question to answer. There have been many people who have taught me so much about Danes, especially these days with the internet - and Dane “chat groups” being so popular. I am a member of several of these and the discussions with other members from around the world have taught me an unbelievable amount. But there are really 2 people who have helped me the most and I consider them both fabulous mentors and friends. This would be Peggy Mignon of Valbydane Great Danes – who helped teach me how to show, she spent many hours after the shows were done helping me feel what the movement should feel like at the end of the leash – and how to properly stack. She helped me assess my puppies and give me an honest answer no matter what – and that has meant the world to me. The other person would be Cindy Powell of Adonis Great Danes, the breeder of my foundation bitch. Cindy has spent so many hours on the phone with me, helping me through whatever it was that I needed, she comes to help whelp puppies, and has offered her advice, friendship and opened her home up to me no questions asked. I do not know where I would be with out their assistance.

BGD: Is there a particular dog or bitch you felt epitomized what you were striving for in your breeding program?

EV: There are SO many beautiful dogs out there these days – and you know there are many bits and pieces that I like about so many dogs I am not sure that there is any one dog or bitch that I could choose….we are all striving to produce that “perfect dog” and so far no one has…I can say that to me it is so important that we don’t lose the functional part of our breed – Danes need to be a beautiful picture standing still….but to me they should still embody the “boar hunter” of the past – there should be no question of their strength and grace when moving, but still have the regal temperament that Danes are known for. I don’t expect too much do I J

BGD: Who was your first champion?

EV: My First Champion was my Meena – Ch. Adonis’ Etched in Stone CD CGN RN (our foundation Bitch). Our first home bred Champion was her daughter Ch. Kismet’s Area Fifty One CD CGN RN who finished as a junior puppy from the 6-9 month class – she has gone on to take several BOB, BOS and several High in Class ribbons in the Obedience ring too!

BGD: What has been your greatest achievement to date? Greatest challenge?

EV: My greatest achievement to date was Meena’s Award of Merit at our Regional Specialty in 2005. And I would say the biggest Challenge is that I do not crop any of the puppies that I show – so I am showing Natural eared Blue dogs in a cropped fawn world.

BGD: What health testing, if any at all, do you think should be performed on a Dane? Why or why not?

EV: I truly believe that health tests are a wonderful first step for all breeding dogs – I think hips, heart, eyes, thyroid and elbows are all test that should be done on all breeding dogs. But I think further testing would be so helpful as well….knowing the results of these tests for ALL offspring, siblings etc. of any potential breeding dog would also help these tests become even more effective tools that we as breeders can use. But ultimately we also need to be honest with one another to try and create a healthier breed.

BGD: Do you have any advice for someone getting started in the Dane world?

EV: The first and most obvious thing is to find a line that you like the look of…but after that you need to do a lot of research, spend tons of times watching dogs at the shows, and spend more time just playing with them so you truly know the temperament of the lines that you are getting involved in. And most importantly find someone you trust who is willing to help you – there is no way you can do this alone, and finding someone to help you through it can make all the difference.

BGD: How do you feel about cross-color breeding?

EV: In a perfect world I don’t like the idea of cross color breeding, I think trying to stay color pure is an ideal I would like to strive for. That being said I don’t think that staying color pure at the expense of my breeding program is the right answer either. If I find that I have a bitch that needs a particular feature from a stud dog and I can’t find that within my color than I would rather go out and find it in a different color than breed to a stud that isn’t a great match for her. But this would only be a last resort not the first. We have to be realistic – in blacks and blues there is a limited number of stud dogs and so many of them have a “colorful” pedigree so it is difficult sometimes to find what we are looking for.

BGD: At what age do you evaluate a litter to decide a "keeper"?

EV: I think that we are constantly evaluating our puppies from the moment they are born…but I find that around the 5 – 6 week mark you have a pretty good idea of what they are going to turn out like. My biggest problem is not letting my heart make the decisions for me.

BlueGreatDanes.net would like to thank Ms. Verwey for taking the time to share her perspective.