Laying the Foundation: Science, Mentorship, and Our First 7Sisters Litters

Both of our first litters involved our mentors and co-breeders Francisco Camacho (Frankie) and Jason L. Dubman (Jaye), who earned the 2023 GDCA Breeder of the Year award with twelve champions, including our foundation bitch Piper. This mentorship chain extends to Karen Martin, the first AKC Advanced Recognition Breeder of Merit to reach Platinum status for Great Danes—one of only two breeders, along with Georgia A. Hymmen, to achieve this milestone.

Karen Martin was the 2022 GDCA Breeder of the Year with eleven champions and continues to provide guidance to all of us. She was the first breeder outside our household to personally evaluate both of Piper's first two litters, showing the collaborative spirit that defines responsible Great Dane breeding.

We're also deeply grateful to our stud dog owners Jessica Lanae Powers and Mara Reyes for allowing us to use their exceptional studs and providing invaluable information about their dogs. This collaborative approach ensures the best possible matches for our breeding program while building lasting relationships within the Great Dane community.

Our Foundation Dogs

• CH Legado N Danekraaft's How Can I Tell You? (Piper): Our first champion, from a Broadway-themed litter (hence "Pied Piper")
• 7Sisters N Legado's I Wanna Dance, I Wanna Win (Mia): Piper's daughter, earned her first Major win in 2025
• 7Sisters N Legado's Heart of Gold (Cora): Made her debut at 7 months in the 2025 Illini GDC show

Each dog represents 35+ generations of careful breeding, connecting today's families to bloodlines dating to the 1870s.

Breeding Terms Simplified

• COI (Coefficient of Inbreeding): 0-6% is considered outcrossing, 6-10% is moderate linebreeding, 10%+ is close linebreeding
• ALC (Ancestor Loss Coefficient): Higher percentages indicate more genetic diversity
• Linebreeding: Breeding related dogs to strengthen specific traits
• Outcrossing: Breeding unrelated dogs to increase genetic diversity

First Litter (Rolex x Piper):

• Sire: BISS Am GChS Fendanesylcrest N Diriso's This Is the Right Time "Rolex" (COI: 2.3%), bred by Gloria Batchelor, Kathleen Fennell, and Elizabeth Barnhart, and owned by Jose M Diaz
• Dam: Ch Legado N Danekraaft's How Can I Tell You? "Piper" (COI: 0.0%)
• Resulting Litter COI: 6.2%
• Strategy: Moderate linebreeding on proven bloodlines

Second Litter (Sean x Piper):

• Sire: Ch Legado N IZYA's Oops! I Did It Again "Sean" (COI: 22.7%)
• Dam: Ch Legado N Danekraaft's How Can I Tell You? "Piper" (COI: 0.0%)
• Resulting Litter COI: 12.5%
• Strategy: Increasing linebreeding to concentrate exceptional traits

Why Two Different Strategies?

• First Litter - Testing the Waters:
  Our initial breeding with Rolex was a moderate approach, allowing us to see how Piper's excellent outcross genetics (0.0% COI) would blend with proven show bloodlines. The 6.2% resulting COI gave us predictable temperaments and structure while maintaining genetic diversity.

• Second Litter - Concentrating Excellence:
  For our second litter, we chose a more intensive approach. Sean carries a concentrated dose of the same exceptional bloodlines, particularly:

  • Am Ch PRF Fendane Have I Gone Mad (Piper's own father)
  • Am GCh Danemark's Diamond Cartier V Aldawn (appears multiple times)
  • The same Tequila Mockingbird and Allie-Gator lines

Note: COI (Coefficient of Inbreeding) values mentioned in this post are calculated from pedigrees and serve as a proxy for true genetic COI. Actual genetic diversity can only be determined through DNA testing, so pedigree-based COI should be interpreted as an estimate rather than an absolute measure.

Compounding Excellence: Shared Key Ancestors Between Both Litters

• Am Ch Saul's Tequila Mockingbird
• Am GCh Fendanesylcrests See You Later Allie-Gator
• Am Ch PRF Fendane Have I Gone Mad (Piper's father + in both sires)

What this means:

Both litters are getting these same influential dogs from both parents. We're essentially linebreeding on the same key ancestors in both litters. The second litter intensifies these influences because Sean himself is more linebred on these same lines.

