Things You'll Need:
- Dog Bones
- Dog Brushes
- Dog Collars
- Dog Conditioner
- Dog Dishes
- Dog Food
- Dog Grooming Sprays
- Dog Leashes
- Dog Shampoo
- Dog Toys
- Dog Training Leashes/collars
- Nail Clippers For Dogs
- Dog Shampoo
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Step 1
Vaccinate your Great Dane when you first get her, and follow up with yearly booster vaccinations to maintain the dog's immunity to disease. Worm your adult dog every three months and consult with your veterinarian about flea-control products.
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Step 2
Be prepared to feed your dog a lot. Great Danes eat 3 to 6 cups of food twice a day.
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Step 3
Feed your Great Dane high-grade dog food. The first ingredient should be meat if you want a quality product. Crude protein should be no less than 26 percent (for puppies, no more than 28 percent); crude fat, no less than 20 percent. Fiber content needs to be 4 percent or less.
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Step 4
Socialize your Great Dane as a puppy with other dogs. Because of their size, Great Danes need to be trained early on not to jump up or lean into children and knock them over.
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Step 5
Train your dog not to bite or jump. Because they're so large, Great Danes can inflict serious damage on others as they mature - even when playing. This breed learns best with positive reinforcement, not with force.
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Step 6
Exercise your Great Dane at least once a day with a long walk.
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Step 7
Brush your Great Dane's coat weekly with a firm-bristle brush. Her short coat stays relatively clean and needs to be washed only when necessary.
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Step 8
Trim toenails every two to three weeks.
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Step 9
Understand health problems related to Great Danes. They are prone to hip dysplasia (a malformed ball and socket in the hip joint), hypothyroidism (a condition that causes the body to slow down), Von Willebrand's disease (a bleeding disorder), heart disease, tumors and bloat.
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Step 10
Note that a male Great Dane will grow to 30 to 34 inches with an average weight of 120 to 160 lbs. Females will reach heights between 28 and 32 inches and weigh between 100 and 130 lbs.
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Step 11
Keep in mind that these great dogs usually have a relatively short life span of around five to six years, so appreciate every minute with them.
Comments
bettythegreat said
on 5/31/2009 The "tip" part that says they only bark when there is a real threat is backwards! Based on my own personal experience, is that My great danes bark A LOT; especially when they play, but also they bark at neighbors that they have already met dozens of times. The one time they DO NOT bark is when there is a REAL threat, they are focused on physical protection rather than alerting (which is the job of my small dogs); although they may give a growl. What the author SHOULD have said was that the only time they might BITE is when there is a real threat. I can't imagine my danes biting any human EVER, but during a REAL threat (robber for example) if a headbutt, kick to the crotch, or bodyslam doesn't work I could see the potential for a bite; but, a growl usually does the job in the first place.
bettythegreat said
on 5/31/2009 "PetsEditor" sounds just like my ex-vet! I had a vet that told me my great danes' knobby-knees were a result of low protein, and that I should be ashamed of not feeding her at least 28% protein! I had done my research beforehand and had gained some very different opinions, so I followed my breeders' recommendation of feeding under 23% protein, but was unsure of why and didn't know if she was right because she also recommended that I use the brand Purina (which is mostly corn-filler and chicken by-product junk). Immediately after going to that vet I went back online and asked various great dane breeders and experts on this subject and learned that knobby-knees are a characteristic of great dane puppies and that high protein CAUSES those knees to grow even faster, thus making them knobbier.I also learned that it is bad for many other breeds to have such high protein, all dogs have grow...
homewithjacob said
on 12/27/2008 They live 8-12 years - not 5-6! Goes to show you that ANYONE can post a eHow article and be an "expert"!
jaypeep said
on 12/2/2008 I agree with all of the previous posts. The author of this article should be ashamed for not doing their homework! Danes require strict diets, especially as puppies and should not be getting greater than 23-24 percent protein. When they get higher than that, they grow too quickly and have bone problems. One or two percent can make a huge difference. I was feeding my dane a high quality food that had 25% protein and she started having issues. The breeder told me to decrease to 22-23% and it made all the difference in the world! She is now a beautiful, healthy 2 year old with no problems (other than the fact that she thinks she rules the house).
Do your homework! Danes are easy dogs to have, but you have to make sure you feed and care for them properly. Giant breeds have very special needs and if you aren't prepared to care for them properly, you shouldn't take on the responsibi
CleoZo said
on 10/4/2008 I agree with the post above. This article is wrong wrong wrong! Especially with the feeding information. Despite conventional wisdom, a GREAT DANE puppy should be given food with NO MORE THAN 23% protein and 12-14% fat. A high protein, high fat diet will only cause your great dane to grow at an even more rapid pace than they already do naturally. This intensified growth rate, fueled by a high protein/high fat diet, will greatly contribute to developmetnal problems like Hip Dysplasia, Pano, and Wobbler's Syndrome. Despite being on a low protein, low fat diet, your great dane will most definitely still reach his optimal size, just at a slower, safer rate. No wonder the author of this article thinks danes only live to be 5 or 6 yrs old! If you are well-educated on the breed and are thorough in his care, there is no reason your great dane cannot live to be 8-11 years old.