The Doggenhaus Concept

one house
this one houses
no, this special house
just for Greate Danes, not just one house

Approaches

On one hand an idea, on the other hand a shop. A long time ago I lived with my family in a cozy, somewhat larger house in the "Bergisches Land" near Cologne region with many Great Danes. Many means anywhere from 2 to 30 and more, depending on the size of the dogs. One day, once again, something small broke that had to be replaced at the hardware store. One of my rather comfortable companions used to look out the window onto the street and wave with his delicate paw when it was exciting enough. Even when the door to the outside was open.

No window glass lasted long - such a small Great Dane with their 60, 70, 80 and more kilograms is rarely delicate enough. To my surprise, the ladies at the checkout recognized me without us knowing each other. "Ah, you're the one from the House of Danes!" That's how simply this name was born.

That was 2003 - back then! After a decade of intensive animal welfare work exclusively in the field of Great Danes, we took stock. Who are we really helping? What did ten long years of effort achieve? Not monetarily, because animal welfare is not a business - you only spend money without breaking even. What did our work accomplish? Does it help the dogs? Sustainably?

We carefully weighed everything at that time. It helps an individual dog, but unfortunately far less the breed as a whole. Breeders are not all networked, not all in the same organization. The disruptive way we question everything in society that guides us has also made its way into dog breeding. And stupidity is boundless among two-legged beings - unfortunately this statement is true. Many people believe a breeding club is inherently bad, they can buy quality equivalents without papers. No, that's not true. And no, just any dog club shouldn't be it either. Yes, until a club acts credibly and meaningfully, it must prove itself. Yes, competition sometimes exists. But it's not always competition when one club maintains a standard that another questions. Original and copy are sometimes truly not equivalent.

Carefully considered, every effort helps one dog, but unfortunately 0.00 of the breed. Those who are supported are breeders and quasi-breeders who have no idea about their dogs, about selecting new owners, and about the breed itself. And very naive buyers who treat a pet like a handbag - bought chic today, thrown away tomorrow because it's out of fashion. My life partner always used to say that the animals we get to know reflect society. We see how we interact with each other socially.

With this background, the desire still persisted to do something for Great Danes that can bring about long-term and sustainable change. In my opinion, people shouldn't be able to dispose of their problems so easily. That doesn't make us think differently - it becomes about service that makes our behavior even worse.