~TESTIMONY'S ~

The following people have purchased Great Danes from me.
They have been kind enough to allow me to use them as references.
They can answer your questions about me and of course about my Great Danes
their temperaments, quality, health and conformation.
More references are available. Contact information is available by request

When I attended the 2004 GDCA National Specialty I was not looking to buy a dog.
But then I met a friendly 4 month old black puppy boy who was fearlessly leading his breeder
through the noisy crowd. He came right up to me.
His breeder let me take his lead so he and I could go for a little stroll
I knew I had to have this baby.
That was the first time I met the puppy who I would name Tiger
and the first time I met his breeder Colette Raasch of Colra Danes.
Once becoming acquainted with the puppy I then wanted to meet the other Danes
Colette brought with her from Arizona.
I was very impressed with their wonderful dispositions.
The puppy was available but only to the right home. Other-wise Colette was just going to hang on to him herself.
Even though I have been in this breed for 30 plus years and have a very good reputation
Colette still didn’t hesitate to make sure I would provide the right home for her pup.
I was happy to know that she cared enough to take the time to check into where a dog
which she produced would go to live.
She was not only hoping for a show home…..but more importantly a good, forever home.
The friendly puppy stayed to live with me. That is how Colette and I came to co-own
Specialty HIT Colras Full Attention Req’d v. CJ, CD, RN, TDI, CGC.
Colette has proved to be a very easy, hands-off co-owner.
She is proud of what we have accomplished with Tiger thus far. Not only has he retained his exceptionally
great temperament but Tiger is also a strikingly magnificent animal. He is mentally and physically sound.
My husband and I love this dog and will probably get another black Colra Dane in the future.
Sincerely,
Chantel & Stacey Johnson
LeCheval ~ Desert Springs, CA

To Anyone Interested in Owning a Colra Dane,
I recently underwent the arduous task of finding a Great Dane breeder, as I recently lost my oldest Dane to cancer.
I found that the breeder I had intended to get a puppy from was no longer breeding.
I first tried the word-of-mouth approach, to find out that there are quite a few people who have no idea what a true Dane should be.
I was not interested in buying from a backyard breeder, nor from someone not affiliated with the Great Dane clubs.
Veterinarians, kennel clubs, and internet searches led me to the far reaches of the earth.
I found that was not interested in buying a puppy flown in from Russia either.

Just about at wit’s end, I found Colette and Colra Danes. I asked a million questions, none of which did she hesitate to give me an honest answer.
She keeps accurate records, OFA checks on both dam and sire, and keeps tabs on all of her puppies throughout their lives.
Needless to say, this is exactly what I was looking for in a breeder. I wanted someone who understood the health problems
that these wonderful Giant Breed dogs suffer from, and someone who takes precaution in her breeding program to better the breed.
Colette does just that- she doesn’t breed for the sake of breeding, but obtains Championships on her dogs, health tests, temperament tests
and only then, does she find a suitable breeding partner to accentuate the strengths each dog exhibits.

Colette doesn’t just place her dog in any home, either. I underwent a questionnaire, answered many questions and signed a lengthy contract
in which, I must stay in contact with her for the duration of my dog’s life.
You can’t help but be pleased knowing that the breeder wants to remain in contact, to ensure HER puppy is in good hands.

Needless to say, I couldn’t be happier with my Colra Dane. I patiently waited for months, and was not guaranteed a puppy, but I was willing to wait.
To my excitement, I was chosen as a home for a handsome black male from Colra’s Black Bombshell, “Shelly.”
He has exceeded all of my expectations in both aesthetics, but most importantly, in temperament.

Colette’s puppies are raised in her home, loved and cared for to the highest standard, and it really shows!
He is intelligent, kind and very willing to experience and learn new things. He is gorgeous in color and accurate in conformation.

All of my Danes, from this day forward, will be Colra Danes.
Do your homework: interview breeders, visit the parents, ask questions, look at past puppies, contact past buyers…
I can assure you that once you’ve seen the rest, you’ll be fortunate to end up with the best.

My appreciation for a wonderful addition to the family, Colra’s Black Knight. “Sabre” and I both are grateful.
Heather Zorn, New Mexico

I always knew that I wanted a Great Dane. I just wanted to wait until I was settled enough to get one
and I wanted a dane with the right temperament, build. I checked around locally and refused to go to a backyard breeder.
If I was going to get a Great Dane I was going to do it the right way.
I researched breeders for over a year and a half before deciding to get a Colra Dane. I am SO glad I did! Guinness is one of Ace's sons.
He is such a joy to have in my life and is not only a wonderful pet but a valued family member.
His temperament is PERFECT and he is always ready for the next adventure;
whether it is a trip to the park or a trip to the pet store to pick out his next toy.
I am always getting compliments on how handsome and well behaved he is wherever we go.
Guinness passed his obedience classes with ease and went on to pass his Canine Good Citizen test.
Later he became TDI certified and I began taking him for visits to Assisted Living Facilities in the area.
It was great to see how some of the residents started off scared of him because he was a huge black dog
but as the days passed they warmed up to him and were amazed at how calm, friendly, and sweet he actually was.
They also loved the fact that they did not have to bend over or lean to pet him!

Guinness turned 5 years old in June and is still as sweet and loveable as ever.
I can never thank Colette enough for breeding these danes with such wonderful temperaments and great personalities.
She cares about all of her danes so much, even after they go to their forever homes.
She is always there with answers to any questions I may have; which is very important to me.
I am so lucky to have found her! Guinness is my first purebred great dane and he will not be the last.
As long as Colette is a breeder, I will get my future danes from her!
Katherine Light, Elizabeth City, NC

Hi Colette! Just our yearly update on our sweet Sophia. She turned seven in August and is going strong! Almost completely grey, and yet still acts like a puppy. Her health is fantastic and she is still the light of our lives. But something new has come up that I wanted to share with you. My husband Richard has been battling brittle diabetes for a couple of years now. Brittle diabetes is the kind that can shoot up or down without warning. He has been hospitalized, in ICU, and while he is doing better, we still have our moments where things get a bit scary. Enter Sophia. She has had a habit for a couple of years now of periods where she will not leave Richard alone. Nudging, pawing, following him more than usual, insisting on sleeping with him. With his recent illness, we finally saw what she was doing. Sophia can smell when his blood sugar drops to a dangerous level. She wakes him up, won't let him go back to sleep, and alerts me. We never trained her to do this, and never put two and two together until I finally read an article about Diabetic Alert Dogs. Our other dog, a Lhasa Apso, can't smell it and has no clue what Sophia is doing. Sophia will sniff Richard's face, lick his arm, and then either react or settle down. She has awakened him twice now when his blood sugar dropped to 44 and 38, the last one he was dropping fast and would have gone into a coma if not for her.
Another of a million reasons to LOVE Colra Danes!
All the best to you,
Tammy Fletcher


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