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Are Great Danes a Good Pet for First Time Owners?

are great danes good for first time owners

Owning a Great Dane

If you are thinking of getting a Great Dane dog as your first pet, you could be making a fantastic choice. Their large size and other characteristics appeal to many owners which is why Great Danes are a popular pet for new owners. With a little research, you can determine if this is the best breed for you.

The size of the Great Dane is usually the first thing that a new owner may question when considering them as a pet.

However, the extremely gentle nature and other qualities of this breed make its size less important. New owners often fall in love with these sociable and friendly giants, finding them to be great a companion for individuals and families.

There are some factors to think about before committing to owning a Great Dane. Luckily, there is an abundance of information about this popular breed to give you a head start on learning all about them. This dog breed from Germany that is known as the “Apollo of dogs” surely makes for an excellent pet.

Are Great Danes Good For New Owners?

Many Great Dane owners would consider these dogs to be wonderful for new owners for a variety of reasons. They are not hard to train when they start training early. Of course, their affectionate and affable demeanor makes them an easy choice for new owners.

Another quality new owners may like is the Great Dane is an excellent guard dog that can add to peace of mind. Your pet will keep a close watch at your gate or by your front door if they notice any strange noises or anything else out of the ordinary.

You’re sure to feel safer with a Great Dane in your home, or by your side, as you’re walking in your neighborhood or around city streets.

New owners should research as much as possible about the Great Danes and their requirements. Understanding how to best care for this breed will lead to an enjoyable and rewarding experience.

Characteristics of Great Danes

The Great Dane is a large Mastiff-type dog that is well known for its massive size, gentle nature, and reliability as a pet.

As far as appearance, they can be black, brindle, blue, spotted, or yellow. Their coats tend to be extremely short, smooth, and thick.

Training this breed is fairly easy as long as the trainer is firm and is also consistent. Great Danes respond well to disciplined training approaches.

They are of average level intelligence when it comes to other dog breeds, and for this reason, there may be a bit of a struggle at first at getting them to understand what you want them to do.

Be persistent, and you’ll certainly see some progress. You’ll want to work on only one simple command at a time to achieve the greatest chance of success.

Grooming a Great Dane is straightforward due to its short hair. However, they are large dogs and do shed some, though not as much as longer-haired breeds.

You should use a firm bristle brush on your pet to get the maximum amount of their shedding fur that tends to stick to them and cause some hassle.

New owners will find the friendly adaptable nature of a Great Dane to be an attractive quality and one of the reasons this breed is sought after.

They can make incredible additions to families with children and they also adapt well to other animals. It is worth noting that Great Danes can be sensitive to noises, being left alone too long, or being frightened.

Large breed dogs like the Great Dane tend to have shorter life expectancy than smaller breeds.

New owners should know this about large dogs and be able to accept that their companion may not live as long as some other dogs.

Typical lifespans of Great Danes range from 7 to 10 years old, which is on the low end of the life expectancy scale for large dog breeds.

Things to Know About Owning a Great Dane

Great Danes can be excellent dogs for new owners as long as some factors are understood about them. Socializing them early and training them is critical as they are very large dogs.

Think of walking a 175-pound dog who wants to run after a squirrel, and it will be clear why it is important they are trained properly at a young age.

Once your dog understands what you expect of them, you shouldn’t see these same types of problems.

Here are some qualities of a Great Dane to consider:

Temperament – The Great Dane’s personality and temperament are well known as friendly, gentle, affectionate, and loyal dogs.

They are very social and love to make friends with humans, other dogs, and just about any other animal! This breed is known to excel as a watchdog making it an intimidating line of security for your home.

Size – This breed is known to be at the top of the list for large breed dogs and can weigh as much as an adult human. Male Great Danes can weigh up to 200 lbs while females can reach 140 lbs. They are also quite tall dogs reaching heights of 32″ which gives them an impressive stature.

Health – All dog breeds may develop health issues and some dogs are more prone to develop certain conditions. Great Danes may get bone cancer, develop heart diseases, or have gastric issues during their lifetime.

The best way to ensure your Great Dane remains as healthy as possible is to feed them an appropriate diet, give them adequate exercise, and schedule regular wellness visits to a veterinarian.

Some Considerations When Choosing a Great Dane

As with any large breed dog having enough space for them to move around is important.

Confining a dog this size in small spaces like apartments can lead to problems quickly so this should be considered.

Great Danes need a typical amount of daily exercise and movement making extra space necessary for their and your happiness.

Large dogs like Great Danes typically have gastric issues in the form of bloating when eating due to the shape of their bodies.

Owners will need to learn how to treat this if it occurs because it can be fatal. Visits to a veterinarian may be necessary if your pet develops bloating.

Feeding Great Danes

New owners may be somewhat surprised at the amount of food a Great Dane needs every day. Male Great Danes can reach up to 200 lbs so that is a lot of dogs to feed!

Typically, adult Great Danes can consume 6-12 cups of food a day. You’ll want to closely monitor your dog to ensure that they’re up to healthy standards and if they may need to be placed on a diet.

Seek advice from a veterinarian before you take any steps in this direction, so you know it’s the best choice possible for your pet.

It is important to feed your Great Dane quality food for the best digestion and health. Watching for signs of bloating is also part of feeding your Great Dane due to their size.

This can happen from eating or drinking too fast, so adjusting feeding routines may be necessary to avoid the risk of bloating.

Training Your Great Dane

Because the Great Dane is a very large dog, it is especially necessary to properly train them. Without training, a real safety issue can arise if a new owner is unable to restrain an excited Great Dane.

Fortunately, Great Danes respond well to training as they want to please their owners. Clicker training is an especially effective method that has been used by many people with this dog breed.

Consistent and firm instruction is the cornerstone in training a Great Dane. New owners can capitalize on these methods as well as seek a professional trainer to make sure their pet is correctly trained.

It is well worth the time and effort to train your Great Dane to get the most out of your relationship. You’ll need to have a large amount of patience for this large dog, but it will be well worth your effort.