senior Dane gal PP here.

She's our second Dane, and a breed I reccomed, with some reservations. Dont get one because you want the biggest dog in town. Get one because you want to further the breed. Pay attention, spend the money outright and get one from a good breeder. Trustme when I say, you will save the money and heartache later on by doing so.

Danes drool. They shed. They pass gas in capacity and strength to clear a room. When they're young, you have 100lbs of very little brain running without abandon around your house, when a case of the zoomies strike them. You'll spend more money on food, on supplies, on meds and vet care. Something you love will get damaged. Your lawn will never be the same. You will end up black and blue sometimes, just from them greeting you at the door. You have to share your couch. Training classes are a must with a dog that may outweigh you. And people (especially those with little dogs) will constantly put your dog in danger, or do stupid things around them. You need to be hyper vigilant on EVERY walk.

They will also love you with a heart that is bigger than yours. You will be their whole world. My girl will not let me a floor away from her. Certainly no Door will be closed between us. She loves on everyone she meets in the sweet and gentle way only a Dane can. She is sweet and steady and constant. And sometimes, she's a total pain in the butt

18:50 here... he is a big boy! He was tall and lanky to start out (he's all leg) but has really filled out a lot. He's still lean, though.

Drool becomes a part of your every day life as a Dane owner and you get to a point where you don't think twice about it. I have some routines like wiping his mouth when he drinks water and running one of those scotch bright sweeper pads over the wood floor if he drips. It was a shock initially (I grew up with dachshunds) but I have gotten used to it now and you figure out how to keep things clean despite the drool. I'll wipe slobber off his face without thinking twice about it now. They're such great dogs that the slobber is totally worth it.

I am curious if your Great Danes drool excessively (or even a little). We are thinking about this breed for our next dog, but am worried about the drool!

16:28 here and my guy is 165 and has fat ripples. The 190 fella must be a huge brute!

They are amazing pets

Anonymous wrote:We have been considering a Dane for our family. How family friendly are they (7 YO twins) and how much do they eat to maintain that size? TIA!!

My Dane has been around children and has been fine with them. Danes are all about their people and will follow you anywhere (or at least mine is, but I hear this is typical of the breed). My boy always wants to be in the room with me, even though he's just sleeping most of the time. They make excellent family dogs and truly live up to the term "gentle giant." As far as food goes, mine eats just under 8 cups a day. He is 190 pounds, which is probably on the larger end of the spectrum for Danes, so some might eat less or more. I would say 6-8 cups a day depending on their weight?

Oh I am reading this with envy! I've been in love with Great Danes for ages and would love to have one, but DH is opposed to dogs. So you all enjoy your lovely Danes for me please. Give them an extra pat from me! They're so beautiful.

(I grew up with cocker spaniels, so Danes are about as opposite as I can get! Loved those guys, too, tho.)

16:28 here. I HIGHLY recommend a Great Dane for a family with children. Our Dane is 6, we have a 7 yr old boxer mix, a kitten and a 3 yr old little girl. He is fantastic with her. With everyone!

He is very quiet, unless there is a knock at the door (or the doorbell rings on Family Guy. But that's another story! ). We love him.

He eats about the same as our boxer mix 3.5 to 4 cups of kibble a day ( 2 in the am, 2 in the pm). He has food issues, because he was severely neglected and abused before we rescued him. So he is always hungry.

You won't regret it! They are amazing

We have been considering a Dane for our family. How family friendly are they (7 YO twins) and how much do they eat to maintain that size? TIA!!

16:17 here.. Our gal spends most of her time sleeping. She has comfort down to an extreme art form. She's always been loungey,but she is now taking her later years as a true time to explore a life of leisure

When she was younger, she would hike for hours, or play ball for 10 minutes and seemingly be equally exhausted. Now exertion is bouncing her Kong Arpund and chasing it. Silly girl!

Good to know!

That is our guy too. Wakes up in time for his nap!

We rescued our PB dane. He was was a day away from being euthanized. He was on 18 months old.

We love this breed too!

Thanks for the info! Oh yeah, ours sleeps a lot. Naps for hours and then is apparently tired from all the napping so he naps again. I think most Danes are pretty lazy, yes, which is why they are said to be great apartment dogs despite their size! They say Danes only require about 30 minutes of exercise a day on average. My guy does like to go out and chase a soccer ball or romp around the dog park, but he'll be passed out for hours after virtually any physical activity. This is my first Dane but won't be my last, I am in love with the breed!

Our dane is on grain free. The brand is Regal, purchased in specialty pet food stores. Made in Maryland and never a recall. Affordable, too

How much does your dane sleep? I swear ours sleeps 22 hours a day. That's with a walk and potty breaks! Are they all as lazy?

Thanks! I figure as long as it's "good grain" like barley and oats, not flour, wheat, corn, etc. he should be fine. I bought a small bag to test so we'll see how it works out!

Our senior gal (almost 11 years) has almost always been grain free, but our breeder feeds raw, with supplemental grains like barley and oats.

If your guy tolerates grains, no need to eliminate.

In the absence of skin and GI issues, I wouldn't eliminate completely.

Is your Dane on grain free food? My 3 year old has been since he was a pup but I'm looking into switching his food and it does have some grains. It's good food, but has pearled barley, oatmeal, white rice and brown rice. I have no reason to believe my Dane has a grain allergy, I just put him on the grain free food when he was young because I read Danes often do have grain allergies.