Utah Great Dane Rescue FAQ's
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Disclaimer
The answers given here are based on the experience of, or research done by Curt & Maurveen Hughes. There may be other valid answers to some questions. UGDR suggests you do your research. There are many good sources available. Some of them are included in our "Links". Please feel free to express other opinions or suggest other answers. By sharing information we all can do a better job raising our Great Danes.
Q: How long will a Great Dane live?
A: A rule of thumb is 7 to 10 years. This is dependent upon many factors of course, proper veterinary care, proper nutrition etc. Some have lived as long as 12 years.
Q: How much does a Great Dane eat? And how much does it cost?
A: Depending on the dogs age, general health and other considerations, a good quality food is of prime consideration. A food that is low in calcium & magnesium and about 23 - 25% protein,  a growing puppy should eat 4-7 cups 2 - 3 times a day. An adult Dane should do fine at 6 - 8 cups once a day. These are just rule of thumb quantities. You need to adjust these amounts according to the results that you get from the particular brand of food that you are using. As to cost, feeding a better quality food you can generally feed less amounts. This offsets the cost difference between brands. A high end all natural food may cost more than a store brand, but you can feed less, and as a side benefit less waste in the yard.
Q:  Are Great Danes good with children? Other pets?
A: As a breed, Great Danes are good with children and other pets. As with other breeds of dogs, individuals may vary in temperament.
Q: Are Great Danes hard to train?
A: No more than any other dog. Generally speaking, Great Danes are smart dogs. They train readily, and we highly recommend that all rescued Danes go thru some sort of training program. This helps make a bond between dog and new owner as well as making for a better relationship between you, your dog and your neighbors.
Q: What health concerns do Great Danes have?
A: As with all animals, health is generally determined by the care that they receive from their owners. As far as genetic health concerns, Danes are no more prone to specific problems than other breeds.  In fact they are less prone than some other very popular breeds. This said, known concerns can be, CHD (Canine Hip Displasia), Cardiomyopathy, (Heart Disease), Arthritis (generally in older dogs)  as well as things that other dogs get. Note: according to a local orthopedic veterinarian. Great Dane are less prone to CHD than generally thought. Approx. 10% - 15% of Danes get CHD.
Q: Should I get a male or a female Great Dane?
A: This is a purely personal preference. Since all rescue Danes are Spay/Neutered there is not the mess of a female in heat, males don't have aggression problems (due to testosterone).
Q: How much exercise does a Great Dane need?
A: To maintain a healthy Great Dane it should get at least 15-30 minutes of good exercise a day. This can be a walk, chasing a ball, jogging, hiking or other moderate exercise. The amount is dependant on the dogs age and general health. A puppy or young adult can handle  more exercise than a 6 - 7 year old. However even an older Dane may be able to do more if it was kept fit & healthy as a young dog.
Q: Is a Great Dane an outside dog?
A: Depending upon the climate, Great Danes are generally better kept in the house. In our cold winters and hot desert summers, the extremes in temperature may be harmful to a Dane. A more regulated environment is best, this generally means that Great Danes do better in a house. Most Danes are big "couch potatoes" and are generally calm in a house.
Q: Do I need a large house for a Great Dane?
A: Although Great Danes don't generally do as well in an apartment or condo environment, any size home with a yard can be a good Great Dane home.
Q: Are Great Danes from Denmark?
A: No. Great Danes are from Germany. They were originally called "Duetche' Dogge" literally  "German Dog". Duetche' was probably misunderstood as "Dutch" therefore "Dane".
Q: What about Cropping the ears?
A: Since most rescue Danes are not puppies, this is not something that should be considered having done. However if you do get a puppy less than 12 weeks old, cropping may be considered. Cropping the ears is a purely personal choice, cropping was originally done to protect the Dane while hunting  Wild Boar.
Q: Should I get a rescue Dane or a puppy from a breeder?
A: Both deserve good homes. Both have pro's and con's. A puppy (con's) needs more care, house training, possibly ear cropping (see question above), obedience training, chewing, may be hyper, (pro's) possibly more years in your home, joy of raising a puppy. A rescue dog (pro's) is house trained, calmer, you can know it's personality traits better, (con's) fewer years in your home.
Q: What about a crate for my Great Dane?
A: Crates are a very good idea. They provide a safe place for your Dane when you are at work, protecting both the dog and your possessions. Crates are analogous to a den for a Wolf or Fox. Many Danes prefer to sleep in their crates even when you are home. We are not suggesting that a Dane should be kept in a crate for long periods. The hours that you are at work are fine, but when you are home you should let your Dane associate with the family.
Q: Is one color [variety] better than another?
A: No.
Q: What is the best type of dog food for a Dane?
A: A well balanced kibble is optimum. We use and recommend Eukanuba, Science Diet, Iams, Pedigree Small Bites, Look for a food that is low in calcium and magnesium. These have detrimental affects on giant breed dogs. Also you should look for a food that is between 19 & 23% protein. Too much just passes thru and too little prevents proper growth.
Q: How much [dog food] per day for optimal bodyweight?
A: This depends on the dogs eating habits and metabolism and age. A young dog (Under 2 yrs) will eat as much as 8 - 12 cups per day of a good dog kibble, a mature dog (2 - 5 yrs) may eat from 5 - 8 cups per day, a geriatric dog (over 7) should eat less and possibly a lower calorie less active blend. A Dane should not be fat nor excessively lean. If the ribs show this is probably too skinny, however an overweight dog is just asking for trouble. You should see a slight taper from the ribcage thru the loin to the hips (slightly wider than the loin).
