A large Great Dane looking at the camera

Great Dane Insurance, Care and Health Advice

The Great Dane is a descendent of Roman Molossian dogs. This Deutsche dogge first emerged in Germany back in the late 1800s and were originally used as guards as well as hunting dogs.

Also known as the Apollo of dogs, the Dane is a very large breed and one of the tallest dogs, and that requires a big commitment from any prospective owner. This breed guide will give you all the information you need to know about this gentle giant. 

Great Dane Facts

Dog breed type icon
Type
Working
Dog breed lifespan icon
Lifespan
8 - 10 years
Dog breed size icon
Size
Giant
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Weight
45 - 90 kg
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Height
71 - 81 cm
Dog breed temperament icon
Temperament
Loyal, loving, intelligent
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Exercise
120 mins per day
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Grooming
Low maintenance

Is a Great Dane Right for Me?

The Great Dane is amongst one of the largest dog breeds. This means they needs lots of space, indoors and outdoors. If you live in a flat, then a Great Dane most certainly isn’t for you! If you have the space to offer this giant breed, they make very loyal and loving pets.

They’re easy-going and make great companions, and we may have said this before, but they're huge. Adorable, but huge.

A grey Great Dane puppy running in the grass

What are Great Dane Puppies Like?

A Great Dane puppy will be super cute and cuddly just like all puppy breeds. They love to get up to mischief and cause chaos if the opportunity arises. They’re very cute and will enjoy nothing more than playtime as well as cuddles on the sofa when they’ve used up all their puppy energy!

A large Great Dane dog standing up

Life with a Great Dane

If you welcome a Great Dane into your life, you’ll have a companion for life. They’re very loyal and affectionate. They’re also an energetic breed, so be prepared for lots of time outdoors to go walking and playing. They love to spend time with their family, love lots of attention and make a great family dog.

On the downside, they do have very big jowls and are prone to slobbering all over you and the furniture, so be prepared to be constantly wiping up dog slobber!

Caring for Your Great Dane

Great Danes have a big appetite to match their size! This is an important factor when considering this breed as dog food bills will quickly add up.

It’s important to make sure this breed doesn’t become overweight as it can cause all sorts of health issues, particularly because of their size. Feeding them a complete, balanced diet will keep them at a healthy weight.

Split their food into two meals a day and try to keep to a routine by feeding at the same time every day. If you're unsure how much to feed your dog, you can find guidelines on the food packaging. If you want more advice your vet will be happy to help. It’s important to make sure you don’t feed your Great Dane to soon before or after exercise to help prevent a condition called gastric dilatation volvulus or ‘bloat’.

This breed has a short coat which means they don’t need much grooming. They shed a bit, but a weekly groom should be enough to keep their coat in good condition. Like most breeds, they shed a bit more in the spring and autumn so you might have to groom them a bit more during those periods.

Great Danes are intelligent so training your pooch should be relatively easy. Using consistent, positive, reward-based training from a puppy is key with this breed. They can be strong willed, but practice makes perfect! If you struggle with their training at home, you could take your dog for some training sessions with a professional dog trainer to get you going.

Even though Great Danes are a loving and affectionate breed, they can be sensitive. Taking your puppy to socialisation classes will help them to become confident in new situations, meeting new people and other dogs. It’s a great way of getting your puppy used to various aspects of life, making them more confident and well-rounded before they start going out into the bigger wider world!

This breed is full of energy and are very playful, and they’ll need plenty of exercise to keep them fit, healthy and happy. They’ll need lots of space indoors and outdoors to get rid of all that energy. A couple of hours exercise every day will keep that energy in check and keep them in shape. It’s best to take them for a few walks each day.

If you have access to a safe enclosed area, then off-lead exercise to chase a ball is ideal. Variety is important, so mix their exercise up with free time in the garden, walks out and about, and training. As with all puppies, don’t do too much too soon while their bone and joints are still growing.

Great Dane Insurance

The Great Dane is a giant of a dog in every way, their size as well as their loving hearts. If you do own a Dane or looking to bring one home, your dog's health will need to be looked after. Great Dane insurance can help when it comes to illness or injury.