The pattern shows: Heavy reliance on Fendane/Fendanesylcrest bloodlines across our entire breeding program. While this can fix type and create consistency, it also explains why both litters have elevated COI despite our foundation bitch starting with 0.0%. This is evidence of our breeding decisions: following a specific linebreeding strategy focused on these particular bloodlines, demonstrating the kind of careful genetic planning that responsible breeding requires.

Understanding Coefficient of Inbreeding Through Sean's Pedigree

The coefficient of inbreeding (COI) quantifies the likelihood that an individual inherits two copies of the same region of DNA from a common ancestor. Odds are you are not one to break out equations to explicilty explain things, but calculating a COI from a pedigree is a right of passage for all dog nerds. In real life, nearly everyone uses software to make these calculations, but in case the power goes out or your internet fails, it is a good idea to at least have went through this exercise so we can rebuild knowledge if civilization ends, ha! Let's use our own Sean (22.7% COI) as a concrete example of how this calculation works.

Step-by-Step COI Calculation:

1. Identify Common Ancestors Sean's COI comes from multiple dogs appearing on both his mother's and father's sides. Let's trace one example:

Am GCh Danemark's Diamond Cartier V Aldawn appears twice in Sean's pedigree:

• Father's side: Cartier is Sean's paternal grandfather (2 generations back)
• Mother's side: Cartier appears as a maternal great-grandfather (3 generations back)

2. Calculate the Probability Using the formula: f = (1/2)^(n1 + n2 + 1) × (1 + F(A))

Where:

• n1 = 2 (generations from father's side to Cartier)
• n2 = 3 (generations from mother's side to Cartier)
• F(A) = 0.0% (Cartier's own COI)

3. The Math f = (1/2)^(2 + 3 + 1) × (1 + 0.0) f = (1/2)^6 × 1 f = 1/64 = 1.56%

4. Why Sean's Total COI is 22.7% This 1.56% represents just one common ancestor! Sean's COI comes from multiple shared ancestors:

• Cartier appears through different paths
• NORDCH Diplomatic's Umberto di Visconti appears multiple times
• Several other Danemark dogs appear repeatedly

The 22.7% total represents the sum of ALL these individual contributions.

5. What This Means for Breeding When we bred Sean to Piper (0.0% COI), we were using Sean's genetics from proven bloodlines while relying on Piper's outcross genetics to balance the linebreeding. This strategic approach gave us the 12.5% COI in their puppies—concentrated enough to predict type and temperament, but moderated by Piper's (and Sean's) genetic diversity.

Important Note: Pedigree-based COI calculations assume founder dogs are unrelated and serve as estimates. Genetic COI through DNA testing provides more accurate assessments by accounting for some of the actual genetic recombination.

Decoding the Letters: What Those Title Abbreviations Mean

When reading pedigrees, you'll see many abbreviated titles before and after a dog's name. These represent significant achievements in conformation showing, performance events, and breeding programs. Here's what the most common ones mean:

Conformation (Dog Show) Titles:

• Ch (Champion): Won 15 points including 2 majors under 3 different judges
• GCh (Grand Champion): Earned 25 additional points after becoming a Champion
• GChS (Grand Champion Silver): 100 additional Grand Champion points
• GChG (Grand Champion Gold): 200 additional Grand Champion points
• GChP (Grand Champion Platinum): 400 additional Grand Champion points
• BISS (Best in Specialty Show): Won Best in Show at a breed specialty
• MBISS (Multiple Best in Specialty Show): Won multiple specialty shows

Breeding Recognition:

• ROM (Register of Merit): Produced a specified number of Champions
• HOF (Hall of Fame): Exceptional lifetime breeding achievement
• AOM (Award of Merit): Top-placing dog at a specialty show

Performance and Training Titles:

• CD (Companion Dog): Basic obedience title
• TD (Tracking Dog): Successfully completed a tracking test
• RN (Rally Novice): Entry-level rally obedience
• BN (Beginner Novice): Pre-novice obedience level
• CGCA/CGCU (Canine Good Citizen Advanced/Urban): Public manners certifications

International Titles:

• NORDCH (Nordic Champion): Scandinavian championship
• SUCH (Swedish Champion): Swedish national championship
• DKCh (Danish Champion): Danish national championship

Placement Indicators:

• Am (American): Distinguishes from international titles
• Can (Canadian): Canadian Kennel Club title
• Int (International): International championship

Reading Order: Titles before the name are typically conformation achievements, while titles after the name are usually performance or specialty recognitions.

