“My name is Kirsty, I live in Kings Park, with my husband, our four children, our 2 chickens and our dogs. We have Mozart the German Shepherd who was originally for my husband, but has aligned himself with our 10 year – they are best mates and always together – his favourite thing to do is to go to the farm and guard the children – he will be by their sides the entire time – and is slowly learning that when the kids ride the flying fox – that they will come back down!

Then we have Jersey my Great Dane, and the remaining puppies of her litter of 12 born in October 2015 were also in the shoot.

The reason we have puppies – is that Great Danes are my obsession! At 16 I was in a car accident, and told that if I got better I could have the puppy that I desperately wanted that birthday. So naturally months later when I was home and well enough to get a dog, we started shopping and found a cute fluffy boy, to join us. We went back to collect him when he was old enough to leave, and he was no longer fluffy or little, but rather leggy and still super cute. His mum was a Border Collie however it turned out that he was cross Great Dane, and his only litter mate was cross Collie! After having that cross Great Dane, I was hooked and knew that as soon as I was in my own home I would have me a real Dane! So that cross baby “Ralph” was the beginning of my obsession – and it has only has only become bigger. I show Great Danes, occasionally breed, support rescue, and am fascinated in the science side of Great Dane health and wellbeing, including the role that genetics play in breeding and how certain health traits are carried and passed on.

Jersey – our current Harlequin Great Dane is 4 years old and her favourite toy is her stuffed monkey – it used to squeak but she always kills the squeakers!
Jersey was imported from Denmark in 2012 and was almost 12 months old by the time she had passed the strict importing regulations that keep Australia safe from major disease and illness. She absolutely loves to run, and for a Dane is unusually fast and active.

The babies pictured are from her second litter (Oct 2015), when she had 12 pups. One of the babies is staying here with us – we have called him Frank, and he will start showing very soon.

The dogs are very important in our family, and are treated like our extended children, we could never imagine life without them.” by Kirsty