Sandy Mauck | BNB Danes, DiolaDanes & Hi-Class Danes

Interview with Sandy Mauck, Breeder of BNB Danes, DiolaDanes & Hi-Class Danes

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself. Where do you live? How many years in dogs? How many years as a breeder? What is your kennel name?
2. What is your “process” for selecting show puppies? Performance puppies?
3. In your opinion, is your breed in good condition overall? Any trends that warrant concern?
4. As a Preservation Breeder, can you share your thoughts on the sport today? How’s the judging these days? What do you think about the number of shows?
5. In your opinion, is social media good for the sport? Is it harmful?
6. What are the biggest challenges facing the dog show community as a whole today and how can these be addressed?
7. What are some of the positive changes you’ve seen in the sport over the past decade?

Sandy Mauck

1. I currently live in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I have also lived in Nebraska and Colorado. My first dog, when I was 8, was a brindle Great Dane from Hazel Gregory. I have been showing for 20 years but just started breeding the last three years. I am very fortunate to be able to co-breed with a wonderful group of people who are friends and mentors, under BNB Danes, DiolaDanes and Hi-Class Danes.

2. We let the puppies be puppies. We observe them with the toys they play with, how they play with them, and how they interact with the other puppies and people who come to visit and with the other dogs in the house. We watch them move from the time they start moving. We monitor how they are with a variety of noises, novel objects, and new challenges. We have someone evaluate the litter and see if what they think matches what we were thinking. When selecting show puppies, we evaluate each puppy against the Great Dane Club of America Breed Standard, with temperament at the top of the list. When selecting Performance puppies, we evaluate activity level, puppy interest, and temperament.

3. There are always trends, as everyone likes something different. Temperament and health should be the number one thing to breed for. All breeders should be breeding to their Standard as best as they can. I feel like people are starting to become more transparent, which is going to help our breed and breeding practices.

4. I don’t think there are as many shows, as a lot of the people in the breed and kennel clubs are older and can no longer do to the work. Judges can only judge what is in front of them. If you won under a judge at a show and see them again and don’t win, it may be that there were different dogs and/or maybe your dog didn’t perform as well.

5. I think social media has its pros and cons. A benefit is that people can share what is going on at a dog show, and it can be a good venue for making connections with breeders, family, and friends.

Unfortunately, with social media, people can easily change the look of the dog. Also, things can get misconstrued and drama created, whether intentional or not.

6. The biggest challenge is the lack of people wanting to do the work of putting on a dog show. There is a lot of work and energy that goes into each show, and if there are not people to work then you don’t have a show. Everyone who is showing a dog needs to join a club and actually volunteer to work.

7. I think the biggest changes benefiting our sport are the willingness of people to be more transparent regarding their breeding practices and the health of their dogs, as well as the significant achievements made in health research, such as finding genetic markers and interventions such as sildenafil for megaesophagus.

There is a lot of work and energy that goes into each show, and if there are not people to work then you don’t have a show. Everyone who is showing a dog needs to join a club and actually volunteer to work.