Great Dane
Other Names: German Mastiff
Appearance
The Great Dane is a large sized dog that is very muscular and strong. They give the appearance of being very noble and dignified.
Coat
They have a short, smooth coat which come in colors including:brindle, fawn, blue, black or patches of black with white (Harlequin).
Weight: 100 - 120 lbs
Average Life Span: 8 - 10 yrs
Temperament
The Great Dane is a loyal, friendly, intelligent and trustworthy companion with a big heart to match it’s size. They are excellent with children and other pets which make them an exceptional family dog. Supervision, is however, required around small children as they may accidentally step on them or knock them over. Great Danes are gentle giants who love human attention and being involved with family life. They are not suited as an outside dog. They make good watch and guard dogs with their size alone is enough to scare off intruders. Although great Danes make wonderful companions, owners must be prepared for their sheer size.
Important
With their large size Great Danes need to be fed large amounts of food. Owners must understand that this will be costly. It is important to get the correct balance and type of food, as too much or too little of the wrong types of food, can result in growth problems which may not be noticed until the dog is older. It is always best to ask your vet for advice. Due to their height Great Danes need to feed and drink from raised bowls.
Training
Great Danes are intelligent make them fairly easy to train. They do grow very quickly into a very large dog so training must start when they are puppies otherwise they will be more than a handle full. All training must be consistent and due to their sensitive natures it must be gentle and positive. As puppies they do require lots of socialization with animals and people.
Grooming
The coat of the Great Dane is easily cared for with a good weekly brushing that is enough to keep it healthy and shiny.
Exercise
Great Danes need daily long walks. Care needs to be taken during puppy hood not to over exercise them as this can lead to bone and joint problems when older.
February 26th, 2009 at 12:20 am
can i have one! pleaseee!
January 4th, 2010 at 3:10 am
I love my great dane Max 120 lbs absolutly giant.
he has chased intruders out of the house on two occasions one where they were in the backyard and the dog jumped through a bay window into the backyard chasing a would be thief out of the yard.
May 25th, 2010 at 7:24 pm
How is the bonding between Great Danes and Beagles expected to be ? Is it advisable to have both as pets together, specially when the two may have to live together alone (in my absence) for 6-7 hours a day ? Would it be good ‘company’ or a ‘destructive’ one ?
Regards!
June 10th, 2010 at 6:23 pm
This is my favorite dog of all time and i plan on getting one when i move out! It so so beautiful and kind. People freak out over its size but i say hey
1 more protection
July 19th, 2010 at 11:47 am
My great dane lurch is still just a pup at 9 months old and he is such a character however the 120 pounds sounds too little as posted on the site because lurch according to my calculations is a 134 pounds already as we measure in kgs which he is 61kgs. im a little unsure of what size he will be at full size but he is a gentle giant but has super amounts of energy at the moment i recommend a great dane to all people
September 3rd, 2010 at 4:31 am
Me and my husband have always been fond of great danes and last year in october we Adopted a Merl dane at the age of 4 years and he was the BEST dog I have ever in my life had. I might be one of those “crazy” dog people but the love I had for him was like none other. I didnt consider him a pet but as one of us. He talked to us ( in dog language of course Im not crazy I swear lol ), he was sooo soo good with our kids and I just loved him so much. We didnt know but he had cancer ( the reason the owners were getting rid of him but didnt tell us ) and in just a short time he died but the few months we knew him he was absolutely amazing. We got a 3 month old shortly after him and she is now 6 months old and almost 75 lbs ( she may be more ) and is just amazing. So sweet, even as young and hyper as she is she is still awesome with our kids ( ages 1 and 4 ). I just love their personalities. I dont think I will ever own another “breed” of dogs. Danes have my heart. Amazing dogs. I recommend them to anyone who likes big dogs, they are gentle but they are clumsy and when they get their burts of energy you better have a fairly large back yard or be able to run really fast cause they go NUTS… ( Mine does anyway ). My dane does not like to be outside unless we are. It took a couple months for her to pee by herself ( we had to stand out there with her ) and she sleeps with me every night and even right now at the computer she is laying right by me. When I play with my kids, she is right there and wanting to play too lol so if you want a dane they will follow you and try to be every where you are. =) I love them! lol.
October 1st, 2010 at 11:43 pm
Our boy Koa is now 4-1/2 months old, 26 inches tall and 75 pounds already. Anyone considering a Dane should do thier homework and be prepared because this is NOT your normal dog. Special bowls, food, toys, having to wipe thier chin after they eat or drink, are just a few things to consider. Ours already eats 8 cups of food a day and we only feed the best large breed puppy food… costs us $80 a month to feed him right now. And the vet bills… they require extra care. BUT, a better dog you will never find. They are super intelligent, affectionate and loving. We will never have any other type of dog. If you can handle it, get a Dane, you won’t be sorry!
October 6th, 2010 at 9:35 pm
I love My Great Dane puppy (Candy) & her father ” HummeR ” tottaly Giant XD
April 14th, 2011 at 9:55 pm
These are the cutest lil pigs ever!! I mean dogs… Yeah, dogs… I really want one but can’t afford it… I sometimes need a dog… Actually i have two dogs but they are heinz 57’s… But yaahh, this one time i told my dog to sit and it actually sat down… How funny??? It was pretty amazing, i never seen a dog listen so well, but yeah…. thats it….
April 20th, 2011 at 6:01 am
Wow… I have a great dane that weighs 160 pounds, but doesn’t look as big as some of the pictures posted here.
Big awesome dogs… All they do is sleep lol