Well first off let me just say how much we love our little girl. Actually little doesn't quite fit the bill anymore at this point but you know what I mean. Everyday is awesome just to be able to wake up to and go to sleep to a dog that gives me, actually my entire face, a sweet little kiss good morning and good night. We just love Deena so much. Thank you so much for letting us get to be her mom and dad.

     I've always wanted a Great Dane since I was a little kid but my parents always liked dogs around the 30 to 40 pound range. Which at the time was fine they were great dogs and I loved them dearly. Now being older and married my wife and me felt that a parrot and a cat just wasn't quite enough and we were ready to go find a dog. We choose the Great Dane because of their disposition. They were known to be good around children, other animals, but yet protective of situations and or people they weren't familiar with. So from there the search began. 

    We found The Great Danes of the Lighthouse online right towards the end of our search. I had been on the phone numerous times with other breeders that, from my experience, made finding a new member of our family to be like going to the car lot to buy a car. (I think we all know how terrible of a time that is) These breeders were clearly just trying to make a sale and I felt forced to give them a thumbs up or down on the first phone call, otherwise they had other people they needed to be talking to. I was at this point very upset and leaning towards the thought that maybe now wasn't the right time for us to get a dog or and I know this sounds kinda bad but it felt like this was way too much work just to get a dog!! I remember the last day I got online to look once again and I found Andi and Manuela. I read their site in and out and emailed them. I then filled out a puppy app and next thing I knew I was getting a phone call from them to tell me I was going to be a dad. We spent at least 30 minutes on the phone talking about their dogs and all sorts of stuff, but I remember most the thought in my head saying wow these two are just as excited about this as I was and that was a great feeling. The next thing I knew my wife and me were practically over at their house every weekend holding our girl and watching them grow. Every or every other Saturday they opened their house to us, let us stay as long as we wanted and just filled us with info on their Danes. We got to see the mother and father (which I can't express in words how gorgeous these dogs were) on the very first visit along with like 5 more of their dogs. These dogs are well loved and raised better then I was!!!! We keep in contact with both Andi and Manuela and they really do love every dog that leaves their house. I've never felt pressured by them and always felt that we have them for any question or concern that we would ever have. Manuela has already saved us from probably spending 300+ dollars in vet bills because of allergic reactions that Deena had!! Cost after talking to Manuela 10 bucks, and our girl is more than fine.

     Deena's temperament is the best that I have ever had in a dog. She is huge, sorry HUGE, but soft in and out. She's clumsy but sooo cute about it. I'd like to see anybody not crack a smile to a puppy tripping over their own legs because the tree trunks they walk on are to big for their body at the time. I have a little niece that probably weighs as much as Deena's tail yet; Deena is sooo gentle with her and follows her all around the house. Sometimes you can tell that Deena is following her to make sure she is alright, other times dogs will be dogs and who wouldn't try to swindle a cracker from a little kid that leaves a crumb trail for her to follow. So far to my greatest surprise she is very trainable. I figured Great Danes were more so lovers than intellectuals, yet to my surprise she makes every "apparently trained" dog in the neighborhood look like dumb animals. She could do at least 5 things that we asked her to do within a month which made her about 3 1/2 months old. She walks right by my side leaving the leash dangle. You can put treats on her paws and she won't touch them until you say so. Me and my wife were called The dog whispers as an insult because of frustration on how well behaved our dog was, and our secret to getting her that way, nothing, except for fantastic breeding. Great Danes Of the Lighthouse are responsible for the amazing behavior in our dog. Already at 6 1/2 months our dog doesn't stay in a cage. Have there been accidents? Sure, but for the most part we come home to a normal house. Trust me your making the right decision if you get one of their pups. 

