The Complete Dog Book Publication of the American Kennel Club
The Great Dane by Anna Katharine Nichols.
Please remember that the information contained herin is general and based upon personal experiences. There are always exceptions. While I have attempted to remain objective it will probably become obvious that I greatly admire and love this breed.
General Description
The Great Dane is one of the giant breed of dogs. They
are tall and well muscled without being heavy. Their
appearance is often described as aristocratic or
majestic. Part of the AKC standard reads as follows:
"The Great Dane combines in its distinguished
appearance dignity, strength and elegance with great
size and a powerful, well-formed, smoothly muscled
body. He ... must be well balanced ... and is always a
unit - the Apollo of dogs. He must be spirited and
courageous - never timid. He is friendly and
dependable."
How big is a Great Dane really? When is a Dane full grown?
According to the AKC standard the male Great Dane
should not be less than 30 inches at the shoulder and
is preferable that he be 32 inches or more. The female
should not be less than 28 inches and is preferable to
be 30 inches or more. From what I have seen in the
show ring a very correct male of 34 inches can win but
most people like larger dogs (a height of 36 inches is
an advertising point in the breed magazines). How
long it takes a Great Dane to become full grown depends
on the breeding with some pedigree lines maturing at
about 1 year of age for females and some (many) not
maturing until 3 years for males. Full height is often
achieved by 18-24 months and weight/musculature by 3
years. The "puppyhood" of a Great Dane usually lasts
at least 18 months. They usually settle down from
frantic puppy activity levels about 9 months to 1 year
and are mentally mature (out of adolescense) between 18
- 28 months.
The size of a Great Dane is a two edged sword. Being so big certainly allows you to romp with them to your hearts content and people think twice (or more) before entering the house uninvited. However it does take more effort to travel with a Great Dane and to feed and care for them. Great Danes are easily trainable so obedience and control should never be an issue as long as you are willing to do your part (a personal observation: obedience classes are to train the *people* and to socialize the dog not vice versa). It is up to each person to assess the benefit vs. work equation for this breed (as for any breed.) Except for the travelling point Danes are wonderfully easy to care for in my opinion. (Some males which have very full flews (lips) may be prone to slobber. This is individual dependent and not necessarily characteristic of the breed.)
How much does a Dane eat? What kind of diet is required?
This really depends on the type of food you choose to
feed (how concentrated it is). Follow the directions
on the bag for the weight and condition of your dog.
However it is generally recommended that puppy food NOT
be fed to this breed. Usually a good quality dog food
that is 22-25% protein and 15-18% fat is good. My male
was eating 8 cups of food per day from puppy to 2 years
of age (in fact a little more from 18 -24 months to get
him in show ring condition). This will decrease as
they age and the diet may also need to change if needed
to keep them in appropriate condition. From what I
have been told they feed a lot of raw meat in Europe
and some are also doing that in the US. The whole
debate on canine diet is ongoing and could cover a FAQ
in itself therefore I will not go into it further. If
anyone wants they can e-mail me for further discussion.
It is important however to feed a Great Dane multiple
times a day throughout their life. Danes are
susecptible to bloat and torsion so the less stress on
the gastrointenstinal tract the better. Puppies are
usually fed 4 times a day gradually decreasing to twice
a day between 4 to 6 months.
For much more information on feeding considerations for Great Danes, see the (Return to Table of Contents)
How much excercise does a Dane need?
A Great Dane needs only a moderate amount of exercise.
This amount is less than breeds such as German Sheperd
Dogs, Dobermans, Dalmations, and the other active
sporting and herding breeds. Usually a walk on a long
lead (then they get more exercise than you do by
running from here to there smelling everything) or 10 -
15 minutes of chasing a ball, frisbee, or stick per day
are sufficient. Of course the more the better.
However, it is recommended that you do NOT jog with a
Great Dane until they are at least 18 months old (they
grow so much so fast that continued strain of this kind
could lead to development problems).
What are the grooming requirements?
Very minimal grooming is needed. Danes are short
haired dogs so there is no required daily brushing,
trimming, stripping etc. A bath, nail trim, and teeth
cleaning when necessary are all that are needed
although a brush will be appreciated especially when
doing what little shedding they do.
How much room does a Dane need? Where should I keep a Dane?
It is recommended that Great Danes be kept indoors.
This is both because of their short hair coat and their
disposition. Danes can handle a kennel situation if it
is run right and they receive enough attention but
really thrive indoors with the family. A Dane should
never be left continually outside in the yard (you will
have a sick, neurotic dog). Danes are definately part
of the family. This does not mean that Danes need
constant attention. They can be left in a fenced yard
for a sunny afternoon, will curl up at your feet at
night, or can be crated at night just as long as they
are with you. Many Danes will sleep in another room,
especially if there are more than one of them, but of
course prefer to be with a member of the family. (I am
sure there are many experiences which will prove
exceptions to these statements from others but this is
my opinion as to what makes a happy Dane!) By the way
the crate size for a male Great Dane is 28 inches wide
by 36 inches tall by 48 inches long and this is not too
big! One other point about this breed is that some
individuals do drool (like any giant breed). This is
usually only when they are exercising or otherwise
overheated.
Are Danes good with children? Are Danes good watchdogs?
