Great Dane dog breed guide
I thing the first thing that attracts anybody
to a Dane is size. You can’t be overlooked
by anybody when you own a Dane.
We originally went to buy an Afghan – and
we have had them ever since. That was 1971.
And at one stage we were up round about the
20 mark – so we have had quite a lot of Danes
over the years.
The males are normally between 34 and 36 inches
in height. Around about eleven stones.
Unfortunately with all big dogs, people assume
the bigger the dog the more the exercise.
If you have a gundog – ybut with the bigger
dogs, like him, no.
They need two walks a day of around twenty
minutes each.
They will take a lot of exercise if you wish
them to do it – but like all athletes you
need to build them up to it.
Lovely handsome dogs. Often described as “gentle
giants” because of their nature. We would
look to re-home one to somebody who has plenty
of room – you need a big house and and a big
garden – to accommodate a dog of such size.
And also you’d have to think about feeding.
Cos they need quite a lot of food.
About a pound of biscuit with a probably a
pound of tripe and a poud of meat – twice
a day.
Not a dog that’s that active – so they won’t
be one that’s running around your house, but
you have to bear in mind that their tail is
at table height. So their tail tends to sweep
things off the table – so if you’re very houseproud,
may not be ideal dog to choose.
If you’ve got a single arm chair, they will
take that over. If you’ve got a lovely three-seater
settee, they will also take it over.
They are very very lovable family dog. They
want to be part of the family. Because of
that, they will attach themselves to person
in particular, who will be their number one
– but they will look after and love the rest
of the family.
From a training point of view, we have one
in class, and he’s very trainable. You just
have to give him a little bit longer to get
to things. It takes a Dane quite a long time
to get from standing very tall to sitting
down. You have to do it in his time. Having
said that he trains beautifully.
It is a powerful dog. When all’s said and
done it’s going to look most people in the
face. So you need to do lots and lots and
then more again of the early socialisation
and the early training.
You want him thinking that people are fabulous.
One exercise that is really important with
Danes – you need to teach them how not to
jump up at people. You don’t want a Dane with
its paws on there – and you’re looking up
into its head. Not a good look!
Because of the short coat, it is not imperative
that you groom all the time. If rub them over
with a shammy leather, you will find that
the shine comes up.
Good food gives you a good coat. Simple as
that.
There are some health issues with the Dane.
We have DCM – which is Dilated Cardiomyopathy.
Go to an assured breeder, and they will have
done all the tests.
The growth rate of a puppy is something in
the region of 4 to 5 pounds of bodyweight
a week. Because puppies are putting on such
a large amount of weight, it is important
not to over exercise. Let them bumble in the
garden. Don’t ever let them go upstairs.
It damages the joints and will in later life
give them problems.
They are a very kind and benevolant dog – usually
very good with children. They will want your
armchair. They’re not a lap dog, but they
will want to sit on your sofa – they believe
that’s part of living with a family. But they
can be an ideal family dog in the right hands.
