Do Great Danes make good pets?

Question

Hey everybody.

I was wondering if anyone here owns/has owned a great dane.
Do you think they make good pets/ could you tell me alittle about them?

I have another dog who is almost one year old (he gets along with any other animal) and two cats (who dont get along with anyone but eachother)
i also have a little sister and frequently have small children at my home.
i have a large yard and plenty of room for the dog to run around

i was wondering if this is all compatible with a great dane.

any help would be greatly appriciated. I need all the help i can get! thank you!

p.s. do they drool/shed?
thanks again!

Im in highschool so i wont be home during the day. my sisters in middle school so she wont either. my mom works part time so would be gone for nearly 4 hours at a time. would the dog be ok by himself (with my other dog) for four hours?

Answer 1

I have a great dane and love him! I will never own another type of dog breed. They don't drool (except when they eat they make a little mess). The shed little...every dog sheds, but they shed less than a lab. Just brush them and they will be fine.

If the dog is a pup, they will be able to adjust to other animals in the house, and generally other animals will adjust with time. (He was brought into the house with 2 older dogs and 2 cats)

These dogs should be kept indoor. I notice if we are outside he gets really hot fast in the heat. And because their coat is so thin, they would die in the winter. Mine loves to run and go on walks, so a big back yard would be great.

They don't eat 50 lbs of food in a week! I get a 35lb bag and that last me more than a month (I recommend Royal Canin Giant).

I am in college so he usually is by himself during the day time. Although, if you do get one I do suggest crate training. They are big dogs and mine likes to destroy books, so even after a year he still goes in the crate during the day...but, at night he is left out. People always say crates are "mean" but he likes it in there...it is his safe haven and he feels comfortable in there.

He is great with kids, and was never raised around them. If he is raised around kids you can teach them the proper way to act to avoid the accidental knock overs. The are good guard dogs that will alert you when someone is there, but thats generally as far as he goes...he would never bite anyone.

Do a lot of research on them before going through with it. There is a lot of information on them on the internet. They are great pets who love to be around people and really are 'gentle giants'. To help you find information and even browse puppies you could visit: www.nextdaypets.com (thats where I got mine at), or www.puppyfind.com. Good luck!

Answer 2

Great Danes are wonderful, sweet dogs generally. I have seen a few who have been aggressive, but like any other breed allot has to do with the way they are raised. The big back yard is very good, but they make good house pets too, just be sure to put your breakables above tail level. Those tails can be lethal! Please get a Great Dane book before you decide, because the fact that your dog will be alone for several hours a day, shouldn't be a problem except in the winter. Great Danes have short hair and need to be protected from the elements. Hot or cold. My sister has one who weighs 140 lbs. She has lots of shade in their back yard and gets Patch a child's swimming pool. she does fine, but in the winter, she either need to come in or have a heated dog house. Also, something you should think about, is that a Large breed dog has a shorter life span. Most Great Danes only live 9-10 years. My sisters is 10 and really starting to show problems. They are heartbroken because they are now facing the inevitable. Good luck with you genital Giant!!!

Answer 3

Description
The Great Dane is a giant dog that combines nobility with robustness and power with elegance. It has a long narrow head with an accentuated frontal stop and a rather large nasal canal. Its neck is long and muscular and its front legs are perfectly straight. It has muscular thighs and round feet with short, dark nails. The Great Dane's tail is medium-length, reaching to the point of the hock. Its eyes are round and usually dark - with a lively intelligent expression. Its ears are either cropped rather long, pointed, and carried erect, or left natural. Its well developed white teeth must close in a scissors bite. All Danes have short, thick, shiny, close-fitting hair. The color of the coat indicates the variety. fawn, brindle, black, blue, mantle harlequin and sometimes Merle. However Merle is a common result of harlequin breeding, but it is not a recognized color. Black coats and dark eyes, while blue Danes may have lighter eyes.

Temperament
The Great Dane is a gentle giant. Dignified, kind, sweet and affectionate, it is playful and patient with children. It loves everyone and needs to be around people. The Great Dane does not bark much and only becomes aggressive when the circumstances require it. A steady dog, responsible and dependable. Brave and loyal, it is a good watchdog. Because of his giant size, the Great Dane should be thoroughly obedience trained when young so it will be manageable when fully grown. Teach this giant dog not to lean against people, especially children. Some individuals are dog-aggressive, especially with same sex dogs. It is good with other dogs if it is raised with them from puppyhood. This breed may be slightly difficult to train.

Height, Weight
Height: Dogs 30-34 inches (76-86 cm.) Bitches 28-32 inches (71-81 cm.) Weight: Dogs 120-200 pounds (54-90 kg.) Bitches 100-130 pounds (45-59 kg.)
Dogs of even larger size are more prized.

