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Great Danes may seem intimidating because of their size, but they are actually the most friendly, social, and adorable doggos to ever exist. They are gentle giants. Great Danes are also really good with children and their delicate personality makes it easy for them to win our hearts. Great Danes can grow up to weigh 175 pounds, which is equal to 79 kilograms! They can also reach the height of 32 inches (81 centimetres)! Now, that is something abnormally huge for other dog breeds, but for Great Danes, it does not come as a surprise.
Since these doggos are particularly larger than other dogs, they are also more active. So they need a lot of physical activity to burn off all the energy inside of them. This is why they are very playful and keep you entertained with their shenanigans. Bill Lambert, the Head of Health and Welfare at The Kennel Club shared in an interview the essentials you need to know before you adopt a Great Dane. Scroll down below to read those tips and see images of huge Great Danes that prove that they are still puppies at heart:
Great Danes need to exercise for more than 2 hours on a daily basis. However, this duration may change according to their age. You wouldn’t want to overburden a small puppy or an elderly dog with that much exercise. Because of their size, you will also need a lot of space for them to play around. “Great Danes have a friendly and outgoing temperament and are sometimes referred to as gentle giants. With that in mind, they are best suited to owners who have a larger house and garden in order to provide them with enough space for both exercise, mental stimulation and to express themselves,” Lambert from The Kennel Club explained.
Only experienced owners can deal with Great Danes. You will need a lot of money to take care of them, and also a lot of time to groom them. “They need more food and more space, and you may need to adapt your home, ensuring your dog can’t reach things which a smaller dog wouldn’t be able to,” Lambert said. “Training is essential with any dog, but especially with such a large breed it’s crucial that owners are able to exert control so that they can handle their dog more easily and understand their dog’s behavior.”
Before adopting any kind of dog, a pet owner should do a lot of research about them. Learn about their temperament, their nature and what exactly is required to give them a good quality of life. It may seem like a lot, but these are things that are essential as you are taking up a huge responsibility by adopting a dog. “We’d recommend potential Great Dane owners speak to their vet and a Great Dane breed club for tips and advice relevant to the breed,” Lambert explained.
“Teddy Flood is a Great Dane and little Speckle is some sort of beagle mix. He was a foster pup, 7 weeks at the time.”
Great Danes are also known as German Mastiffs and Deutsche Dogges. Around 400 years ago, Great Danes were used in Germany to hunt down deers and wild boars. They were bred by mixing the breeds English Mastiffs and Irish Wolfhounds. They also have a long history of various names. They were also called Englische Dockes, which shows they were also linked to England. but as Germany and England’s relations worsened with time, the breed was finally named Great Dane.
If you hadn’t noticed already, this breed is a huge part of pop culture. Scooby-Doo and Marmaduke were Great Danes! So they have been a huge part of our childhood too. Great Danes also need good, high-quality food to keep up with their health and growth. I can’t imagine how easily Shaggy would just pick up Scooby-Doo while running from ghosts. I would pass out right there and then.
Have you ever kept a Great Dane at home? What was their personality like? Would you recommend people to adopt Great Danes? Are they actually gentle giants? Share your experience with us in the comments below.
