Essential Facts About Great Danes You Should Know
One of the tallest dog breeds in the world, the Great Dane is a sight to behold. These huge, well-behaved, short-coated, and adorable dogs were used for hunting boar in Europe but are now adopted as bought as family pets instead. How does such a huge dog work as a family pet, however? Are they safe for kids? What kind of home can comfortably fit such a dog? We’ll try to address those and the other of the 9 vital things to know about the Great Dane below.
9 things to consider before getting a Great Dane pet
Picking a dog breed as peculiar and unique as the Great Dane should be done after a lot of research. These are wonderful dogs, however, they are not “standard” dogs in the simplest sense of the word. Their size alone is a reason for a lot of considerations and preparations but there are also a few other things you may not have thought about but should.
1. This is a truly giant dog breed
There’s some argument whether the Great Dane or the Irish Wolfhound is the tallest dog breed in the world. On the one hand, Irish Wolfhounds seem to be a bit taller on average. On the other hand, the difference isn’t all that significant and the record-holder for the tallest dog in the world is actually the famous Great Dane dog Zeus.
Whichever way you cut it, however, it’s clear that Great Danes are spectacularly large dogs. They aren’t as massive and heavy as some of the largest mastiff breeds but they are substantially taller than them. The average height of an adult Great Dane is about 32 inches at the shoulder (81 cm) with many going above that too. Zeus, for example, was 43 inches tall or 1.1 meters.
In terms of weight, male Great Danes tend to go as heavy as 175 pounds or 80 kg – not as heavy as some 200+ pound mastiff breeds but still definitely up there.
2. These dogs are as social and affectionate as they are tall
Fortunately for everyone involved, Great Danes are pretty social and friendly with people. Unlike mastiffs, Great Danes really aren’t suitable for guard duty even though they certainly can scare an intruder away with their size alone.
When properly socialized, however, a Great Dane will be quite friendly not just with the human members of his family but with friends, guests, and strangers as well. These dogs also don’t have any inherent aggression toward other canines which means much less risk when jogging around the dog park or arranging playdates.
In fact, even though the Great Dane isn’t a shepherd breed, it tends to get along very easily with other non-canine breeds such as cats too. Again, given enough socialization, that is. And, most importantly, Great Danes are pretty amicable toward babies and kids too. Of course, supervision is required in the early days, if for nothing else than just to account for the dog’s giant size and possible accidents.
3. Like many large breeds, the Great Dane deserves the moniker “Gentle Giant”
It’s not true that all large breeds are “Gentle Giants” – mastiffs, in particular, are dedicated guard dogs, for example. Great Danes absolutely do deserve this nickname, however, as they are not just social but extremely gentle, affectionate, and loving. If a 175-pound dog could be a lap dog, the Great Dane would have fit this description as well. So, if you want a giant pet that loves to snuggle despite its size, the Great Dane is a fantastic choice.
4. Unfortunately, Great Danes don’t live for very long
Probably the biggest drawback of this breed is one all large dogs share – a short lifespan. The average lifetime that’s often cited about Great Danes is 7 to 10 although a 7 to 8 range might be more accurate. There certainly are Great Danes that have lived to and sometimes beyond the 10-year mark but most don’t. The aforementioned giant Great Dane Zeus, for example, died at the young age of 5.
Why do Great Danes live so little?
The shortest answer is that it’s just a function of their sizes. If you’re wondering about specific health conditions you’re going to need to watch out for, those include:
And others. Picking a healthy puppy accompanied by a health certificate is a must whether you’re buying or adopting. From there, it’s a matter of good food, adequate exercise, and routine vet check-ups. A bit of luck is also needed, of course.
5. Great Dane exercise is important and should be well-measured
As an extra large dog, the Great Dane needs a moderate amount of daily outdoor exercise. This seems to confuse first-time dog owners but the giant dog breeds don’t need as much exercise as most breeds classified as “just” large such as Labrador Retrievers, Pointers, and others. The general rule of thumb goes like this:
- Small to medium-sized breeds need little or very little outdoor exercise
- Large dog breeds need lots of outdoor exercise
- Giant breeds need a moderate amount of exercise
There are exceptions across all three of these categories, of course, but the gist of it is that your Great Dane should feel pretty well with a couple of moderate jogging sessions a day – about 30 to 40 minutes each.
Young pups are naturally more energetic than adult or older dogs but it’s important not to allow your Great Dane to run too much before its second birthday. Instead, you should focus more on walking and playtime before that as their skeletons need some extra time to develop.
A yard isn’t strictly necessary for this breed but if you have one it needs to have a solid and tall wall. At the same time, apartments also aren’t suitable for obvious reasons.
6. This is actually a scent hound breed, believe it or not
When we think about scent hounds we usually imagine smaller and shorter dogs such as the dachshund or basset hound. Great Danes are technically a scent hound too, however. They were primarily bred for boar hunting in Europe – an activity that included a combination of scent tracking, speed chasing, and physical clashes with the boars.
So, the Great Dane is both huge and powerful as well as gifted with a very strong sense of smell and the instinct to dig everything it encounters extra diligently. This sounds cute and inconsequential at first but is another big reason why Great Danes should always be walked on a leash and why their yard space should always be fenced – because escapes are quite likely with all hound breeds.
7. Great Danes are smart and trainable but said training is an absolute must
As a hound breed, Great Danes are pretty smart. And, unlike many other scent hounds, they are actually quite easy to train as they have a strong pleasing attitude. However, said training is as vital as it is easy. Leaving such a gigantic dog breed without proper obedience training is too much of a risk for any dog owner even with the generally gentle and social temperament of Great Danes.
8. The short coats of this breed are smooth and easy to take care of
Great Danes have short and smooth coats with no undercoat layer. This means that the shedding of this breed is quite light to moderate and there’s no seasonal coat blow-out. You might notice some extra shedding during springtime but it’s nowhere near the blow-outs of double-coated breeds such as Huskies or German Shepherds.
As for colors, the coats of Great Danes can vary quite a bit. Here are the officially recognized ones – Fawn, Black, Blue, Merle, Mantle, Harlequin, and Brindle. Bi-color and tri-color combinations of all of the above are also quite possible.
9. Great Danes also tend to drool a bit so keep that in mind
Last but not least, you should keep in mind that Great Danes are moderate droolers. They are not quite as bad as St. Bernards or Newfoundlands, but they do have somewhat loose lips that let drool out from time to time. It’s something people rarely mention about this breed which tends to catch people off-guard.
From all of the above, it’s pretty clear that the Great Dane is a truly great dog breed. Huge, fun, gentle, social, smart, and fun to be around, they are a boon for many families. They do need extra care, however, so make sure you’re ready for the challenge.
