Great Danes

[mallory mae]

why is it that when people are giving away their great dane pups, they will only give them up to people who have "extra large breed esperience"? at least, in my experience that's what i've seen. i mean, i understand, but why is it such an exclusive club?! i hope to one day have my own dane!

[niki003]

alot of people just don't understand just how large danes can get. they get them as cute little clumsy puppies, and next thing you know they are capapble of looking you in the eye!!! Some danes do not eat much while others can eat up to 8 cups twice a day. danes are also notible lap dogs whether they are a small 110 pounds are a large male who can top out around 175 pounds. Danes also can have their share of health problems (hip displacia, bloat ect...) and can rack up vet bills. Anyways, these are just a handful of reasons why people give up these gentle giants. I hope that you do get your dane someday soon and if you have any questions, please feel free to send me a message

[ncisfan86]

A few questions about the Great Dane

Okay so we were talking to a lady yesterday that has owned and loves Great Danes and she was telling us how docile they are. How good they are with kids, and how they are protective over the children....

Anyways what can you tell me about great danes (from Personal experience or just general knowledge )

About how big do they get?

They look like they'd be a little strong (saw one pulling our neighbor down the road) Are they easy to leash train?

Are they easy to train?

I was told they make a good watch dog (not guard dog) and will alert you to danger, is this true?


Is it true they are one of the most gentle dogs?


What health issues does the breed have as a whole?


Also what is the best living environment for them (house, apartment?)



Thanks just doing a little research on the breed out of curiousity.

[Anonymous15235]

please look thru to see if there is a thread about the breed, there is already a topic on the Great Danes, please ask questions in there! I'll move this to the correct thread..

[kacuser]

Does any one have any suggestions on ear cropping? we dont want to hurt our new puppy, we like the look of the ears standing up, but is there any other options than surgery?

[Deerie me]

I'd leave them how they are. They have gorgeous ears.

[rexandbaby]

i like the natural look, but it is still up to you. But, the younger the better for ear cropping.

[niki003]

there is no other options as far as cropping. It is a painful, time consuming cosmetic surgery. It is best to have done very early 8-10 weeks old so the ears are growing along with the puppy.

Here are a coule of links we have posted on our dane fourm.

http://www.puppys-place.com/ear_cropping.html

http://www.thepetcenter.com/gen/earc.html

I personally prefer the big ole floppy ear look. I am not one who will put my dog thru a painful, what I believe an unecessary surgery. But everyone has their own opions and likes. So until they do make it illegal to crop here in the states, the choice is yours. All I ask is Just please make sure you take the time to take care of them properly so they heal correctly.

[Deerie me]

Is it likely to become illegal any time soon? It has been in this country for some years now and dogs with cropped ears cannot be shown in a UK Kennel club show.

[snoopygirl]

I'm very glad that it's illegal here. No offence to anyone, my opinion is it is not right to do something so unnatural, seemingly unnecessary and painful to a puppy for no reason I see other than for the way it looks. I LOVE Great Danes with floppy ears! But obviously it's not my choice in the slightest.

[niki003]

yes the AKC is trying to make illegal here in the US. I hope they do soon.

[Dane Mates]

Greetings! New to this forum and a happy Dane-mom myself. Wanted to bump this post and see if there are any active Dane owners here?

We are the proud owners of a Blue Dane - 9 months old, 145lbs bouncing baby boy named Turkish. He's abnormally large for his age as I gather, he was the moose of the litter. Everywhere we go folks don't readily recognize him as a Dane due to his color. He is uncropped, and will stay that way. Though he's not presently altered, we're looking to do so around 1 year old.

For those Dane owners out there, I'm sure you'll appreciate the Things Dane Owners Never Heard:]

1. Did you say that's a puppy? You're kidding.
2. What does she eat? How much does that cost you?
A. Neighborhood children, they are good for their fur
3. Wait, he'll get bigger?
4. Where's the saddle?
A: He charges $5 for anyone who asks that, pay up
5. How long do they live?
A. Until they die, why?

we ADORE our Dane and have even put together a little group of Danes for him to play with. I'm always up for chatting with more Dane owners.

Anyone here on a raw diet?

[Dane Mates]

I don't know if this is still an active request, but in the spirit of participation, here are my two cents.

About how big do they get?
Males - 150-180 bls
Females - 130-150lbs

They look like they'd be a little strong (saw one pulling our neighbor down the road) Are they easy to leash train
As with any dog, the more time you invest in training, the greater the outcome. You really do get out of these dogs what you put into them.

I was told they make a good watch dog (not guard dog) and will alert you to danger, is this true?
Turkish is a good watch dog and is the first to hear anything - unless we're being attacked by a fleet of vaccuum cleaners, in which case he will be hiding over in the corner.

Is it true they are one of the most gentle dogs?
I think they are gentle but not entirely tied to their breed. Imagine the type of people that voluntarily welcome a 200lb dog into their homes? My experience has been that folks that make this kind of committment are gentle themselves - dogs are sponges for learned behaviors. If the owners are mellow, the dogs tend to be as well.

What health issues does the breed have as a whole?
Bloat and stomach torsion is the highest among Danes. There isn't a specific cause and many schools of thought on preventative measures for this - one of which has become increasely popular and that is stomach tacking.

Also what is the best living environment for them (house, apartment?)
Space - Space and More Space - Imagine how you would fill if you lived in a house where everytime you turned around you'd smack your nose on a wall? A big yard helps too, unless you don't mind picking up Man-Sized poop everytime he goes out.

A bit late but hope that helps any readers out there?

[Lils]

Hello great dane lovers!!.... i just adopted a 5 month old black GD baby girl and is actually my first time with this breed so when i saw that it only took her one month after i adopter her to be the same size as my 1 and a half year old doberman i was a little scared hahaha..... but no big deal i just love her and i have the room to have her.

I am learning each day with her...but i think i had a bit more trouble with my doberman than im having with her.... my dobe used to chew a whole lot more than her!!

[niki003]

Hey lils....

Congrats on your new GD you may think you are lucky right now on the chewing, but beware.... neither of mine started chewing much until 8-9 months. LOL!!! Good luck... would love to see pics of the baby