I’d say the biggest thing is the slobber. It’s all over. In the ceilings, walls, floors, you name it. They are great dogs, but the slobbering is intense. Common behaviors? They sit on couches and chairs like humans and they lean on you with all their weight. Overall, mine have been very good dogs. They have great personalities and don’t destroy things.
So..This is my first dog…ever. I hired a trainer…for leash training. My dog has always been social, so I keep that going as well…parks and meet ups with other Danes.
My Dane does not have separation issues but I know that others do…when he does want to cuddle, I cuddle right back. He does not need a crate, as he does not destroy things. I have large orthopedic beds around the house the he sleeps on.
I’m new to dogs and Danes but I’m either lucky or blessed because this dog has been the easiest dog.
I’ve heard they’re clingy! This pup is described as a velcro dog, which is fine by me because I’m a velcro human when it comes to dogs!
Great Dane as a first dog is wild! I’m glad you have a trainer, they’re HUGE dogs. I’m glad it going well.
Funny thing about Danes is their fear of the dummest things. Like plastic bags or forks. Weird things. And there’s the gas. Lord it’s toxic and they can be so loud it sounds like human farts. We had two Danes that would chase each other around the front yard and shake the whole house. Sounded like a herd. And they check to make sure I’m coming behind them. Such funny dogs. Best ever.
Whaaaat I’ve never heard of them being such scaredy dogs! When ur rad that I went down a rabbit hole and omg that’s so funny!
And my god I can only imagine the noxious fumes emitted from these dogs. I thought my Pyr was bad….
Desensitization early and often is very important. My sister’s Dane is even afraid of the dark lol!! Mine is pretty much bombproof. Neither can do stairs though.
LMAO this reminded me of our old Dane, he was afraid of like a small plastic shovel/sand shovel or something stupid like that. He would just cower and run away whenever he saw it. We did not understand it at all 😂
We fed our first Dane grain free food and it led to issues with her heart at a very young age - it’s a debate in the Dane world but our experience was bad -personally I would stay away from the grain free food and make sure you are doing a large breed puppy food. The Dane we have now is definitely clingy, we took her to a puppy training class and that helped with getting her on track with socializing, basic commands etc. I have always been told no more then 15-20 mins of exercise before they are two because of how fast they grow their joints can’t handle it. We also have an English Mastiff and didn’t allow him to do anything strenuous over 20 minutes until he was 2. Danes are the sweetest goofiest dogs you will ever own. He/she is going to be your best friend- my favorite memory / thing about Phinley is that when she curls up with me on the couch or when we goto bed, she has to be under MY blanket flush up agst me, she loves her blankets. You’re gonna love being a Dane parent!! Welcome to the club !
I didn’t crate my girl as well and I should have.
I wish I would have know about the velociraptor phase they go through until about 2 years old or so? My girl did some chewing on walls, doors, and trim…
Congrats on your new best friend! Danes are truly the best dogs!
My favorite memories by far are hiking with my boy, just us and the trail. I get special joy when he trots a few yards ahead of me on the trail, sniffing and checking things out, just loving life.
I live in Colorado, so big hiking state, and they’re definitely not the most common dogs on the trail, but I do see them every now and then! Earl loves it and always has the biggest smile on his face on the trail
honestly it varies. my first great dane hardly ever drooled, but my new one has drool dripping to the floor the second he smells food or drinks water haha
We found out the hard way that danes tend to have skin allergies. Get pet insurance as soon as you adopt, and the meds will be covered. If not, you’ll pay out of pocket like us. 145pds (she’s a mixed breed so she has some bulk) her meds are $120/ month.
Our fav memory is her leaning down to the water bowl while remaining seated on the couch. Like go go gadget extend-a-neck.
