Has anyone had a Great Dane as a pet?

I just googled it and WOW, that is a big dog!

You sure need a lot of room!

Also, check this site for some information ;-)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Dane

exercise details there :)

I saw one last night. He was enormous but gentle and sweet. When I was very little, my paternal grandfather raised them and had two that I was allowed to ride (at aged three and skinny.) They will eat a lot of raw meat.

Their dog house was big enough for a nice summer cottage.

My brother has one. They really like him. He is very friendly and nice. good with kids. They are, from what my brother told me from his research, house dogs.

My brothers looks like the first picture in @bvdshec17 ‘s link. They put a rubber udder on him and dressed their 1 year old up as a farmer for holloween.

They are very big even as puppy’s though, but still can’t control their bodies any better. Indy was on a puppy tear and didn’t make the corner and put a dent in the hallway wall. The dog didn’t even notice.

@gailcalled I’ve heard the same thing about their personalities. Gentle giants.

I had one that was half Dane, and half Catahoula Cur. Both are big dogs.and while big, they are very gentle, very easily trained, and very loyal. The Dane bark is pretty darn impressive as well. Mine only lived 9 years, which is about normal for a big dog, and they are very susceptible to that hip displaysia (sp?) later in life. They are big loveable babies, and true gentle giants.

My Mother in Law kept Danes and that’s how I was introduced to them. They are indoor dogs, as being outside is not a year round option. They are one of the best dogs you can own, but you better be able to exercise them regularly. If I had a bigger house and yard, I’d get another one in a heartbeat. Especially a Catahoula Cur, those dogs are A-1 in my book.

For clarification, Danes and Catahoulas are both big dogs, and the Catahoula is considered a farm dog, as they are used to herd wild pigs in LA, whereas the Dane is more of a pet, they are an indoor house dog.

@jeffgoldblumsprivatefacilities: When he and his owner appeared around a corner, it was as though a pony had hove into view. The dog was certainly an attention-grabber.

It is true that my grandfather kept his at his house in Miami, which has a lot of property. The dogs were fine outside because the climate was so mild. (At least then it was.)

@gailcalled, yeah, danes are definitely pony-sized. =)

@gailcalled Wish I could have seen that!

@evelyns_pet_zebra Nice, I’ve never heard of a Catahoula Cur.

@jeffgoldblumsprivatefacilities: Seen teensy me on the dog or seen the dog we saw last night? Both were definitely traffic stoppers.

Woman I work with has two of the them. She agrees with the gentle giant description but says they eat a ton of food and pretty much dominate her house.

She is married but has no children and never has house guests. The danes are her life.

I have known many of the gentle giants well. They are sweet and goofy as puppies. I have never had a Great Dane because the short lifespan of dogs already is painful to me. To have one that only lives 8 or 9 years would be so much worse.

If you get one, be sure to read up on feeding. They need to be fed in two meals (to avoid bloat) and precise amounts of protein and fat. They should not get puppy food.

edit; had hove… had hoved…hove?

Great Danes are very sweet and beautiful animals. However, like @Marina said, they do have a short life span and they suffer from joint problems in their older years. If you are going to get one just keep in mind that you probably won’t have it for more than 10 years. Other then that, they make great pets.

They are beautiful, sweet, loving giant dogs that think they are small dogs and tend to want to sit in your lap. I have had many friends that have had great danes and none of them have ever had a bad temper. (Lots of poop to scoop though.)

one of my friends has a great dane. they also have 7 other dogs. it gets along with all the dogs, and the cat, and the kids great. its probably the friendliest of all the pets. very gentle and just wants petted. i dont think they realize how big they are, its cute.

I hate to disagree but as with any breed, there are definitely some bad apples. A lot of them have become fearful and therefore fear biters. Temperament is always an extremely important factor when dealing with a dog who outweighs a lot of people!

A good idea is to look up a Great Dane rescue organization. They usually are very reputable and interested in placing dogs correctly. They do health and temperament testing before they release a dog. That way you will have a good chance of getting a stable dog. Even if you want a pup, they often will have pups as well. Give it a google, I am sure you will find a bunch.

How big is your car? Even my old akita is too big for a lot of cars and he is only half the size of a dane.

@rooeytoo Yeah, I think a rescue org. is where I am going to go. In fact, I’m leaning towards this girl.

If you are anywhere near Riverside, California, you might check out Burt Ward’s Great Dane rescue organization, Gentle Giants Rescue and Adoptions Inc..

@jeffgoldblumsprivatefacilities Well that did it… You have to adopt her. Lexi was my boxer’s name that died a year ago July 29th.

@jeffgoldblumsprivatefacilities – she looks beautiful, I have always loved merles. For a long time I had english cocker spaniels who have a merle type coloring, someone once said it looks like a black blizzard.

You gotta look into their eyes to see if there is someone home. I know the experts will tell you not to stare into a dog’s eyes, it is perceived as a challenge, but in order to find a soul mate you have to know who is in there. Just make sure she looks away first.

@jeffgoldblumsprivatefacilities – awesome eyes!!!

I have had two Great Danes, one a rescue as an adult dog, the other a puppy purchased from a breeder. They are the best dogs. They do very well with other dogs and people. They can be aloof to people they don’t know. I live in a one bedroom apartment and they didn’t overwhelm it at all. The oldest lived to be almost 12, which is a long life for a Dane. The other is 3 and still going strong. They don’t eat tons of food. My older Dane ate two cups of high quality dry food twice a day, and the younger one now eats the same. When I got my first Dane I drove a Geo. He fit in the back seat, although it was a little small for him.
Their lives may be shorter, but the love they give makes it all worth while. Just remember, they are BIG. Don’t get one unless you are prepared for a dog the size of a person.

@Poncho Welcome to fluther and I am laughing trying to imagine a great dane in a Geo. Thanks for the visual.

@Poncho: Wouldn’t it make more sense to teach the dog how to drive the Geo and put yourself in the back seat? Or just saddle and ride the dog.

@Poncho – So what do you drive now that you have two Danes? I once fit all five of our dogs into my daughter’s VW New Beetle. The largest dog weighs 120 pounds and the smallest 35.

I have a friend that trained one to dove hunt. His wife bred GDs and would not let him get a retriever, so he trained one of hers. It actually had one of the softest mouths on any dog I have seen on a hunting dog.

My dad got one when I was a kid. He was big, long-legged, dumb and loveable. We had 10 acres, so he had plenty of room. He was good with the kids, but he bit the neighbor lady when he thought she was hurting my mom (she was excited about something, jumping around and waving her arms, and it confused him.) His big downfall was when he started going after our sheep. Then we had to get rid of him.