I love Great Danes....would two of 'em be too much, or would they make for good home security & play together

Question

How could you feed them cost effectively?

How much excercise do you think such a big dog needs?

thanks in advance....

Answer 1

I've had a Great Dane and an English Mastiff (which is quite a bit larger than a Great Dane) living together for years. I don't think it's too much to have two extra large dogs in the house, plus they will play with each other and be less bored (and less destructive to the house). I fed mine your regular Purina Dog Chow and they actually didn't eat that much. The big bag of that food costs about 18 bucks and I would go through only about 1.5 bags a month. So the food is cheap. You will definitely want to get medical insurance for them, I had Veterinary Pet Insurance, ask your vet about them. It cost me about 25/mo. per pet to get their top coverage. They reimbursed me for expenses after a 100 deductible, which was very helpful, because with giant breeds you can potentially have many more medical issues.

A good 45min walk is usually enough, especially with the two of them playing with each other during the day.

Use this link to get some basic info on Danes
http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/breeds/greatdanes.html

One thing that I do want to mention to you is that the biggest challenge in my opinion to having a giant dog in your house without problems is having the mindset of the leader of the pack and not being intimidated by their size. All dogs as they grow up constantly test their boundaries. You need to be confident enough to put your fut down and draw clear lines as to what is allowed and isn't allowed in your house. If you think that a large dog is going to scare you, or your loved ones, you may want to reconsider.

My brother got a Great Dane about a year ago, and he has a great time with the dog, the dog sees him as a leader and both loves and respects him, but my sister-in-law and my nephew have allowed the dog to nip at their hands and feet as it was growing up and did not correct behaviors like that, now the dog is huge and keeps nipping at their hands and they are too afraid to correct the dog, and when they do, the dog just gets more physical. They've allowed the dog to see itself as a higher member of the pack, so it thinks that it's putting them in their place when they try to tell it what to do. I live by myself and my dogs turned out great because I drew and enforced clear lines, eliminating the stress of them trying to figure their place in the pack.

Read "Good Owners, Great Dogs" by Brian Kilcommons, it's by far the best book I've read about understanding how dogs think and using that understanding to gently, yet firmly raise them.

Answer 2

It isn't a good idea for a novice to raise two Dane puppies at the same time.Raising one puppy is a chore and a commitment. If you are interested in having 2 Danes then I would recommend getting two rescue Danes or young adults taht are already settled on on their way to being trained.
Danes aren't a high energy breed. As puppies they should never have forced exercise since it is bad for their joints.
They need to be fed a good qaulity food with no wheat, corn, soy or beet pulp and with a protein level no higher then 24%. They need to be trained and well socialized. They are indoor dogs and like being with theri people.They are also sensitive gentle dogs.
I highly recommend the book THE GREAT DANE, Model of Nobility by Jill Swedlow. This is the best most informative book on Great Danes out there. It is a must read/own for Dane Lover's/Owners.

Answer 3

They are magnificent animals! If you have two of them, they will surely enjoy playing together. They may not take much interest in you though. Remember you would be taking two dogs to training classes from your local dog club.
Quality dog food is fairly costly. I bought a 20lb bag from Pets-Mart and paid $25. Once you check with a vet, he could give you some suggestions on how much to feed.
Dogs are pack animals, if you have just one, you are his pack. Either way, they need lots of attention and excessive! You are smart for looking into these things ahead of time. You should be commended! Good luck.

Answer 4

I wouldn't get two.. they're big dogs and you'd want to make sure you can take care of one properly. Large dogs need a fair bit of exercise. I just did a quick google search and found this page

http://www.gdca.org/before.htm

Have a look and have a look at a lot more sites and books before you decide! They sound like beautiful dogs. Good luck!

Answer 5

if you have enough space and a lot of free time to spend with the for training and exercise then take two. they eat a lot so if you can't afford it it should be difficult to cook for them every day...
you need to do a research to see how much exercise and food they need per day and what are their needs in general before considering buying them...
good luck

Answer 6

Great Danes are great friends! However they can require special needs and care as they age. I have found some links about these gentle giants to help in your decision!
http://www.all-about-great-danes.com/
http://www.gdca.org/before.htm

Answer 7

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Answer 8

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