These achievements represent years of training, showing, and dedication by owners and handlers, demonstrating excellence in breed type, temperament, and trainability—qualities that benefit families who choose puppies from these accomplished bloodlines.

Scout: The Winningest Great Dane of All Time
Cora and Mia's maternal line through Piper connects to Scout, who stands out across multiple categories when examining Great Dane accomplishments. While excellent dogs have achieved remarkable success in various dog sports, Scout will always be remembered primarily for her extraordinary conformation achievements, which include:

• 93 Group One Placements
• 38 AKC All Breed Best in Shows
• Number One Great Dane across all Systems in 2012 and 2013
• Number 3 Working Dog in 2013
• 254 Best of Breed Wins
• 55,380 dogs defeated, including 5,201 Great Danes

Champion Sire Lines
The paternal lineages are equally impressive. Cora's paternal lineage connects to BISS GCH Izya's Fight On & Fly On "Baron"—an extraordinary dog who earned both the 2022 and 2023 Stud Dog of the Year awards for Great Danes. This exceptional bloodline includes MBISS GCHP Legado N Danemark A Captive Spirit "Marina", winner of both the 2022 Top 20 Great Dane and People's Choice Award at the National GDCA event.

Mia's sire was MBISS GCHS Fendanesylcrest N Diriso's This Is The Right Time "Rolex", bred by Gloria Batchelor, Kathleen Fennell, and Elizabeth Barnhart, and owned by Jose M Diaz and Mara Reyes. A Top 20 finalist in 2022, Rolex received an Award of Merit at the 2022 GDCA National Specialty.

This multi-generational mentorship and award-winning lineage represents 35+ generations of careful breeding, connecting today's families to bloodlines dating to the 1870s.

Progressive Breeding Benefits:

• Predictable Temperament: When you choose a 7Sisters puppy, you can expect the gentle, loyal nature that Great Danes are famous for, because we've bred for consistent temperament for generations.
• Health Advantages: Our linebreeding on health-tested lines means fewer surprises and more predictable health outcomes.
• Size and Structure: You'll know approximately how your puppy will grow and what to expect in terms of exercise, diet, and space requirements.
• Training Success: Consistent temperaments mean more predictable training outcomes and easier integration into family life.

Managing the Risks of Linebreeding

Our Safeguards:

• Health Testing: All breeding dogs undergo comprehensive, age appropriaate health screening
• Piper's Outcross Advantage: Her 0.0% COI provides genetic diversity to balance the intensive linebreeding
• Careful Selection: We only use this approach when breeding to dogs of exceptional quality like Sean (son of Baron, the 2022 & 2023 Stud Dog of the Year)

The Results:

• Mia (from first litter): Earned her first Major win in 2025
• Cora (from second litter): Healthy, typey puppy who made her successful debut at 7 months
• Consistent Family Temperaments: Both litters produce the gentle giants families expect

What This Strategy Demonstrates

Both completed litters validated our progressive breeding approach and established the foundation for our future breeding program:

• Predictable adult size
• Consistent temperament: Gentle, loyal, loving family companions
• Health advantages: From health-tested parents and proven bloodlines
• Show potential: Both approaches produced dogs suitable for conformation showing

This progressive strategy demonstrates how decades of careful genetic planning can produce the ideal family Great Dane, and these principles guide our future breeding decisions.

Sources

• Grossman, Carol. "Tootie Longo of Great Dane Fame." Dog News. dognews.com
• Great Dane Club of America. "Q1 2024 Bulletin - 2023 GDCA Breeder of the Year." gdca.org
• Great Dane Club of America. "Q1 2023 Bulletin - 2022 GDCA Breeder of the Year." gdca.org
• American Kennel Club. "Advanced Recognition Breeders of Merit." akc.org
• Karen Martin of Danemark Danes. danemarkdanes.com
• Frankie Camacho & Jaye Dubman of Legado Danes. legadodanes.com
• American Kennel Club. "Titles and Abbreviations." akc.org