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Great dane

The Great Dane Dog Breed:

The Great Dane dog is believed to be the ‘Apollo of all breeds’ and is also one of the tallest in dog breeds.



Despite its giant size, the dog is a domestic creature. It has a regal appearance, owing mainly to its size and it possesses great strength and is never clumsy. The Great Dane is muscular and has a well-formed body that is covered in a coat of short hair. The Great Dane’s standard weight is estimated at about one twenty pounds at eighteen months (male) and a hundred pounds for females.  Great Dane dogs, traditionally hunting dogs, were bred to have short clipped ears to reduce the chances of injury during hunting.



Since they are now largely bred as companions, this practice has been discontinued by several breeders. Great Dane dogs normally have six coat colors that are considered ‘show-acceptable’. These colors are Brindle, Black, Blue, Fawn, Harlequin and Mantle. There are however, breeders who practice breeding other colors of Danes.



Such colors, like white, for instance, are not acceptable as show-worthy but have value as a ‘rare’ breed. Some kinds of color breeding that are not ‘show-acceptable’ may lead to disorders like deafness and other potentially debilitating conditions. Though the Great Dane dog is gigantic and has an intimidating appearance, it possesses a friendly nature. The Great Dane dog is sociable and can get along with other breeds of dogs and non-family members. They should however, be supervised in the company of children. They are naturally loyal and protective of owners and as a resukt make excellent guard dogs. Great Dane puppies should be trained early, but care must be taken not to overdo this. While the Great Dane dog needs walks everyday and regular exercise, puppies should be cared for with limited, controlled exercise. The Great Dane puppies are generally prone to a fast rate of growth. They become large very fast, at a very young age and are thus naturally at risk with problems related to joints and bones. Great Dane puppies should in fact be controlled while they are growing to avoid excessive and harmful physical activity.

Great Dane training is important because it influences the personality of your dog and shapes the course of your life together. It is important to encourage socializing if you are a Great Dane owner. It is essential for your Great Dane dog to meet many other breeds of dogs, different people and children because this will contribute to his/her level of confidence in a big way.

 
  Submitted on November 25, 2009  
 
 
 

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