Greate Dane
The Great Dane, also known as Apollo of dogs, is a giant breed. Unlike, what the name suggests, this breed is of German origin and not Danish (from Denmark).
No-one knows the true origin of this breed, but it has been around for more than 400 years. They descend from mastiff-like dogs and were bred by Germans to protect country estates and hunt wild boars. These are powerful, elegant dogs that can be as tall as 32 inches at their shoulder, which can easily dwarf other dogs.
They are in-fact the tallest dogs in the world, and when standing on their hind legs, they can tower over many humans too. With their stature, these dogs represent elegance and nobility.
The smooth coat of this dog breed doesn’t shed much, but given the size of this breed, even a little bit of shedding can be a lot. They don’t require a lot of grooming, just the regular bathing and trimming regime, similar to other breeds. Although they are large dogs, they don’t require a lot of exercise, just a brisk walk couple times a day can be enough.
Physical attributes
Males stand 30 to 32 inches, and weigh 45 to 59 Kg.
Females stand 28 to 30 inches, and weigh 45 to 59 Kg.
Average life span of 7-10 years.
AllDogs recommends this dogbed to give a good night’s sleep to your regal, extra large Great Dane dog. You should also consider feeding you dog this amazing well-balanced, nutrition-rich dog food.
Personality
Great Danes belonging to the working group, and are friendly, dependable and patient. Despite their daunting size, they are very affectionate and social dogs. They are patient with kids, and are people pleaser who make friends easily. But don’t be foolish enough to assume this breeds friendliness for being soft.
These courageous spirits are excellent home guardians, and their tall stature and composure can make intruders think twice. Early socialization and training are key to having any well trained dog, which is even more true for Great Danes.
For a breed that is this large, obedience training at a young age is a must, otherwise they can become stubborn learners. But their people pleasing nature make training fun, even for the owners. Buying from a responsible breeder also ensures good socialization in the crucial early months of the dog’s life.
As strong and intelligent dogs, Great Danes are wonderful competitors as they like to compete in a variety of dog sports such as agility, obedience, weight pulls etc. An important thing to keep in mind, when bringing home a Great Dane, is the cost to feed healthy to your dog. Given the size of the dog, it requires a lot more to feed a Great Dane, compared to a small dog, in addition to the healthcare costs. In any case, these gentle giants are loving, loyal and wonderful addition to any family.
Health
Bloat or Gastic-dilatation Volvulus (GVD), is the number one health problem for Great Danes. It is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the dog's stomach fills with air and twists or flips, pressuring other organs. Their stomach has so much room to move around with this deep chest and deep abdomen, as they're running or playing, that stomach can just flip on itself. Responsible breeders and owners can consider a sugery called as prophylactic gastropexy (‘preventive tack’) that can help prevent some of serious aspects of GVD. With this side of their stomach is attached to the abdomen wall so it can't flip.
Veterinarians don’t fully understand the cause of bloats, but it is generally advisable to provide multiple small meals during the day and prevent rigorous exercise around mealtimes to prevent building bloat. Other health issues that are common to this breed include eye and cardiac disease, hypothyroidism and autoimmune thyroiditis, and hip dysplasia. AllDogs recommend getting your Great Danes from a responsible breeder who can prescreen for such health conditions.
AllDogs recommends this skin lotion to reduce skin itchiness, some of the Indian home remedies such as coconut oil and aloe vera may also work. Nevertheless, Great Danes tend to not shed a lot of hair and you will not have to worry too much about their shedding. We recommend trying out this de-shedding tool to help manage just in case you want to manage whatever little your Great Dane sheds.
Feeding Great Danes
In general, there are four key ingredients that go into providing a safe environment to dogs. These include a warm home, food, exercise and play, and care. You must feed your dog twice a day with high quality dog food. As pet owners, it is your responsibility to ensure they get the just the right amount of nutrition. Overfeeding and weight gain can lead to joint problems, hence, ensure to limit treats and regulate exercise and food.
If you plan on giving homemade dog food, make sure to supplement with meat and veggies, such as boiled eggs, carrots etc. For adult Great Danes, a minimum of 26% protein is recommended. Other sources of protein can come from mutton or chicken.
For home cooked food you can prepare an excellent portion of greens using baby carrots, beets, spinach, beans, rice, potatoes, yogurt, fruits eggs and meat.
Great Danes are best fed when they are fed just correctly. Recommended daily amount is 1 – 1.5 cups of high quality dry food twice a day. AllDogs recommends this puppy food for puppies and adult food for adults.
Dog food for Great Danes should be free of harsh ingredients and any artificial flavors, colors and preservatives, or animal byproducts. Recipes that are comprised of these types of ingredients can have adverse effects on overall health and well being of your dog. Hence make sure you only serve high quality dog food, such as X.
Given the popularity of Great Danes, one can easily find a puppy or a grown up dog easy to adopt from your network. Alldogs.in recommends one always considers adopting from someone who is struggling to meet the pet's needs before considering taking home a new puppy.
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