Great Danes of HPW

10/09/2025

Pick up your 💩 people… 😉

25/08/2025

🚨 Tick Alert! 🚨

Our resident vet has seen 3 tick cases in cats just this past week! 😿 That’s a clear sign ticks are out right now.

🐾 Reminder to all pet owners: Make sure your dogs are up to date on their tick prevention treatments. Ticks can carry serious diseases and are a risk to both pets and humans.

Stay vigilant, check your pets regularly, and contact us if you’re unsure about the best tick protection for your furry friend. 🐶🐱

23/08/2025

27/07/2025

😢

On December 23, 2023, Amanda Richmond Rogers, who was 45 years old, went for a walk with her husband, Dr. Brian Rogers, and their two dogs to celebrate their 18th wedding anniversary in Anchorage, Alaska. During their walk, one of her dogs, Groot, fell into the icy water of North Fork Eagle River. Brian dove into the water to try to reach him, but when he couldn't find him, he surfaced again; however, Amanda, determined to rescue him at all costs, jumped in after him, disappearing beneath the ice. Rogers told a news channel: “From her expression, I knew she was going to go in to save our dog”. He yelled at her not to do it, but she only acted.

After an intensive search that came to an end on December 29, her body was found three months later, on March 24, 2024, still holding Groot in her arms. Her family remembered her as a hero, a mother of four, and a devoted nurse. Her loved ones and colleagues bid her farewell with a memorial ceremony and words that reflected her devotion, love, and bravery. The story of a woman who not even d3ath could separate from her faithful companion.

20/07/2025

Four dogs have died from canine leptospirosis, with two confirmed in the Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven.

The serious bacterial disease is spread by rats and contaminated water and can cause liver and kidney failure.

Some of the symptoms include vomiting or diarrhea and lethargy.

Dog owners in the Southern Highlands and South coast are being urged to have their pets vaccinated and to avoid letting them drink or swim in stagnant water.

17/07/2025

New peer-reviewed study by Washington & Kansas state University shows dogs treated with antibiotics were 3 times more likely to develop knee ligament tears (CCLD), and those given steroids were 3.5 times more likely, compared to dogs not given these medications.

"Results: 419 dogs (216 cases and 203 controls) were enrolled in this study. The odds of CCLD after systemic fluoroquinolone exposure was 3.00 times (CI 1.01-8.90) higher than odds of CCLD without fluoroquinolone exposure. The odds of CCLD after systemic glucocorticoid exposure was 3.51 times (CI 1.94-6.37)) higher than odds of CCLD without glucocorticoid exposure. Topical administration was not found to pose the same risk. Conclusions: These data suggest that administration of systemic fluoroquinolones or systemic glucocorticoids were identified as risk factors for the development of CCLD in Retriever breeds. Prospective studies are needed. Clinical Relevance: Although not all risk factors for CCLD can be mitigated, systemic fluoroquinolones and/or glucocorticoids should be used cautiously in Retriever breeds."

17/06/2025

The parasite carried by rats and transmitted by snails poses a growing risk to dogs, and possibly people, after heavy rain.

05/05/2025

11/04/2025

Bing would like to pass along some information about Danes. First, he wants you to know that he is the product of generations of careful breeding. Temperament is both nature and nurture. It is not just in how a dog is raised. Genetics play a huge role, so please only purchase from a responsible breeder or adopt from a responsible rescue group. A giant dog with an unpredictable temperament is dangerous.

Did you know that a dog’s critical socialization period starts at just 3 weeks old? To have the best odds of a well adjusted dog, the breeder should be safely exposing puppies, while still in the whelping box, to various noises, items, surfaces, etc. Then the owner should continue that socialization with things like puppy kindergarten classes. Bing started puppy classes at 8 weeks old and took continual classes for years.

Giant size means most everything costs more (food, toys, crates, beds, vet bills, etc.). Vet bills for a giant breed dog can really add up. Danes shed. A lot. Some drool. Can you physically handle a 100+ lb energetic dog? Danes require lots of early and positive training/socialization to avoid them reacting fearfully in the future.

Most Danes are not couch potatoes! They require ample exercise, especially as young adults. They should not receive “forced” exercise, where they cannot control speed or duration, until they are more mature at 18 months old. They do need free play and space to run, throughout their entire life.

Do you have room in your house for a giant crate? Like any dog, a Dane should be crate trained (for so many reasons, but including their safety and to protect your house) until mature.

