Great Dane Gold Champion Black Griffon of Danjen showing off his bond with owner Jennifer Robb at the 147th Westminster Dog Show. Among the many awards they’ve won is Gold in the Owner-Handled category.
One of the most frequently asked questions Jennifer Robb hears about Griffon, her champion Great Dane, is “Do you have a saddle for him?” The questions continue from there as this majestic breed, the size of a small horse, never fails to turn heads and provoke conversations.
“There’s a joke that I never get to eat my meals while they’re hot because I only eat at places that allow dogs, and Griffon always attracts attention,” Robb notes. This recognition extends nationally and internationally, Griffon having won Best in Breed twice at the largest American Kennel Club (AKC) dog show in America, as well as Great Dane finalist at the Westminster dog show, and AKC Grand Champion Silver.
Robb has lived in Orinda since 1997 with her husband Daniele, son Stefano and their cats and dogs. Typically, they adopt their pets from shelters, but six years ago Robb began researching extra-large breeds and decided on a Great Dane.
“These are gentle dogs. People think big means independent, but that’s not true … they were bred to go boar hunting and take care of family. This trait makes Griffon like a LEGO piece attached to my thigh.”
Showing Griffon wasn’t on Robb’s radar until he was over two years old and she decided to enter a nearby practice show. He won Best of Breed, so months later she entered him in an official AKC event in Anderson, where he won third in the working dog group. Robb was packing up her car to leave when an organizer chased her down because Griffon had also won Best of Breed and they needed to return to the ring for the award.
“That was it. I was hooked,” she said.
“I always thought dog shows were for crazy people. They are, but it’s awesome insanity if you’re with the right people. This world is stressful, competitive, humbling and terrific fun,” she added.
Robb estimates they road trip to AKC and International shows about 65% of weekends, covering 35 different states. It’s true that the shows are about dogs, but when Robb reflects on the big takeaways she said, “It’s the people we meet across America. I walk into a place with this tender and quiet dog and the most hardened-looking person will become childlike and curious. It’s incredible.”
Griffon also loves the people connection. Recently, at the American Kennel Club Show in Philadelphia, hundreds of families came to meet the breeds. A woman and her non-verbal paraplegic daughter were among the many who came to see Griffon.
Focusing on the daughter, he put his head on her lap and, overjoyed, she leaned into him. Griffon then curled up around the base of her wheelchair.
“It was as if he was saying ‘this is my girl’,” said Robb. “She was queen of the moment.”
Robb is aware that Griffon may be frightening for some people, so she stays alert in reading reactions. One of her favorite memories is when her instincts were off. They were in Orinda Village and an elderly Asian woman came toward them with a walker. Robb crossed the street to avoid her, but the woman kept coming. Griffon gently placed his head on the woman’s shoulder and she “burst out giggling like a three-year-old.”
Griffon has had an impressive career in four years, and he still isn’t done, with upcoming shows in Missouri and North Carolina. As a six-year-old, he’s one of the oldest in his breed and will compete in the veteran division.
Is it time for a protégé, another Great Dane puppy?
Robb laughed, “If only I can convince my husband!”
