I have been passionate about Great Danes for as long as I can remember, growing up surrounded by these stunning, majestic dogs. My family's journey with the breed began when I was four years old when my mother brought home our first Great Dane, an 8 week old blue male puppy that my siblings and I aptly named ‘Smokey’ - because he looked like the colour of smoke - the creativity of children knows no bounds! 

My mother fell in love with the breed and went on to compete blue, black, and harlequin Great Danes for 20 years. I spent my childhood and teenage years competing my family’s Great Danes nationally across the UK. This early exposure instilled in me a deep love and appreciation for the breed that remains in my blood to this day. My other passion is horses, having completed an Equine degree in 2012. I own a 17.2 Irish Sport Horse Grade 1 eventer ‘Toby’ and a 4 year 16.2 Dutch Warmblood 'Maya' that I am bringing on to be my next eventer. 

I have always had a soft spot for brindles and after completing my undergraduate degree, I purchased my own Great Dane in 2013, a brindle female I named Arhyah after my favourite character in the television series Game of Thrones. Arhyah was the foundation of my breeding line and absolutely beautiful. Due to my passion for producing exceptional quality, structurally sound dogs. I am highly selective about the males I use on my females to create puppies, which must be hip and elbow scored to ensure skeletal structural soundness in my puppies. I also only breed one or two litters a year as I value producing quality over quantity. 

Today, I have a thriving lineage, living with eight of my beautiful homebred Great Danes; five brindle females, two fawn females, and one brindle male available for stud - his semen is shipped worldwide. 

All the dogs are Kennel Club registered under my Kennel Name Aethelflaed. I am deeply committed to maintaining the structural vigour, health, and genetic diversity of the breed. To achieve this, artificial insemination is integral to my breeding program which enables me to use exceptional international champion sires from the best Belgian, Italian, and Russian lines to date. I am always looking across the global platform for the best of the best quality males to use in my breeding 

program. I strive to produce Great Danes which are to the classic breed standard, showcasing the Apollo of dogs. Key structural 

aspects I look for in sires, and aim to replicate in my puppies, are strong bone structure, clean jawlines, nice tight eyes, a good eat-set, parallel head planes, and well-muscled with level toplines. All the sires I use must be hip and elbow scores with excellent results, and all my own Great Danes are hip and elbow scored under the British Veterinary Association Scheme. This is to ensure the puppies are anatomically sound in these crucial areas of their skeleton.

My dogs enjoy an enriched, fulfilling life traveling across the UK and Europe with me on holiday. Some of their adventures include 

exploring the forests of Bavaria in Germany, Snowdonia mountain hikes in Wales, and Scotland’s breath taking North Coast 500 route during a wild camping and hiking road trip in June 2024. We also travel to Northern Ireland to visit family regularly, running free on the beaches. On the weekends you will find me riding with my dogs as they love to run with my horse, or taking them to the beach, forest, of National Trust places to enjoy lots of fuss and attention from the public. These experiences deepen their experience of life and reflect my dedication to their mental and emotional well-being. 

I have an Instagram account for my dogs which is accessible for anyone passionate about the breed to follow me on, my username is ionie_TheDaneLady – because subtlety gets you nowhere! My Great Danes are my entire world, my pride and joy, and this is reflected in my highly sought after puppies which have international genetics through using the best of the best sires from around the world to improve the genetic diversity of my bloodline. You will not find Great Danes with such strong genetic diversity, and international blood, anywhere else in the world. 

I ensure that all my puppies only go to homes where they are loved as part of the family, living in the house and enjoying the best life can give from their new owners. I am committed to producing healthy, well-balanced puppies that bring joy and warmth into their new homes with their shenanigans, ensuring years of happiness and delight for their new families.

If you would like to have a place on our prestigious waiting list for our next litter, contact us for a conversation about welcoming one of our beautiful dogs into your home.