Dedicated to the Great Dane
GREAT DANE FACTS
What you should know before you consider getting a dane
- Adult Great Danes weigh from 110 lbs. to 180 lbs.,
depending on gender and their height and build. Danes
are very strong dogs. Untrained Great Danes can be a
real handful. Danes have a tendency to be willful and
stubborn at times and this is even more reason why this
is a dog that requires serious commitment on the part of
the family.
- Adult Great Danes are 28" to 38" tall at the withers
(top of the shoulder). That means, this is how tall they
are before you add the neck and head. Do you really
think food is safe on your kitchen countertops?
- Great Danes due to their size cost more than other
dog breeds. With the size of a Great Dane you will find,
that not only medical bills cost more, but so does
buying extra large toys, bedding & routine care costs
increase as well as you will also need larger quantities
of food. If you feed a quality kibble, you will be
giving your dog between 4 and 12 cups per day, depending
on age, build, and activity level. Those 40 lb. bags of
large breed premium kibble disappear very quickly.
- Your vet will tell you that bigger dogs require
bigger vet bills. Many veterinarian service costs are
weight based, such as the anesthesia needed for surgery,
and antibiotics or other medications. Great Danes are
more expensive to care for than smaller dogs
- Despite their size, Great Danes are really house
dogs. Hundreds of years ago they were considered working
dogs, but are now companion dogs. They want only to be
with you. They do not respond well to being left out in
the yard when everyone else is inside. They will become
depressed, bored, and anxious. A Great Dane that’s bored
can damage your yard to a much greater extent than a
surly shitzu or lab. These dogs are going to want to be
with you whenever its possible. There are breeds that
are more solitary in nature, and if your white carpet is
more important than your dog, a Great Dane is not the
choice for you!
If everyone who adopts a Great Dane understood these 5
points, Great Dane rescue would become unnecessary. Of
course, that goes for any breed of dog. All breeds have
characteristics that make the dog suitable for certain jobs
or certain owner lifestyles.
No matter what breed of dog you want, learn about the breed
that you intend to adopt before you select the dog of your
dreams. Both you and the dog will be happier. For
information about Great Danes and other breeds, go to
www.akc.org or
http://www.gdca.org
Great Danes find themselves in rescue or a shelter for a
variety of reasons, but it is usually because their last
home was not a good home for a large breed dog. Often,
people tell us that they "just didn't know how big Great
Danes get.” |
