About the Breeder

Having been a Great Dane enthusiast for a number of years, owning, breeding and sometimes handling several THRALLDANE Champions, I felt it time to downsize.

DOGS USA had a beautiful headshot and small article about the GREATER SWISS MOUNTAIN DOG. Now, where was I going to be able to see this very handsome dog in person back in 1992? After making several phone calls I flew to Pennsylvania, Virginia and North Carolina.

In late 1992, BERA came to our Great Dane home and like potato chips, 6 months later I flew to Ohio and a second trip to Ohio I brought HEIDE home.

THE BEGINNING – 1992 FOUNDATION STOCK, USA – A.K.C.

BERA is 11 years old. Bred only once producing VON THRALL’S Sudanly Bewitched, R.O.M. SAMI is the dam of many young swissies today.

HEIDE is 10 years old, a wonderful dam of Champion and pointed get. HEIDE attained three (3) titles all owner handled. GSMDC CH., ARBA CH., AKC CH. PHOENIX WENDY VON THRALL

Several trips to Switzerland began in 1994 when a few enthusiastic breeders and handlers journeyed to The World Dog Show held in Bern, Switzerland. Earlier I had received a phone call from Cathy Cooper asking if I was interested in attending a show with lots of Swissys. That didn’t take too much thought but of course I figured it was somewhere in the US, but now I am packing for a trip to SWITZERLAND. Thanks to Brigitte for finding housing for us and setting up visits to several local breeders and owners we were all on the way to being further educated on this fabulous breed.

Four of us imported two Swissys, which can be found in many US pedigrees today. Brigitte Rhinehart, Cathy Cooper, Kristin Kleeman and myself Juanita Thrall Jones.

Ch. Tobi vom Sundbach, CGC, R.O.M. OFA excellent “TASSO”
Ch. Rina V. Agerstenholz, CGC, R.O.M. (17 Ch) OFA good “RINA”

Another Swissy excursion took Cathy, Brigitte, Kristen and I to Sweden in 1996. Four Little Sweds came to America to increase the US gene pool.

LaGross Linford Christie, OFA Good co-owned by Brigitte and Juanita “Gunar” can be seen on the Breed All About It program Herding Sheep.

In July, 1995, the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog became AKC recognized. Cathy Cooper, our first President said, “Juanita, don’t you think we should have a Judges Education program?” I replied,
” Yes, we really need to do this”. Well!…Cathy gave me this assignment.

We had a wonderful group study of Judges in Lexington at the 1995 National and also on the 1996 Florida January circuit. Fortunately, the trips to Switzerland provided me with extra literature to give the Judges since there was so little available at that time in the US.

Juanita was AKC liaison for the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Club of America. Secretary and Trophy chair for the Blue Ridge GSMDC.

Juanita has judged several Sweepstakes for the Swissy and Great Dane most recently judging The Great Dane Club of South Florida Sweepstakes in Palm Beach, FL., March 7, 2003 and will be applying for her AKC Judges license in the near future.

Juanita currently owns and co-owns 10 Swissys. I would like to thank all owners, co-owners and co-breeders who have finished over 34 CHAMPIONS. I would also like to thank the breeders who have brought into their breeding programs the following co-owned stud dogs.

Ch. Tobi Vom Sundbach, R.O.M.
Ch. Sur Swissy El Sur, R.O.M. ” Sur Rio has won multiple stud dog and Veteran classes, recently siring 2 litters at age 8. ” Sur Rio is the Sire of the FIRST ALL BREED BEST IN SHOW SWISSY, MIKEY.

ROM – A Register of Merit title is earned when a dog has ten (10) progeny sired by him that have themselves earned their CHAMPIONSHIP. Bitches earn a ROM title when five(5) puppies they have whelped become CHAMPIONS.

WHISPERING PALM’S main goal is to produce sound, structurally correct, healthy puppies with great emphasis on stable temperament.

WHISPERING PALM’S is located near Fort Lauderdale, FL, in a small western town called Davie just 15 minutes west of the Fort Lauderdale airport, 1 hour from Miami and Palm Beach airports, nestled among pine and palm trees.