Tell me about Great Danes?
- Thread starter CrystalGSD
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A lot of course is dependent on lines. Ivy comes from a breeder who does obedience, rally o, and agility with her lines so in general I would say her lines are a bit more active than some others....but then there is Qcumber, my rescue....he is very active. I mean he is nowhere near like a malinois or BC but for a dane, he is pretty go go go. He just turned three and while he can and does sleep when nothing is happening, he is raring to go at the slightest chance to do something. Ivy is going to be 6 in two weeks and is still very active too, though she has some arthritis in her back knee that sometimes seems to bother her...mostly not though.
DA - I would say in general they are average. They do tend to be a bit sensitive and fear runs in some lines which of course causes issues.
I will say, I hate that they are so often called gentle giants. IME while they are great dogs, most still definitely have some guarding tendencies and protective streaks. Nothing that cant usually be worked on, but they dont just come out liking everyone and everything. Prey drive can be high as well.
I think the biggest thing people miss in research is how crazy the teens can be. They lull you into a false sense of security in the first 6-9 months because they really are easy up until that point usually. Pretty sleepy, really easy going, super easy to train....but thats because all their energy is going to growth lol. Once the main bulk is done (I mean they grow until 2-3 but the majority of the fast growth is done by around 9 months) they all of a sudden have a lot more energy and are still VERY much puppies....100+ lb puppies with little to no impulse control who think they are still 20lbs.
DA - I would say in general they are average. They do tend to be a bit sensitive and fear runs in some lines which of course causes issues.
I will say, I hate that they are so often called gentle giants. IME while they are great dogs, most still definitely have some guarding tendencies and protective streaks. Nothing that cant usually be worked on, but they dont just come out liking everyone and everything. Prey drive can be high as well.
I think the biggest thing people miss in research is how crazy the teens can be. They lull you into a false sense of security in the first 6-9 months because they really are easy up until that point usually. Pretty sleepy, really easy going, super easy to train....but thats because all their energy is going to growth lol. Once the main bulk is done (I mean they grow until 2-3 but the majority of the fast growth is done by around 9 months) they all of a sudden have a lot more energy and are still VERY much puppies....100+ lb puppies with little to no impulse control who think they are still 20lbs.
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Is there anything about them I wouldn't know from regular research? Are they prone to DA? Are they velcro-dogs? Is there anything about their temperament I should know about? How active are they? Anything else?
Thanks!
Thanks!
Velcro dogs...understatement, LOL. You will never shower, pee, or do anything alone ever again. It's endearing for a while, and then you start to realize it might just be a tad creepy that you've come to expect it. You will actually feel a little lost if that goofy face isn't staring at you every second of your life.
Activity wise, danes are as active as you are. Most people refer to them as couch potatoes, which irks me a bit. If you ask them to hike 20 miles a day with you, they would...because nothing makes a dane happier than being with their human(s). I've always had active danes, but that's because I am active and can't stand to sit still if the weather is nice out.
Do be cautious exercising puppies. Danes should never be forced to do any type of impact exercise until their growth plates have closed. Soft surface exercise at their own pace is fine, but don't go jogging with them, or a lot of walking on pavement, etc.
I absolutely echo Green's sentiment on the "Gentle Giant" misnomer. Some of the scariest dogs I've ever been hands on with were danes...but some of the sweetest dogs I've ever been hands on with were danes as well. If you buy from a breeder, BUY SMART. Fearfulness and fear aggression are rampant in danes.
Healthwise, they are a breed in trouble due to careless breeders . If you are considering going to a breeder, make sure to ask if bloat is prevalent in their lines. Ask them about cancers. Ask about hearts, hips, elbows, wobblers...at a minimum. Ask OTHER dane people about that breeder. The dane community talks, a lot, and there are a lot of danes out there that should be altered due to health or temperament issues that are being bred because of their success in the ring.
