Great Dane

If you have been looking for a large lively dog with lots of personality, you might consider getting a Great Dane puppy or adult Great Dane.

The Great Dane is a strong elegant breed with a long muscular frame. Your typical male Great Dane puppy will grow quickly and when adult can be over 32 inches at the shoulder.

The coat is a short thick coat which in a healthy dog will have a glossy appearance. Due to the coat being so short, it will require little maintenance or brushing. A Great Dane can have several different colors in the coat shown below:-

Brindle - A yellow gold base color brindled with black stripes.
Harlequin - Pure white body covered with black patches.
Blue - This dog will have what is known as a steel blue color all over.
Fawn - A yellow gold main color with black around the head, ears and tail tips
Black - This dog will have a glossy black color over its entire body. Sometimes with white on the feet and chest.
Mantle - This is a combination of black and white colorings.

In General, the Great Dane has a very friendly, lively personality. When properly trained, you will have a loving responsible dog that can be depended upon. If not properly trained, the Great Dane can be quite boisterous. When buying an adult dog, look carefully for over excitement and disobedience. A large dog like this can be hard to control. If you are buying a Great Dane puppy, care should be taken to ensure as the puppy grows that it's trained not to lean or jump up people. This is especially important if the dog is going to be near children. If not trained correctly from a puppy, Great Danes can be aggressive towards other dogs.

Due to the overall size of the dog, they can make quite an intimidating sight. For this reason, they are accomplished as watchdogs or generally keeping an eye on your family and property.

If you get a Great Dane whether it is a puppy or adult dog, you need to be aware that they aren't known for their long life span. The average life expectancy is ten years but has been known to reach 13 years. Common problems include hip dysplasia and heart problems.