Great Dane Dogs

Great Dane Dogs

The presence of a Great Dane, with their deep bark and imposing size, can add to the safety of your home or property. Great Danes are not to be used solely for a guard dog (they do not do well with this job) just their appearance should be enough. The average Danes body when full grown will exceed, when the tail is included, the height of most adult human males. Such a long body requires sufficient turning and maneuvering space in a home, in a kennel, in a run or a yard. The weight of the average adult Great Dane will be as much as that of most teenagers and many adult humans. A large Great Dane can actually occupy much more space on a couch than two average sized humans.

Great Dane Dogs are considered intelligent and fairly easy to housebreak and train. Proper socailization is a must, simply because many people, even if they like dogs, seem to be exceptionally fearful of very large breeds

Dog Care Advice

Great Danes like to be physically next to the people they love, they have a habit of leaning into you when you are petting them. Children and older adults will need to brace themselves for the onslaught of an adoring dog. Danes are very gentle, and love children, but this massive dog, even when perfectly mannered, can easily cause an accident involving a child, so it is important that they are carefully supervised during playtime.

A Great Dane needs its share of adequate exercise. A dog cannot be well if not permitted adequate exercise, and in the case of such a large dog breeds, adequate means considerable. Large dog breeds are difficult to handle when they become destructive out of boredom or anxiety. Great Dane Dogs should have a fenced yard of sufficient size to permit her to move about freely, in addition to a supervised walk with you at least once a day.

It is also important not to encourage your Dane to be overly protective or aggressive. Her size alone will be enough to discourage most potentail threats. Their natural tendency is to protect when and if it is necessary. That's why socialization from an early age is important; the more exposure your pet has to other people and animals, the easier it will be for her to practice good judgment.

Great Dane Information

General Information

Feed your dog a high quality commercial food designed specifically for large dog breeds. Choose one according to your dog's age and size. These foods offer the proper balance of nutrition for quick-growing large dog breeds and often additives for joint health. Puppies and young adult Great Danes can deveop growing and/or bone problems, sometimes associated with improper diets. Feed large breed puppies puppy food until 18 months of age.

They are a fairly expensive breed to maintain. But well worth every penny. You should always have a dog crate for your Great Dane puppies. Go ahead and get one big enough for when your puppy matures, you can always block off part of it, that way you will not have to worry about buying a bigger one when the puppy out grows that one. Great Dane puppies grow fast so they will quickly out grow the smaller dog crates. The puppy will come to know and love its dog crate; it will be her special place where she is safe and happy. It is an idea arrangement, for when you want her to be free, the crate door stays open. At other times you can securely latch it to keep her out of mischief.

It is also important to note that the Great Dane has a relatively short life expectancy of 7-10 years. Like many very large dog breeds, they are predisposed to hip dysplasia, "bloat", which is an overextension of the stomach due to excessive gas, as well as dilated cardiomyopathy and other congenital heart defects. Click Here to learn more about the Great Dane's Health.

In closing, I'd say that a Great Dane is a good choice for any family who is willing to be educated on the ins-and-outs of ownership of a Great Dane. They are exceptionally affectionate dogs; in fact, I think the Great Dane must be the largest variety of lap-dog I've ever encountered!

Physical Description

The Great Dane Dogs are very large, muscular, and squarely built dog with a big, rectangular head and drop ears that can be cropped erect or left natural. The dog's dark eyes are almond shaped, and its tail is long and tapered. The breed's short, smooth coat is fawn, blue, black, harlequin, brindle, or a mantle pattern (black with a whie collar and chest, a white muzzle, and white on all or part of the legs).

Height is 28 to 32 inches minimum, click here for the growth chart. A Great Dane dogs weight on the minimum scale will be 100 to 130 pounds minimum.

The Great Dane is from the Working Group. It is believed to be a cross of the Mastiff and the Irish Wolfhound.It's temperament is friendly and playful that is extremely good-natured and affectionate.

Possible Health Concerns for the Dane are: Bloat, hip dysplasia, osteosarcoma and wobbler syndrome.

Working Group

Dogs of the Working Group came into being when early humans stopped their nomadic hunter-gatherer, lives and began to settle into villages. These newer breeds were designed for more domestic tasks such as guarding, pulling and rescuing.

This is also a diverse group, and many were selected for body size, strength, and sometimes aggressiveness. The Doberman Pinscher, Siberian husky, boxer, Great Dane, Mastiff, and rottweiler are included in this group. Many of these dogs are refered to as "powerful breed dogs". The more purebreed they are, the more likely they are to be driven by the needs of their breeding. I often don't recommend that a "beginning" dog owner take on a very powerful breed dog in their purebred form, unless he is willing to put an enormous amount of his own time and energy into fulfilling the dog's working nature.

~Cesar Millan

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