Great Dane

[Troy]

The Great Dane

ANKC Standard

(from http://www.ankc.org.au/home/breeds_details.asp?bid=191 )

Group: Group 7 (Non Sporting)

General Appearance: Very muscular, strongly though elegantly built, with look of dash and daring, of being ready to go anywhere and do anything. Head and neck carried high, tail in line with back, or slightly upwards, but never curled over hindquarters. Elegance of outline and grace of form most essential.

Characteristics: Alert expression, powerful, majestic action displaying dignity.

Temperament: Kindly without nervousness, friendly and outgoing.

Head And Skull: Head, taken altogether, gives idea of great length and strength of jaw. Muzzle or foreface broad, skull proportionately narrow, so that whole head when viewed from above and in front, has appearance of equal breadth throughout. Length of head in proportion to height of dog. Length from nose to point between eyes about equal or preferably of greater length than from this point to back of occiput. Skull flat, slight indentation running up centre, occipital peak not prominent. Decided rise or brow over the eyes but not abrupt stop between them; face well chiselled, well filled in below eyes with no appearance of being pinched: foreface long, of equal depth throughout. Cheeks showing as little lumpiness as possible, compatible with strength. Underline of head, viewed in profile, runs almost in a straight line from corner of lip to corner of jawbone, allowing for fold of lip, but with no loose skin hanging down. Bridge of nose very wide, with slight ridge where cartilage joins bone (this is a characteristic of breed). Nostrils large, wide and open, giving blunt look to nose. Lips hang squarely in front, forming right-angle with upper line of foreface.

Eyes: Fairly deep set, not giving the appearance of being round, of medium size and preferably dark. Wall, or odd eyes permissible in harlequins.

Ears: Triangular, medium size, set high on skull and folded forward, not pendulous.

Mouth: Teeth level. Jaws strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. the upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

Neck: Neck long, well arched, quite clean and free from loose skin, held well up, well set in shoulders, junction of head and neck well defined.

Forequarters: Shoulders muscular, not loaded, well sloped back, with elbows well under body. Forelegs perfectly straight with big flat bone.

Body: Very deep, brisket reaching elbow, ribs well sprung, belly well drawn up. Back and loins strong, latter slightly arched.

Hindquarters: Extremely muscular, giving strength and galloping power. Second thigh long and well developed, good turn of stifle, hocks set low, turning neither in nor out.

Feet: Cat-like, turning neither in nor out. Toes well arched and close, nails strong and curved. Nails preferably dark in all coat colours, except harlequins, where light are permissible.

Tail: Thick at the root, tapering towards end, reaching to or just below hocks. Carried in straight line level with back, when dog is moving, slightly curved towards end, but never curling or carried over back.

Gait/Movement: Action lithe, springy and free, covering ground well. Hocks move freely with driving action, head carried high.

Coat: Short dense and sleek looking, never inclined to roughness.

Colour: Brindles- must be striped, ground colour from lightest buff to deepest orange, stripes always black, eyes and nails preferably dark, dark shadings on head and ears acceptable.

Fawns- colour varies from lightest buff to deepest orange, dark shadings on head and ears acceptable, eyes and nails preferably dark.

Blues- colour varies from light grey to deep slate, the nose and eyes may be blue.

Blacks- black is black.

In all above colours white is only permissible on chest and feet, but it is not desirable even there. Nose always black, except in blues and harlequins. Eyes and nails preferably dark.

Mantle- Black and white with a solid, black blanket extending over the body. Ideally- black skull with white muzzle, white blaze optional, whole white collar preferred, a white chest, white on part or whole of the forelegs and hindlegs, white tipped black tail. Nose always black, eyes and nails preferably dark.

Harlequins- pure white underground with preferably all black patches or all blue patches, having appearance of being torn. Light nails permissible. In harlequins, wall eyes, pink noses, or butterfly noses permissible but not desirable.

