Life Span Weight & Height
Great Danes have a life span that averages
around 10 years. They are born with naturally floppy ears, but
some owners or breeders choose to "crop" the ear. A
cropped ear has been surgically altered, and by using tape and
supports and giving lots of aftercare, the ear stays in an
upright position (like Marmaduke). Often the Danes that come
through rescue have what is called " crop failure!".
This occurs when the ear has been cropped, but insufficient, or
incorrect after care was provided and the ears don't stay erect,
but may flop in any direction. This is cosmetic and does not
affect the dogs ability to hear or perform as a loving pet
family member. We do occasionally take in deaf Danes, but only
place them in homes that are able to provide the extra training
and time needed to integrate these babies into their new home.
Most of the Danes we place will weigh, at maturity, between 100#
and 140#. They can range in height (at the shoulder) from 28
inches to 37 inches. Generally the males are a little taller and
heavier than the females but that is only a general rule, the
genes behind each individual Dane will determine its eventual
size
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Nutrition
Danes need good nutrition to maintain their
health. We do not recommend feeding "grocery store"
brands of dog food, as these are generally very high in grain
content. We also do not recommend the feeding of puppy food to a
Dane of any age, as the potential for growth problems is greatly
increased unless extreme caution is used when feeding these very
highly concentrated foods. A good dry dog food is one that
contains less than 26% or less of crude protein, and has meat
meal listed as one of its main ingredients (foods such as Innova,
Pro-plan adult varieties, Nutro natural varieties are all good
foods). |
Bloat
One very important health issue to be aware of
is "Bloat". This is caused by gas distending the
stomach, and being unable to escape, (sometimes because of a
"twist" in the intestine or spleen called
"Torsion"). This is a life-threatening emergency and
you MUST get your Dane to the vet IMMEDIATELY if you suspect
bloat. Symptoms are obvious discomfort, pacing, whining,
vomiting of bile or saliva, asking to go out, then come back in
repeatedly. You may possibly notice a swelling or hardening of
the stomach area as it distends. The Dane may lie down and not
be able to get comfortable and fidget. Bloat is very painful and
if you are at all unsure if you are seeing bloat in your Dane,
then better to be safe than sorry and take them to the vets.
There is no time to lose if it IS bloat. Some Dane owners
recommend the use of extra strength phazyme gel-caps when a dog
appears in any gastric distress. It may help buy some time to
administer phazyme while en route to the vet. Contact your
veterinarian for more information and advice on this issue.
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Things to consider
Great Danes
generally have the type of personality that fits in with almost
any lifestyle. The key thing to remember about a Dane is that
they love to be with their families. PAWS will only adopt to
indoor homes because of this. Other questions you should ask
yourself are :
Do you have a securely fenced yard for your dog to exercise in? Or, if
not, are you prepared to walk the dog, on leash several times
per day?
Where will
you keep the dog when you are not home? Do you have space for a
Dane sized crate or x-pen?
Do you
have time to work with the dog on its basic manners? Or time to
take it to a basic obedience class once a week?
Have you
considered the financial aspect of owning such a large dog?
Things to think about are cost of food, heartworm preventative,
parasite controls, spay or neuter surgery, medications, boarding
and toys - all are based on the size of the dog.
Does
everyone in the household feel the same way about adopting such
a large dog?
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