Great Dane

The Great Dane, one of the world's tallest dog breeds, is also the world's largest lap dog.  Bred to hunt large prey, the Great Dane is a part of the mastiff family developed in Germany about 400 years ago.  But today’s Great Danes are couch potatoes that also like to step on your feet and lean on you.  A large number of the aggressive hunters were bred out of the breed.

 

A Gentle Giant!

The Great Dane is one of the most varied of all breeds.  They can weigh anywhere from 120 to 200 pounds, like humans.  There are six coat color varieties: blue, black, black and white, harlequin, brindle and fawn. 

 

Blue Great Dane puppy!

Black

Black and white

About two weeks ago, I spotted a harlequin Great Dane in East Village.  I though she was a Dalmatian mix, but I learned that she was a Great Dane after all, thanks to a friend in Hong Kong.  Hopefully, you won't make the same mistake after reading this post.

Brindle

Fawn Great Dane puppy, so handsome!

Great Danes are very tall, with proportionally long legs.  And their paws are the size of a man's hand.  Kids might think that they could climb over this dog and ride like a pony, but that is not safe.  You can’t do that with any other dog breed.  Great Danes also need the space to stretch their legs out every day, so they are not those small apartment dogs. 

 

So Sweet!

Great Danes are great family dogs.  But their large size makes it critical to start training early.  Their short hair makes grooming super easy.

Unfortunately, Great Danes have a lot of health problems.  This breed has one of the shortest life expectancies of all dogs at seven and a half years, as they are prone to a devastating internal disorder.  The Great Dane is the number one breed of a dog to get bloat, which is also the number one reason that a Great Dane dies.  Bloat can occur when a dog with a full stomach participates in a heavy activity.  Great Danes have stomachs that are not attached to the ribcage; during a heavy activity, the stomach can flip, blocking the intestinal track.  If not treated immediately, bloat is extremely dangerous.  So make sure that they eat their meal and rest for a good 40 minutes before you give them any type of exercise.