Sizes: Height:

Adult Dogs 76 cms (30 ins) over eighteen months

Adult Bitches 71 cms (28 ins) over eighteen months

Weight:

Minimum Adult Dogs 54 kgs (120 lbs) over eighteen months

Adult Bitches 46 kgs (100 lbs) over eighteen months

Faults: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

Notes: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum

See Photos of the Great Dane

QUESTIONS

1. What is my relationship with the breed? (ie breeder, first time owner etc)

2. Where and why was the breed first developed?

3. How common is it in Australia?

4. What is the average lifespan?

5. What is the general temperament/personality?

6. How much daily exercise is needed for the average adult?

7. Is it a breed that a first time dog owner could easily cope with?

8. Can solo dogs of this breed easily occupy themselves for long periods?

9. How much grooming is required?

10. Is it too boisterous for very small children or for infirm people (unless the dog is well trained)?

11. Are there any common hereditary problems a puppy buyer should be aware of?

12. When buying a puppy, what are the things you should ask of the breeder? (eg what health tests have been done (if applicable) and what is an acceptable result to those tests so the buyer has an idea of what the result should be)

If you wish to contribute to the knowledge about this breed, please answer the above questions. (Copy and paste them into a new post).

• Please only answer if you breed or own a pedigree example of this breed.
  
• You do not have to answer all questions
  
• Please keep posts limited to answering questions or for asking further questions if you require more (or expanded) information.
  

See Photos of the Great Dane

Great Dane Breeders

Great Dane Puppies For Sale

[Nevafollo]

I know that no one has answered any questions yet but i have a question for when people get a chance.

Was discussing this with my boss the other day who used to breed and show danes and she was saying that shes always fed her danes off a chair or off the top of a bucket what I forgot to ask her was why do they do this, what is it ment to prevent? Also she mentioned that she has been hearing lately that it isnt the thing to do any more and they are better off being fed from the ground is there any truth to that or is it just a rumour?

[♫♥♪ Kalonu ♪♥♫]

Sammy, As far as I know it's because of bloat- some people believe in raising the food prevents and some say it doesn't.

[Danois]

What is my relationship with the breed? (ie breeder, first time owner etc)

I am a dane owner. Baloo (Boo) is my second dane and is currently 11 months old.

What is the average lifespan?

Unfortunately it is not as long as we would all love to have and you are doing well to get passed 10. This is a common feature to giant breeds.

What is the general temperament/personality?

I have owned 2 dogs and find them to be sooky, live to please you, love human contact and there is something unique about the relationship you have with your dane.

Bitches can be a bit feistier!

How much daily exercise is needed for the average adult?

Being careful re exercise before critical growth has finished (around 18 months). Danes should not be run on the road/ pavement due to the impact on the joints. Exercise should be more 'free' as opposed to 'forced' and on grass and not for long periods.

Boo gets offlead walks in the park and cemetery and onlead is around the block etc and is used for obedience sessions.

Building muscle tone in the hind legs is important - running on sand, up hills etc.

Danes love to do 'zoomies'!

Is it a breed that a first time dog owner could easily cope with?

Yes and no. My first dane was my first dog on my own. We had GSDs when I was growing up.

There is a lot of do's and dont's with owning danes which should be followed to ensure the health of your dane. This includes watching timing of food/ exercise to minimise risk of bloat, care re exercise at young age, care re feeding right balance of protein while growing so you grow them slowly, obedience is critical as you will have an adult dane weighing in excess of 65kg usually which you need to have absolute control over.

Obviously vet bills are not cheap - particularly medication due to weight so pet insurance is highly recommended.

Food bill - danes eat around 8-9 cups of dry food a day when growing. This needs to be a super premium food to ensure correct growth.

Desexing - it is recommended at danes are desexed at no sooner than 18 months due to allowing them to finish growing. So this means you will have an entire male or a bitch in season to deal with.

Drool - some drool and some don't - luck of the draw! A lot of people find this unpleasant to deal with!

They are not a breed which you can put in the backyard - they are a family dog and need human contact/ company. A destructive dane can do a lot of damage!

How much grooming is required?

Danes have low grooming needs - a good brush with a curry comb does the trick. Many danes do not have the normally doggy smell and Angus used to get bathed every month or so and this was usually only because he was dirty as opposed to smelly.

Is it too boisterous for very small children or for infirm people (unless the dog is well trained)?

Yes. Dane puppies do not have much idea about their size and while danes love kids (generally), any interaction between small kids and infirm needs to be very carefully monitored.

When buying a puppy, what are the things you should ask of the breeder?

Only buy from a REPUTABLE registered breeder. Because a breeder has a lot of litters or has been around a while does not necessarily mean anything. Do your homework - ask about eye problems and cancer.

