We are considering getting a Great Dane. From what I have read, the Great Dane appears to be the perfect dog for our family ... not overly active, good with kids, etc. However, there is always more to the story. We are experienced dog owners, so I understand that medical and food costs will be more with this breed. If you have or have ever owned a Great Dane, please share with me your experiences ... good and bad. It is important to us that the dog is good with our three children, and won't be aggressive to visitors or the children's friends.
I work in a pet food store and deal with several customers that have Great Danes and regularly bring them in on their walks. They seem very friendly and no they are not overly active, although you do need to keep your eyes on them, one of the Danes that comes in always tries to take the doggie bagels we keep near the front when his owners aren't looking, the big rascal.
The older one that comes in unfortunately does have some serious joint problems, so much so that he can barely sit, so this will obviously be a concern for you early on. Also obviously they consume a lot more food and will need good quality one as well. In that respect I'd recommend Royal Cannin, or Eagle Pack since they make a Giant breed dog food, or Wellness, or Fromm four star, simply because these are very high quality foods with no byproducts, and no chemical preservatives such as BHA or BHT. Definitely stay away from the cheaper foods like Purina, Iams, or Pedigree as they use lower quality ingredients such as Chicken by-product, which can mean anything from brains to feathers to talons, and even in some cases animal digest, which is basically a dehydrated form of by-product.
The Great Dane typically has an excellent disposition. Sometimes they can be a little nervous, but overall they are faithful giants.
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As you mentioned, since it is a larger breed of dog, it will cost more for supplies.
A down side to this breed is their lifespan, which averages about 10 years. They are more prone to twisted stomachs (bloat) due to their anatomy. However, this is easily avoided by ensuring they rest after a large meal.
As far as the children go, it is recommended to get a puppy around 2 months old. That way you can start training early on. It is important to socialize the puppy with your kids and friends at a young age so the pup can become used to it, and not feel threatened by the excitement.
trustworthy and protective of children. They are smart, too. One of our dogs, named Lady, a fawn Dane, used to be so distressed when my mother would be out that she'd cry "Mama" in a moanful voice. I do remember getting "whipped" by their tails - ha - unintentionally, of course. They do have short lives, as they're so large. My mother continues to have Great Danes, although only has one at the present time. At one point when I was a child, we had three. If I were you, I wouldn't get the dog's ears cropped. I think that they're much more attractive uncropped and besides, I think that it is very mean to crop ears .... or to crop anything on any breed for that matter.
I have heard a lot of good things about Great Danes. They are lovers. They tend to think they're lap dogs. They're great with kids, very friendly. However, the average life span of these dogs tend to be much much shorter than with other breeds. Since they are so big they tend to have problems with not only their hips but also many other bones. I think I've heard they're life span is expected to be around for 8 years or so. I would love to get one myself but I don't think I could handle the added stress of medical needs and the short life span. The best thing for you to do is the contact your local AKC and ask them for more information or to put you in contact with a local breeder that can answer your questions.
