| 1) Great Danes must be very well
socialized with both people and other dogs from the time they are young
puppies.
You know what happens with a dog that isn’t
well socialized. It may feel stress around people or other dogs and
possibly bite if provoked. If that happens with a toy poodle, someone
could get their ankle bit, an unfortunate situation to be sure, but one
you could possibly live with. But if a giant dog is not well socialized,
the result can be very dangerous, even deadly. What this means is that
your Great Dane puppy must be introduced to other people and other dogs
every day. At the park, in your car, up and down the neighborhood, when
the pizza is delivered, in the supermarket parking lot.
Socializing your Great Dane cannot be
stressed too much. Fortunately, it is easy to do. Danes are naturally
friendly. They love to play with other dogs and children and even get
along with cats! (When one of our cats was a kitten he used to sleep
curled up between our Dane’s paws and even climbed up on the dog’s
back. Meanwhile, our dog just lay there, happy as can be for the
attention.) You need not worry that socializing your dog will make him
less of a watchdog! Danes are naturally protective of their home and
family. The friendliest and best socialized Dane in the world will still
prevent a burglar from entering your house when you are asleep or gone.
It is simply in their genes.
2) Great Danes need plenty of room.
Although a Dane could conceivably be
raised in an apartment if it is taken out several times a day and given
lots of exercise, it is much better if a Dane lives in a good-sized
house and given regular access to a large, fenced yard. Please, if you
do not have lots of room, consider a smaller dog.
3) You cannot adequately raise a Great
Dane puppy if you live alone in an apartment and have a full-time job,
unless you make extraordinary arrangements to leave your job in the
middle of the day, every day, for an hour or more.
The only exception would be having
someone else attend to your Dane during the day. You may think a walk in
the morning and another in the evening is enough, but it is not,
especially for a puppy.
Once your Great Dane is full grown and he
has access to a fenced yard all day long, then you can leave for the
whole day. But only then.
4) Great Danes must be well trained.
By this I don’t mean that your dog
needs to get a blue ribbon at the local dog training school, although
that would be nice. What I mean is that you must train your puppy daily
until it is proficient at obeying basic commands. "Come," "Sit,"
"Stay," "Lie Down," "Heel," and
"No," etc. Further, your dog must learn never to jump on
people. They grow too large to do that!
5) Great Danes are indoor dogs.
Danes have short coats and no body fat.
If you take them outside in the winter they feel the same cold air you
feel. And unless they are running, they will shiver same as you. You
absolutely cannot leave a Dane outside for long periods in cold
climates! They are not like long-haired dogs.
Not only do Danes need a warm house to
live in, they need a warm bed to sleep in. Further, the bed needs to be
very well padded, or their elbows will become as worn out as yours would
were you to lie on the floor. (We don’t recommend that you let your
Dane in your bed, because they may run and jump into bed when you are
sound asleep. Not only is a 150 pound surprise unpleasant in the middle
of the night, it can be dangerous. And knee surgery to repair torn
ligaments is expensive!) But because of their size and weight, a bed for
a Dane must be thick and soft and warm enough that you wouldn’t mind
if you had to sleep in it.
6) Because Great Dane puppies grow so
fast, they require a carefully chosen diet, supervised by a
veterinarian.
You cannot just feed a Dane generic food
from the supermarket. It has to be a premium brand with the correct
vitamins etc. Again, veterinary input is essential, or you’ll end up
with a malnourished dog.
7) You must purchase your Great Dane from
a reputable breeder.
Investigate. Research. Ask questions. Get
on the Internet. Check references. Look at lots of puppies. Get books on
Great Danes and read them.
Unfortunately there are ignorant,
disreputable and even unscrupulous breeders out there, and they must not
be patronized. Deal only with the best and you will be happy with your
dog.
8) Great Danes require a substantial
financial commitment.
A quality Great Dane puppy is very
expensive to purchase. Their food bills are much higher than those of
other dogs. Their vet bills are higher than those of other dogs. Their
beds are more expensive than other dog’s beds. The nice teak dining
room table they decide to eat the legs off of when they are teething is
expensive! If you don’t have extra funds, please don’t buy a Great
Dane.
Still Want A Dane?
If, after long, careful deliberation, you
feel a Great Dane is right for you, then proceed carefully and you'll
likely end up with the best companion you ever had. Good Luck! |
