How to Care for a Great Dane

The Great Dane is patient, friendly with children and enjoys being with people. This breed does not do well when left alone and requires obedience training early on because of its large size.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

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

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.

2. Be prepared to feed your dog a lot. Great Danes eat 3 to 6 cups of food twice a day.

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.

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.

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.

6. Exercise your Great Dane at least once a day with a long walk.

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.

8. Trim toenails every two to three weeks.

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.

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.

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.

Tips & Warnings

• These dogs won't bark unless there's a real threat.