All About
Great Dane

Anyone considering adding a Great Dane (or any other giant breed) to their family should be especially careful to research the breed and the breeder whose dogs she is considering. Spur-of-the-moment decisions to acquire a Great Dane puppy are too often made by people unprepared to deal with their massive size, rambunctiousness and potentially destructive behavior, especially during adolescence. Reputable breeders will take the time to discuss the temperament of their breed with potential owners in an attempt to prevent their dogs from ending up in shelters or with rescue organizations. Knowledgeable breeders and trainers generally agree that aggressive tendencies or excessive shyness/fearfulness in Great Danes usually are a product of poor breeding, poor training, or both. Potential owners should explore their dog's background and commit to an appropriate training and socialization protocol before making a life-long commitment to this giant dog.

Owners of Danes should have a securely fenced yard or enclosure to prevent theft of or escape by their dog. Most Danes are not jumpers by nature; a six-foot fence should be sufficient. Many Great Danes have a fairly high prey-drive and will chase cats, rabbits or other small animals. Danes left alone for hours on end may become barkers, which nearby neighbors tend not to appreciate due to the depth and volume of the Great Dane bark.

A Great Dane can provide years of affectionate and loyal companionship. People without the time or dedication to commit to their Great Dane should consider selecting a different breed.

Feed the Great Dane a high-quality dog food appropriate to the dog’s age (puppy, adult, or senior). Give table scraps sparingly, if at all, especially avoiding cooked bones and foods with high fat content. Learn about which human foods are safe for dogs, and which are not. Owners must be aware that the number-one killer of the breed is bloat, where the stomach distends and twists. The causes of bloat aren’t fully understood, but experts agree that multiple small meals per day and preventing vigorous exercise around mealtimes can help reduce the chances of it happening.

For most of the year the Great Dane’s short, smooth coat doesn’t shed much, but given the size of the dog, this can still amount to a fair bit of hair. Weekly brushing with a medium-bristle brush, a rubber grooming mitt or tool, or a hound glove will help keep shedding to a minimum. During shedding season once or twice a year, however, hair loss will be more profuse, with a daily brushing ideal. Great Danes need a bath only occasionally, unless they get into something messy. As with all breeds, the Great Dane’s nails should be trimmed regularly, because overly long nails can cause the dog pain as well as problems walking and running.

Despite his giant size, a Great Dane is mellow enough to be a good housedog, though he's not well suited to a tiny apartment because he'll knock into everything.He can get cold in the winter, so he shouldn't be left outside in colder climates — but then no dog should. In fact, he would enjoy having a sweater or fleece coat to keep him toasty warm when you go for a walk in a winter climate.He's relatively quiet indoors, but he needs a long walk at least once a day, or a large yard to play in. An adult Great Dane needs 30 to 60 minutes of daily exercise, depending on his age and activity level. Puppies and adolescents need about 90 minutes of exercise a day.If you plan on keeping him in a yard occasionally, he'll need a six-foot fence, though he's not a jumper. If you're a gardening fan understand that he really enjoys destroying the landscaping (just a little safety tip in hopes of preventing human heart attacks).While you may want a running partner, wait to take your Great Dane jogging until he's at least 18 months old. Before then his bones are still growing, and they're just not up to the task. In fact, he may not be ready to go jogging until he's two.Crate training benefits every dog and is a kind way to ensure that your Great Dane doesn't have accidents in the house or get into things he shouldn't. A crate (a really big one) is also a place where he can retreat for a nap. Crate training at a young age will help your Dane accept confinement if he ever needs to be boarded or hospitalized.Never stick your Dane in a crate all day long, however. It's not a jail, and he shouldn't spend more than a few hours at a time in it except when he's sleeping at night. Great Danes are people dogs, and they aren't meant to spend their lives locked up in a crate or kennel.

Major concerns: gastric torsion, CHD, cardiomyopathy
Minor concerns: CVI (wobbler's syndrome), cataract, elbow dysplasia, osteosarcoma, OCD, HOD
Occasionally seen: glaucoma, vWD
Suggested tests: cardiac, elbow, hip, eye, blood
Life span: 6-8 years

Drawings of dogs who look like Great Danes have been found on Egyptian artifacts dating back to 3000 B.C. and in Babylonian temples that were built around 2000 B.C. There's evidence that similar dogs originated in Tibet, with written reports of such dogs appearing in Chinese literature in 1121 B.C.The breed is thought to have been taken into various parts of the world by the Assyrians, who traded their dogs to the Greeks and Romans. The Greeks and Romans then bred these dogs with other breeds. Ancestors of the English Mastiff were probably involved in the breed development, and some folks believe that the Irish Wolfhound or Irish Greyhound also may have played a role.Great Danes originally were called Boar Hounds, because boars were what they were bred to hunt. Their ears were cropped to prevent boar tusks from tearing them. In the 16th century, the name of the breed was changed to "English Dogges."Late in the 1600s, however, many German nobles began keeping the largest and most handsome of their dogs in their homes, calling them Kammerhunde (Chamber Dogs). These dogs were pampered and wore gilded collars lined with velvet. Talk about a sweet life.The name Great Dane arose in the 1700s, when a French naturalist traveled to Denmark and saw a version of the Boar Hound who was slimmer and more like a Greyhound in appearance. He called this dog Grand Danois, which eventually became Great Danish Dog, with the more massive examples of the breed called Danish Mastiffs. The name stuck, even though Denmark did not develop the breed.Most breed historians give credit to German breeders for refining the breed to be the well-balanced, elegant dog we love today. In 1880, breeders and judges held a meeting in Berlin and agreed that since the dogs they were breeding were distinctly different from the English Mastiff, they would give it its own name — Deutsche Dogge (German Dog).They founded the Deutscher Doggen-Klub of Germany, and many other European countries took up the name as well. The Italians and English-speaking countries didn't accept this name, however. (Even today, the Italians call the breed Alano, meaning Mastiff; and in English-speaking countries, of course, they're called Great Danes.)Throughout the late 1800s, wealthy German breeders continued to refine the breed. They turned their attention to the dog's temperament, because Great Danes had aggressive, ferocious temperaments due to the fact that they were originally bred to hunt wild boar, a particularly ferocious beast. These breeders tried to produce more gentle animals, and — luckily for us today — they succeeded.We don't know when the first Great Danes were brought to the U.S., or even where they came from, but the Great Dane Club of America was formed in 1889. It was the fourth breed club allowed to join the American Kennel Club.