     I know this might be dragging on but if your looking for great, fantastic breeders, with dogs that will completely put you into awe and you past these two up, then good luck to you, its going to be tuff to find anyone close to these two. A few notes to add here for anybody thinking of adding to their family from these guys, we paid good money for Deena and money is always hard to part with but, I honestly haven't thought about a single dollar that we spent. Deena in my opinion is worth more than we paid and we were the ones that got the deal. I can't tell you how many pet stores we went to that charged the same and the dogs were from puppy mills. I'd do it all over again without thinking twice. My wife and me plan to go nowhere else for a puppy. 2nd note, the contact is lengthy but they are straight forward in it and if you are a responsible owner and a loving owner you don't need to even read it again. Their contract in short says this," We expect that our dog be loved and taken care of no differently then any human being that you love."  3rd and final note They have great food if you ever get to visit!!!! HaHa.

    Whatever you do, don't count these guys out until you go see them and their dogs. After that, if your still not impressed than well, what can I say maybe you got the address wrong and met the wrong people and wrong dogs! Thanks again Manuela and Andi

My husband and I knew we would want another large dog, just because we don’t like little dogs.  Everyone has been terrified of my 2 German Shepherds, so we wanted a gentler dog.  Jim wanted a Mastiff, but I wanted a Great Dane.  I started looking for a Great Dane in the local papers and on the Internet.  I contacted a few local breeders.  A few were helpful, but had no puppies at the time.  They would take my name & number and call me when pups arrived.  Others wouldn’t even let me look at the puppies they had .  I found one pup that was actually 5 months old, but then the lady wouldn’t call me back.  I think I offended her because I wanted a younger pup to grow up with my daughter.  She would be out of school for the summer and could be there all day with the pup, which would be great for both.   

After a few weeks I almost gave up.  It was a Saturday, and I was going to give one last look on the computer for a local pup.  I wanted to be able to see and touch the pup before I bought it.  I knew I wanted a female, but color wasn’t a big deal to me.  Well all of a sudden I stumbled across “Great Danes of the Lighthouse”.  According to their website they had one little girl “Djin” left.  I started to fill out an application, and then quit because there was no way they had a pup left.  I mean I had seen so many websites that were months if not years out of date.  But a couple of hours later, I emailed them to see if she was really for sale.  After a few emails, Manuela called me and we talked for a long time about what I was looking for and what they were looking for in homes for their kids.  The next day I took my daughter and we went to see Djin. 

As we pulled in you could see many horses.  There were no dogs outside as they are all in the house.  Andi and Manuela invited us up.  There were 2 perfect little pups playing in the living room, one was Djin, the other was Danita.  Danita was going to New Mexico and was all over us, and Djin was a little shy at first.   We talked a while and it was obvious that they loved their dogs.  We were introduced to each member of the family, and I was in awe over the grace, beauty, and size of these dogs.  I believe we met 6 or 7 Great Danes.  You would have to meet Adrian and Enno in person to believe their beauty.  These dogs are incredible and breathtaking.   

Before we left that day I was the new mommy for Djin.  She would stay at Great Danes of the Lighthouse another week, as Manuela had her scheduled for another vet visit that Friday and I had a wedding to go to that weekend also.  We did go visit her in the middle of the week at Manuela’s suggestion, so Djin could get familiar with us.  Andi and Manuela brought Djin over to us the next Sunday evening. 

We were all so excited.  I even took the next day off from work to spend with Djin.  We showed Manuela and Andi Djin’s new house and yard.  They pointed out a few things that could be dangerous to young puppies.  The crate I had was too big for Djin, so they loaned me a crate to use till she outgrew it.  I did sign a long contract with Great Danes of the Lighthouse, but there is nothing hidden in it.  They just want the absolute best for their puppies.  It is really nice to have guidance from them. 

I decided to keep Djin at the vet that Great Danes of the Lighthouse uses.  The first two appointments Djin got to play with her brother Duncan and sister Deena, and at the first one, went back “home “ to see her first mom & dad.  I do only live about 45 minutes from them, so I want to keep them in Djin’s life. 

