I was not older than 10 years when I first fell in love with Great Danes. In those times my Father was possessing horses. There was a store in the town selling horse stuff, and I enjoyed visiting the shop with my Dad because the shopkeepers were in Great Danes! Especially do I recall a brindle bitch and a brindle dog which were often there in the shop. The little girl me just admired them!

                    Photo: Tuija Pauhu
One day the lady in the shop told me that one of their bitches was about having babies. Without telling anyone I made a deposit of a puppy for myself. Since the puppies got older and were ready to be sold, I was eventually forced to tell my parents about my "purchase". My Dad did not agree at all. So, all I could do was to let the lady know that I could not take my Dane baby. I still remember the disappointment and the way I was thinking: just wait until I get older...

Now, over 30 years later, the daughter of those shopkeepers is a proud owner of two Helisain Great Danes!

Maybe this little childhood story is the reason for my special love to the brindle color, even though my first very own Great Dane was a fawn bitch, which moved in my family in '79. Short after that I finally got a brindle one, Fin Ch Aidoba Emanuela. This bitch got finished her Finnish Championship in her old ages at 7.

In '82 I purchased two bitches, fawn and brindle, from the famous Danehouse Kennel in Sweden. The fawn girl Int & Nord Ch Danehouse Atalaya became such a glorious show star with 3

 x BIS, multi BISS wins and lots more. The brindle bitch Fin & Swe Ch Danehouse Country Girl was one of those priceless "once-in-a-lifetime" breeding bitches, which I can say, became the foundation of all my later breeding work. She was mated five times with five different studs and each of those five litters produced several Champions, including World Winner '89.

Up to now, I have either owned, bred or bred-owned about 70 National Champions (including pugs which I have also been in since '83), 12 International Champions and I have bred/owned almost 20 BIS and BISS Winners.

I am very grateful to Ulla Magnusson from kennel Airways, not only for the excellent stud dogs, but also many advises and help she gave to me. It is no exaggeration to call her my tutor.

My numerous American imports have left their own special trace in my breeding work, too: Fin & Dk Ch Milchase Granville Walham Green, Von Fleck's I Want It All, Am & Fin & S & Dk & Est Ch Von Graff Ic-Design and Am & Int &Fin & Dk & Est Ch Daneboa's Sun Of Owlwatch, just a few to mention.

I have also bred four Am Champions.

My exports to Sweden, Norway, Denmark, America, South-Africa, England and Estonia have also made Helisain Great Danes  known outside Finland.

The Finnish Kennel Club has honored me with a Silver Decoration for my breeding work.

In -89 I was the Breeder of the Year in All Breeds in Finland.

I became a legalized Judge for Great Danes in '90. By now I have judged Danes both in International All Breed Shows and in Specialties in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Estonia and Britain.