Was discussing this with my boss the other day who used to breed and show danes and she was saying that shes always fed her danes off a chair or off the top of a bucket what I forgot to ask her was why do they do this, what is it ment to prevent? Also she mentioned that she has been hearing lately that it isnt the thing to do any more and they are better off being fed from the ground is there any truth to that or is it just a rumour?

There are arguments either way for feeding from a raised height. Whether it actually prevents or minimises bloat I don't know but if it is one more thing I can do to minimise the risk then I will do it. The other main reason - it is simply more comfortable for the dog!

[Ashanali]

I know that no one has answered any questions yet but i have a question for when people get a chance.

Was discussing this with my boss the other day who used to breed and show danes and she was saying that shes always fed her danes off a chair or off the top of a bucket what I forgot to ask her was why do they do this, what is it ment to prevent? Also she mentioned that she has been hearing lately that it isnt the thing to do any more and they are better off being fed from the ground is there any truth to that or is it just a rumour?

Before I had my dane I did lots of research and asked around about bloat. The camps are divided on whether to raise the bowls for feeding or not - some information will state cases of bloat occuring from raised feeding saying that it isn't natural for the dog to eat in that position, some information will state that having the food on the ground means the dog will gulp when eating meaning a higher chance of bloat occurring. One thing that I did find was that diet played a huge part in it and cheaper grain based foods appeared to be a huge 'NO' when it came to feeding danes.

The height of the bowl didn't really matter with Hoshi... he would sit like a sphinx with the bowl between his legs to eat.

but more experienced Dane people will be able to give more detailed information than me.

[SwaY]

I know that no one has answered any questions yet but i have a question for when people get a chance.

Was discussing this with my boss the other day who used to breed and show danes and she was saying that shes always fed her danes off a chair or off the top of a bucket what I forgot to ask her was why do they do this, what is it ment to prevent? Also she mentioned that she has been hearing lately that it isnt the thing to do any more and they are better off being fed from the ground is there any truth to that or is it just a rumour?

Feeding from a raised height is done for two reasons.

1. - Comfort

2. - Bloat

There has been plenty of research on bloat, people are divided on weather raised feeding helps to prevent bloat or not.

I feed raised.

[nabs]

We have always fed our Danes from a raised position. My mother bred and was involved in Danes from the early 70's and also did this. I mainly feed this way for comfort reasons. I find a good height is about chair height. The jury is out on whether it reduces bloat or not.

Danes are a great breed but not for everyone. If you are considering getting one. Do your homework. There are many pro's and cons regarding owning this breed. I find that Danes are a far more emotionaly "needy" breed than other dog breeds we have owned. They are very much a people dog and do not do well being confined to a yard without constant companionship.

Danes are a breed that love to be in your face :-)

[SwaY]

1. What is my relationship with the breed? (ie breeder, first time owner etc)

Owner/breeder/exhibitor

2. Where and why was the breed first developed?

The history of Great Dane is not a one version story.

Some would argue the breed evolved primarily in Britain over several hundred years,

while others would say the Germans did all of the work.

So the history of Great Dane depends on which version you listen to.

3. How common is it in Australia?

875 were registered with the ANKC in 2008 compared to 1152 in 1986

The breed is on a decline for many reasons.

Money, space, life style of families etc

4. What is the average lifespan?

8-10 years seems to be the breed average.

Some owners have been lucky to get 12-13 years.

5. What is the general temperament/personality?

My experience with them has been:

Males - Sooky, easy going, eager to please.

Girls - Sooky easy going, will please when it suits them

To me girls have more spunk about them.

Always socialise your puppy.

6. How much daily exercise is needed for the average adult?

Little exercise until the puppy is 12-18 months old and finished it's critical growth stage.

More free time then forced walking on a lead.

With that said, that doesn't mean no walks at all.

Watch them with stairs, and slippery floors they have the potential to do damage to a growing puppy.

Yes walk your puppy, socialize your puppy - don't over do it.

7. Is it a breed that a first time dog owner could easily cope with?

Yes and No

Bloat, Diet, Control & Exercises are very important in the breed.

An owner needs to learn for the signs of bloat - it's a killer

Diet - can ruin your dogs confirmation - Knuckling over, growing to big to fast.