Well, I have had Djin now for a little over three months, and she is so incredible.  I did lose “Sassy” at the end of May.  It was very sad, and I cried a lot, but then all of a sudden this little pup would come plodding across the room, trip on her own huge feet, with huge ears & lips hanging down and all I could do is laugh.  She has been such a blessing.  She has been wonderful.  She was crate trained, potty trained, micro chipped, and up to date on shots when we got her.  She is very well behaved except the one pair of work boots, and 3 bedspreads. 

Djin is an awesome pup.  She is growing fast.  I just love her lips and ears.  They are huge.  She is excellent around kids and strangers and other dogs.  I believe this comes from the good breeding of the Great Danes of the Lighthouse. 

This note doesn’t even do justice for how excited I am about Djin.  She goes with us just about everywhere we go.  Yes, we just did have to buy a Tahoe to haul her around in.  The back seat of my Benz just wasn’t working anymore.  I could go on and on about Great Danes of the Lighthouse and Djin.  Anyone interested in having a great puppy should check them out.  You will not be disappointed.  I will definitely return to them for another pup, when my last Shepherd has to leave me. 

Sincerely,

Julie

Yes, you can have any breed dog that is great, awesome and loves you for free or for a less money. I know this personally because Hobbes (our yellow lab) was $100 and Skippy (our Schipperke) for $200.  Skippy lived 16 yrs. He gave us the best 16 yrs of his life before he went over the rainbow bridge. He was my first baby and he loved me with all his heart. Hobbes is 12 yrs old now and getting a little slow in his old age, but still has a little get up and good left. They both are the best dogs we ever had and still have.

But, when I started looking for a new puppy to bring into our home. I looked at Lab, Schipperke, Labradoodles and Airedales. (just to name a few). I found that I was not impressed with the few breeders that I talked to, as well as the way they would answer my questions, or the lack of information I would receive.

 When I found you, "Great Danes of the Lighthouse", I was very impressed with your knowledge, advise, and love for the Great Dane breed. You answered all my questions (a lot of questions) truthfully and I a timely manner.  

You invited us out to meet you and your family without any contract or sale in place. Just come on out and meet the "kids". No other breeder would have done that without having a deposit first. Once, we came out to meet everyone I was again impressed. The adult Danes are amazing; their size, color, and temperament. Words cannot describe their beauty. You have to see them yourself. They are incredible. The puppies are so cute you just want to hug and kiss them all.

I'm going to stop rambling on.

I guess my point to this is:  The "price" of the puppy is not just for the puppy. It is the price of knowing the quality of care and love the puppy was given before -he/she comes home to you.  To my family and me that is "priceless" - our dogs are a part of the family, so they are priceless as well. 

A price is something that I think we as people put limits on and for some things I think there are no limits  "family", friends, love and happiness are just a few.

 Thank you for everything that you have done for us and for Chloe, she is one amazing little girl.

  Beccah Laughlin"

To the sentence "it does not cost $8000.00 to raise 4 puppies from conception till 8 weeks" a little note from Great Danes of the Lighthouse:

We do not only feed our dogs when they are pregnant, and we do not feed our girls, the boys like to eat as well. It starts from the time when we import a new puppy until the dog crosses the rainbow bridge. Cost that are not included are: purchase price and import of the dogs, vet bills such as heartworm tests and medication, vaccinations, regular check-ups, x-rays and health tests, progesterone tests before breeding, and, in case something goes wrong, the cost for a c-section and other vet bills during the pregnancy, puppy pads, paper towels, household cleaners to clean up puppy messes, not to mention our time we spend cleaning up, feeding, caring for and socializing the pups. There is never a guarantee that the female will be pregnant, no matter how accurate the progesterone tests are. In addition to this, if frozen semen is purchased, the price and shipping of the frozen semen, the cost for artificial insemination, which also does not guarantee the pregnancy of the dog. Also, all of our puppies are vaccinated multiple times and micro chipped, before they leave for their new families.  And if you ask us why we are doing this, considering the expense, time and work involved. Pretty simple, we love our dogs.