Don’t get two puppies at once, especially of the same s*x. It’s a recipe for trouble post maturity, when the two dogs often suddenly hate each other.

A responsible breeder is health testing their dogs prior to breeding them. Look for a CHIC number (Canine Health Information Center) on the sire/dam, which means the breeder has completed and publicly shared the appropriate health testing results. To receive a CHIC on a Dane, the dog needs to have the following health tests: hips (OFA or PennHIP), thyroid (OFA), echocardiogram, and eye CERF. Always verify health testing results: www.ofa.org. DNA testing is not the same thing as we do not have genetic markers for these health risks.

A responsible breeder should have mentors and peer support. Do they belong to any clubs (one cannot belong to AKC), like their local all-breed club or Great Dane club? Get recommendations for breeders through local clubs and the parent club of the breed. For Danes in the States, the parent club is the Great Dane Club of America (www.gdca.org). Always do reputation checks from other people “in the know” - call those dog club members and ask them if they would purchase a dog from the breeder you’re considering.

Don’t allow a color preference to drive you to a bad breeder. It isn’t worth the risk of dealing with health and temperament issues.

Did you know that most all breeds have breed specific rescues? Great way to find your next addition! https://gdca.org/the-great-dane/great-dane-rescue/

Visit www.fotodanes.com for educational articles (like Raising a Puppy to be a Confident Adult and How to Select a Breeder).

-- Bev Klingensmith (proud breeder/owner/trainer of Bing, starring in The Friend) ~ Bing is an AKC champion with obedience titles too: CH Flighty Foto White Christmas CD RA CA DCAT TKI CGC TT

17/03/2025

🩻 𝗛𝗜𝗣 𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 - 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗜𝗦 𝗜𝗧 & 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗗 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗗𝗢 𝗜𝗧?

Hip scoring is an important process carried out by responsible breeders before breeding their dogs. It is used to assess the health of a dog’s hip joints and involves taking X-rays, which are then sent off for evaluation and scoring.

Each breed has an average hip score, calculated by adding up the total scores of all tested dogs and dividing it by the number of dogs assessed. However, in breeds with a small sample size, this average may not accurately reflect the overall hip health of the breed. In such cases, it can be useful to compare breed averages from other countries for a more comprehensive perspective.

👉 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 (AVA system) - but we also want to see balanced numbers from left to right hips, if there is a big imbalance, this isn’t ideal.

🫢 Some breeds do not test hips at all. Why not? Their breeders may suggest that they don't have hip issues. I might ask, how would they know if they do not test? It is a myth that you can look at a dog and tell whether it doesn't have healthy hips or not...unless you have x-ray eyes that is.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗥𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗗 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲 (𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝟱 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀):

Griffon Bruxellois: 30.58, 53 dogs tested
Irish Wolfhound: 1.85, 20 dogs tested
Poodle (Standard): 8.18, 216 dogs tested
Newfoundland: 15.09, 117 dogs tested
Samoyed: 10.92, 296 dogs tested
Labrador Retriever: 8.26, 2,730 dogs tested
Golden Retriever: 9.82, 2,263 dogs tested
Staffordshire Bull Terrier: 14.45, 22 dogs tested
American Staffordshire Terrier: 17.45, 96 dogs tested
Affenpinscher: 36, 2 dogs tested
Australasian Bosdog: 21.50, 2 dogs tested
Australian Cattle Dog: 13.21, 72 dogs tested
Australian Shepherd: 7.04, 928 dogs tested
Bernese Mountain Dog: 7.87, 642 dogs tested
British Bulldog: 34.20, 117 dogs tested
Bullmastiff: 14.84, 243 dogs tested
French Bulldog: 17.15, 466 dogs tested
Neapolitan Mastiff: 18, 34 dogs tested
Pug: 23, 37 dogs tested
Rottweiler: 8.60, 903 dogs tested
Great Dane: 6.49, 146 dogs tested

𝗪𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗴𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲 & 𝗴𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀?

🤓 𝗔𝗧 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗗 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗛𝗜𝗣 𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗗𝗢𝗚?
There are 2 different systems to evaluate hips, one is called PennHIP and its testing provides an estimate of the risk for painful osteoarthritis of canine hip dysplasia later in life.

𝗣𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗛𝗜𝗣 is the newer method in Australia although has been conducted in America for much longer and is more common there.

This evaluation type can be done from 4 months of age, although not many people are happy to put a 4-month-old under to check hips if they don't suspect a problem though.

