Great Dane Puppies Blog

Obesity and excessive weight gain are the common examples one may say if we feed a dog too much. However aside from the quantity of food, how and what goes into the system of the Great Dane is as equally important to give our attention to.  Let’s take the mouth for example. Due to residue that is left on the chin after eating, Great Danes can develop bumps that also tend to bleed.

This is called Puppy Acne. It is best to feed the dog in metal or porcelain bowls and wipe his chin after eating. We all know that protein is good for the body but for large dogs, protein should be monitored. Panosteitis, the inflammation of the long bones due to the rapid growth of the bone and slower growth of the tissues, occurs when fed too much protein. So take care in using the right bowls and right amount of protein for the Great Dane. Even healthy components such as protein can be a danger to their health.

Ever wanted to have a dog like the great canine detective, Scooby Doo? Well, the Great Dane is the model for this very lovable cartoon dog character. If ever, one wishes to have a Great Dane, here are some of the things to look for as stated in the breed standard. The standard, by the way, is the guidelines saying how a Great Dane should look like as well as its temperament. For example: Great Danes are tall and have powerful frames. Not bulky at all but their muscles are well developed. Their head are narrow and have dark round eyes that give them an alert and gentle look and their ears are erect. With legs that are long and straight, their feet are roundish. Coats are thick and close fitting with a glossiness to it. The accepted colors are black, blue, brindle and even harlequin. The appearance of a Great Dane is that of dignity. Now once having some basic information on the breed, you can now spend time sifting through all the sources and breeders out there and looking for some red flags. Read the rest of this entry »

An adorable Great Dane pup is ready to attack. He will make a perfect watchdog when he grows up.

This cute Great Dane pup is just catching his breath after running around the garden.

Having a new Great Dane puppy at home can be just as exciting as having a new born baby. Family members and friends would gather around, doting and admiring the furry bundle of joy as they sleep in their basket.

Feeding time can be a social event when everyone wants to take turns in giving food.  However; this must be done with care as in what goes into their tummies. Great Danes may be fluffy and cute but in a span of one year they can be towering 6 foot on their hind legs.

Large dogs are prone to hip dysplasia, osteochondrosis or joint ailments due to their weight and growth pace. Too much protein would indeed contribute to these health issue’s because it affects their bone development. A low protein diet is recommended with a content of 23% protein and fat no less than 12% but not excessive. A proper diet must be followed for many years of fun times ahead.

Children of the 80’s will never forget the famous Scoopy Doo. The character was created by Iwao Takamoto who joined his best friend “Shaggy” Rogers and the Mystery Machine team in solving mysteries. Many have often asked what kind of dog is Scooby Doo and the answer is: A Great Dane. Minus the ability to talk, that is. One can see the similarities in their physical appearance and personalities.

First of all both of them are large in size around 28 to 34 inches, have square bodies, rectangular head with a deep muzzle. Ears are high set and cropped. Necks are muscular and legs are straight. Bred originally for tracking, Scooby Doo was a formidable tracker. The ferociousness of the Great Dane was bred out and has a very gentle personality.  Now, with their strength to knock you over when they run at fast speeds, just like Scooby running away from a Ghost. Although they share many attributes, the coat color of Scooby is not available in reality.

One of the most lovable things about Great Danes is their affectionate nature.
Despite the fact that they are among the biggest breeds of dog - the Guinness Book of Records in 2004 declared a Great Dane from California the world’s tallest dog at 42.2 inches - they treat their human owners in as tactile and ’touchy feely’ a manner as the smallest lapdogs. It’s little wonder the world’s most lovable cartoon dog - Scooby Doo - is a Great Dane.
The only downside to this is the Great Dane’s habit of leaping up to show their love at the most inappropriate moment.
An English court recently heard the case of a giant 12-stone Great Dane called Hector who wanted to show his affection for a passing jogger. The only problem was that when he launched himself at the runner, he sent him flying into a flower bed and broke his ankle. LINK TO STORY

The judge eventually ruled against the runner, who had originally been awarded £15,000 in compensation. But it sent out a warning to all Great Dane owners. You do need to train your lovable giant properly so that he or she knows when it’s OK to behave like Scooby Doo - and when it is not!