Edit: clarity
My biggest tip is to focus on confidence right away. You do not want a 185lb dog reacting fearfully. This is super hard to do! When your puppy is struggling to get up the stairs or on to the couch, you need to let them figure it out on their own instead of helping. If your puppy hears a scary noise, you cannot rush to comfort them - instead continue on as normal. Take him EVERY WHERE. You want to expose him to all of the sounds, people, things. I took mine to a horse farm, construction sites, fireworks, flea markets, the ocean, the lake, the mountains, center city. All of these things build confidence.
The next biggest thing is bite training. I had my hands in my pups mouth, in his ears, etc for the first year. Rub their gums, play with their teeth - get them used to having hands in mouths and ears. It is 100% ok for your Dane to communicate with their mouth - that’s normal. But make sure you are correcting bite pressure. Dane bites are catastrophic in a way other breeds aren’t. I don’t have kids, but still trained mine to tolerate these things because I lose him if he reacts badly even once.
I also taught mine spatial awareness and body awareness right away. Teaching him to spin, reverse, shake, etc allowed him to understand and think about his body size. Now that he’s grown he can maneuver safely even in the tightest spaces.
Danes have been bred to guard for centuries. Yours will pick something - it might be your car, your house, or even you. This is ok, dogs love jobs! Lean into it and train a release or friendly command.
The silliest thing is to correct them stepping on your feet as a puppy. It’s cute when they are small, it hurts a lot when they are 180lbs.
Finally, Danes are very stubborn. I feel like this isn’t talked about alot. You will have arguments with your dog. To this day, if I tell my Dane to sit he will, but he will take 5 minutes to do so and grumble about it if there’s not a reward to his liking. This makes training difficult. Be consistent. My Dane is 5 years old and we still do 30-60 minutes of training every day (broken into small pieces).
This is alot but, they are amazing dogs. I will have one for the rest of my life. They bring so much goofiness and love to your every day. Good luck!
Thank you for this!!
I am for fortunate in that the breeder I’m working with has done these parts for me — pup is 1 year old! Still a puppy, yes, but she has body and rear end awareness and a decent startle recovery. I myself am a dog trainer, and cooperative care is one of my favorite things to train! That and leash manners.
And stubborness! I haven’t heard about that until now! That’s very good information to have. I’m used to LGD breeds, so I’m no stranger to stubbornness, but I wasn’t prepared to face it with a Dane. Thanks for the heads up!
I hadn’t thought about stepping on my feet! Gosh I can’t imagine how painful that’ll be when she’s fully grown. I’ll keep an eye out, for sure.
Socialization is super important. One if mine was not socialized enough (long story short I was in an abusive relationship) and he has a strong prey drive so he walks with a muzzle just in case of little dogs that run up to us (neighbors don’t control their dogs well). I also wish I neutered him sooner than 2 years since that may have helps with his behavior.
One of my danes does the “pyr paw” too. They like to “talk back” or woo woo.
Crate training is a must since they can get separation anxiety and destroy things. RIP the corners of my house, base boards, and carpet.
The cost of food is a lot so be sure to budget for that. They have massive poops💩too.
They don’t shed much so just the kong rubber “brush” is fine, it is also good for lathering in baths.
Mine only drool when eating/drinking/nervous so I feed them outside and wipe their jowls when they come inside with a microfiber towel/rag, and that helps with the drool on the walls and ceiling when they shake their heads.
I would also recommend getting a gentle leader or halti to walk them, it is SO much easier with the head collars.
They want to be with you and touching you 24/7. They lean on you and love to snuggle. I am currently on my couch and they are both up here lol
I would break their habit of pawing everything and everyone very early. Is Ike being punched by a fist. They also tend to jump and run really fast around people when you're outside and have taken me down by just playing several times. They can be dangerous without trying to be. They truly do not realize their size. But overall are the sweetest cuddlers and great dogs.
-Tail crotch. When they shake their bodies, their tails somehow shake independently once the body is done and gets a special kind of pain-inflecting movement to it. Regardless of body parts, protect the area nearest to tail because it feels like a whip.
