Great Dane Information

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(German Mastiff, Deutsche Dogge) Commonly called the “Gentle Giant”, the Great Dane possesses an intelligent expression and a loving demeanor. The breed is infamous for its tall stature and powerful build, but despite their large size, Great Danes are not klutzy or awkward. Rather, the Great Dane is a noble, statuesque dog that carries himself with dignity and grace. Great Danes have a long, narrow head with a box-like snout and a comparatively large nasal canal. Their entire body is long and muscular, and their feet are round and have dark nails. Great Danes have a medium-length tail and strong legs. Their eyes are round and dark and their teeth are white, well-developed, and close in a scissors bite. Especially in the United States, a Great Dane’s ears may be cropped so they are pointed and stand upright. Great Danes feature a substantial coat of short, glossy, close-cropped hair. Great Danes are classified into varieties based on the color of their coat:· Black- The coat is glossy black.· Blue- The coat color is a pure steel blue.· Brindle- The coat is a chevron-stripe pattern of fawn and black.· Fawn- The coat is a dusty, yellow gold with a black face mask.· Harlequin- The base coat is pure white. Patches of black are evenly distributed across the whole body.· Mantle- The coat is black and white. Spots and markings on show dogs are in specific places across the whole body. Other coat colors may occur, but they are not suitable for show dogs. Thus, they are not sought after by breeders.

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The Great Dane has a regal appearance. These dogs are loyal, loving, and obedient. Mantle and Fawn and Harlequin are probably the most common colors seen. These dogs are known for their great size and kindness. They are very trust worthy and loyal to their owners.

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Character

Great Danes make excellent companions. They are very mild and patient with children, and they can usually live well with other dogs. Their demeanor is very sweet and kind, and they seek affection from people. Also very loyal and brave, Great Danes make fine watchdogs. Very rarely are Great Danes aggressive, but they can be competitive toward other dogs of the same sex. Because of their large size, Great Danes should be obedience-trained so they do not lean on people or objects. Great Danes have a number of instinctual talents, and are capable of becoming terrific tracking, carting, and/or watchdogs.

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Size

28 - 37 inches

Male: 30-37 inches (76-86 cm.) Female: 28-32 inches (71-81 cm.)
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Weight

100 - 200 pounds

Male: 120-200 pounds (54-90 kg.) Female: 100-130 pounds (45-59 kg.)
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General Health

By nature, Great Danes are not a long-lived breed. Some Great Danes can live for 12-13 years, but their average life span is less than 10 years. Because some poor specimens are being sold to buyers that can’t distinguish the difference, buyers should make sure to purchase Great Danes from a high-quality breeder. Great Danes are prone to several diseases and injuries including bloat, heart disease, tail injuries, and tumors.


Great Danes have many potential health problems, but some, not all, can be prevented. Purchasing a Great Dane from a responsible breeder that has OFA/CERF screened dogs, healthy dogs and dogs that have correct conformation is the first step. Good conformation is a part that creates a healthy dog. A dog with a sway back, for example, will have back problems. Next, feeding your dog a natural diet or a homemade diet will keep him MUCH healthier then feeding commercial foods. Normally, Danes on commercial foods live 6-9years, usually having to be put down due to tumors, cancer or other problems, but naturally fed animals live up to 13years and have a decreased amount of cancers.

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History

Similar dogs to the Great Dane are thought to have originated in Egypt, Rome, or Greece. Some sources say they were found on Grecian currency as far back as 36 B.C. It’s believed that the Great Dane spawned from the medieval boarhound, and/or the mastiff-like dogs that were transported to Germany by the Alans. After exhibiting great strength and abilities like killing bears and wild boars, a process of selective breeding began to take place in Germany. Dogs similar to the Great Danes were bred with Irish Greyhounds, and the result was the present-day Great Dane. Great Danes are a breed that may be about 400 years old.

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Maintenance

The Great Dane’s short, thick hair is easy to groom and maintain. This breed’s coat should be combed with a firm bristle brush and dry-shampooed as necessary. Daily grooming is good idea if one wants to avoid the massive chore of giving a Great Dane a bath. Great Dane’s are average shedders, and their nails need to be trimmed regularly.


Keeping a large dog like the Great Dane requires a lot of maintenance. These dogs are fairly easy to groom and only need a quick rub down with a rubber brush and a finishing shine with a chamois cloth.

