Great Dane

Joseph F. Gennaro Jr.

Dane Breed

4/9/2007

Rating: TBA (35vote/s)

Much of the above I find to be inaccurate. I have had Danes, one or two at a time for over 50 years; fauns & harlequins, males & females. Buy only from a reputable breeder-check with other breeders at a large dog show or on the internet. Do not accept a dog you do not know--that is, make sure the dog is seen by a DANE VET[!] ASAP.

Do not buy a dog with ears [if cut] that are wrapped. If ears have been cut, make arrangements with breeder to have them unwrapped, cleaned, rewrapped at least weekly [by someone who knows how to do this].

Read as much as you can about the breed; talk to many breeder and owners. Remember this is a LARGE breed. what looks like a grown dog [boxer size] may be only a 3-month old pup. TALK TO YOUR DOG AS MUCH AS YOU CAN. Like a child it will listen to the tone first & then will leard the words. Keep your pup in a crate overnight and take it out before bed & IMMEDIATELY in the early AM. A puppy cannot hold its water longer. You can expect it to understand at least as well as a 4yr old human when grown.

Socialize it with other Dogs, People & Children [take it to the park]. DO NOT TOLERATE aggressive behavior. The dog will know the difference between Friend & Foe. Most important: DO NOT GET A DANE UNLESS YOU CAN SPEND MOST OF THE DAY IN ITS COMPANY. Take it to work, etc. DO NOT leave it alone in the house all day and then complain about destructive behaviour. If you dont live alone, be sure EVERYONE in the house understands these principles when dealing with the dog. BEST WISHES for what will be the best companionship in your life-this dog will give you unstinting love and loyalty, more than most humans.

S walker

dane temperament

11/28/2005

Rating: TBA (16vote/s)

I have had Great Danes my entire life. Growing up with these gentle giants has been a pleasure and I cannot imagine my life without one or two at my side. It's funny that people underestimate the intelligence of these creatures. As only a dane owner could know, they are smart, sometimes humanlike dogs that use their intelligence to their advantage.

I can be easily manipulated by my dogs and they know just how to get their way. I've also come across many reviews stating that Great Danes are nothing more than gentle giants. My grandmother can attest to quite the opposite however since during an unfortunate occurence, she wandered unannounced into my home and was attacked by my male dane (whom I no longer have) and nearly lost her arm. He only got 2 bites in before I intervened but he took her to the floor immediately and had never had any formal protection training. It was a sad experience as i sat with her while she was stitched up, the doctor stopped counting at 70 stitches. That dog had been socialized, but I lived alone and he was wary of strangers and very protective of his little female owner.

so needless to say, I not only feel safe with my giant companions but enjoy their presence and realize the intelligence that goes so often overlooked. The short life span sucks, as does bloat but with regular maintenance and care, these dogs will often live years past the 8-10 year life expectancy.

sloberin

Greatest Dane

10/27/2005

Rating: TBA (13vote/s)

Great Danes are a remarkable breed. I owned a beautiful dane years ago (who is sadly no longer with us) and even though I don't own one at the momment you can bet that as soon as possible I will be owning another one. As is the case with most large breeds, these gentle giants of the canine world do unfortunately come with their fair share of health problems.

This is not the breed to buy in the spur of the momment (not that any dog should be) and anyone looking and buying one of these dogs should put the time and effort into reseaching the breed to ensure that they buy from a reputable breeder who is breeding sound dogs that are free from genetic diseases. Genetic diseases commonly seen in danes include hip dysplacia, arthrits, von willebrands disease as well as heart, eye and thyroid problems. Some lines are also know to produce pups with megaesophagus.

When considering a pup of this breed, look for breeders who health test their breeding stock and are realistic in the promises that they are willing to make about your future pup (e.g if they tell you that they will guarentee 100% that the 8 week old pup that you are looking at buying will NEVER develop hip dysplacia... they are lying to you because even if both parents are free from the crippling disease no one can guarentee that the pup will be.) Testing will certainly increase the chance of you getting a pup that will be HD free but not guarentee. Look for someone that will offer health guarantees (e.g should the pup develop genetic/hereditary (not environmental) HD before a certain age (usually around 2 or 3 yo) they will replace the pup/refund money. Also ask for references from people who have purchased puppies from this breeder before and speak to them to find out if they have had any problems and if they have ask if the breeder has been helpful?

