A recent friend, Udo Lange, who is a Great Dane owner and breeder from Mareeba has a lovely fawn female, Bella. I do not claim to be able to choose show winners, but I do know what I like in a Dane and Bella is wonderful and has a very respectable show career.

We waited for over two years for Udo and Vera to mate Bella and ordered a female puppy. Meg was called Xena before she came to us at 8 weeks of age. I am not sure if anyone but us likes the name change, but she was named Meg after Roger's favourite cousin who sadly has passed away. She lived on the banks of Loch Tay in Scotland and she loved dogs.

Meg's father is a majestic dog called Ch Drumview Raconteur (Imp UK) and he is also a Scot. Meg is a lovely typey Dane, and although only 7 months, she is beautiful in style and movement. She flies around the ring with a fluid motion and I just have to keep up.

As time goes on I hope to bring some elegance into her stopping in the ring, but for now I am enjoying having a Dane that loves to move in the ring and hope that grace in slowing and stopping will come with maturity (or perhaps a better handler).

Matey is Meg's brother and is owned in partnership with Udo and Vera Lange. He lives with us and is part of our family. He is a huge dog, 33 inches and 60 kilograms at 7.5 months. Huge, big, solid bone and a Dane of old European style. Matey is a spectacular dog in many aspects, but basically at this point he has virtually grown so huge at such a young age he is the family Clydesdale.

Nothing is very co-ordinated yet so when he is two or three years of age we will assess whether he goes into the showring or not. His brother, Ranger, is owned by the breeder and is a stylish Dane like Meg.

Matey has the most appealing face I have ever seen in a dog of any breed. One just can not help but love him.