Need some info on Great Danes please

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.

I love to learn about different dogs and the lady struck our curiosity with the breed

Thanks

(Hope I can hear some personal experience with the breed I've read a bit of conflicting info on them)

Google can be a fantastic resource.. Especially when doing the beginning research on things.

GDCA has some decent info. Great Dane Club of America - Before you choose a Great Dane

thanks for the link

Hi,
Yes they are huge, yes they are one of the most gentle dogs, and i do speak out of experience.

I had send you a very very long reply but apparently it did not get through.

For any questions you have about them you can reach me at, [email protected] or [email protected].

The Great in "Great Dane" does not stand for their size but for their character.

Danielle

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

Great dogs, I love the breed. I've fostered them before, both as adults and puppies, and I have friends that foster and own them as well. They can be a wonderful, loving breed, but like all breeds, they can also be aggressive to strangers or other dogs and cats. It depends on the individual dog.

About how big do they get?

My friend has a rescue dane that's 105lbs. My other friend has a rescue dane that's 220lbs. I fostered two, one that was 120lbs and one that was 180lbs. It all depends on the dog.

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

Dane's are very strong dogs, and definitely require training. Many weight more than a human, so yes, they are very strong. Leash training, like with all dogs, takes consistency and patience.

Are they easy to train?

My friends, and the ones I've worked with, I found they were eager to learn, and caught on quickly.

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

Most of the ones I have met, will alert their owner to strangers. Not aggressively, but a guarding bark to alert them.

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

Uhhh... they can gentle, yes. Many dogs are gentle though.

What health issues does the breed have as a whole?

The biggest is bloat. Google "Great Danes and bloat", and you'll get a wealth of information.

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

I don't really recommend an apartment, though I've sure many do it. They are very large dogs, and really need room to move around and let out their energy.

About how big do they get?
To really generalize it, from about 30-40" high at the shoulder, and anywhere from 90 to 200 lbs lol. It depends on the dog.
As a rule, you have to keep things off tables that they can clear with their tails, and 90% of them can easily clear a kitchen counter with their head.

They look like they'd be a little strong (saw one pulling our neighbor down the road) Are they easy to leash train?
From personal experience, a lot of them are fair pullers. Gentle leaders are great for those, but for small/fragile people they may not be a great breed choice.

Are they easy to train?
Yes, but they aren't "snappy". You ask a dane to sit and it will take them a second to fold their limbs together to do it. (Excluding OTCH dogs of course ) They require a substantial amount of training due to their size.

I was told they make a good watch dog (not guard dog) and will alert you to danger, is this true?
I have two, one is deaf. The deaf one will even get a little suspicious if something doesn't seem right, the non-deaf one will outright bark (and it's one hell of a bark) so I would say a cautious yes on that one, but it probably depends on the dog as well.

Is it true they are one of the most gentle dogs?
Yes and no. It isn't typical of the breed to be aggressive BUT they can cause unwitting harm (stepping on people, bumping into people) and so are not always a good choice around elderly people and very small children, and ALWAYS under supervision.


What health issues does the breed have as a whole?
They are nicknamed "The Heartbreak breed". They're INCREDIBLY susceptible to Gastric Torsion (bloat, Shadowface Danes can tell you about that one unfortunately), as well as various types of cancer, wobblers, and hip displaysia. It's highly recommended to have a Gastropexy done when the dog is spayed or neutered, which is a substantial expense. They are not a generally 'healthy' breed.

Also what is the best living environment for them (house, apartment?)
They can live anywhere with suitable exercise. We had ours in an apartment with no problems.

Hope that helped some!

OT, but I didn't think a Great Dane has ever earned an OTCH...

Is a gastroplexy, stomach tacking? We stomach tacked both the fosters... better to be safe. My friend lost her 5y/o to bloat 3 months ago, dog didn't even make it to the vet 20 min. away.