The other thing to keep in mind is that although the colours for the breed mentioned above "Harlequin, Blue, Brindle, Black, Fawn" are the recognised colours according to the breed standard (although I do believe that the mantle/boston colouring is also recognised in some countries now) the dane is also available in many other colours which as a group are known as "mismarked danes" with colours like merle, blue brindle and fawnakin.

I have seen many advertisements recently with titles like "RARE FAWNAKIN DANE" followed by a ridiculously high price. Do not be fooled into buying one of these danes!! I am not saying that these mismarked danes will not make great pets because they will but they are not rare and these colours are in fact considered a fault by responsible breeders so by all means buy a mismarked dane just don't be fooled into paying a ridiculous price for one!

In regards to being a watch dog I did not mark the dane overly high as through my experience (I have only had the one dane) he was not an excellent watch dog as I consider a watch dog to be a dog that barks and defends your house and property and to be quite honest as long as robber did not touch his food, his toys or his couch he would have just licked them to death (but honestly how many people are game enough to go in a house with a dog that big that they don't know even if it isn't barking?). This doesn't mean the dog was not protective, had anyone ever tried to harm me or anyone in my family... HEAVEN HELP THEM, he would have defended us in a heart beat but he didn't care much to defend anything but his family.

Once you own a dane you will love the breed for life. The important thing is to do your research so that you do not end up with a lovable but unhealthy great dane that will end up in nothing but heart break down the track.

Lyn Martin

GREAT Danes/GREAT Dogs!

4/22/2005

Rating: TBA (43vote/s)

My fiance presented me with "Maximillion", On christmas day 2000. He was 4 months old and already 35 lbs. My fiancee bought him from an ireputable breeder.(unknowingly) We knew nothing about great danes, but learned quickly. 5 yrs later, I will say with all honesty and from my heart, I will never own another breed . I love all dogs and have 3, But Maxi has proven to be the most amazing protector, watchdog, and friend I have ever had.

Great danes do come with their share of problems , as any breed does. As a puppy he went through terrible growing pains as they grow rapidly, sometimes his front end was higher than his rear, sometimes his rear end was higher than his front, he suffered from "Wobbler disease" which is painful swelling in the joints as they grow (much as children have)

But once they make it through that, they are pretty hardy dogs.

4 things I have learned are absolutely ESSENTIAL in maintaining this breed:

1. keep their food & water on a 14-20 inch raised platform .their necks are long and they can intake too much air when they eat, causing an often fatal condition called "Bloat" (intestinal twisting) by the time you notice something is wrong, it is often too late. avoidable by keeping their food & water at a proper level.

2: Stubborn, terribly, I made the mistake of not training my dane as a pup, I have seen the results of good training, and I live with the results of no training. but trained or not, they are still very good dogs.

3: this is something every breeder must stress, Great Danes are NOT outdoor dogs. They are large dogs with small hearts, they only need "MODERATE escercise" over stressing their hearts by excessive excercise is a strict NO-NO.

4: food intake, If you leave it on the counter, and its gone 5 minutes later, your fault, Danes have voracious appetites and will eat anything you put at eye level. train them early to avoid the problems I have faced, My Maxi has learned to open the fridge. he can get reach the counters and any shelves he want (males often stand over 6 feet on their hind legs) Even though most breeders will tell you not to, I keep dry food down for my dogs 7/24/ they have no weight problems and eat when they feel the need.

5: dental hygene, danes can develop peradontal disease easily, you do need to keep them in "dental toys" and once a month or so, brush their teeth. this canl also increase their life expectancy

all in all, Danes are a hardy breed, smarter than they are given credit for, loyal, protective, and affectionate. if you are the type of person who believes your dog should live in the backyard, this is NOT your breed. Danes need love, companionship, and lots of interaction. They do not need a big yard or lots of excercise, But they do need a home where they are part of the family. someone who is gone alot and has little time for a dog, this is not your breed. ( get a cat) The only real danger they pose to children is their size. they can be a bit clumsy or unaware at times, and can knock a child down and have a tendency to step on feet alot. But for love, loyalty ,personality,& all around great disposistion, this is a fantastic breed.

downside: life expectancy, commonly danes only live 7-9 years, however, if fed right, excercised properly, and keeping their teeth & gums clean and healthy. they can live much longer. buy a good book on Great danes before you purchase this breed, and you will find it much easier than you think to keep them in good health for their entire lives. (as you should with any breed)