Control - If you can't control a 4 month old puppy at kegs what chance have you got when the dog is 60kg?

Exercise - Not to much when younger.

8. Can solo dogs of this breed easily occupy themselves for long periods?

Certainly - My experience is the breed seems to be more people orientated then dog orientated.

9. How much grooming is required?

Very little.

Curry comb to remove dead and lose hair.

10. Is it too boisterous for very small children or for infirm people (unless the dog is well trained)?

Again a yes and no answer.

If you have control of the dog AND the kids you should be fine.

Yes they are a giant breed often pushed 70+kg

You need to have control of your dog and the people it surrounds.

If the kids don't listen and run into the Danes way when it's doing zoomied someone is going to get hurt.

Kids should always be supervised around children and the infirm.

I have 3 kids.

11. Are there any common hereditary problems a puppy buyer should be aware of?

Bone cancer seems to be common in many Giant breeds as apposed to a smaller toy breed.

The list below seems to be uncommon in Australian Great Danes, yes there has been cases - just not many.

DCM: Cardiomyopathy

Hypothyroidism

CVI: Wobblers

12. When buying a puppy, what are the things you should ask of the breeder? (eg what health tests have been done (if applicable) and what is an acceptable result to those tests so the buyer has an idea of what the result should be)

Ask the breeder are you a member of an ANKC approved organisation Dogs Vic, CCCQ, Dogs NSW, SACA etc

Are you a member of your breed club - if so why or why not.

In Australia there is no requirement to health test to register Great Danes.

Less then 100 Great Danes have been hip and elbow scored in Australia.

I would ask about Bloat in their lines - This is no guarantee your dog will or won't get it, it's just nice to know.

Ask if their lines carry for the following DCM: Cardiomyopathy, Hypothyroidism, CVI: Wobblers.

Ask many many questions, and do your research!!

[Teebs]

How old till a Dane matures?

Met a 14 month old boy last night, stunning dog, but so playful

[raz]

2. Where and why was the breed first developed?[/b]

The history of Great Dane is not a one version story.

Some would argue the breed evolved primarily in Britain over several hundred years,

while others would say the Germans did all of the work.

So the history of Great Dane depends on which version you listen to.

Can you give a brief summary of the why please Sway (or anyone else)? I've always been interested. Thanks

[Danois]

How old till a Dane matures?

Met a 14 month old boy last night, stunning dog, but so playful

A 14 month old is still a puppy!

I am aiming for somewhere between 2-3 years.

[SwaY]

2. Where and why was the breed first developed?[/b]

The history of Great Dane is not a one version story.

Some would argue the breed evolved primarily in Britain over several hundred years,

while others would say the Germans did all of the work.

So the history of Great Dane depends on which version you listen to.

Can you give a brief summary of the why please Sway (or anyone else)? I've always been interested. Thanks

Here is a good site http://www.about-great-danes.com/history-of-great-dane.html

AKC History

The Great Dane is one of the most elegant and distinguished of the giant breeds. It is believed that the breeds origins can be traced to Irish Wolfhound with mixture of old English Mastiff. The breed itself having existed for over 400 years to serve as a Boar Hound in Germany. Europe’s erstwhile boar was one of the most savage, swift, powerful and well armed requiring a superdog to hunt it.

In 1891, the Great Dane Club of Germany adopted a standard, or official description of the breed. In 1889 in Chicago, the German Mastiff or Great Dane Club of America was founded with G. Muss-Arnoldt as first delegate. Two years later the club reorganized as the Great Dane Club of America

Edited July 4, 2009 by SwaY

[SwaY]

How old till a Dane matures?

Met a 14 month old boy last night, stunning dog, but so playful :D

A 14 month old is still a puppy!

I am aiming for somewhere between 2-3 years.

Mature in body 2-3ish

Mature in Mind ???

Sway is nearly 3 and is full of beans and life.

Smokey is 5 and is mature and dignified. :cool:

[raz]

I'm most interested in the 'why' for breed development. Thanks.

[sas]

I know that no one has answered any questions yet but i have a question for when people get a chance.

Was discussing this with my boss the other day who used to breed and show danes and she was saying that shes always fed her danes off a chair or off the top of a bucket what I forgot to ask her was why do they do this, what is it ment to prevent? Also she mentioned that she has been hearing lately that it isnt the thing to do any more and they are better off being fed from the ground is there any truth to that or is it just a rumour?