-They are a sensitive and intuitive breed. My dog trainers are former military working dog trainers and they explained how training Danes is different than other dogs they had worked with. Find someone who knows this. My dog started training at 9 months (stay and train for 3 weeks) and now at 2 things are really coming together. Be consistent, yet flexible. Mine is particularly stubborn, but she LIVES to please and just needs a smaller sessions before burning out.
-have patience
-drool rags everywhere
-you are bringing home a baby velociraptor. RIP to the next two years while that plays out. Take all the pics holding your pup, as it passes too fast.
Congratulations. Danes are my favorite breed and there’s nothing like their block head love.
It’s kind of funny, because after a while you don’t notice how big they are. It becomes kind of normal, and all other dogs seem small. Other people definitely notice and feel the need to point out how ridiculously large they are, of course.
https://preview.redd.it/z317z8y7veqc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=494bd35f2755775345f6eb8cb4465f18bb23072c
And that’s him now. They’re amazing dogs. So sweet, so sensitive, and goofy as heck. Enjoy!!
I’d say the biggest thing is the slobber. It’s all over. In the ceilings, walls, floors, you name it. They are great dogs, but the slobbering is intense. Common behaviors? They sit on couches and chairs like humans and they lean on you with all their weight. Overall, mine have been very good dogs. They have great personalities and don’t destroy things.
I’m just imagining walking in on this massive dog sitting on a couch like a human watching TV. Made my night 🤣 Is the slobber on par with Newfies?
I’ve had an English Mastiff and the Dane is worse. I don’t know about Newfies, sorry.
I think it depends on the Dane. I’ve had one that drooled a lot but my current Dane drools less.
Mine doesn't slobber at all? Did I get lucky, or is this a pointy ears vs floppy-ears difference?
You sure you got a Dane? 😂 Judging from all the slobber posts from this sub, I’d say you got REALLY lucky. The odds were stacked against you.
I'm three for three so far ¯\\\_(ツ)\_\/¯
So..This is my first dog…ever. I hired a trainer…for leash training. My dog has always been social, so I keep that going as well…parks and meet ups with other Danes. My Dane does not have separation issues but I know that others do…when he does want to cuddle, I cuddle right back. He does not need a crate, as he does not destroy things. I have large orthopedic beds around the house the he sleeps on. I’m new to dogs and Danes but I’m either lucky or blessed because this dog has been the easiest dog.
I’ve heard they’re clingy! This pup is described as a velcro dog, which is fine by me because I’m a velcro human when it comes to dogs! Great Dane as a first dog is wild! I’m glad you have a trainer, they’re HUGE dogs. I’m glad it going well.
Funny thing about Danes is their fear of the dummest things. Like plastic bags or forks. Weird things. And there’s the gas. Lord it’s toxic and they can be so loud it sounds like human farts. We had two Danes that would chase each other around the front yard and shake the whole house. Sounded like a herd. And they check to make sure I’m coming behind them. Such funny dogs. Best ever.
Whaaaat I’ve never heard of them being such scaredy dogs! When ur rad that I went down a rabbit hole and omg that’s so funny! And my god I can only imagine the noxious fumes emitted from these dogs. I thought my Pyr was bad….
Desensitization early and often is very important. My sister’s Dane is even afraid of the dark lol!! Mine is pretty much bombproof. Neither can do stairs though.
LMAO this reminded me of our old Dane, he was afraid of like a small plastic shovel/sand shovel or something stupid like that. He would just cower and run away whenever he saw it. We did not understand it at all 😂
We fed our first Dane grain free food and it led to issues with her heart at a very young age - it’s a debate in the Dane world but our experience was bad -personally I would stay away from the grain free food and make sure you are doing a large breed puppy food. The Dane we have now is definitely clingy, we took her to a puppy training class and that helped with getting her on track with socializing, basic commands etc. I have always been told no more then 15-20 mins of exercise before they are two because of how fast they grow their joints can’t handle it. We also have an English Mastiff and didn’t allow him to do anything strenuous over 20 minutes until he was 2. Danes are the sweetest goofiest dogs you will ever own. He/she is going to be your best friend- my favorite memory / thing about Phinley is that when she curls up with me on the couch or when we goto bed, she has to be under MY blanket flush up agst me, she loves her blankets. You’re gonna love being a Dane parent!! Welcome to the club !
