Great Dane

Although Great Danes are calm dogs, they can get aggressive if they have not received enough socialisation and training in their puppyhood. Hence, it is important to take them for walks outside regularly, after they have learnt how to walk.

Great Danes may not be the best dogs for first time owners as they are enormous in size and display good strength as well. They need someone who has the experience in controlling a large breed dog. Nevertheless, Great Danes are among the easiest dogs to handle among large and giant breed dogs.

Firstly, Great Danes need high quality protein content in their diet to maintain strong muscles and overall growth. Choose a diet having Chicken, Fish, Beef, Lamb etc as their main constituent that offers ample amount of protein. Also, as Great Danes are vulnerable to hip and joint problems, their diet should contain minerals like calcium and phosphorus. Lastly, there should be a moderate fat content which ensures that they are not consuming too much.

Some of the best foods for Great Dane pups are Royal Canin Giant Puppy, Royal Canin Giant Junior, Fabled Giant Giants with Chicken Large Breed Puppy, Orijen Puppy Large etc, that completely fulfils the nutritional needs in them.

Great Dane puppies having an age between 8 weeks to 4 months old should be fed 3-4 times a day, with each meal consisting of 1 to 1.5 cups of food. Once they cross 4 months of age, you can reduce the frequency to 2 to 3 times a day, each meal consisting of 2-3 cups of food, till they turn 8 months old. Finally, puppies between 8 months to 18 months old can be fed 2 times a day, each meal consisting of about 4-6 cups of food.

In general, Great Danes have a puppyhood phase from 4 months to 24 months old and therefore, you can transition them to adult dog food after this age. While transitioning to a new food, mix some old puppy foods along with the new diet in order to avoid digestive upset in them. You can gradually remove the old food while they start liking the new food.

Great Danes need a long walk at least once a day, or a large area to play. While puppies require 90 minutes of daily exercise, adult Great Danes only need 30-60 minutes of it. Puppies should not be stressed too much to play as their bones and joints would be too delicate for that.

Despite their enormous size, Great Danes can do well in apartments and small households as they are docile in nature. If you can give them 45-60 mins of daily walk, they shall do extremely well in any kind of house.

Even though Great Danes are giant dogs, they are incredibly gentle and caring with babies. Their strength combined with their affection makes them great family dogs. That being said, Great Danes have this habit of jumping when they are over-excited. This can be risky for children who are below six years old, as these dogs can easily knock them off. So it would help if you are a little careful while the dog is running with the kids.

As these dogs have a giant frame, they are often vulnerable to joint and bone diseases like Hip Dysplasia and Osteoarthritis. Most commonly, these dogs may experience bloating which is a fatal condition that results in stomach twisting and cutting off blood supply. Hence, it is important for owners to take these dogs to the vet regularly to notice any health issues.

Great Danes are easy to train as they have an affectionate and a people pleasing nature. However, they are not food driven and you can train them without using food as an incentive. Praising them regularly on doing commands can increase their motivation to do well in training.

Despite their size, Great Danes do well more as a watchdog than a guard dog simply because they lack aggression to physically challenge an intruder. Yet, their physical size and barking sound can make any one think more than twice to do a housebreak.

Great Danes have an average lifespan of up to 10-12 years.