​Breeding Philosophy of

Grand Mimieux Great Danes

​At Grand Mimieux we believe...

We believe in respect, responsibility, and reliability. 

We believe that breeders and buyers must both have high standards. We will scrutinize you as a potential owner for our precious puppies. We will ask many questions. You must also scrutinize us as your breeder. 

We believe that although we strive to do our best and provide quality healthy Great Danes, nothing in life is perfect. The complexities of genetics and the mysteries of nature mean that there may always be flaws in the creatures we love and consider to be beautiful. 

We believe in only breeding dogs that are both a pleasure to live with and easy to train.  After considering the temperament and cognitive ability of a dog, we are primarily focused on certifying the health of the parents through medical testing. Throughout our consideration, we're continually looking at the skeleton and general build of the dog so that it not only remains anatomically correct to the standard, but also generally a beautiful dog in our eyes.

We believe that quality of life and life expectancy is determined by the health of your new Great Dane. The health of your Great Dane can be gauged by the health of the parents and pedigree. 

We believe in complete and transparent health testing, period. These tests are outlined on the Canine Health and Information website CLICK HERE

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The following picture is a screen shot from the C.H.I.C. website

We believe the modern Great Dane is susceptible to several conditions that are concerning and should be scrutinized in breeding lines. These include cardiomyopathy, Gastric Dialation and Volvulus or Bloat,  the integrity of the eyelid structures, cancer, hypothyroidism, wobblers syndrome, hypertrophic osteodystrophy or HOD.

                                                                                 Examples of eyelid issues from other breeders 

We believe that a breeder who knowingly disregards health issues in future generations is a dangeous form of neglect. Hip dysplasia specifically is a painful degenerative, genetic disease that should force breeders to be passionate about health testing.
The following is a direct quote from the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals:  
"Hip Dysplasia is a terrible genetic desease because of the various degrees of arthritis it can eventually produce, leading to pain and debilitation."  
CLICK HERE to visit the O.F.A. website for more information regarding Hip Dysplasia

We believe that a guarantee can provide you with peace of mind...
but a full and complete health record can provide you with facts. 

We believe that although many breeders offer a health guarantee that can result in returning the animal if it suffers from a genetic defect, we know that animals become family members.  We want to assure ourselves and our buyers that we have completed all possible health testing to avoid heartaches and painful memories. 

We believe that the relationship we share with our Doctor of Veterinary Medicine provides us with crucial advice and guidance. Since we do not have medical degrees, we lean on that guidance often.

We believe that animals who suffer from genetic illnesses are at a greater risk of becoming homeless because of the strain this puts on a family. 

We believe that using a high quality dog food is a proactive approach to caring for your dog. There is a direct relationship between overall health and the quality of ingredients fed to your animal. In addition, there are some serious health conditions that can come from feeding improperly. Breeders and buyers must be passionate about learning and sharing this information. 

We believe that when the Germans developed the Great Dane breed to hunt wild boar, a very ferocious animal, they never envisioned the Great Dane that can be seen in the American show ring today.

We believe that our friends in Western Europe are producing dogs that stayed truer to the history of the breed and often follow breeding regulations that are far more strict than the lack of enforcement found in the United States of America.

We believe that even healthy and happy dogs take work, hours of training, plenty of vet bills and dog food, and that just like all aspects of life, there are good times and bad. However, we have found that the joy, humor, and positivity that a Great Dane can bring to your family, will far outweigh the time spent with the pooper scooper.  : )

We believe that if animal behavior isn't a priority from the first day a puppy comes home, the experience and relationship between animal and owner/family can never flourish. We believe that although this breed is accurately referred to as "gentle giants", owners must be proactive, consistent, and prepared for all forms of behavior. 

We believe in doing everything we can to be certain that the dogs we produce are never homeless. 

We believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. We strengthen our practices and theories through reflection and conversation. 

We believe in lifelong learning and improvement. 

We want you to believe in our philosophy and become a part of our story and our legacy.       Join us!