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Ideal Environment

Because of the Great Dane’s large size, he does best in spacious environments where he has room to run and play. If a Great Dane is properly exercised on a regular basis, he can tolerate a house with a smaller backyard or an apartment. Great Danes have a tendency to be inactive indoors, so it’s important for their health to spend time outside each day.


They need room to play in or run around in.

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Dog Training!

If you're having problems training your dog or getting control, you should read our review of DogProblems.com. Adam will do whatever it takes to help you whip your dog into shape. I've used them to help with my Great Dane as well as help friends train their dogs. It's the first place I go to help answer users Questions. Many training issues are too extensive to answer in this forum, which is why I refer a lot of the load to his site. Update: I've been using and recommending DogProblems for three years now. I, as well as my users, value the techniques we've learned. I get weekly emails from users who have become better owners from the information they received.

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Great Dane Q&A

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I have not bought a Great Dane yet but want to. My question is how much dog food do Great Danes eat? Also I would like to know how is the easiest way to house train or any kind of training?

Mine eats about 2 35lbs bags a month. He only weighs 107lbs. A larger Dane may eat more.

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Mine is 3 months old and his weight is 15kg. Is his weight ok as per his age? Most of the times he is busy sleeping, is it normal?

Yes it is normal that he sleeps alot. But wait, I've heard of 3 mo. old danes weighing over 60 pounds!

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I have 2 small children and and we live in the country, I want a dog that is good with kids but will still be a tough watch dog , will a great dane be good ?

Great Danes are extremely gentle despite their size, which can be intimidating. I’ve found that most Great Danes are very yard/house protective, but they won’t bite. If someone new or suspicious comes around they will firm up and give a dark bark which normally gets the job done. So yes, if you can deal with their size, Great Danes are wonderful with kids.

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My parents are thinking about getting a dog. This is gate because I have been begging for years. But the thing is that my parents want a basset hound, a bulldog or a grate dane. I really want a grate dane. What should I do?

Reseach and prove to them why this dog is better than the other dogs. Also find out the bad with the good. Great Danes eat alot and grow very big

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hi my black dane have now 7 month ans have 32 inches et 95 pounds.. i wanna know if i can see him coming bigger soon?

Yes, Danes do not stop growing at age 7 months. Expect him to become alot bigger.

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I really would love to have a Great Dane, but my parents are a bit worried and my mom doesn't want one, because she says she would have to feed it (she always feeds the animals and that's why she doesn't want anymore). Aside from that, we have a small kennel outside thats about 8-10 foot wide, and about 20 feet wide. I that good or bad for a Dane? Even if I take him out of there and excersize him?

You can't really blame her for that if she would have to care for the dog. The average male gets to be more than 150 pounds at 3 years and the females get between 120 and 140 so that is alot of dog for your mom to have to care for. I suggest do alot of research on the Great Dane and speak to breeders who have been breeding for more than 15 years. If they keep their dogs outside 24/7 and charge cheap prices then all they care about is the money. Stay away from these so called "breeders"

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i have a grate dane of 3 months old but he still do the bathroom in side the home.even i took him out for an hour after eating, he dose'nt do outside .as he come inside the home he immadatly do.i dont know what to do?

after lunch or after playing 15 minutes later go outside and make a little ride with him u be sure to see puppy make something:)

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I have a male Golden Retriever (Packer) who is going to be 7 years old and a female Great Dane puppy (Zoe) who is 10 months old. Packer is the dominant dog (alpha), but he is intimidated by Zoe just because of her size. Zoe started out being the submissive dog (omega), but that seems to be changing as she gets bigger and bigger. Is there anything I can do to keep Packer my older dog as the alpha male? I have been faithful at always feeding Packer first, giving him first choice of toys, and giving him my first attention. She's just so BIG compared to him! She's not aggressive; she's just a puppy and plays like one.

try to let your retriever eat first thats what I did with mine.

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My Great Dane is 11 months and has red boils near his mouth. Also, like human beings have dandruff on head he has dandruff on his body with small boils somewhere. His toes are also having few while colored boils. Any Ideas?

sounds like a staph infection to me....if it were only on the face we call it puppy acne but with it being everywhere you should take your pup to the vet for a skin scrape

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I have a 11 month old Great Dane and I would like to know at what age will she stop growing and what part of the body do you measure her height.

Great Danes can grow in height for up to 2 yrs, and then finish filling out for the next yr. You measure their height at the top of their shoulder blade, at the withers.

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