In 1970, I recall driving over the Verranzano-Narrows bridge with my parents to attend my first dog show, The Staten Island Kennel Club. The tenting was visible from the bridge and what a beautiful sight it was! We were to meet with a Dane breeder, as for reasons beyond the understanding of my family, when our household pet of thirteen years passed away, I decided that I wanted a Great Dane. At that show I remember holding one of Pat Morris' champion dogs as he was waiting for his class, as well as one of Hank Thunhorst's beautiful bitches. Hank pointed out the top handlers in the nation, Bob and Jane Forsyth, who created quite an impression on me.

The following weekend, we were to take the drive upstate to meet Hank at Rosemarie Robert's Dinro Kennels. "Going to the mountain" is what Dane people called this, as Rose lived up an unpaved road atop a mountain surrounded by state park. I thought I wanted a fawn bitch; however, I ended up with a brindle dog. We were to pick up the puppy a few weeks later, after he had grown a bit. The morning we were to leave. I was sitting on our front porch and a kind of beagle/basset mix trotted from across the street from a park. The dog climbed up the steps to the porch and sat down, all nice and comfortable, as if he belonged there. My dad said, "Well, Eric, would you like to keep this dog or go today to pick up the Great Dane?" Little did I know what a turn my life would take by my answer to that question.

This shy, yet precocious kid from Brooklyn proceeded to show his Great Dane. I was able to put several points on “Royal” in competition with some of the top pros of the day and qualified for the Junior Showmanship finals at the Garden twice.

I had wanted for some time to gain experience by working for Mrs. Robert, but she was so intimidating that I always was too frightened to ask. I decided one afternoon when I got home from school, I was going to call her and ask her for a job, no matter how nervous I was. I got home, immediately went to the phone, dialed the number, and she answered. I asked if she needed some help at the kennel for the summer. The ten seconds of dead silence that followed seemed like an eternity. Finally, she said, "You don't expect to get paid, do you?" When I reassured her that it was the good, solid experience that I was after, she said it would be OK.

Several weekends later, my parents dropped me off at Dinro. Rose was away at a show. There was a part-time kennel person (gender not readily discernable, but since her name was “Eleanor”, I took a guess at “she”) who handed me a glove-brush and mumbled that I should start brushing the Danes. As Eleanor warmed up to me, she informed me the main kennel person and handler had gone on a 'bender' the previous week and was fired because she had left a gate open allowing two of Rose' s favorite males to get together in a wicked fight. Several hours later, Rose returned from the show with several breeders and judges in tow. She introduced me to the group by announcing, "Meet my new handler". Well, I think my heart sank into my stomach. The next duty for this 14 year old was to act as bartender and serve cocktails to the guests.

Every other day at Dinro was like a dog show. People would come from all over to make the “pilgrimage” to Dinro. Rose would let people leave their puppies loose in her living room. She was disappointed when they left, even if it was at 2:00 in the morning. As intimidating as she could be, if she saw that a person had a sincere interest in the breed, she would open up and the knowledge would start to flow. She was a Cooper Union graduate. Above the mantle of her fireplace were three Dane heads she had sketched. You would swear they were photographs.

I wish people today had the opportunity to avail themselves to old time breeders. Every breed had them. This was the best learning experience. I'm afraid its gone by the wayside, and commercialism and mediocrity to some degree have taken its place. Fortunately, there are breeders today who do have an eye and a knack for breeding dogs or we would not be seeing the quality that we are seeing. The days of the big kennels are gone. I feel so very fortunate that I was able to catch the tail-end of that era.

During this period, I also showed a dog for Poppy and Al Feldman. I believe they are two of the nicest people that I have ever known in or out of dogs. Mr. Feldman, at that time was Chairman of the Board of the American Kennel Club. His unparalleled ethics, integrity and calm gentle manly manner are seldom seen in our society today.

I began handling professionally when I graduated from College and was quite passionate about it. I was waiting until I turned twenty-one, as in those days, you were considered an “outlaw handler” if you showed dogs for others and accepted any type of payment. Just three months before I turned twenty-one, the AKC stopped the licensing of handlers, so I started a bit early. I completed championships on about one-hundred Danes, including some Number One Danes and some influential producers. I had some successes in other breeds, as well. My first Special, Ch. Tilpadane Barnaby Neustadt, won the breed at the Garden and went on to many wins. He had true Dane temperament and was a pleasure to show. My next one, Ch. Bodane Tourister, would prefer to be at home, having fun and lying on the couch. “Tory” also won the breed at the Garden and became the Top Male Dane in the Country, as did “Barnaby”. He produced about thirty to forty champions. When reading through a Top Twenty catalog a few years ago, I realized the profound effect “Tory” had on the breed. Almost every top Dane in the country goes back to him, most of them several times.