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Published on:

25th Nov 2024

661 – GRRRL Power Team Carries Forward Longo Great Dane Legacy

GRRRL Power Team Carries Forward Longo Great Dane Legacy

[caption id="attachment_13331" align="alignleft" width="602"] Carol Grossman became synonymous with black Great Danes and the Longo dogs.[/caption] Host Laura Reeves is joined by Carol Grossman, Jackie Van Delft and Tristen Lawrence with a tribute to Tootie Longo, who passed away in May of this year, and the Longo Great Dane legacy. Grossman, the "Queen of Great Danes," piloted dogs for Longo for decades, including legendary greats like the second Black in Breed history to win an All Breed Best In Show, BIS BISS Ch. Longo’s Chief Joseph. She shares her memory of Tootie Longo this way: “As much of an icon as she was, she never really thought of herself as an icon, whereas Joey (Vergnetti) and Peter (Green) were icons. She didn't realize they felt that way about her. That was Tootie. She just was not assertive about who she was. And she didn't realize, I think, until the end, how famous she really was, that she carried a legacy of dogs through the years. She knew she had beautiful dogs and she knew she had a great line and she knew that she was lucky in picking dogs, but she never really realized what an icon she was.” Van Delft is the more recent member of the group, a Great Dane enthusiast who had wanted a Dane since childhood. She sought out Tootie Longo to acquire a dog, and wound up as a “member of the family.” [caption id="attachment_13330" align="alignright" width="700"] Jynx with (from left to right) Tristen Lawrence, Jackie Van Delft and Tootie Longo.[/caption] “Tootie pretty much took us under her wing,” Van Delft said. “We became really good friends… I got my first Longo puppy and he was amazing. He was my heart dog. But we would go to the Longos every weekend to twice a month. We were very lucky we only lived 45 minutes away from them. So we spent a lot of time and we got to go to all the shows together. And, you know, she just became a part of the family or I became part of hers, you know, and it's just that was it. She wasn't getting rid of me.” Grossman and Van Delft were instrumental in selecting Lawrence, a third generation Great Dane exhibitor, to campaign Jynx, one of the last of Tootie’s dogs, to 36 specialty wins. “I'm a Great Dane handler my whole life,” Lawrence said. “My parents and both of their parents on both sides were very active in the breed as breeders as well as handlers. So there's never been a time that I didn’t do this. I remember Tootie Longo as long as I've been alive. And so growing up, knowing the power and what she built in our sport, it was incredible and for her to come to me and say ‘we want you to show our dog,’ I can't describe how proud I was, how incredible that was to me.”    
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Pure Dog Talk
The VOICE of Purebred Dogs|Learn How to Show Your Dog|Dog Sports, Agility, Barn Hunt|AKC Dog Breeds and Dog Breeders|
Pure Dog Talk is the VOICE of Purebred Dogs. We talk to the legends of the sports and give you tips and tools to create an awesome life with your purebred dog. From dog shows to preservation breeding, from competitive obedience to field work, from agility to therapy dogs and all the fun in between; your passion is our purpose. Pure Dog Talk supports the American Kennel Club, our Parent, Specialty and All-Breed Clubs, Dog Sports, Therapy, Service and Preservation of our Canine Companions.
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About your host

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Laura Reeves

Laura is an AKC Breeder of Merit and retired member of the Pro-fessional Handlers Association. Laura is a second-generation breeder of German Wirehaired Pointers, under the Scotia Kennel banner.

Scotia dogs have earned well over 100 titles, in the show ring, field and performance events. Her dedication to breeding dual purpose dogs reflects a stated goal of preserving the all-weather, rugged, sound-minded gun dog the breed’s founders envisioned.

Laura served the GWPCA as AKC Gazette columnist, Judges Education Committee member and chair, Vice President, Presi-dent, National Events Coordinator and Wire~News Editor.

Her background as a newspaper reporter, marketing rep and re-searcher/writer for audio driving tours has served her well in her side projects. Her current adventure as host of PureDogTalk podcast lends her particular combination of skills to an outstanding breeder and exhibitor education channel.