Great Danes

[jcbvh]

Hello everyone, I need some feedback. We had a Samoyed for 14 yrs, and we had to put him down in 2009. (terrible day)

Well the wife finally wants another dog, and she has Great Dane fever.

We have the room, time, etc to have such a large dog, but I was wondering if anyone has ever owned one?

Thanks.

 

[mr. frog]

one of my neighbors has a very pretty great dane. extremely well trained and very good with kids. awsome choice, but they need a lot of running time.

 

[Gator 45/70]

Same here, Neighbor down the street has a huge solid gray one, Its my understanding that they don't live as long as most dog's due to their size and also you have to ask about any hip problems in the breed line.

 

[RM Holsters]

I have lived across the street from 2 solid gray, 1 male, 1 female for 4 years. Both have great temperaments and are very friendly and good with kids. This couple is on their 3rd set of Great Danes. The ones they had before did not live past 7.

Good Luck

 

[cricht0n]

Unfortunately, they are a short lived breed. Very few that I have heard of make it past the 7 year mark. That said, I intend to get another one after... well, we don't speak about such things. But they are one of the sweetest breeds that I have had. The one bad thing is that they think they are lapdogs and if you don't break them of it early, you WILL wind up with a 100 plus lbs dog in your lap and or bed. Great personalities and very gentle with kids, at least all the ones that I have met.

 

[tmlowe]

They are big goofy dogs and their size can be an issue if you don't put the time and effort into training them. They are gentle giants, but they don't always realize how big they are. Make sure to start training when they are young because they are prone to joint problems which can get expensive later on. Also, puppy food is a no no because the high protein can cause them to grow faster than their joints can keep up with.

With that being said, they are great dogs. Mine is a sweetheart and is very playful. She can be a total nut outside during play time, but a lazy couch dog when she is inside. It is amazing to see how fast they grow. Maggie was only 12 pounds when I got her at 8 weeks and 6 months later when I deployed she was already close to 80. She was a little bit on the smaller side, but Lee can give you some great insight if he is still around.

 

[barbarossa]

I have no experience with Great Danes, but I implore you to check the shelters and adoption agencies. There are so many great dogs in need of a home. You might even find a Great Dane. Better yet, just go and check out the dogs, then pick the one you click with, regardless of breed.

1114 Great Danes or mixes available for adoption:

http://www.petfinder.com/pet-search...&primary_breed=Great+Dane&distance=&pet_name=


Please check out the link.

 

[Gator 45/70]

Very nice of you to post the link and +1
I for one did not realize that this many animals are up for adoption.

I have no experience with Great Danes, but I implore you to check the shelters and adoption agencies. There are so many great dogs in need of a home. You might even find a Great Dane. Better yet, just go and check out the dogs, then pick the one you click with, regardless of race.

1114 Great Danes or mixes available for adoption:

http://www.petfinder.com/pet-search...&primary_breed=Great+Dane&distance=&pet_name=


Please check out the link.

 

[tmlowe]

Both of my pups are rescues. One from a shelter and one from someone who had a female rescue great dane get knocked up unexpectedly by his male GD.

 

[eagle359]

My uncle had them until he died. He kept three-bought one every two to four years. Always had a pup, a middle, and an older dog. They have a shorter life than most dogs and they can suffer from bloat more than most dogs. After feeding it was no activity for about 90 minutes. I have been thinking about getting one myself.

 

[wiliermdb]

Awesome dog. I had one as a kid. She lived 9 years. Do your homework and check out the breeder. I have experience with English Pointers and the breeder we got our original two from had medical history going back 3 generations or about 30 years worth.

Check for hip and other issues in the bloodline. A good breeder will let you know if there was ever anything in the line.

I have 7 dogs now. Had to put my big male pointer down in November 2012 at age 13. I have 2 champion pointers and 5 mixed breeds now. All the mixed breeds are street rescues.

 

[tmlowe]

Eagle359 is right about the bloat. If you do end up getting one think about the stomach staple when you get them fixed. The vet basically staples the stomach to a rib IIRC to keep the stomach from flipping itself (bloat)

 

[TomTerrific]

Why would anyone want a Great Dane when they could have a Basset Hound?

I know there are a lot of basset rescues around. The Looziana Basset Rescue in NO sends their pups as far as Maine for their forever homes. Search for great dane rescues.

Hook up with a good one. My last two were rescues and any future hound will be.

You might come up with a mix with similar attributes that lives longer, which mutts tend to do. My last three died in their early teens.

And let us know what you end up doing.

 

[Metryshooter]

If you have a dane around you'd better invest in plastic cups. When they walk by wagging that hard tail say good-bye to your drink.

 

[1911Dave]

Another gentle giant to consider is a Newfoundland. Probably one of the best family dogs you can get.

 

[tim9lives]

I have no experience with Great Danes, but I implore you to check the shelters and adoption agencies. There are so many great dogs in need of a home. You might even find a Great Dane. Better yet, just go and check out the dogs, then pick the one you click with, regardless of breed.

1114 Great Danes or mixes available for adoption:

http://www.petfinder.com/pet-search...&primary_breed=Great+Dane&distance=&pet_name=


Please check out the link.

YES...That's an awesome website. I forgot about it...but when my old dog died...I went on PetFinder and searched for a Ridgeback. I found him in Wiggins, MS

No Papers....And he is a mix but he has all of the markings. Really beautiful ridge and crown.

He was from a litter of 8 rescues so I drove to Wiggins MS to pick him up from their SPCA. Total cost were like 25.00 !

And they had their shots. What a deal.
-------

As far a Great Danes...only thing I can add to the great above info is I think one must be careful how they are fed when pups. I remember seeing one which was about year or so old which had a cast from a broken leg.....right above the paw. Something about how their legs can grow real fast but because the bone isn't fully formed...they can break their own paws when jumping. And I think the diet comes into play also.

But...they do seem to be great dogs.

 

[jcbvh]

Thanks for all the replys. We will be getting one within a month.

My family has adopted plenty of pound puppies in the past.

 

[Neil09]

Thanks for all the replys. We will be getting one within a month.

My family has adopted plenty of pound puppies in the past.

Be sure to post pics.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[saggitarius449]

Great dogs. Great with kids. Just feed them from an elevated food bowl.

And be sure not to leave any food out on the stove or countertop. Had almost a whole pan of cupcakes come up missing one time.

 

[cnodie1]

Danes are great. My family has had 4 since I was a kid. We sadly lost 2 too soon, one to a disease as a puppy and one to bloat at around 5. http://www.slo-bowls.com/index.html these are a great tool to help combat the bloat problem along with keeping them calm after eating.