![\"White](\"https:\/\/puppyintraining.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/great-dane-700x525.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nBut beyond that, do you have what it takes to handle and afford a Great Dane and share your life with them? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Check out this blog post to learn all about the Great Dane, including the good, the bad and the ugly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So You Want A Great Dane? – 16 Facts About The “Gentle Giants”<\/h1>\n\n\n\n1. Great Danes Aren\u2019t From Denmark But From\u2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u2026Germany!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What!? Great Danes aren’t Danish? Yep!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Similar to Weimaraners<\/a> and German Shorthaired Pointers<\/a>, Great Danes are courageous dogs who were originally used by German aristocracy to hunt wild boars and protect their noble premises as of the 17th century. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This background means they\u2019re representatives of the American Kennel Club\u2019s (AKC) Working Group. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Like most dog breeds that fall into this category, Great Danes need a decent amount of physical and mental exercise to thrive and stay out of trouble. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, they used to work for the Circus, but maybe not in the way you think. Great Danes didn\u2019t perform tricks the way lions did or carry humans the way horses did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They were used for protection. As you can imagine, training lions, tigers, and bears (oh my!) is a dangerous business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Circus ringmasters were putting themselves in harm\u2019s way every day attempting to tame these beasts. So what would happen if the training took a turn for the worst?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enter the Great Dane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many circus trainers had a Great Dane by their side at all times while training lions and tigers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the big cat decided to lash out, the Great Dane would react immediately, attacking the cat in defense of its master.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This gave the lion tamer a few moments to run to safety – even if it meant harm for the dog.It takes a certain type of dog to attack a lion or tiger on behalf of their master.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Great Dane Club of America<\/a> notes that Great Danes have always been bred for three major traits: loyalty, spirit, and courage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These qualities make Great Danes fierce protectors of those they love – in the circus and daily life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today\u2019s Great Danes are as courageous as their wild boar hunting forefathers, which means they\u2019re great home protectors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Besides their massive presence, their deep bark is better than any alarm system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One of my former pet sitting clients had 3 Great Danes whose barks filled their home and echoed across the entire neighborhood whenever they were outside in their yard!<\/p>\n\n\n All 3 loved cuddles, especially Shaun. He always wanted to be close to me when I watched them, and loved getting kisses on his neck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking of giant snuggle bugs, you\u2019ll need extra large beds for your Great Dane(s). An actual Queen size bed will do too (but a King size would be better)!<\/p>\n\n\n\n While they\u2019re great with kids and families, they tend to be aloof with strangers and will need to be socialized to other dogs<\/a> and animals from an early age on. <\/p>\n\n\n This one\u2019s kind of a no-brainer – fully grown Great Danes can easily reach your kitchen counters and dining room tables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s why it\u2019s best not to leave anything tempting out within their reach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also restrict your Great Dane\u2019s access to the kitchen with dog gates. Just make sure that you use an extra tall one or to mount a regular sized dog gate<\/a> at a distance from the floor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s to keep your giant pup from simply jumping it!<\/p>\n\n\n One of the major downsides of owning a Great Dane is their short life expectancy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Similar to other extra large breeds<\/a> like Mastiffs or Irish Wolfhounds, they rarely live to be older than 10 years.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course the death of a beloved dog is always tough, but having to say goodbye after less than a decade is particularly heart breaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s no doubt about it: Great Danes are huge. The AKC<\/a> puts their maximum height at 32 inches at the shoulder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And when a Great Dane stands on its hind legs, it will be taller than most humans!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA Great Dane must be spirited, courageous, never timid; always friendly and dependable,\u201d is a quote from the AKC breed standard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Great Dane is bred to be loyal and trustworthy with their human companions. In fact, they are known for being excellent with children of all ages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Though they are prone to gentleness, that doesn\u2019t mean a Great Dane owner should forgo proper training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A poorly trained Dane could result in some serious mishaps due to their size. Supervision around children is also essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to their sweet nature, positive reinforcement training<\/a> should always be used. And be sure to start training early while your Great Dane is still small enough to be easily controlled!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Great Danes aren\u2019t quite as heavy as Mastiffs who can weigh up to 230 lbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, male Great Danes weigh between 140-175 lbs, and female Danes weigh somewhere between 110-140 lbs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Keeping those numbers in mind, you can probably guess that Great Danes need a lot of food to fuel their giant bodies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So be prepared to add a few hundred dollars for quality dry, homemade or raw dog food to your monthly grocery bill!<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s no surprise that with such a great disposition, these sweethearts make fantastic therapy dogs<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To be a successful therapy dog, the canine in question must first be disposed to such traits as patience, sweetness, and friendliness – all of which the Great Dane possesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many therapy dogs work on a volunteer basis, traveling to different locations with their owner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These dogs all must be certified to work closely with people of all types and in all situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Therapy dogs must be comfortable around children, the elderly, and also around certain medical equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An owner and dog team can volunteer through a variety of organizations such as Therapy Dogs International<\/a> or Pet Partners<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The GDCA has a collection of photos of Great Danes doing therapy work in many different capacities. Too cute!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Service Dog Project<\/a> breeds, trains, and donates certified service dogs to people who experience difficulty with their balance or mobility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Service Dog Project has trained and donated over 200 certified Great Dane service dogs to individuals who have difficulty with their balance and mobility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An amazing organization! An amazing breed!