Health Problems
Not a long lived breed. Be careful to buy from a conscientious breeder, as some very poor specimens are being sold to the unsuspecting public. Beware of hip dysplasia; buy only from OFA certified stock. Also prone to bloat, tumors, heart disease, and tail injuries. Do not jog with this dog until it is at least one
year old.

Living Conditions
The Great Dane will do okay in an apartment if it is sufficiently exercised. It is relatively inactive indoors and does best with at least a large yard.

Exercise
The Great Dane needs plenty of exercise, at the very least a long daily walk.

Life Expectancy
The average is under 10 years, however some can live to be 12-13 years old.

Grooming
The smooth short-haired coat is easy to groom. Comb and brush with a firm bristle brush and dry shampoo when necessary. Bathing this giant is a major chore, so it pays to avoid the need by daily grooming. The nails must be kept trimmed. This breed is an average shedder.

Answer 4

Great Danes make great pets actually. I have owned five in my life, and they never have given me any trouble. They are obedient, playful, watchful, love children, and are gentle kind creatures. Though they have a very big size.

My first one was named Angel Bee. She was the sweetest one you could ever own. She was playful but very gentle. Like I said, none have ever proved me wrong. And about the shedding, well, all dogs shed some hair, and they dont shed very badly, so not to a point where it would be a problem. And some drool a tinsy bit, it depends on which you get. If you get a dog with not a hanging-like snout, they wont drool alot. Andother dog I might suggest would be a Doberman or rodesian ridgeback. they are great too. Except the they are a bit gaurding over the family. For more info email or IM me, or go to http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/greatdane.htm or http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/rhodesianridgeback.htm and last but not least, http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/doberman.htm. Hope you choose the right one for you!!!

Answer 5

Most Danes are true gentle giants. If you have the housing, then you should be fine. Try to get one from a quality breeder that has eyes and hip tested for soundness and introduce the other animals to him slowly. You shouldn't have a problem!. As for the drooling and shedding... Most likely, there will be some drool... I have cocker spaniels that drool! The easiest way to control shedding (which is minimal in danes) is to feed the best quality foods. This means staying out of the grocery store and making sure that the top 5 ingredients don't include ground yellow corn...

Answer 6

Great Dane Shed

Answer 7

There is a website danesonline.com that tells youall about Great Danes. It isn't so much a question of wether they make good pets but about wether you all will get along with him. They are big ninny's that eat a great deal. I have never had one and I want one but my other half says no. I do have three other dogs and can tell you the more the merrier except the dane would be a tough fit(size wise)Have fun if you get one.

Answer 8

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Do Great Danes make good pets?
Hey everybody.

I was wondering if anyone here owns/has owned a great dane.
Do you think they make good pets/ could you tell me alittle about them?

I have another dog who is almost one year old (he gets along with any other animal) and two cats (who dont get along with anyone but eachother)...

Answer 9

For the best answers, search on this site https://shorturl.im/03GWn

My first dog ever was a great dane. My parents bought him when I was about 5 or 6, and Jason NEVER jumped on me, never hurt me, never knocked me over. He was, as they are known as, a gentle giant. They are trainable, as long as you are willing to do the work you learn from the trainer you hopefully hire to help you learn to train your dog (but I'm assuming you have experience since you already have dogs). I don't remember Jason shedding a lot - they don't have an undercoat like a lot of other dogs (my aussie can be a terrible shedder). He only drooled when he drank - otherwise he was just like any other dog. He was amazing - he'd sit his hindquarters on the sofa like a person, and just hang with you. He was the dog I grew up with, he was smart, fun, we took him everywhere we were allowed to take a dog. The only downfalls at least for me, was Jason didn't live a terribly long time. Giant breeds typically don't. Jason died when he was about 9. Later in my life, I was the tech on duty at our emergency clinic that had to put down a 13 year old GD, which amazed me - that to me was old. General problems - joint diseases, and a few other things. Do your research. Find a reputable breeder - or at least meet and spend a lot of time with a dog if you are adopting it from a rescue group. Get to know it - a good rescue will let you spend time with the animal of interest. And as I mentioned - do your research - they do have some problems and you need to be aware of them. Oh, yeah, and make him/her an elevated food/water dish support - they need it. To this day, I miss Jason. I have been tempted many times to open my doors to one again. While I have not owned any lately, I have helped facilitate ones that ended up in the shelter I worked for, to get in to rescues. I wish you luck as you make the decision to get one - they are good dogs - I would not hesitate to have one in my home again. Regards, Pam

Answer 10

Yes!! Great danes are WONDERFUL pets!! They are one of the friendliest breeds. But they are not a good dog to be left outside. They hate being left alone so they may distruct things..