Great
Dane FAQ's
(Frequently Asked Questions)
WARNING
READ THIS DISCLAIMER FIRST!
Puppy
Acne
Q: Our Great Dane has bumps under his chin which sometimes
bleed. What is it and how is it treated?
A:
Puppy Acne (what he's got) is usually related to what,
how or where he eats. Feed ONLY in metal or porcelain
dishes. CLEAN the dishes thoroughly with soap and water,
and rinse well, EVERY time he eats (no free feeding).
WASH his face with warm water EVERY time AFTER he eats,
then DRY with a CLEAN terry towel/facecloth. PAT on a
palmful of Gold Bond powder.
Also
put about a Tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar in his bowl
of water every time you fill the dish. Always clean the
water dish with warm soapy water, and rinse WELL, EACH
time you refresh his water (don't just ADD water to the
old). Clean Food and water dishes, and NO PLASTIC will
help this infection (usually staph) disappear. Consult
your veterinarian if the problem persists.
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Panosteitis
Q: My pup keeps limping, but the limping doesn't seem
to be in just one leg, it seems to be different legs all
the time, and he cries when he tries to get up in the
morning. What's wrong with him?
A:
Well, FIRST of all, make an appointment with your vet
IMMEDIATELY. Make SURE the problem is not the more serious
HOD or OCD.
Pano:
Panosteitis, is an inflammation of the long bones usually
caused by rapid growth of the bone and slower growth
of attached tissues (ligaments/muscle). Can be relieved
by slowing long bone growth ( Lowering protein in the
food, taking away calcium supplements etc.). Available
on my HEALTH web
page, is a list of herbs (which you can also buy from
me if you aren't able to get them easily) which relieve
the symptoms of Pano.
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Q: How
Big Do Danes Get?
A:
The AKC Standard for Danes states: "The male shall
not be less than 30 inches at the shoulders, but it is
preferable that he be 32 inches or more, providing he
is well proportioned to his height. The female shall not
be less than 28 inches at the shoulders, but it is preferable
that she be 30 inches or more, providing she is well proportioned
to her height."
Many
males CAN grow to as tall as 38 inches and weigh up to
160 pounds, females can grow as tall as 34 inches and
weigh about 135 pounds.
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Q: What
are common Dane colors?
A:
The APPROVED colors by the Great Dane Club of America
(GDCA) are:
BLACK
|
BLUE
|
HARLEQUIN
|
FAWN
|
BRINDLE
|
MANTLE
|
There
are also:
Merle, Fawnequin, Chocolate
and a bunch of other combinations that occur in non-approved
mixed color breeding. They all make great pets, just are
unable to be shown in the breed ring.
DOGLOGIC donates 3% of all proceeds of sales thru this
link to Great Dane Rescue, Inc
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FEEDING:
Q:
What do I feed my Danes? Start Reading Here: DANE
FEEDING FAQS & NO PUPPY
FOOD
The general consensus is that puppy food NOT be fed to
this breed. Usually a good quality Adult dog food that
is 22-25% protein and 15-18% fat is recommended.
Danes
are susceptible to bloat and torsion so the less stress
on the gastrointestinal tract the better. Good highly
digestible diets are a MUST for this breed, many even
recommend feeding a Raw Food diet. To read about different
dog foods, good and not so good, please go here: http://www.aloha.com/~wolfepack/food.html
Puppies
are usually fed 3-4 times a day gradually decreasing to
twice a day between 4 to 6 months. NEVER, EVER feed puppy
or growth food to a Dane pup, that's like asking for leg
and bone problems.
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Q: Where
do Danes need to live? How much room does a Dane need?
A:
Great Danes should be kept indoors. This is both because
of their short coat and their disposition. They are FAMILY
dogs and need lots of human companionship. A Dane kept
primarily out of doors will eventually die of loneliness
or illness. They will become, destructive, aggressive
and depressed if denied "household" status.
Also,
many experimental laboratories like to buy dogs from "neighborhood
crawlers". Guess where they get the dogs to sell
to these Labs? YOUR YARD! Read here for more info: Tattoos
, Microchips and Dog Protection
They
need very little room surprisingly. I live in a 4 room
condo, and the Danes primarily sleep the day away. When
they do want to play, we take them out for a romp (20
minutes and that pretty well does it for 1/2 the day.
Another session in the evening and they are happy.
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Q: How
much exercise DO Danes need?
A:
They DO require a place to "let loose" and run
a couple times a day, and should be hand walked at least
4 times a day. Again, living in a condo, we have no fenced
in area for loose running. We make do by going to a local
baseball field and blocking off the exits, then letting
them yee-haw around the field, and play frisbee with them.
PLEASE be a responsible dog owner and bring plastic bags
for poop clean-up. I know that little-leagers hate to
step in dog poop while catching a pop fly!
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CRATES
Q: Do
Danes need to be confined when alone?
A:
ALL DOGS should be CRATED
when left alone. It is frankly irresponsible to leave
a Dane or any dog unattended, loose in a house for any
length of time. Any number of things can happen, even
to a trustworthy and well trained dog. The best crate
size for a male Dane is 28 inches wide by 36 inches tall
by 48 inches long. I use EEZI CRATE
Super Giant as it is not only a very comfy "den",
but is also safe for daily use, only weighs ELEVEN POUNDS
and is portable and takes about 1 minute to assemble.
