Health tested parents create happy healthy puppies and thrilled owners. Health testing the parents doesn’t GUARANTEE that your puppy won’t have health issues later in life, but definitely reduces the chances. The fact that the breeder does health testing (heart, hips, eyes and thyroid) means they care enough to do what they can to reduce the chances that genetic defects aren’t passed to puppies they produce; your puppy. It is just heartbreaking when you get a puppy, it becomes part of your family and then you are faced with $1000’s of dollars of vet bills.

The health tests ARE NOT just an “OK” from a vet that the parent dog(s) are healthy. Some people who breed their family pets will say the parents are health tested if they have some vet certificate or if they have done one health test. Don’t be misled, make sure all the recommended health tests have been performed. The health tests recommended for Danes are for hip conformation, eyes, thyroid and heart function. When all tests are completed dogs are issued a number, referred to as a “CHIC” number or “OFA” number. You can look up the health tests by looking up the parents using the parents names or CHIC/OFA numbers. The website is: Canine Health Info .

All bitches bred at Everheart Great Danes have passed the recommended health tests and their CHIC/OFA numbers are listed. Do yourself a huge favor and insist that your puppy’s parents are health tested.

Communication to our application distribution list will occur as the breeding takes place, pregnancy is confirmed or not via ultrasound and puppies are whelped. Should you have any questions, feedback per preference to litter or puppy and/or any update to your application information or status at any time, please drop us a line and we will respond and/or add it to your file. Applications will be reviewed initially, then again between the time of breeding and 5 weeks of age to clarify information, solicit further or confirm best matches. We do not accept puppy visitors until puppies are 4 weeks of age to limit exposure to germs and other nasties that we and/or our human kids carry. Prospective puppy buyers are strongly urged, if not required, to visit from the age of 4 to 8 weeks as we feel personality matches are extremely important both between puppy and family, as well as family and breeder.

“The unbendables”
We have a few policies that we will not bend on. These are as follows:

• All new homes must have a safe, securely fenced area for their puppy, both to keep the puppy in and everything else out. Invisible fences are not acceptable.
• ALL puppies sold on full registration, for show, are sold on co-ownership with the breeder. NO EXCEPTIONS! Co-ownership remains in effect until the proof of spay or neuter and gives breeder approval of breeding decisions based on health tests and conformation. If you would like a copy of our pet or show contract to review, please let us know — we’re happy to provide one. We believe in the quality and breedability of our animals, but work very hard for this quality and want to protect and preserve it. For our co-owners, it means that we are committed to helping them in starting or adding to, a responsible and successful breeding program.
• ALL puppies sold for companion only or companion and performance only (not conformation showing or breeding) will be sold on spay/neuter contracts with limited registration preventing offspring from being registered with the American Kennel Club.
• Verification/approval direct to breeder by verbal or written agreement from landlord is required for placement in homes that are renting.
• All pet marked puppies, sold for companion only or companion and performance events only, are $1800.00, unless sold to repeat clients.
• Show marked puppies are evaluated and priced at 6 weeks based on conformation. Those puppies judged to have the best potential for show, are not exclusively sold to show homes, but will be offered to waiting show homes that also meet our companion home requirements first, as choices are extremely limited for these homes. There are precious few in each litter that can be shown by harlequin/mantle color standard. Show marked puppies are sold for $3000 to $5000, based on this evaluation, whether sold for companion or show.

We will not place companion Dane puppies in State mandated spay/neuter States. In 2007, the people of California defeated AB1634, but similar legislation has been proposed for other US States.  Be aware and informed about the realities of this type of legislation.  We do believe in, and have always strictly enforced, the spay/neuter of companion puppies by contract. However, many of these proposals, call for spay/neuter of every pet at 4-6 months of age which is inappropriate and detrimental to proper growth and development of most breeds, but infinitely more so for giant breeds, which have longer growth/maturity cycle given their size. Proper and natural growth is essential to developing the necessary and balanced skeletal structure to support a long and healthy life. Please contact your assembly and senate representatives to express your opposition to this type of legislation should it be proposed in your State.

If you’d like to contact us directly with a question or to discuss your application, please feel free to do so at any time. We try not to spam people, so you may not see much between litters, but you are always welcome to check in or ask questions that we may not have covered here.

Thank you again, for your interest in a Everheart Dane. We look forward to meeting you and expanding our Dane family.