Let's talk Great Danes

Great Danes certainly are great. In the largest cases, they can weigh close to 175 lb, and are known as the "Apollo of Dogs" after the ancient sun god. Great Danes may be Olympian in size, when well-trained and given the right amount of space, can make lovely family dogs. They will take up just as much room in your heart as they do in your home.

Official name: Great Dane

Origins: Germany

Drooling tendencies
4 out of 5
Shedding Level
3 out of 5
Energy level
3 out of 5
Compatibility with other pets
5 out of 5
Warm weather?
2 out of 5
Suited to apartment living
1 out of 5
Family pet
3 out of 5
Can stay alone
1 out of 5

*We advise against leaving pets alone for long stretches. Companionship can prevent emotional distress and destructive behavior. Speak to your veterinarian for recommendations. Every pet is different, even within a breed; this snapshot of this breed specifics should be taken as an indication. For a happy healthy and well-behaved pet, we recommend educating and socializing your pet as well as covering their basic welfare, social, and behavioral needs. Pets should never be left unsupervised with a child. Contact your breeder or veterinarian for further advice. All domestic pets are sociable and prefer company. However, they can be taught to cope with solitude from an early age. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or trainer to help you do this.

Male	Female
Height	Height
76 - 81 cm	71 - 76 cm
Weight	Weight
63 - 77 kg	50 - 63 kg

Life Stage
Puppy	Adult
2 to 8 months	8 months to 2 years
Mature	Senior
2 to 5 years	From 10 years
Baby
Birth to 2 months

Drooling tendencies
4 out of 5
Shedding Level
3 out of 5
Energy level
3 out of 5
Compatibility with other pets
5 out of 5
Warm weather?
2 out of 5
Suited to apartment living
1 out of 5
Family pet
3 out of 5
Can stay alone
1 out of 5

Male	Female
Height	Height
76 - 81 cm	71 - 76 cm
Weight	Weight
63 - 77 kg	50 - 63 kg

Life Stage
Puppy	Adult
2 to 8 months	8 months to 2 years
Mature	Senior
2 to 5 years	From 10 years
Baby
Birth to 2 months

Black-and-white portrait of a Great Dane looking to the side

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Get to know the Great Dane

All you need to know about the breed

Great Danes are the big friendly giant of dog breeds.

They are handsome hounds with a majestic demeanor, alert expression, and a dense, glossy coat in one of three evocative color combinations: fawn and brindle, black and harlequin, or blue.

Once trained, Great Danes get along well with children and can make lovely family pets. However, they do require a level of commitment greater than what would be required for smaller breeds.

Great Danes need a decent amount of exercise, though, despite their size, they are not the most energetic breed around. Once fully grown, they enjoy a variety of activities—walks, runs, and the chance to potter around in an enclosed space. One thing to keep in mind is that, due to their enormous size, Great Danes have a shorter than average lifespan.

On a day-to-day basis, the only real downside to having a Great Dane as a pet is the slobber. They drool a considerable amount. But these affable, larger-than-life characters more than make up for that with the joy they bring to their human companions.

An adult and puppy Great Dane sat next to each other on grass

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Facts about Great Danes

1. Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?

The loveable but cowardly cartoon canine Scooby-Doo is thought to be loosely based on a Great Dane! The breed has had another brush with stardom in the form of Marmaduke, the super-sized star of a comic strip, which was first printed in the 1950s and was made into a movie in 2010.

2. Great (Not) Dane

The Great Dane doesn't actually originate from Denmark. The large breed's origins begin in Germany during the late 1800s where a committee of judges and breeders met in Berlin to classify several similar dogs known by different names under just one: Deutsche Dogge which translates into English as German Dog. So the breed became known in English as the Great Dane.

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History of the breed

For a breed with such a long history, it’s not surprising that the Great Dane’s origins are not always clear. There are images from Egyptian tombs that suggest Great Danes have existed for thousands of years. Mastiff- and greyhound-like breeds, as well as the extinct German hunting dog, the Bullenbeisser, are thought to feature in the Great Dane’s ancestry.

Great Danes were prized as wild boar hunters as well as guard dogs in Medieval Germany. When the breed first came to the United Kingdom, the dogs were known as German boarhounds.

In the 19th century, several similar varieties were classified together under the new name Deutsche Dogge. How that became Great Dane in English is not clear, but to complicate matters further, it may have been via the translation of a French name given to the breed: Le Grand Danois.

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From head to tail

Physical characteristics of Great Danes

1.Head

Statuesque appearance with large, well-defined head.

2.Face

Alert expression with naturally forward-folding ears.

3.Body

Strong, muscular, square-shaped body.

4.Coat

Short dense, glossy coat in three possible colours.

5.Tail

Strong tail tapering to the tip.

