Stone Path Kennels

Oh man am I late to post this! Lol

The last weekend of August, we partook in the Great Dane Specialty in Dorchester ON. Vintage was entered into three classes as we really wanted to support our kennel clubs. In all honesty I was going for the camping, the conversations and the dogs lol. We met some new very lovely people and chatted with already made friends. It is an event I truly look forward to attending!

Although Vintage did not do well in the three classes we entered taking 2 2nds out of 2 and a 3rd out of 3, she did however do everything I had asked of her, she was very well behaved outside the ring and enjoyed her time with me in the ring and that is what fills my heart with love, pride and joy.

This year however I did have some very eye opening conversations with people much more knowledgeable and experienced than I about Vinny and her future in the Conformation ring. I have decided, due to such conversations, that Vintage will not be showing for the rest of this year or the winter of next. We will be spending the fall and winter building strength and conditioning Vintage for the spring as well fine tuning and improving already known skills. We are also researching and looking into UKC events as it has been recommended to me by many people in the last year. Vintage is also going to be partaking in some sports events to broaden her abilities, experiences and strengths.

So please stay tuned and follow us in this exciting journey as Vintage and I start together! Please enjoy some pictures from the August Specialty of Vintage and Aspen.

Next up is the Great Dane Specialty coming up really fast! We are very excited to be attending this year!

Late to post lol

Although the show didn't go great as Vinny did not get picked over her competition taking Reserve Winner out of the 2 of them, I am so very proud of her! Vinny hasn't been in the ring in 2 years and did everything I asked of her! She stacked absolutely perfect and had great energy! She may not be a favorite to the judges but she sure is a favorite to me. And that right there is all that matter. Thank you Linda for taking videos of our time in the ring! Thank you Sheri for letting us catch a ride with you!

She is bathed, brushed ad loved on. We are very excited for the show this weekend at the Caledonia Fair Grounds!.

I'm proud to be a dog breeder.

Somewhere along the way, the word breeder became something people whispered like it was automatically a bad thing. The "adopt, don't shop" movement has done incredible things for rescue dogs, and that's something worth celebrating. But somewhere in that message, ethical, preservation-focused breeders were unfairly painted with the same brush as irresponsible breeding.

Those are not the same thing.

A preservation breeder doesn't create dogs for quick money or convenience. We dedicate years to studying pedigrees, health, genetics, structure, temperament, and breed history.

We invest countless hours, sleepless nights, and more money than most people ever realize to produce healthy, stable dogs that represent everything the breed was meant to be.

We celebrate every success, grieve every loss, and carry the responsibility of every puppy we bring into this world. We stand behind our dogs for their entire lives and are committed to ensuring they never end up abandoned or unwanted.

Without ethical breeders, there are no healthy, predictable, purpose-bred dogs. There are no breed improvements. There is no preservation of the breeds so many people know and love.
Supporting rescue and supporting responsible breeders are not opposing ideas.
Both exist because people care deeply about dogs. One helps the dogs already here. The other protects the future of the breeds themselves.

So yes, I'm proud to call myself a dog breeder.
Not because I produce puppies, but because I'm committed to preserving a breed I love, improving it with every generation, and accepting the responsibility that comes with that privilege.

"Breeder" should never have become a dirty word.
Irresponsible breeding should have.

**Copied from another breeder**

There, that's more fitting to her Majesty 😂

For a year this has been an up and down struggle. Vintage has always been intended to be showing in Conformation however we have had to take a break in 2025 because of our struggle of her weight and getting her to consistently eat. She would not hold her weight due to not wanting to eat consistently with no medical reason as why she wouldn’t. Vintage had been weighed yesterday and although she is not where she needs to be yet, it appears she just may be on her way! She has gained 7lbs and although that’s a low number, it is certainly a big step in the right direction as she is a very active girl with a crazy drive! Fingers crossed we continue in this direction and she can get back into the ring in 2026!

Copied :
Most people should not own a Great Dane — and pretending otherwise is exactly why the breed gets mislabeled as “lazy,” “fragile,” or “hard to handle.”