Thank you SO much for the info! I've added some comments below in bold:
From my own experience as far as danes and DA goes, males can be buttheads, but they are typically not as bad as the bitches. Males can snark at each other but will generally be back to being buds an hour later. Females can get along for years and then suddenly decide all other females (or just certain females, depends on the individual dog) should die.
Wow this sounds a lot like German Shepherds! I actually had no idea this was prevalent in Danes as well.
Velcro dogs...understatement, LOL. You will never shower, pee, or do anything alone ever again. It's endearing for a while, and then you start to realize it might just be a tad creepy that you've come to expect it. You will actually feel a little lost if that goofy face isn't staring at you every second of your life.
Activity wise, danes are as active as you are. Most people refer to them as couch potatoes, which irks me a bit. If you ask them to hike 20 miles a day with you, they would...because nothing makes a dane happier than being with their human(s). I've always had active danes, but that's because I am active and can't stand to sit still if the weather is nice out.
Do be cautious exercising puppies. Danes should never be forced to do any type of impact exercise until their growth plates have closed. Soft surface exercise at their own pace is fine, but don't go jogging with them, or a lot of walking on pavement, etc.
How much walking is too much? A lot of places we walk is pavement, so I'm a tad worried. I have heard of preventing excessive jumping and running.
I absolutely echo Green's sentiment on the "Gentle Giant" misnomer. Some of the scariest dogs I've ever been hands on with were danes...but some of the sweetest dogs I've ever been hands on with were danes as well. If you buy from a breeder, BUY SMART. Fearfulness and fear aggression are rampant in danes.
Wow, didn't know this.
Healthwise, they are a breed in trouble due to careless breeders . If you are considering going to a breeder, make sure to ask if bloat is prevalent in their lines. Ask them about cancers. Ask about hearts, hips, elbows, wobblers...at a minimum. Ask OTHER dane people about that breeder. The dane community talks, a lot, and there are a lot of danes out there that should be altered due to health or temperament issues that are being bred because of their success in the ring.
Thanks for these tips! I do have a breeder in mind if I go down the Dane route. It's a shame some people are so determined to win that they overlook health and temperament I wish it wasn't like that.
Wow this sounds a lot like German Shepherds! I actually had no idea this was prevalent in Danes as well.
Velcro dogs...understatement, LOL. You will never shower, pee, or do anything alone ever again. It's endearing for a while, and then you start to realize it might just be a tad creepy that you've come to expect it. You will actually feel a little lost if that goofy face isn't staring at you every second of your life.
Activity wise, danes are as active as you are. Most people refer to them as couch potatoes, which irks me a bit. If you ask them to hike 20 miles a day with you, they would...because nothing makes a dane happier than being with their human(s). I've always had active danes, but that's because I am active and can't stand to sit still if the weather is nice out.
Do be cautious exercising puppies. Danes should never be forced to do any type of impact exercise until their growth plates have closed. Soft surface exercise at their own pace is fine, but don't go jogging with them, or a lot of walking on pavement, etc.
How much walking is too much? A lot of places we walk is pavement, so I'm a tad worried. I have heard of preventing excessive jumping and running.
I absolutely echo Green's sentiment on the "Gentle Giant" misnomer. Some of the scariest dogs I've ever been hands on with were danes...but some of the sweetest dogs I've ever been hands on with were danes as well. If you buy from a breeder, BUY SMART. Fearfulness and fear aggression are rampant in danes.
Wow, didn't know this.
Healthwise, they are a breed in trouble due to careless breeders . If you are considering going to a breeder, make sure to ask if bloat is prevalent in their lines. Ask them about cancers. Ask about hearts, hips, elbows, wobblers...at a minimum. Ask OTHER dane people about that breeder. The dane community talks, a lot, and there are a lot of danes out there that should be altered due to health or temperament issues that are being bred because of their success in the ring.
Thanks for these tips! I do have a breeder in mind if I go down the Dane route. It's a shame some people are so determined to win that they overlook health and temperament
I wish it wasn't like that.