Q: How long a walk is best each day?
A: This is again depending on the age and condition of the dog. However a good rule of thumb is to provide enough exercise to prevent obesity and promote a healthy appetite.
Q: Could the walk be broken up into a morning walk and an evening walk?
A: Yes, you should make the exercise routine fit your schedule as much as the dogs. 15 - 30 min. per day is enough in most cases, but more is okay too.
Q: From my reading I have the impression that a Dane is a good house dog, is this true?
A: Absolutely, most Danes are very good house pets. Our 3 Danes are very comfortable in the house. As a matter of fact, they prefer to be in the house most of the time. The term "couch potato" was probably arrived at after knowing a Dane.
Q: We have a backyard approximately 60' x 30', would this be adequate for a Dane while I am at work, or should I come home for lunch to give the Dane social interaction?
A: Yes for 1 or 2 Danes 60' x 30' is okay. A good dog park is also helpful for socialization of your dog, some even allow off lead as well. The main thing here is t give your Dane good socialization skills. Many stores (PetCo, PetSmart, Lowes) will allow you to have your dog in the store.
Q: If I were to adopt a Dane, would it have had its hips x-rayed for displasia?
A: Generally no. This is expensive and mild to moderate displasia is easily treatable with medications. The main effect of displasia is arthritis. Again though, this is easily treated with mild pain medications.
Q: What are realistic medical costs per year/month?
A: This depends on many factors. Eliminating the ones that are unforeseeable such as accident etc. You have yearly vaccinations that range in price depending upon your vet. (Approx. $50 to $60 for full vaccinations), yearly dentals that range from $140.00 - $180.00 for full dental cleaning. This can be kept to a minimum with daily teeth brushing.
Q: What are realistic food costs per month?
A: Again depending on the brand of dog food you buy, the average is about $20 - $30 per month for the kibble, more if you like to give treats.
Q: Do Danes find it comfortable traveling in SUVs or in one of those very large plastic traveling dog boxes--if traveling in a pickup?
A: Yes Danes love to travel as a rule. SUV's are great we have a Suburban and the dogs just love it. A crate (large plastic traveling dog boxes or wire) are great if you need to transport a Dane in the back of a pickup. We very strongly discourage a dog riding free in the back of a pickup. In an accident the dog hasn't got a chance, or might jump out and be injured.
Q: What are the temperaments of adoptee Danes like?
A: Just like people, Danes have different personalities. Generally Danes are pretty mellow, especially the fawns and brindles. While all Danes can be good companion dogs some can be dominant or submissive or needy. As far as adoptee Danes, since some we see for only a short period of time, we rely on the report of the previous owner. With Danes from shelters and such, we just have to observe them for a while and use our experiences as a guide.
Q: I am not looking for a show dog, more of a companion dog, but I do want good confirmation, etc. is this reasonable to expect from an adoption center?
A: This is not unreasonable; however you should know that many of the Danes that are rescued come from "backyard breeders". These people generally don't know what is involved in the proper breeding of an animal. It's a lot more than putting two dogs together to create puppies. There are tests that should be done prior to breeding. Some of these are expensive and "backyard breeders" don't want to spend this money. Also you need to look at what this dog has vs. what this dog needs in the way of confirmation, soundness, temperament etc. This is generally something a "backyard breeder" can't or doesn't do. We recommend a dog that is sound in health, temperament etc. that will be the best choice.
Q: Why are Dane ears docked? Is this bad or good or immaterial?
A: Historically, the ears were cropped as a safety measure. Great Danes were originally bred to hunt wild boar in Germany, the short crop was used to prevent the boar getting a hold on the dog. However this has evolved into a matter of choice (immaterial). Many Danes that we rescue are un-cropped (natural ears). In fact, many places have outlawed cropping and docking of tails as cruel. We disagree with this view, but believe to crop or not is an individual choice.
Q: Does a puppy ever become available...less than eight months old?
A: Occasionally, you should realize that many Danes come to us because of the excuse "I didn't think it would get that big!". Well, they don't class Great Danes as a Giant breed by accident. We do see quite a few less than 2 years old, and some as old as eight.
Q: I believe that a Dane would need some training, what sort of school would be best for a companion Dane?
A: We agree, all Danes and any dog for that matter should be obedience trained. We recommend a good training club. These tend to continue the training instead of just a few lessons then you are on your own. As in anything, practice makes perfect. A training club instead of a simple training class will be better.
Q: Are Dane's difficult to toilet train?
A: Not especially, the key is consistency and learning your dogs clues. Our dogs are trained to hit a bell hung n the back door handle when they need to go out. This works well because we can be in a different room and still know when the dog needs to potty.
Q: Do they eat furniture if left in the home for three or four hours at a time?
A: It can happen. As with any creature dogs can get bored. If bored, they will try to eliminate the boredom. One way to prevent this is "crate training". Using a veri-kennel or other brand "crate" you can insure the protection of your Dane as well as your other property. Most dogs see a crate as a surrogate den. Just as in the wild, a house dog likes a place that is just theirs. A crate is a great den.
Q: Can I have a small dog as the Dane's companion? Should they be the same sex?
A: Sure, our Danes pet is named Cowboy, a 4 year old neutered Cocker Spaniel. As far as the sex of the dogs is concerned, if they are both altered (Spayed/neutered) it shouldn't be a problem. The thing to watch for is dominance. As in the wild, house dogs will set their pecking order. Two dominant dogs may take longer to adjust to each other, where as a dominant dog with a submissive or two submissive dogs should get along right away.