This dog is not a decorative giant, a couch ornament, or a gentle novelty you can under-train and hope turns out fine just because it’s “sweet.”
Great Danes expose inconsistency, poor boundaries, and emotional management issues immediately — and people blame the dog for it.

They are not dumb.
They are not slow.
They are not just “big babies.”

They are powerful, sensitive, intelligent dogs trapped inside a body that magnifies every mistake a human makes.

A Great Dane was bred to guard estates, move with confidence, assess threats, and stay calm under pressure — not to be mishandled, under-trained, or emotionally ignored.

They were designed to be aware, not reactive.
Confident, not chaotic.
Stable, not submissive.

A Great Dane does not thrive on chaos, yelling, or inconsistent rules.
They need clarity, calm leadership, and structure — because when a 150-pound dog feels unsure, the consequences are real.

When people call them “clumsy,” “anxious,” or “stubborn,” what they often mean is:
“I didn’t realize this breed requires emotional regulation, not force.”

Great Danes feel everything. 🖤
Your stress.
Your tension.
Your unpredictability.

They mirror unstable households and become insecure in environments with no routine, no guidance, and no safe expectations.

People want the size without the responsibility.
The presence without the training.
The protection without the leadership. 🐾

And when the dog pulls, leans, refuses to listen, or struggles with anxiety, they get labeled “too big,” “too sensitive,” or “a liability.”

But a giant breed raised without structure doesn’t become dangerous.
It becomes uncertain.

This breed was never designed for neglect disguised as love.
It was built for partnership, boundaries, and calm authority.

That does not fit into homes where owners avoid training, skip mental engagement, and rely on the dog’s “good nature” to carry the relationship.

People love saying, “Great Danes are just fragile.”
They aren’t fragile.
They’re honest reflections of their environment.

Social media turned them into gentle couch statues — and people are shocked when the size, instincts, and emotional depth show up. 🐕

They expect a dog who behaves perfectly without guidance.
A dog who absorbs human chaos without reacting.
A dog who knows the rules that were never taught.

Great Danes do not tolerate instability.
They absorb it.
They internalize it.
They suffer from it.

That’s why they get labeled difficult, anxious, or “not for families.”
It’s easier than admitting:
“I wasn’t prepared to be calm, consistent, and responsible for a giant life.”

Plenty of people love Great Danes in photos.
Far fewer are ready to lead one properly.

Because this breed does not exist to decorate your life.
It requires you to be steady enough to deserve its trust. 🪞

And pretending otherwise hurts the dog far more than any hard truth ever could. 🐾

A visual on why keeping your dog's nails nice and trimmed is so important for their overall health

Let’s get one thing straight:
We NEED ethical dog breeders.
Not backyard breeders.
Not puppy mills.
Not “oops litters.”
Ethical. Responsible. Passionate. Breeders.

Because the truth is this:

Good breeders don’t just produce puppies — they protect entire breeds.
They’re the reason we still have healthy working dogs, therapy dogs, sport dogs, and family companions with predictable temperaments and solid genetics.

Good breeders raise puppies like they’re staying forever.
Socialization, early exposure, enrichment, confidence-building…
None of that is “extra.” It’s STANDARD.

Good breeders take dogs back, every time.
For life.
No questions. No judgment.
Because their puppies NEVER end up in shelters, ever.

Good breeders breed for preservation, for improvement, and for LOVE.

And here’s the part people don’t want to admit:
Without ethical breeders, we’d lose the breeds we depend on and adore.
Service dog lines.
Duty-driven working breeds.
Family-safe temperaments.
Sound structure.
Predictability.
Purpose.
History.

Shelters are full because of irresponsible breeding —
not ethical breeding.

So next time someone says,
“Just adopt,”
remind them:
You can support shelters
AND still value ethical breeders.

Both matter.
Both play crucial roles.
Both are needed.
Because the breeders doing it right?
They’re the ones keeping dogs healthy, stable, and loved for generations to come.

- copied from unknown author-