Great Dane-Breed Information, Health Information You must know

The Great Dane is a dog breed, referred to as the “Apollo of Dogs,” developed in Germany. The characteristics, such as graceful appearance, large size, and hunting ability, have made this dog breed popular today in America. It even appears in Hanna-Barbera’s famous cartoon character Scooby-Doo. It also appears in the newspaper comic character Marmaduke, and Astro in the TV show The Jetsons.

History and Background of Great Dane

It is believed that the Great Dane is developed by crossing between the Greyhound and Molossian hound, an ancient Greco-Roman war dog breed. This dog breed first appeared in Germany during the 1300s. In the middle of the 16th century, this dog breed is used for hunting wild boar, bear, deer, and other prey by the residents.

In the beginning, the name that set for this dog breed is “Englische Dogge.” Later the name was changed to “Deutsche Dogge” by the berlin committee. Based on its function, this dog breed was named as the German Boarhound by the British. But the name “Great Dane” comes from where it is still mysterious.

In 1889, the Great Dane Club of America formed in Chicago based on its popularity in the US. And in 1891, a standard or official description of the breed was adopted by the Great Dane Club of Germany. Today, the Great Dane is praised for its power and beauty in the US.

Physical Characteristics of Great Dane

The Great Dane is well-known for its majestic appearance and carriage. Along with exuding splendor, its large, square frame gives this dog breed a great tread with smooth and long strides. The coat of Great Dane is glossy, short and dense. According to the standard, this dog breed has five varieties.

Fawn and Brindle

Fawn is a mixture of the color of yellow gold with a black mask.
Brindle is the mixture of the color of fawn and Black in a chevron pattern.

Harlequin and Black

Harlequin is based on pure white color with Black torn patches irregularly distributed over the whole body.
Mantle the combination of the color of Black and white with a solid black blanket over the body.
Another type of Great Dane has glossy black color along with white marks on chest and toes.

Personality of Great Dane

The Great Dane’s large size and spirited appearance make it a friend. But, tiny children will face quite a bit challenging to control it. They are also searching for physical affection from their owner. This dog breed is a very gentle and loving animal with proper training, care, and supervision.

Though it is friendly towards other pets and household dogs, sometimes it may be fearful or aggressive towards new incentives such as strangers and new environments.

Size of Great Dane

The male of Great Danes ranges from 30 to 34 inches tall and 120 to 200 pound weighted. And the female one ranges from 28 to 32 inches, including the weight of 100 to 130 pounds.

Grooming

Though the Great Dane looks sturdy, this dog breed cannot live in the winter as they get cold. It needs regular exercise such as a long walk for 30 to 60 minutes or a large yard to play games. It will be more suitable if the schedule of indoor and outdoor activities are equally divided. It needs plenty of space and a soft bed for sleeping indoors.

Coat care for this dog breed is minimal. Also, the teeth should be brushed at least twice or thrice in a week. If you can maintain daily brushing, then it will more effective and prevent gum disease. The nails of Great Dane should be trimmed once or twice a month. Ears should be checked every week to keep them safe from infection.

Feeding

Diet is important to factor for growth and healthiness. According to age and gender, the diet must be changed.

Between the age of three to six months, the feed amount for the female breed is three to six cups whereas for the male breed, it requires four to eight cups two times.
For eight to one year, the feeding quantity and quality changed, five to eight cups for the female breed and six to ten cups for the male breed.
In middle age, female breed must eat eight cups of the meal and a male breed needs nine to fifteen cups of meal two times.
At adult, female needs, as usual, six to eight cups of meals whereas male breed needs eight to ten cups two times.

After four to five months of age, Great Dane needs to feed three times a day. Maintain the guideline of the quality of the food that fed to Great Dane.

Health

The Great Dane has a lifespan of 7 to 10 years. This dog breed may suffer from minor health issues such as Wobbler’s syndrome, Hypertrophic Osteo Dystrophy (HOD), hypothyroidism, Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD), and Osteo Chondritis. Some of the significant health issues that have to face off Great Dane are osteosarcoma, cardiomyopathy, and gastric torsion.

The owner should be watched out the health issues of Great Dane that are as follows.

Development Issues – It may occur either for an improper diet or too much high protein diet including calcium and other supplements.
Hip Dysplasia – In this condition thighbone does not fit in the hip joint and results as pain and lameness on rear legs. It is caused due to inheritance.
Gastric Torsion – If the dog kept out of feeding for a long time, his stomach filled with gas or air and with torsion it creates bloat. As the dog cannot vomit, there is a drop in blood pressure. The dog goes into shock and before the medical attention, it will die. Depression, restless, lethargic weak, and a rapid heartbeat is the usual sign of it. As soon as it will be observed, the dog needs to visit the vet.
Bone Cancer – Commonly known as a bone tumor. It is seen in the middle-aged dog. Lameness is the first sign of it. X-ray is a must to determine cancer. With treatment, it can live up to nine months to two years.
Heart Disease – Different types of health diseases like dilated cardiomyopathy, tricuspid valve dysplasia, mitral valve defects, subaortic stenosis, persistent right aortic arch, and patent ductus arteriosus are faced by this dog breeds.

Sometimes, Great Danes tend to drool. To identify the symptoms of health issues, a veterinarian may run cardiac, thyroid, hip, and eye examinations on this dog breed.

Conclusion

So, this is all about one of the best dog breeds in India – Great Dane. With this comprehensive information, we try to provide you with basic knowledge about the Great Dane dog. Finally, if you like our article and efforts behind it, please share this post with your lovable persons. If you want to know anything, then feel free to comment below.

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