QUESTIONS

1. What is my relationship with the breed? (ie breeder, first time owner etc)

Owner & Exihbitor (Well my other half is the Exhibitor hehehe)

2. Where and why was the breed first developed?

Different schools of thought, some feel they go back the Egyptians (from Egyptian drawings) and some feel they go back to Assyrian war time.

3. How common is it in Australia?

Low-Medium

4. What is the average lifespan?

Maybe 7/8 years of age

5. What is the general temperament/personality?

Generally they should be a gentle giant. Some lines may have left over prey drive from their hunting days. Some lines have aggression issues which people don't like to mention so make sure you meet the dogs from that line in different situations and ask around.

6. How much daily exercise is needed for the average adult?

Perhaps 30 minutes although you could get away with 15 minutes depending on the dog.

Puppy exercise is minimal and if the owner isn't an experienced Dane Owner they need to follow their breeders instructions.

7. Is it a breed that a first time dog owner could easily cope with?

Yes and No

They're a BIG dog so if you're not prepared to train the dog well you're going to have issues.

They're a deep pocket breed.

8. Can solo dogs of this breed easily occupy themselves for long periods?

In my opinion if pack structure is fine then yes not a problem.

When researching the breed you'll see it said in some documentation that Danes are very people orientated and shouldn't be left for long period of times. A Dane should be able to cope like any other breed whilst its' owner is at work, if pack structure is in place then there should be no issues. This is not a breed to baby!

9. How much grooming is required?

Not much, although they do shed and if you want less shedding then you would want to groom more.

10. Is it too boisterous for very small children or for infirm people (unless the dog is well trained)?

They will probably knock small kids over.

11. Are there any common hereditary problems a puppy buyer should be aware of?

Wobblers

Cardimyopathy

Entropian

Ectropian

Glaucoma

Ostiochronrritus Dissecans

Megaosphagus

Hip Dysplacia

Allergic Skin Disease

Other conditions that are not hereditary are:

Gastric Tortion (Bloat)

Epilepsy

Autoimmune Disease

Bone Cancer

Allergic Skin Disease



12. When buying a puppy, what are the things you should ask of the breeder? (eg what health tests have been done (if applicable) and what is an acceptable result to those tests so the buyer has an idea of what the result should be)

Xraying of the Hips and Elbows to be on the safe side (Results should be lower than 20 although I personaly think that is high), testing of the Thyroid. Heart check but that is only current on the day it was taken. Meet the parents to check out the temperments, ask around about Breeders, Dane people will say what they think.

Edited July 10, 2009 by sas

[sas]

How old till a Dane matures?

Met a 14 month old boy last night, stunning dog, but so playful

A 14 month old is still a puppy!

I am aiming for somewhere between 2-3 years.

Mature in body 2-3ish

Mature in Mind ???

Sway is nearly 3 and is full of beans and life.

Smokey is 5 and is mature and dignified.

Leila is around 8 and is a nut bag LOL

[sas]

I'm most interested in the 'why' for breed development. Thanks.

To give a definate we'd need to have a definate on where they originated from and unfortunately we don't have that.

They have had different purposes such as Guarding, Pulling men off horse back in war time and wild board hunting.

[poodlefan]

Using the "Poodlefan Standard Meal Measure", how many chicken wings would it take to make up an adult Great Dane meal?

Feel free to use kilos if that's easier.

[SwaY]

Using the "Poodlefan Standard Meal Measure", how many chicken wings would it take to make up an adult Great Dane meal?

Feel free to use kilos if that's easier.

My Adult dog gets 4 cups of dry and 1 kilo of chicken mince a day.

[sas]

Using the "Poodlefan Standard Meal Measure", how many chicken wings would it take to make up an adult Great Dane meal?

Feel free to use kilos if that's easier.

hehehe it would depend at what stage of development the Dane was in.

My 8 year old would have 4 to complete a meal if she had nothing else in it. (2 meals per day)

My 2.5 year old boy would probably have 8 in one meal. On a Raw diet he would go through 3kgs of food per day.

Puppies can put away alot of food i.e. 8 cups of kibble a day.

Edited July 10, 2009 by sas