02/10/2024
Jacqueline Wohlwend
We are excited and admittedly nervous! This will be my first, and unless my anxiety over my Maggie calms down as this goes, maybe her only litter!
Deep South Danes has stellar blood lines and I have two Danes from this amazing breeder. I have had three Danes total (one was actually a grandpuppy I bought for oldest daughter), this male below is the reason I wanted to breed.
My stud is 80% Euro (Polish) lines. He is a magnificent Mantle. Beautifull marked, this giant sweetheart is 220 Lbs, 37 inches tall at the shoulder and 37 inches long. AKC registered, Deep South Danes Weeping Atlas Cedar was my blessing after the blow of loosing my mother to cancer, my Rhododendron (Lab Mix) to a seizure disease and then just to add to the trauma the day after he was born I was in a horrendous car wreck that almost ended me.
Atlas was raised in my lap and as I recovered from surgery after surgery he just naturally learned as he grew to not pull, to be sweet, and as he got bigger and bigger and I began to walk more and more he was my very own stability. He would walk on my right side and always be there for my balancing issues, or if I was tired to lean on. No formal training, just pure love and empathy.
The bonus is he is a magnificent Great Dane. Big, athletic, with the most caring eyes and temperament. He is a perfect man. His mother is a pie bald beauty, Gracie 911 one of Jeff McVayās wonderful Dane mommas and his Father is Tucker Everlasting from Woodson Ridge Danes. I have know the Lovetts of Woodson Ridge for years and our Chloe Dancer was one of thier pups. I have watched their breeding program and admire it and was determined to have one of their danes. As they were winding down into retirement, their friend and neighbor who learned Danes from them was recommended to me and that is how I met Jeff Mcvay.
The absolute first thing I look for is how the kennels are kept. This tells me soooo much about the dogs and the animals that will be part of my family. Jeff has one of the absolute best kennel set ups ive ever seen. Itās like a well maintained doggy day care with giant areas to separate the females from males (and he only has a couple females in breeding at a time) and the whelping area is perfect. He stays with his females days and night for the whelping and you can tell how the females trust him that he has cared for them personnaly and they love their dad. He also retires females from breeding and they live their lives out in the very place that they have always been. He doesnt sell them off, rehome them ect. His males are also given the best best care. They are truly kings in this canine paradise.
So with Atlas as my foundation (and I fully admit having had Danes in the past-I wanted to be sure I could always have him with me) I decided to begin a breeding program.
Deep South Danes had recently acquired a āmarriedā pair of Blues with American blood lines. Atlas had turned 18 months and I went looking for him a wife. I had long talks with Jeff about bloodlines, body types, ect and meet Belle and Beau. Their litter was born September 2022. I chose Magnolia from that litter and she came home in November. I watched her growth and how her personality developed, to be sure I didnāt need to abandon the plans.
She grew beautifully with just the most gorgeous silver blue coat, the biggest ears, and at 150 lbs she is the sweetest girl ever. Her protective instincts were surprising. Socially active she loves everyone and everything-but donāt touch her daddy. We were surprised how defensive she got after spending hours with a relative visiting and they were leaving. Hugs went all around and when my husband was hugged, Magnolia interjected herself not aggressively but very assertive between dad and guest. And she just had a look that begged anyone to try her. This was the ānewā for me. Our goofy Maggie would protect our family till the end and this is an amazing thing.
Deep South Danes Southern Magnolia is 33 x 33, 150 pounds with a classic Great Dane profile. Her second heat started two weeks ago and she has been bred four times as soon as she began flagging.
So in 62 days we will have magnificent AKC Registered Great Danes available. Depending on how this goes for Maggie this could be the only litter we produce-her health and safety are first.
Please watch the page for updates and videos of my adventure with Maggie and Atlas into parenthood.
If you will be looking for a quality Great Dane whelped in early April 2024 (we are estimating right at the solar eclipse-of course) please contact me. We will be selling all pups except one that I will be keeping for myself. Thatās the whole reason behind this getting my own Atlas/Magnolia.
As is said āAdventure Timeā. Iāve read, Iāve studied, I have a great vet team and vet friends and techs. Iāve already been handed the shock of all I donāt know (tieing up! No what was that? I freaked out!) but I have studied the heat cycle, the gestation , nutrition for mom, whelping and have a vet on call to come, we already have the whelping area ready so Maggie gets used to it and most of all I have the trust and love of my two babies.