Danes are very good with children. I would caution
that you watch Danes and children when they are
together just because a Dane is so big that even just
licking a child may knock them over (of course some
kids think this is great). Danes are also good
watchdogs (even if they can't tell the difference
between a doorbell on TV and a real one -grin- ). Of
course people think twice before entering a house where
the dog is looking back through the peephole at them -
grin again-. The Danes I have known also seem to be
able to easily distinguish between those you readily
accept into the house and those you don't. And if you
have done your job and trained them to leave people
alone they are more than happy to lay down somewhere in
the room and leave your guests alone AFTER they have
said hello! (and provided the person is not a previous
wrestling buddy!).
What is the average lifespan of a Dane?
The average lifespan of most giant breeds is about 8
years. I know of Danes living to 10-12 years but 8 is
average.
What are the common health problems with Danes?
There are two main health problems which afflict the
Great Dane breed: hip dysplasia and bloat/torsion.
Wobblers, thyroid problems, and eyes (CERF approval)
also appear in the breed in some bloodlines.
For information on hip dysplasia and bloat see the
There is also a color *pattern* called
Boston (like the
Boston Terrier with a mostly dark body but white front
and sometimes neck) but this is really a pattern and
not a color as you can have black bostons, blue
bostons, etc.
The following on Wobblers is from an article written by Andy
Shores, DVM, Ph.D which appeared as a reprint in the Great
Dane Journal, May/June 1988 but first appearid in the AKC
Gazette, June 1986).
Wobblers (technical term Canine Cervical Vertebral
Malformation/Malarticulation Syndrome - CVMMS) occurs
primarily in Great Danes and Doberman Pinschers. Other
breeds in which it has been reported include the Dalmation,
Rhodesian Ridgeback, Old English Sheepdog, German Shepherd
Dog, Irish Wolfhound, Weimaraner, Saint Bernard, Labrador
Retriever, Boxer, Coonhound, Bullmastiff, Rottweiler, and
Bassett Hound. The prevalence of CVMMS in certain breeding
lines of Great Danes and Doberman Pinschers suggests a
genetic basis for the syndrome, although one study suggests
a higher incidence with overnutrition. Weakness or a slight
loss of motor function in the hind limbs are the most common
signs in dogs with CVMMS. The signs usually develop slowly
and owners describe clumsiness, "wobbling" or "swaying" if
the hind-quarters, difficulty in walking on slick floors,
dragging the toes, crossing over of the front limbs, falling
when attempting to turn, or difficulty in standing up. The
majority of reported cases of CVMMS are in Great Danes four
to 18 months of age and Doberman Pinschers five to seven
years of age; however the syndrome has been recognized with
reverse age prevalenc ein both breeds. There are an
enormous number of conditions that affect the spinal cord in
large breed dogs, and each of these may appear similar to
CVMMS. Because of this, it is necessary to perform several
tests to determine what is causing the problem. It is clear
that a myelogram (injecting a dye around the spinal cord),
which outlines the spinal cord on the radiographs, is an
essential in the diagnosis of CVMMS. No therapy is
universally successful in the treatment of CVMMS. Mild
cases may respond to cage rest, steroids, and neck braces.
More advanced cases probably require surgery. (I have kept
out the rest of the treatment section because of the age of
this article. If you need more information I suggest you
contact your vet to get the latest research results). In
the conclustion the author states that CVMMS is not a
hopeless condition as some have thought but all of the
treatments are not successful. Selective breeding is
strongly encouraged and oversupplementation (overfeeding) is
strongly discouraged. Vitamin and mineral supplementation
is "okay" but should be on the advice of a veterinarian.
Additional calcium and phosphorus supplementation, except in
the lactating bitch, is also strongly discouraged.
(Return to Table of Contents)
General Health Maintenance
Great Danes will cost more for
maintanance than smaller dogs. Their shots will cost more,
their heartworm medicine will definately cost more, and you
need to find a vet with a FLOOR SCALE THAT IS BIG ENOUGH :-)
!
History of the Great Dane
The Great Dane was developed to hunt the wild boar of
Europe (and hence the cropped ears typically seen on
Danes in the US). The Germans are generally credited
with developing the Dane as it exists today. It is
generally accepted that the Great Dane is descended
from some type of mastiff and wolfhound. The Great
Dane breed is at least 400 years old but there are
drawings of a dog which resemble the Great Dane on
Egyption monuments of 3000 B.C. and the earliest
written description of a dog resembling a Great Dane is
found in Chinese Literature of 1121 B.C. There is no
reason anyone has been able to determine for connecting
Denmark (Dane) with this dog. It was "made in Germany"
and the breed standard of all countries is based on the
german Deutsche Doggen Club standard.
What colors do Danes come in?
The AKC recognized Fawn,
Brindle,
Black,
Blue, and
Harlequin.
Merle
(gray) is also a color that is not
AKC recognized (there has been discussion/flames about
this and merle has been correlated to genetic defects).
[John Shea notes: Merle is not actually gray.
Merle consists of a gray field with black spots and speckels.
Merles come from Harlequin breedings. Merles themselves have
no higher incidence of genetic defects than any other color
of Great Danes. However, breeding Merle Danes may result
in mostly or all deaf or blind pups, due to a double recessive
gene, which is a "semi-lethal" combination. ]