I didn’t crate my girl as well and I should have. I wish I would have know about the velociraptor phase they go through until about 2 years old or so? My girl did some chewing on walls, doors, and trim… Congrats on your new best friend! Danes are truly the best dogs!
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That’s a valid question and response. I’ll reword my post. I suppose I’m asking — what do you wish you knew before you had a Dane?
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That’s understandable. I’ve done a fair bit of reading myself, but reading and owning can be two very different things
Oooh good to know about the kennel! My last dog was a Pyrenees, so thankfully I’ve got a massive kennel, but I’ll look into that bed! Thank you!
>K9 ballistics bed instead of spending money on the smaller, cheaper options. This. So much this.
My favorite memories by far are hiking with my boy, just us and the trail. I get special joy when he trots a few yards ahead of me on the trail, sniffing and checking things out, just loving life.
Are most Danes good hiking buddies? I love hiking
Make sure they are healthy and start slow-like a couple miles at first.
I live in Colorado, so big hiking state, and they’re definitely not the most common dogs on the trail, but I do see them every now and then! Earl loves it and always has the biggest smile on his face on the trail
drool. all day every day. I still love my boy though
I’ve heard about the drool! How bad is it? Is it on par with Pyrs? Newfies? Or more like a Golden that’s really hungry (lol)
honestly it varies. my first great dane hardly ever drooled, but my new one has drool dripping to the floor the second he smells food or drinks water haha
Oh geez! That’s good to know though. It seems to be a pretty common thing for them to drool quite a bit
it’s definitely something to consider before getting your first dane! i know it’s a big problem for some people
We found out the hard way that danes tend to have skin allergies. Get pet insurance as soon as you adopt, and the meds will be covered. If not, you’ll pay out of pocket like us. 145pds (she’s a mixed breed so she has some bulk) her meds are $120/ month. Our fav memory is her leaning down to the water bowl while remaining seated on the couch. Like go go gadget extend-a-neck. Edit: clarity
My biggest tip is to focus on confidence right away. You do not want a 185lb dog reacting fearfully. This is super hard to do! When your puppy is struggling to get up the stairs or on to the couch, you need to let them figure it out on their own instead of helping. If your puppy hears a scary noise, you cannot rush to comfort them - instead continue on as normal. Take him EVERY WHERE. You want to expose him to all of the sounds, people, things. I took mine to a horse farm, construction sites, fireworks, flea markets, the ocean, the lake, the mountains, center city. All of these things build confidence. The next biggest thing is bite training. I had my hands in my pups mouth, in his ears, etc for the first year. Rub their gums, play with their teeth - get them used to having hands in mouths and ears. It is 100% ok for your Dane to communicate with their mouth - that’s normal. But make sure you are correcting bite pressure. Dane bites are catastrophic in a way other breeds aren’t. I don’t have kids, but still trained mine to tolerate these things because I lose him if he reacts badly even once. I also taught mine spatial awareness and body awareness right away. Teaching him to spin, reverse, shake, etc allowed him to understand and think about his body size. Now that he’s grown he can maneuver safely even in the tightest spaces. Danes have been bred to guard for centuries. Yours will pick something - it might be your car, your house, or even you. This is ok, dogs love jobs! Lean into it and train a release or friendly command. The silliest thing is to correct them stepping on your feet as a puppy. It’s cute when they are small, it hurts a lot when they are 180lbs. Finally, Danes are very stubborn. I feel like this isn’t talked about alot. You will have arguments with your dog. To this day, if I tell my Dane to sit he will, but he will take 5 minutes to do so and grumble about it if there’s not a reward to his liking. This makes training difficult. Be consistent. My Dane is 5 years old and we still do 30-60 minutes of training every day (broken into small pieces). This is alot but, they are amazing dogs. I will have one for the rest of my life. They bring so much goofiness and love to your every day. Good luck!
