Great Dane
A large breed of canine originating in Germany.
Physical Description
The Great Dane is one of the world's tallest domestic dog breeds with heights that range from 28 to 44 inches at the shoulders. The breed has held the title of the tallest dog breed since early 2000. The Great Danes weight ranges from 120 pounds to well over 200. Great Danes grow quickly, most reaching full height at 1 year of age, and fill out to their full weight at a year and a half. The dog’s lifespan is between 5-8 years.
Great Danes naturally have floppy triangle shaped ears, that are sometimes cropped for traditional or cosmetic purposes. When cropping the ears, a veterinarian will cut the pinnae (the visible flaps or soft more malleable part of the ear) off of the ear, the results will have the ear stand upright. Cropping of the ears served a safety purpose when the practice first came around, but has since decreased in popularity. They have large rectangular heads with a narrow muzzle where jowls hanging below. The Great Dane’s body has deep chest and muscular appearance. Their height coupled with their long legs and tail, makes the breed long as well as tall. The Great Dane is a short haired breed with six common coat colors. The coat colors are Fawn (a yellow gold with a dark mask), brindle (fawn and black in a chevron stripe pattern), Black, Harlequin (base white color with large torn looking black patches), Mantle (black and white where the black has a blanket effect on the back), Blue (a blue steel color) and Gray Merle (a white base with single black hairs lending to a salt and pepper effect). Their fur is short resulting in a smooth thick coat, that sheds moderately. Disposition Description Commonly referred to the gentle giant of dog breeds. This large breed is known for a playful nature, constantly seeking physical affection from their owners. The Great Dane is a non aggressive breed with a low prey drive (an instinct found in meat eating animals to chase and attack other animals for food), unlike Jack Russell terriers who were bred to chase small animals and still carry that instinct today. If trained properly, they are considered wonderful family dogs. Even though the dog is large in size they only need a moderate level of physical activity and are often called couch potatoes. They have a tendency to lean on their owners for comfort when nervous or scared. The breed is emotionally dependent on their owners, requiring lots of affection. History The Great Dane is thought to descend from extremely large …show more content…
This accelerated growth rate causes health problems in regards to bone health. One common health problem is hip dysplasia (malformation of the hip joint, resulting in mild cases as lameness to severe cases as paralysis). Another common health problem in the breed due to bone health is arthritis in the joints. Hypertrophic osteodystrophy is a condition in large breed dogs due to the accelerated growth in which decreased blood flow to the joints and bones results in bone death. Consequently this causes lameness, pain and a reluctance to put weight on affected bones. If a Great Dane puppy is fed too much protein during early development bone development will be affected in quick growth with weak
A large breed of canine originating in Germany.
Physical Description
The Great Dane is one of the world's tallest domestic dog breeds with heights that range from 28 to 44 inches at the shoulders. The breed has held the title of the tallest dog breed since early 2000. The Great Danes weight ranges from 120 pounds to well over 200. Great Danes grow quickly, most reaching full height at 1 year of age, and fill out to their full weight at a year and a half. The dog’s lifespan is between 5-8 years.
Great Danes naturally have floppy triangle shaped ears, that are sometimes cropped for traditional or cosmetic purposes. When cropping the ears, a veterinarian will cut the pinnae (the visible flaps or soft more malleable part of the ear) off of the ear, the results will have the ear stand upright. Cropping of the ears served a safety purpose when the practice first came around, but has since decreased in popularity. They have large rectangular heads with a narrow muzzle where jowls hanging below. The Great Dane’s body has deep chest and muscular appearance. Their height coupled with their long legs and tail, makes the breed long as well as tall. The Great Dane is a short haired breed with six common coat colors. The coat colors are Fawn (a yellow gold with a dark mask), brindle (fawn and black in a chevron stripe pattern), Black, Harlequin (base white color with large torn looking black patches), Mantle (black and white where the black has a blanket effect on the back), Blue (a blue steel color) and Gray Merle (a white base with single black hairs lending to a salt and pepper effect). Their fur is short resulting in a smooth thick coat, that sheds moderately. Disposition Description Commonly referred to the gentle giant of dog breeds. This large breed is known for a playful nature, constantly seeking physical affection from their owners. The Great Dane is a non aggressive breed with a low prey drive (an instinct found in meat eating animals to chase and attack other animals for food), unlike Jack Russell terriers who were bred to chase small animals and still carry that instinct today. If trained properly, they are considered wonderful family dogs. Even though the dog is large in size they only need a moderate level of physical activity and are often called couch potatoes. They have a tendency to lean on their owners for comfort when nervous or scared. The breed is emotionally dependent on their owners, requiring lots of affection. History The Great Dane is thought to descend from extremely large …show more content…
This accelerated growth rate causes health problems in regards to bone health. One common health problem is hip dysplasia (malformation of the hip joint, resulting in mild cases as lameness to severe cases as paralysis). Another common health problem in the breed due to bone health is arthritis in the joints. Hypertrophic osteodystrophy is a condition in large breed dogs due to the accelerated growth in which decreased blood flow to the joints and bones results in bone death. Consequently this causes lameness, pain and a reluctance to put weight on affected bones. If a Great Dane puppy is fed too much protein during early development bone development will be affected in quick growth with weak