Here is a very helpful site. I learned a lot about the breed by skimming the forums when I really wanted a Dane! I ended up deciding to wait on the giant breed.

DOL Great Dane Forum - Comprehensive Great Dane Discussion Forum

"Is a gastroplexy, stomach tacking? We stomach tacked both the fosters... better to be safe. My friend lost her 5y/o to bloat 3 months ago, dog didn't even make it to the vet 20 min. away."

-Yep, you bet. That's the technical term for it. I would recommend it without hesitation to anyone with a dane.

@ Charlie, I don't think so either, it was more a generalized comment that they typically don't have a really quick response to any command because it takes them a while to get their limbs in order

The ones ive been around are really really sweet, but i would watch out for temperment problems, and most def health problems, they have ALOT of them. I love them, but they need someone who can suport their health issues.

You need to REALLY research your breeder to get one that is healthy. Breeders who breed for color over anything else- stay away. Breeders who health test everything- check them out further.

The questions have been answered well so I can't add much.

Danes are one of the friendliest dogs I've ever seen. They are gentle, but in a way that a large animal is gentle. They sometimes don't know their own strength or realize how big they are, and when ours decides she want's some lap time, you don't have a lot of choice.

Ours is very smart. One of the things I heard when we were researching Danes as a breed was they are not smart. I disagree. Our's might take longer than our GSD to learn a task, but once it's learned ,she's reliable and as quick as she can be with it. She is an inquisitive dog and a problem solver. She can open pretty much every door in the house including those with knobs, she's learned to open our Pug's dog crate, and she will analyze a situation and figure out how to best get to what she wants. A Dane with determination is a force to be reckoned with!

I wouldn't say she's a guard dog, but definitely a very vocal watch dog. Nothing can happen around our property, or even on our block, without her making a statement in a loud way. A huge dog with a huge bark is a huge deterrent for anyone who might have ill intentions, and if that's how she gets the job done, perfect.

DAN! Where have you been??

Hey Zoom, I've been around, just not on the forum much. Been busy with a lot of things the last few months.

I have this Daisy and Gunnar shaped hole in my soul these days. Please fix it. It's kind of drafty.

^^This.

They are very good with children. They are also very protective. Great Danes are a breed that are truly a 'people dog'.


Females generally average around 32 - 36 inches tall and around 110 - 160 pounds.

Males generally average around 34 - 38 inches tall and around 150 - 180 pounds although some can get as heavy as 200 pounds.

They are very strong dogs. If you have a leash pulling Dane, it's not a pretty sight. Luckily, they are very smart animals and very easy to train.

Yes, with the proper time and attention.

They are not as vocal as other dogs but they will definitely alert you to an intruder or danger. Their sheer size deters most potential problems anyway. Not many people expect to see a dog the size of a pony.


Their gentle giant moniker is well deserved in my opinion. They are huge, but at the same time they can act like a 5 pound lap dog.


Bloat is the major one, Torsion (flipping) of the stomach is what is deadly.

Cancer is another health issue as are heart problems.


That said, Great Danes can live a very long and healthy life with the proper basic care and essentials. Don't listen to those people who tell you that they only live 5-7 years. As an average rule of thumb, most reputable Dane breeders will tell you that 10 years is a good age to expect from a Great Dane. Many of these people have Great Danes whom are 12, 13 and 14 years old.

Their life expectancy is fine.


They can live in either. As long as they're taken out regularly for walks and exercise they are an incredibly adaptive dog and can learn to live in most any situation.






They're a truly amazing breed. Many people say that after owning one they could never live without one in their life. Be prepared though, they're a truly unique breed and are a lot of work; a lot to watch out for and look out for but the experience of owning a Dane is worth it ten times over.

Just make sure you can handle their size. They love to be with their people, I wouldn't advise owning a Dane if you can't leave it at home for less than 4 hours a day. They can't just stay in a kennel for 8 hours every weekday like other dog breeds; they need that interaction.


Good luck.