Here is a Crate
Training article to get you started.
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Q: How
Long do Danes Live?
A:
The average life span of most giant breeds is about 8-10
years. I know of Danes living to 10-12 years, but right
now unfortunately that is the exception rather than the
rule.
Q: What
are Common Health Problems
A:
There are a few health problems which afflict the Great
Dane breed: growth problems (HOD, PANO and OCD), hip dysplasia
(OFA and Penn-Hip tests), and bloat/GDV/torsion are primary
concerns. Wobblers, thyroid problems, and problems with
the eyes (CERF test) also appear in the breed. Se our
HEALTH
links for more info:
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Q: Is
grooming and caring for a Dane difficult?
A:
Very minimal grooming is needed. Danes are short haired
dogs so there is no required daily brushing, trimming,
stripping etc. A bath about once monthly (Murphy's Oil
Soap is a GREAT shampoo mixed 1/2 and 1/2 with water,
it's the correct ph as well), nail trim, use a dremmel
tool for fast painless nail trim or use what I use, an
OSTER Pet Nail Groomer, (model 129-01J 2 speed), and teeth
cleaning (if you feed raw beef leg bones the teeth rarely
need cleaning) are all that are needed, although a currying
or brush with a short hair glove or rubber curry brush
will be appreciated. I use a horse shedding blade once
in a while as well, on a shedding coat). The BEST TOOL
by far is a Rubber grooming tool called a ZOOM
GROOM! Be prepared for a SHOWER of dead hair, and
a line of dogs pushing and shoving for a first turn at
grooming when you use this!
Shedding
happens in the spring and fall and though not heavy, can
be a bit messy. I like to wipe down the coat every once
in a while with a bit of coconut oil for a sheen. Bag
Balm rubbed on the elbows helps prevent callouses. The
ZOOM
GROOM will drastically reduce the problem, when used
regularly.
Handy
tip on ear cleaning, especially important for Natural
Eared Danes, make a 1/2 and 1/2 mixture of rubbing alcohol
and white vinegar. Dampen a cotton ball with the mixture
and squeeze it into the ear canal. Rub the base of the
ear for a few seconds then let the Dane shake his head.
Swab out the remainder of the wax and yuckies with a dry
cotton ball or two.
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Q: Where
does the Dane come from?
A:
History of the Great Dane (copied from the Great Dane
Home Page FAQs)
The
Great Dane was developed to hunt the wild boar of Europe
(and hence the cropped ears typically seen on Danes in
the US). The Germans are generally credited with developing
the Dane as it exists today. It is generally accepted
that the Great Dane is descended from some type of mastiff
and wolfhound. The Great Dane breed is at least 400 years
old but there are drawings of a dog which resemble the
Great Dane on Egyptian monuments of 3000 B.C. and the
earliest written description of a dog resembling a Great
Dane is found in Chinese Literature of 1121 B.C. There
is no reason anyone has been able to determine for connecting
Denmark (Dane) with this dog. It was "made in Germany"
and the breed standard of all countries is based on the
german Deutsche Doggen Club standard.
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Q: Training
a Dane, is it as hard as everyone says?
A:
Great Danes are easy to train. REALLY! Obedience
and control should never be an issue as long as you are
willing to attend obedience training classes for at LEAST
the first year of your dogs life (this goes for ALL breeds).
Obedience classes are GREAT for socializing your dog,
and for teaching YOU the way his mind works. This is a
MUST with Danes, who though very sweet and compliant dogs,
at times can be very pushy and dominant. For those of
you experiencing problems with a Dane who is a handful
click on this PROBLEM DOG
link for help.
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Q: What
is the Great Dane personality like?
A:
"The Great Dane's personality is the quality that
most find so appealing. The Dane is a "people dog"
- a sensitive and affectionate companion. They can be
elegant and dignified one moment, and then playful and
silly the next." (Georgia Alyse Thomas)
Danes
are "leaners" and "blockers". This
means that if there's a free lap, or an available foot,
you'll usually find the resident Dane upon it. If you
are en-route from point A to point B, expect your Dane
to be right in your path. They want to be cuddled, loved
and above all the center of attention. If there are chairs
and couches in the house you don't want a Dane to lie
upon, be ready to do some serious training to prevent
full time Dane occupancy. Alas, the Danes in our home
sit on the furniture, and sometimes even we do!
They
are good guard dogs, in that their mere size and bark
are a deterrent, but generally speaking, they are sweet
and loving, without a mean or aggressive bone in that
big ole body.
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Q: Why
and When Should I Spay and Neuter my Dane?
A:
Spaying a female (removing the ovaries and uterus) or
neutering a male (removing the testicles) are veterinary
procedures performed with the same general anesthesia
used in human medicine. Both surgeries usually require
minimal hospitalization.
Neutering
a male dog by 6 months of age prevents testicular cancer,
prostate disease and hernias. Spaying a female dog helps
prevent pyometra (a uterine infection) and breast cancer;
having this done before the first heat offers the best
protection from these diseases. Treatment of pyometra
requires hospitalization, intravenous (IV) fluids, antibiotics
and spaying. Breast cancer can be fatal in about 50 percent
of female dogs. With an older, seriously ill animal, anesthesia
and surgery are complicated and costly. The ASPCA
website has more info...also read Georgia Hymmen's "To
Breed or Not to Breed."