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Check out some of some pics of Great Danes in training<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As you\u2019ll see in this section, Great Danes can be affected by various ailments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s why you\u2019ll want to make sure you have medical insurance in place as soon as you bring your Great Dane puppy home with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A well cushioned savings account for potential Great Dane vet expenses<\/a> will do, too!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, 40% of Great Danes suffer from Bloat, also known as GDV or Gastric Dilatation Volvulus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Bloat happens when the stomach turns and twists on itself, thus shutting off the blood supply to vital organs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Since Bloat is the number one cause of death in Great Danes, there\u2019s a surgical preventative that\u2019s called Prophylactic Gastropexy where the stomach is tacked to the body wall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although it sounds like a giant procedure, it\u2019s not and is often performed with spay or neuter procedures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another way to prevent Great Danes from bloating is to keep them from drinking large amounts of water at once and not exercising them immediately before and after mealtime. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ideally, you\u2019ll want to keep an hour buffer between exercising and feeding your Great Dane. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One more tip: Elevated dog feeders are said to contribute to bloat, so you\u2019ll likely be better off with regular dog bowls<\/a> that sit on the floor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Like other giant dog breeds, Great Danes are often diagnosed with hip dysplasia, an inherited disease that causes the hip joints to form improperly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Symptoms are weak hindlegs and stiff limbs due to inflamed, painful joints. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One approach to keeping Hip Dysplasia at bay is for breeders to test the parent dogs for the disease and not to breed dogs who test positive for it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Another one is for Great Dane owners to keep their Great Danes at a healthy weight to prevent excessive stress on their joints. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Great Danes are also prone to suffering from Autoimmune Thyroiditis, which causes Hypothyroidism. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Just like Hip Dysplasia, it\u2019s an inherited disease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s why responsible Great Dane breeders test the dogs they intend to breed for it. If detected, they won\u2019t breed them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n DCM, or dilated cardiomyopathy, is also an inherited (heart) disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It causes a disruption in their heartbeat, chamber dilation and ultimately heart failure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Again, Great Dane breeders who care about the health of their Great Dane puppies will test for this disease prior to breeding the parent dogs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In order to avoid damaging your puppy\u2019s growing joints, you\u2019ll want to wait until your Great Dane is 2 years old before you run them excessively. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But once they hit that age, they make great running buddies! <\/p>\n\n\n\n The same applies for jumping tall obstacles such as during an agility course. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s not to say that Great Danes can\u2019t start agility training until they\u2019re 2 years old. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But they should start slowly and shouldn\u2019t be asked to clear super tall obstacles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re unsure of the type of exercise you can expose your Great Dane pup(py) to during their growth phase, check in with your breeder and\/or vet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Great Danes do fine with a few weekly brushings. All you need is a Grooming Glove or Mitt<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But when there\u2019s several Great Danes in your home as was the case with my former 3 Dane clients, you\u2019re still going to be covered in fur!<\/p>\n\n\n\n As far as bath time is concerned, you may have to wash them outside in your yard or take them to a doggie self wash – depending on the size of your tub or walk-in-shower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, any dog does well with proper leash training, but you\u2019re particularly going to appreciate polite leash walking skills<\/a> in giant breeds like the Great Dane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After all, they\u2019re a strong breed that can take YOU for a walk instead of the other way around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To start, get your Great Dane puppy used to the feeling of a collar\/leash combination during their most impressionable stage, between 8-16 weeks old. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can start in the comfort of your home and then graduate to leash training in your yard (if you have one) or patio. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The first goal is to get your pup used to the leash as a connection between themselves and you, their handler. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The second goal is to walk with a loose leash without any tension. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In order to achieve this, it really helps to change direction frequently and to walk imaginary figure 8s. That teaches your pup to pay attention to you and to follow where you lead them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It also helps to reward your puppy with verbal praise (\u201cGood boy!\u201d) and\/or training treats as they follow you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n2. Great Danes Used To Be Circus Dogs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
3. They Have A Deep Bark <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Great](\"https:\/\/puppyintraining.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/great-dane-barking-700x904.jpg\")
4. They\u2019re Giant Snuggle Bugs With People They Love<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Barbara](\"https:\/\/puppyintraining.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/barbara-and-great-dane-700x918.jpg\")
5. Great Danes Are Prone to Counter Surfing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Three](\"https:\/\/puppyintraining.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/three-danes-700x503.jpg\")
6. Life Expectancy 6-10 Years <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
7. Call Them the \u201cGentle Giants\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
8. Because Of Their Large Size They Can Be Expensive Dogs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
9. They Make Excellent Therapy Dogs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
10. They Also Make Great Service Dogs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
11. Common Health Issues In Great Danes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Bloat<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Hip Dysplasia<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Autoimmune Thyroiditis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
DCM<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
12. Wait To Run Your Great Dane Puppy Excessively<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
13. Their Short Coats Are Easy To Care For<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
14. Your Great Dane Puppy Benefits From Polite Leash Training Sessions Early On<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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