The Greater Danes
Meet the breeder
I'm Thomas and Melissa O., the breeder behind The Greater Danes located in Decatur, AL. * Performance Tested And Health Tested Great Danes * We health test and color test all of our dogs. We breed first and foremost for health and temperament then for conformation. We believe form builds performance.
Q. & A. with Thomas and Melissa
Why did you start breeding?
I grew up on a farm with herding animals and porch mastiffs. My wife Grew up with Dobermans trained as guard dogs. They even walked the perimeter every few hours making sure everything was ok. Our love for dogs has led us down this road.What makes your program special?
We will achieve our goal by understanding the concept of gene flow provided us with the knowledge to produce our foundation dogs from carefully selected high performance working dogs. From there, the course of genetic drift (altering the frequency of genes within a population) was simply guided by objectively testing and selective breeding for many generations to refine our Danes as a breed.What are the different breed coat colors in your program?
Our puppies include brindle and fawn. Colors will vary depending on the parent dogs.Where do your breeding dogs live?
They live in my home.
Getting a puppy from Thomas and Melissa
Thomas and Melissa has been certified by Good Dog's screening team for responsible and trusted breeding practices. When you're ready to reach out, feel free to ask any questions about the breed, their program, or specific puppies.
Together, you’ll choose the puppy that’s right for you, stay in touch with regular updates, and plan how to bring your new puppy home.
Price
"Limited registration will be neutered between 24 and 30 months of age. Gastropexy is recommended at the time of spay/neuter to reduce risk of GDV (bloat). Midgarden ear cropping charge of $550. We want appropriate homes for our dogs. It is unfair to the dog to cancel at the last minute. For this reason deposits are nonrefundable. We ask that you only place a deposit if you are 100% certain."
Contract & health guarantee
Thomas and Melissa may provide a written contract or health guarantee when you purchase a puppy. This helps protect both you and your breeder, ensuring that you both have a clear understanding of the terms of your puppy purchase. If Thomas and Melissa offers a contract or guarantee, the details will be personalized by them. If you have any questions or want to know more, don't hesitate to reach out to Thomas and Melissa directly.
What's included
From Good Dog
- Lifetime support from Good Dog’s Care Team
- 10% lifetime discount on Figo pet insurance
- Puppy Training Program & private community
Puppy health practices
- Vet check
- First round of shots and deworming
Location & pick-up
You can drive or fly to pick up your puppy from Thomas and Melissa.
Breeder's location
Meet in Decatur, AL
Other pick-up locations
Meet at Nashville
More about Thomas and Melissa
Club memberships
Thomas and Melissa is a member of Decatur Alabama Kennel Club.
Thomas and Melissa has been a member of Good Dog for about 4 years
Thomas and Melissa was screened for responsible practices and has been a member since 2022.
Thomas and Melissa is a trusted Good Dog breeder
The Greater Danes meets or exceeds our community standards in these areas:
- Responsible breeding practices
- Health of breeding dogs and puppies
- Puppy environment and enrichment
- Buyer education and policies
Parent dogs
Dutches, mom
Great Dane
About Dutches
Dutches is a female Great Dane. Carefully selected as a great representative of her breed, Thomas and Melissa decided to make her part of their program. Thomas and Melissa has passed Good Dog’s screening process, which involved a review of their breeding practices, environment, and the mental and physical health of their dogs.
Parent health testing
Excellent level
The Greater Danes reports to performing the health tests below on their breeding dogs. Ask your breeder about the tests performed on the parents of your litter. Learn more about health testing for Great Danes.
Hip Dysplasia
Hip testing reduces the chance of passing down hip dysplasia, which is primarily found in large breed dogs and can cause hip pain and the eventual loss of the function of the hip joint.
Eye Certification (CAER, registered with OFA)
Eye testing reduces the chance of passing down a wide range of hereditary eye illnesses including retinal dysplasia, lens luxation, and glaucoma, which can cause impared vision or blindness.
Cardiac Evaluation (registered with OFA)
Heart testing reduces the chance of passing down congenital heart disease, which can cause a range of symptoms ranging from trouble exercising to heart failure.
Thyroid (Autoimmune Thyroiditis, registered with OFA)
A breeder may perform additional tests on their dogs that do not fall into these general categories. These tests may be more uncommon or very specific to a particular breed.
DNA Disease Panel
Genetic testing reduces the chance of passing down a wide variety of hereditary diseases of differing prevalence and severity such as Progressive Retinal Atrophy (an eye disease) and Von Willebrand's Disease (a blood disease).