The other method is called the 𝗔𝗩𝗔 (Australian Veterinary Association) Hip Dysplasia Scheme – This system follows a scoring method similar to the British BVA/KC (British Veterinary Association/Kennel Club) scheme. It evaluates specific anatomical features on standardised hip X-rays and assigns a numerical score based on the degree of hip dysplasia present. Lower scores indicate healthier hips and this is what you'll find on our Australian ORCHID system.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗕𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗔𝗩𝗔 𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗗𝗢𝗚𝗦
Some people score at 12 months of age, others at 18 months, and others at 24 months and they all have their own reasons, often not based on fact so we contacted the OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) in America which has a database for mostly American dogs and are looked at as an authority on health testing.

The OFA allow breeders to list their dogs results on their database from 12 months of age, however those taken between 12-24 months are called preliminary results, the reason they do this is because breeders may want early knowledge of the hip status on puppies in a given litter.

The OFA state that "preliminary hip evaluations may be as valuable to the owner or breeder as the final OFA evaluation. This allows early selection of dogs for use as show/performance/breeding prospects and dogs best suited for pet homes. If the dog is found to be dysplastic at an early age, the economic loss from the cost of training, handling, showing and so forth can be minimised and the emotional loss reduced.

𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗫𝗥𝗔𝗬 & 𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗜𝗦 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗔𝗕𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗬
A previous OFA veterinary journal publication compared the reliability of the preliminary evaluation hip grade phenotype with the 2 year old evaluation in dogs and there was 100% reliability for a preliminary grade of excellent being normal at 2 years of age (excellent, good, or fair).

There was 97.9% reliability for a preliminary grade of "good" being normal at 2 years of age, and 76.9% reliability for a preliminary grade of "fair" being normal at 2 years of age.

Reliability of preliminary evaluations increased as age at the time of preliminary evaluation increased, regardless of whether dogs received a preliminary evaluation of normal hip conformation or HD.

👉𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝟴𝟵.𝟲% 𝗮𝘁 𝟯-𝟲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀, 𝟵𝟯.𝟴% 𝗮𝘁 𝟳-𝟭𝟮 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟵𝟱.𝟮% 𝗮𝘁 𝟭𝟯-𝟭𝟴 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀.
These results suggest that preliminary evaluations of hip joint status in dogs are generally reliable. 𝗛𝗼𝘄𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿, 𝗱𝗼𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗴𝗲 (𝟮𝟰 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀)." as their score may actually improve with age.👈

✅ 𝗜𝗠𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗛𝗜𝗣 𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗨𝗟𝗧 𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗬

👍 Do not hip-score bi***es 6 weeks before or after their season or pregnancy.

👍 Weekly underwater treadmill 6-8 weeks before scoring to improve subluxation results - study shows marked improvement. Book in at our Western Sydney clinic: https://www.balanced-canine.com/hydrotherapy. Depending on budget book in 1-2 times per week.

05/03/2025

⚠️We have noticed an increase in calls recently regarding Efudix ® 5% cream⚠️

Efudix® contains the active ingredient Fluorouracil which is used for the management of certain cancers in humans. It is incredibly toxic to pets and carries a high mortality rate if treatment is not initiated promptly.

Fluorouracil causes gastrointestinal signs (vomiting) rapidly followed by neurological signs such as wobbliness, tremors and seizures. If animals survive the first 48-72 hours, there is a risk of bone marrow suppression.

We want to ensure that anyone who is prescribed Efudix® is aware of the risk and keeps it locked away and out of reach from pets. If your pet comes into contact with this cream, you must seek veterinary attention immediately.

19/02/2025

⚠️ The Truth About Pacing in Dogs: A Sign of Compensation, Not Efficiency

Introduction: Is Pacing in Dogs Really More Efficient?

There is a widely held belief in the dog world that a pacing gait—where a dog moves both legs on the same side of the body together—is more energy-efficient than a trot. That pacing is a restful gait, which allows for energy conservation.

🔎 However, biomechanical studies on both quadruped animals and quadruped robots suggest otherwise. In fact, pacing at trotting speeds is often compensatory, meaning the dog is likely adjusting its movement from a contralateral gait (trot) to an ipsilateral gait (pace) to avoid the torque inherent in a contralateral gait.

🧠 Understanding why this happens, and what we should be doing about it, is crucial for dog owners, trainers, and breeders.

Read the full blog post, with marked up, explanatory graphics, and linked studies on my website.









https://canineconditioningcoach.com/the-truth-about-pacing-in-dogs-a-sign-of-compensation-not-efficiency/