Breed of the Week: Great Dane

So for this weeks breed of the week I have selected a favorite of mine from the Mastiff class, the Great Dane.

The Great Dane, also known as a German Mastiff, although large in appearance is usually regarded as a gentle giant because of their calm demeanor. This breed of dog rarely barks or becomes aggressive, only doing either of these two things if necessary. The Great Dane has so many wonderful qualities such as loyal companions. Unfortunately, because of this dogs size on average, Great Danes don't usually live past 10 years old, this is just an average as some Great Danes have been known to live to 13 years old.

Training is essential for a dog of this size for many reasons. An untrained dog of this size can be unruly and create problems when he is fully grown. It is not recommended to use a Great Dane as a jogging dog, especially when they are a puppy. Their bones and joints need time to grow and function and jogging and jumping while young could hurt their joints in the future.

Always remember when buying a puppy to either pick a  reputable breeder or a rescue. Backyard breeding is not recommended.



Male Great Danes can easily weigh between 50 -90KG ( 120-200 pounds) and reaching heights of 76-86 cm (30-34 inches) with females reaching between 45-60KG (100-130 pounds) and growing to 71-81cm (28-32 inches).
 Like most large breed dogs, Great Danes can suffer from hip dysplasia, bloat and heart disease.

The personality of these dogs is sweet, affection and gentle. They are often mistaken as being dangerous because of their size, however this is simply not true. To ensure the good nature of a Great Dane, early socialisation is needed. This needs to be done early and consistently, just by taking your puppy to a dog park, for walks and in and around lots of people allows them to socialise and learn the skills that they will need as an adult.

Highlights of the breed:

• Gentle giant, kind, affection and eager to please.
• Sadly, the majority of Great Danes are short lived.
• They need a lot of space because of their size.
• They are good with children.
• Easily trainable.

All in all, the Great Dane is a fantastic breed of dog with his only downfall being a few health issues and a short life span. 

I am in no way an expert of dog breeds, all of this has come from research.