Great Dane
History and origin: The Great Dane has been in Britain for many centuries and may have resulted from a cross between the prehistoric Mastiff and the Irish Wolfhound. He was first used as a hunting and guarding dog.
Description: The Great Dane is a big, graceful breed, standing 30 to 34 inches at the shoulder and weighing between 120 and 165 pounds. The harlequin Danes, white with black patches, are the biggest variation, while the brindle and fawn-colored Danes are more slim. The black Danes and the blues are typically someplace in between. The ears can be cropped or uncropped. The body is huge, lanky, and well muscled, and the shedding coat is short, glossy, and of short maintenance, requiring habitual brushing. The color may be black, black-and-white (harlequin), bundle, fawn, or blue-black.
About the breed: The Great Dane is a very dedicated and loving family dog. Nevertheless, he can be very distrustful of strangers and is very territorial and frequently hostile toward other dogs or people. The dog would love your kids, but might be doubtful of their friends. Furthermore, he is able of hurting a child during play, just by knocking them down, stepping on them, or striking them with his tail. Training must begin early and should be solid but not overbearing. All giant breeds grown-up slowly; a six-month-old will be massive but will still have the mentality of a puppy. Training method should still be solid and a bit slower and less challenging than that used with other breeds. The Great Dane gets cold easily, so do not keep him outside too long throughout the winter. He wants a blanket or a bed to lie on to avoid pressure sores. He has an outstanding sense of smell but below-average vision. He has a life span of about eight or ten years. Many Danes have hereditary heart problems as well as hip and shoulder troubles. The Dane also has a habit of splitting open the tip of his big tail because of wagging it with such passion that, when smacked against a hard surface, will crack open and bleed. He can suffer from bloat, a fatal gastric situation that can happen after a large meal. Avoid feeding him and other large breeds enormous meals and carefully soak the dry food in warm water for ten minutes before feeding.
Feeding: Suggested feeding for the Great Dane is 4 cans (13.3oz) of high-quality meaty product with biscuit added or at least 5 cupfuls of a total dry dog food. A Great Dane will consume eight to twelve cups of food a day.
Ideal home: A Great Dane wants a big house with a big backyard with a fence at least six feet high. The owner of a Dane should be a physically tough, confident, and easygoing leader. Physically weak, anxious, and spoiling types should stay away from this breed, as should the elderly and the disabled. The Dane can be extremely dog-aggressive and requires strong control and socialization with people and other dogs from day one. No roughhousing should be permitted. Time to train this giant breed have to be available everyday.
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