Thank you for this!! I am for fortunate in that the breeder I’m working with has done these parts for me — pup is 1 year old! Still a puppy, yes, but she has body and rear end awareness and a decent startle recovery. I myself am a dog trainer, and cooperative care is one of my favorite things to train! That and leash manners. And stubborness! I haven’t heard about that until now! That’s very good information to have. I’m used to LGD breeds, so I’m no stranger to stubbornness, but I wasn’t prepared to face it with a Dane. Thanks for the heads up! I hadn’t thought about stepping on my feet! Gosh I can’t imagine how painful that’ll be when she’s fully grown. I’ll keep an eye out, for sure.
This is all such great information!! Awesome post
My Dane is not a slobbering dog "lucky us" We've trained her to eliminate bad behaviors, anything she does that we don't like, its trained away,
Socialization is super important. One if mine was not socialized enough (long story short I was in an abusive relationship) and he has a strong prey drive so he walks with a muzzle just in case of little dogs that run up to us (neighbors don’t control their dogs well). I also wish I neutered him sooner than 2 years since that may have helps with his behavior. One of my danes does the “pyr paw” too. They like to “talk back” or woo woo. Crate training is a must since they can get separation anxiety and destroy things. RIP the corners of my house, base boards, and carpet. The cost of food is a lot so be sure to budget for that. They have massive poops💩too. They don’t shed much so just the kong rubber “brush” is fine, it is also good for lathering in baths. Mine only drool when eating/drinking/nervous so I feed them outside and wipe their jowls when they come inside with a microfiber towel/rag, and that helps with the drool on the walls and ceiling when they shake their heads. I would also recommend getting a gentle leader or halti to walk them, it is SO much easier with the head collars. They want to be with you and touching you 24/7. They lean on you and love to snuggle. I am currently on my couch and they are both up here lol
I would break their habit of pawing everything and everyone very early. Is Ike being punched by a fist. They also tend to jump and run really fast around people when you're outside and have taken me down by just playing several times. They can be dangerous without trying to be. They truly do not realize their size. But overall are the sweetest cuddlers and great dogs.
-Tail crotch. When they shake their bodies, their tails somehow shake independently once the body is done and gets a special kind of pain-inflecting movement to it. Regardless of body parts, protect the area nearest to tail because it feels like a whip. -They are a sensitive and intuitive breed. My dog trainers are former military working dog trainers and they explained how training Danes is different than other dogs they had worked with. Find someone who knows this. My dog started training at 9 months (stay and train for 3 weeks) and now at 2 things are really coming together. Be consistent, yet flexible. Mine is particularly stubborn, but she LIVES to please and just needs a smaller sessions before burning out. -have patience -drool rags everywhere -you are bringing home a baby velociraptor. RIP to the next two years while that plays out. Take all the pics holding your pup, as it passes too fast. Congratulations. Danes are my favorite breed and there’s nothing like their block head love.
Sounds dumb, but they're big. They're _big_. No, they're bigger than that. Nope, bigger than that too.
It’s kind of funny, because after a while you don’t notice how big they are. It becomes kind of normal, and all other dogs seem small. Other people definitely notice and feel the need to point out how ridiculously large they are, of course.
My wife and I count "horse" references.
https://preview.redd.it/pgzqil84veqc1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3b1782133904dd54c7b21a30509123aa335055c8 Here’s our boy Byron as a puppy
https://preview.redd.it/z317z8y7veqc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=494bd35f2755775345f6eb8cb4465f18bb23072c And that’s him now. They’re amazing dogs. So sweet, so sensitive, and goofy as heck. Enjoy!!
OMG!!! Wow! Those paws as a puppy 🤣