Everypaw's Dog Insurance is available from 8 weeks of age, and new Great Dane insurance policies can be taken out up to their 5th birthday. Once you're insured though, we can be there to help look after your Dane well into their senior years. Our Petcall vet helpline is always available if you ever have a worry about your dog's health, care or behaviour. 

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Common Great Dane Health Problems by Vetstream

Because of their size, the Great Dane does tend to suffer from a few health problems. We have got together with veterinary experts Vetstream to help you spot any potential problems in your Great Dane.

Gastric dilation volvulus (GDV), often known as bloat, is a very serious condition that usually affects large breed dogs with a deep chest. Gas accumulates in the stomach that can’t be released, dogs usually burp to relieve the pressure, but in some dogs there’s a problem that stops this from happening. The stomach can then inflate like a balloon and twist on itself. If this happens, the condition can quickly become life-threatening.

Signs of bloat include restlessness, unable to settle, drooling, vomiting, and frothing at the mouth. If you think your dog has bloat, call your vet immediately. Bloat can kill a dog in less than an hour, so it’s important your dog is treated as soon as possible.

Feeding your dog little and often and slow down the time it takes your dog to eat its food (use a slow feeder bowl), can help prevent the problem. It’s also a good idea to avoid exercise for an hour before and after eating.

Elbow and Hip dysplasia are joint problems that affect many larger breeds. Affected dogs have a genetic tendency to develop problems, but they can be influenced by other factors. The ball and socket of the joints don’t fit together properly, and become unstable, causing pain and lameness.

Both conditions can lead to arthritis as your dog gets older. The BVA/KC scoring schemes identify affected dogs. Dogs with a high score shouldn’t be used for breeding.

Careful management at an early stage will mean less issues as your dog gets older. Being overweight puts lots of strain on the joints so weight control and a restricted exercise programme is important. Treatment includes pain relief and anti-inflammatories. Surgery may be necessary in severe cases. 

Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a disease affecting the heart muscle. It’s one of the most common heart diseases in dogs and affects mainly middle-aged large and giant breeds. Causes can include viral infections and dietary deficiencies. But often, there’s no apparent cause which is called idiopathic cardiomyopathy.

Initial signs of disease may include exercise intolerance, breathlessness, anorexia, depression and excessive drinking. As the disease progresses, they may also show signs of weight loss, coughing, a swollen tummy, and collapse. If you think your dog has a heart problem, your vet should be your first port of call. They’ll listen to your dog’s heart, will take some x-rays, examine them using ultrasound and perform an ECG.

Dilated Cardiomyopathy can’t be cured, but there are options to manage it with medication. Your vet will discuss the options with you for your dog. Unfortunately the outlook for most dogs with Dilated Cardiomyopathy isn’t very good.

This is an inherited condition that is only seen in Great Danes. It’s a rapidly progressive muscle condition that affects young dogs from around six months to a year old. Signs of the disease include muscle weakness, exercise intolerance and muscle wasting.

Unfortunately this condition can’t be treated, and the outcome is poor.

A DNA test is available to test for IMGD. This test helps owner and breeders to identify affected and carrier dogs. Dogs that test positive for Inherited Myopathy of Great Danes shouldn’t be used for breeding. 

Quick Great Dane Q&A

This giant breed has an average lifespan of around 8-10 years.

Great Danes are the tallest breed. Males can reach up to 81 cm in height; females are generally slightly smaller.

Great Danes were originally bred for boar hunting and as guard dogs.

They stop growing and are fully mature at around 2 years old.

Yes! Great Danes are a large, energetic breed that need lots of space both indoors and outdoors. They’re definitely not suited to being kept in a small house and need to have access to lots of outdoor space to exercise.

That’s All You Need to Know About Great Danes

This gentle giant is suited to any loving home, with or without other pets. But they do need a home with lots of space. They’re relatively easy to train, need daily exercise and have big appetites. They’re fairly low maintenance though, and don’t need much grooming. This breed is known to suffer from some health conditions common in larger breeds. Most of them are treatable if caught early on, so make sure you’re aware of the signs.

Content provided from Vetstream's Vetlexicon Canis

Vetlexicon is the world’s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world’s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.

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