Great Dane puppy resting its head on its paws

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Things to look out for

From specific breed traits to a general health overview, here are some interesting facts about your Great Dane

Beware of bloat

Gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV), more commonly known as bloat, affects many large breeds but is the number-one problem associated with Great Danes. The signs of bloat to watch for are—bloated abdomen, restlessness, retching, salivation, and whining or abnormal stillness. If your Great Dane is experiencing any of these signs then seek immediate help from a veterinarian. Some owners opt for preventive surgery, which can protect their dogs, at least partially. The procedure, called gastropexy, involves stitching the walls of the stomach in place and should prevent the life-threatening torsion (volvulus) of the stomach, although not the dilatation (bloating). It’s a good start.

Hip problems

Due to their size, the Great Dane can be prone to osteoarticular diseases—or diseases of the bones and joints. In particular, the Great Dane breed can suffer from antebrachial growth deformities. These deformities of the dogs’ forelegs can lead to limited movement and pain. To avoid conditions like these, it’s important to feed Great Danes the correct food from puppyhood and avoid calcium supplements.

Tailored nutrition for Great Danes

When choosing food for a Great Dane, there are many factors to consider: their age, lifestyle, activity level, physical condition, and health, including potential sickness or sensitivities. Food provides energy to cover a dog’s vital functions, and a complete nutritional formula should contain an adjusted balance of nutrients to avoid any deficiency or excess in their diet, both of which could have health impacts.

As giant-sized breed dogs have a higher risk of a condition called gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV), where the stomach becomes overstretched and rotated due to excess gas, often caused by overfeeding during a meal, it’s recommended to split the daily allowance into three meals for puppies and maintain this routine into their adult years.

The following recommendations are for healthy animals. If your dog has health problems, please consult your veterinarian, who may recommend an exclusive veterinary diet.

Strong Immune System
A Great Dane puppy’s requirements for energy, protein, minerals, and vitamins are greater than those of an adult dog. More energy and nutrients are required for puppies, not only to maintain their bodies, but to grow and build them. During their growth, Great Dane puppies’ immune systems develop gradually so a complex of clinically proven antioxidants—including vitamin E and C—can help support their natural defenses during this significant change.

Intense Growth Stag
This formula helps support your giant breed puppy's unique nutritional needs from 2 to 8 months and helps avoid excess weight gain.

Microbiome Support
Combination of prebiotics & highly digestible proteins to help promote a healthy balance of intestinal bacteria for digestive health.

Like many giant-sized breed dogs, Great Danes are prone to digestive sensitivity. Also, their body weight can place stress on their joints throughout their lifetime. Therefore, the nutritional needs of Great Danes should include high-quality protein and a balanced supply of dietary fiber to promote optimal digestibility. Additionally, the inclusion of glucosamine, chondroitin, and antioxidants are important to help support the health of their bones and joints. A formula enriched with omega-3 fatty acids, such as EPA and DHA, will help maintain healthy skin. An adapted taurine content is also essential to support healthy heart function.

Concentrated Energy
Due to them having really high muscle mass (80%), the energy needs of Great Dane's are 50% higher than those of other dogs of the same size. The Great Dane, high energy formula is tailored to meet their unique nutritional needs without overloading their stomach.

Digestive Performance
The formula supports digestive health by using highly digestible proteins and a selection of specific fibers to suppor stoll quality and digestive sensistivity as Great Danes are susceptible to a longer colonic transit as well as a higher colonic permeability.

Bone & Joint Health
The Great Dane's joints can be placed under stress due to their large stature and long growth period The formula is enriched with EPA and DHA to helps joints and maintain an ideal weight.

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Caring for your Great Dane

Grooming, training, and exercise tips

Making sure your Great Dane remains in good health and enjoys life requires a certain amount of effort in grooming, exercise and training. The Great Dane’s short, smooth coat isn’t too high maintenance, except during its shedding season, which occurs once or twice a year. The usual weekly brushing routine will need to be stepped up to a daily tackling of the fluff. Great Danes need regular exercise — multiple daily walks are ideal. Once their joints are fully grown, at around two years, they can also enjoy jogs or hikes. Off-the-leash exercise sessions need to be in a secure, enclosed space: Great Danes like following their noses. With this much dog on your hands, you’ll need to make sure your Great Dane is well trained and socialized early. Firm, consistent training methods will bring rewards in the form of an affectionate, sociable, and eager-to-please mega-dog.

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All about Great Danes

Do Great Danes make good pets?

Yes! Properly trained Great Danes are eager to please, sociable and affectionate to their famillies, However, you will have to weight up the time and space you have to accomodate for this giant.

Are Great Danes aggressive?

Great Danes are not known to be aggressive, although their large size may understandably make some people nervous—all the more reason to make sure they are well trained. Great Danes are not particularly known for their barking either. But with great vocal chords to match great everything else, when they do decide to express an opinion you’ll certainly know about it.