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1 Why Accept the Crate First?
2 Why is not Peeing or Pooping in the House the Second Thing to Learn?
3 Why is Pack Structure Important?
4 Why is Being Calm in the House Part of House Training?
5 The Benefits of Crate Training
6 Kinds of Crates
7 Puppies and Dog Crates
8 Owner’s Attitude About Crates
9 Getting the Dog into the Crate
10 Size, Locations, and How Many Crates?
11 How Long in the Crate?
12 Teach Pee Break Vs. Play
13 When Accidents Happen
14 Feeding in the Crate
15 Exercise and House Training
16 How to Take a Dog Out of the Crate
17 When to Stop Using the Leash
18 Teaching Puppy To Ring a Bell on the Door
19 When to Stop Using the Crate
20 The Umbilical Cord Method
21 A Four Week Training Program to House Train Your Adult Dog
22 Marking In Your House
23 When to leave an adult dog home alone and loose in the house
24 Difference Between Walks and Elimination Periods Outside
25 Dog Doors are a BAD Idea!
26 Obedience Training goes along with House Training in Adult Dogs
27 Old Wives Tails on House Training Dogs
28 Using Crates as Punishment
29 Crate Aggression in Adult Dogs
30 Hard to Train Dogs
31 Emails on House Training Problems

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Dogs have become such an important part of our society, that the need for them to fit in well with other human beings and not pose a threat or a disturbance is critical to their long term acceptance by our neighbors and others around us. Not all people are dog lovers and to make sure that they’re not inconvenienced by our pets, training is essential.

Also, dog training is an integral part of a working dog’s life for them to be able to assist humans in activities like hunting and police work. Training dogs is a specialized skill since the key difficulty lies in how to communicate efficiently with them.

All training of dogs is a repetition of the basic principle of reward and punishment in various forms and combinations. Communication of these signals is the key to proper training. One very important thing to remember is consistency of signals. The reliability of the training depends on how well a dog is able to be sure of what your signals mean.

It must also be mentioned that different dog breeds take to training differently. Dogs like the iconic German Shepherd are very easily trained due to their high intelligence. Another important factor is the emotional state of the dog. A dog that is frightened, anxious, or insecure doesn’t train well and this reflects the importance of factors like proper socialization of puppies.

A lot of studies have shown that proper puppy socialization goes a long way towards ensuring a good temperament and receptivity towards training. Lots of handling, petting and generally being around humans in their everyday life goes a long way towards making a dog well behaved and easy to train.

Training Great Dane puppies should not begin too early however, as there is evidence to show that before a certain age, the brains of puppies are not significantly developed enough to process complex learning.

Professional dog trainers are best when it comes to training your Great Dane as they will ensure that the proper habits are set for life, including how to behave around strangers. For the safety of your Great Dane dog, it is your duty as an owner to ensure that he or she is well trained.

The secret of a Happy Great Dane Puppy and Owner

The first 8 months in a puppy’s life are very special for both dog and owner. Whether you have decided to train your puppy yourself or are attending puppy training classes, you will find this video extremely useful. It will not only show you how to train your puppy, but also what you should train your puppy to do (or not to do) in the first place. This way you can eliminate unrealistic expectations and get a happy puppy, which will make you happy! This is not just any video, but the product of one of the world’s most respected dog trainers whose free podcasts are available on itunes and who we highly recommend (just look for Leerburg Kennel Dog Training).

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How and Where to Socialize Your Puppy
Pups in the House
Safe Toys
Communication Between You and Your Dog
Obedience Training Your Puppy
Health Care for Your Pup
Grooming you pup
Behavioral Problems
Kids and Puppies
Raising Two Pups at the Same Time
Introducing Pups to Cats
Riding in the Car
Feeding Your Puppy

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Today’s color will be:

Harlequin:

The base color of a Harlequin Dane has to be pure white with black torn patches irregularly and well distributed over the entire body; a pure white neck is preferred. The black patches should never be large enough to give the appearance of a blanket, nor so small as to give a stippled or dappled effect.

Where does this name originate from? It could be that they are named after Arlecchino (Harlequin in English) who was so poor a servant that his clothes were old & patched together to the point that they lost their original color & material. Arlecchino could not read or write so made his meager living as an acrobat and a clown. Some people say Harlequin Great Danes take after Arlecchino (and future entertainers who dressed like him) with their clownish antics.

Did you know?

- Great Danes are the only breed of dog with this color pattern (Miniature Pinschers use to come in this variation but now are uncommon)

When Harlequins are bred together they may or may not produce Harlequin puppies.

- Harlequin Great Danes bred with another Harlequin can produce white puppies that frequently are deaf and/or blind.

- Harlequin Great Danes are frequently mistaken by the general public as Dalmatians.

- Harlequins sometimes can be so heavily marked that they resemble a Mantle with the only noticeable difference being that they have merle (grey) somewhere on them.

Famous Harlequin Great Dane: World’s Tallest Dog!!

I will spend some time discussing the colors of a Great Dane..those colors that are acceptable according to breed standard. The acceptable colors include: Fawn, Blue, Brindle, Black, Harlequin, Merle.

Today’s color will be

BLUE

This happens to be my favorite Great Dane Color. A Blue Great Dane is so noble and unique with the bluish, steely grey shine of its coat. The color has to be a pure steel blue and white markings on the chest and toes are not desirable. Blue Danes may have lighter eyes; making them even more unique.