Great Danes in Finland
There have
been Great Danes in Finland for over a century now. The Danes at the
beginning of the 20th century were mainly black
and harlequin in color. Prinz von Binder – a harlequin German
import, used widely at stud – was perhaps the best-known dog
of the 1920s. In 1930s presumably the first Champion Dane in Finland,
Tips av Tipps-Toppstam, a black male, was born and Siri
Sunell’s De Morny kennel specializing in fawns and brindles
began its operation. This kennel continued into the 1940s and bred
several champions. Maria Åkerblom’s famous av
Ros-Loge kennel also had its origins in the 40s. Initially Mrs.
Åkerblom bred black and harlequin Danes and later moved to
blues, fawns and brindles. Her breeding program was highly successful
– a testament to which is the fact that she produced
champions in all colors. Augustinus Serenius’ von Hippo
kennel was another kennel of the 1940s breeding fawn and brindle Danes,
including champions. The war years proved difficult for breeders and
enthusiasts alike. The early 1950s were slow on the Dane front, but the
subsequent
decade began to show signs of improvement.
By the 1970s
annual registration numbers had exceeded a hundred Danes with the
exception of just a few years. Kaarina Aeschliman’s kennel
Goldgirl’s and Helena Riekkinen’s kennel
Great-Golden’s both started their breeding programs with fawn
and brindle Danes in the 1970s and have produced several champions.
Blues began to be bred by Paula Laitinen’s Poptokin kennel
and the first litter of harlequins was born at Milja
Ikävalko’s Mil-Dog’s kennel.
The 1980s gave a substantial rise to the number of Great Dane breeders
and enthusiasts, which in turn led to registration numbers reaching and
exceeding 250 dogs a year. Some of the breeders of this decade to
mention include Tuula Granström kennel Finndanes, Heli Sairola
kennel Helisain, Teija Salmi kennel Edendanes, Merja Wilhelmsson kennel
Wilhelmiinan, Eila Sommarberg kennel Faxidan, Maaret Kivekäs
kennel Jusalex, and Raili and Erkki Rantavuoti kennel
Love-Dane’s. These kennels have produced numerous champions.
Kennel Helisain holds the record for the most champions bred and some
their dogs have also attained American Championship titles. First blue
pups were born to Tuija Pauhu’s Grosso kennel and the
breeding of blacks and blues was taken up by Anneli Forsell of kennel
Good Works during the 1980s.
Registrations continued to reach record numbers in the 1990s.
1994 was peak year with 421 Great Danes
registered that year. New breeders of this decade to mention include
Kirsti and Jukka Hanhinen kennel Finn Select, Auli and Juhani
Vitikainen kennel Dogiwogin, Nina Ledentsa kennel Doggi-Diggarin, Nina
and Jaakko Jalonen kennel Cadokan, Maija-Riitta
Vähäkylä kennel Squanto’s, and
Katariina Valonen kennel C’mon. All of the
above have specialized in fawn and brindle Great Danes. New breeders of
blue Danes included Nina Puukka kennel Sajonne (also blacks and
harlequins), Marjo Tapio kennel Genedda as well as Minna and Jouni
Boman kennel Bonel. Blacks were taken up by Taina Toivonen of kennel
Catapha’s.
