19 replies to this topic

[Lewie'sMom]

Do we have anybody on the board who has any experience with Great Danes? I'm toying with the idea of a Dane.

Now that Lewie is in remission and feeling good, I've started thinking about another dog, although the thought of another dog is never far from the forefront of my brain. For the longest time I wanted an Irish Wolfhound and have done lots and lots of research and talked with some very knowledgeable Wolfie people. But since Lewie's illness, the realization that a serious health issue could occur has hit much closer to home considering the extreme health issues IWs are susceptible to. Because of that experience, I am now shying away from Wolfhounds. I recognize that most giant breeds have health issues directly related to their size, like bloat, which scares the bejeepers out of me.

I love big breeds and the Danes I've been exposed to all seem to be great pets. I'm also a huge proponent of rescue and there are far more Danes than Wolfies needing forever homes. I suppose that's in large part to the Dane's popularity compared to the IW's relative obscurity.

I like to do my research on these things before pulling the trigger. I've visited web sites and ordered two Dane books from Amazon, both recommended reading by the Great Dane Club of America. Unfortunately, these types of books too often talk about things I'm not interested in, like breeding and AKC standards including ear cropping (ugh!). I want to know about personalities in general, and health issues.

So, does anybody have any experience or knowledge to share about Danes?

ps if you don't know Victor Borge, Google him. He was a world class pianist and comedian.

[Cynthia P]

I have had 3 Giant Schnauzers and love them! Sergeant is the last one and he is 14; Met a Dane recently that was 12 which is very very old for them!

Granted if you aren't a beard person a Giant could be hard to live with! I did hear that never get a blue great dane, kennels won't even board them because they are so prone to health issues

Good luck, always good to have another breed to let you know how smart your border collies are

cynthia

[Smalahundur]

I don´t like them, too big, too short lived, too susceptible to all kinds of ailments.

[geonni banner]

Deleted

[urge to herd]

Great Danes are indeed prone to bloat, cherry eye, heart stuff, joint stuff, etc. I've met a couple lovely dogs with very sweet personalities.

BUT - a life span of 7-9 years is Not For Me.

Ruth and Agent Gibbs

[katenjim]

A few years back I kept a friends Dane while they vacationed. I liked the Danes goofy nature ( this particular one anyway) He was obedience trained, and listened very well for us.

What I didn't like was all the doggie drool, in fact I went sliding across the kitchen floor on some.
Poop is huge to pick up BTW, I really never had much interest in owning one, having one for a week was enough for me.
Knowing they're here 1/2 the life span as a border collie is too sad for me.

[Liz P]

If they have a bad temperament, and some do, they can be very dangerous. The nice ones are big mushes and love to cuddle.

Their average life span is quite short, 5 to 8 years depending on which source you check. I've known a few that made it to 12 or 13 years old, but most die much younger. Remember that if the AVERAGE life span is 7 years, half of them are dying prior to their 7th birthday. I find that quite sad and unacceptable in a pet.

Some of their major health problems...

born deaf (color associated, esp the double merles)
cancer, cancer and more cancer
heart disease
bloat
hip dysplasia, OCD, elbow dysplasia, etc
malformed neck vertebrae (Wobbler disease)
megaesophagus
and more...

Their vet bills can be astronomical because of their large size (imagine paying $500 just for antibiotics). Consider having their stomach's tacked when they are under anesthesia for their castration/spay surgery (added cost right there). I would not advise anyone own a GD who doesn't have many thousands of dollars ($5K to $10K) in disposable income available on short notice. Even if you have that sort of money, get insurance lined up before you even take your puppy home.

They are clearly not a dog to take on without serious consideration to your ability to care for one, as well as to cope with the high likelihood of their early death.

I hope you don't get offended by my brutal honesty. It makes me very sad to see clients who buy these dogs and are not prepared for their over-sized problems.

PS, I see a lot of GDs who are PTS because their owners can't care for them through an illness. For example, a dog that needs help getting around for a few weeks or months until it has the chance to recover. Only, due to their large size, it takes 3 to 4 people to lift and sling walk. Well, the person is single and there is no one to help them.

[gcv-border]

Wow, Liz P's post really opened my eyes. I have never wanted a giant dog, but am always willing to be educated about other dog breeds. I was going to post about the expense of keeping a giant dog. A friend's son and wife (on limited income) have a GD - she saw one in a movie and HAD to have one, SIGH - and were complaining about the cost of a dog coat. I told them to look at pony or foal coats. Of course, that point pales in comparison to Lix P's post.

A neighbor had an Irish Wolfhound when I was a kid, and I always thought it was a cool dog, but never wanted one.

Jovi

[terrecar]

I have always wanted a Great Dane but have never felt prepared to deal with the problems Liz P mentions, particularly the short average life span. 15-16 years is fleeting enough as it is.

I would probably go for a Scottish Deerhound rather than an Irish Wolfhound, but that is probably because I love the sighthound temperament type, and the SD "feels" more like a sighthound to me.

[simba]

According to the kennel club breed survey, average lifespan is 6 and a half years. All the dogs reported as dying of old age died before the age of 12- kennel club border collies died of old age at around 15 years.

http://www.thekennel...org.uk/item/570

2.3% of them were pts for aggression, not sure how that compares to other breeds, but it seems a bit high. Interestingly, the border collies had 3.8% (4 out of 96) put to sleep for aggression or rage syndrome. I didn't even know border collies got rage syndrome.

[gcv-border]

According to the kennel club breed survey, average lifespan is 6 and a half years. All the dogs reported as dying of old age died before the age of 12- kennel club border collies died of old age at around 15 years.

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/570

2.3% of them were pts for aggression, not sure how that compares to other breeds, but it seems a bit high. Interestingly, the border collies had 3.8% (4 out of 96) put to sleep for aggression or rage syndrome. I didn't even know border collies got rage syndrome.

Not sure of the exact definition of rage syndrome, but I had a friend with a cocker that was diagnosed with rage syndrome and PTS after she spent months trying to deal with it and finally admitting defeat. IMHO, any breed can hae rage syndrome if bred poorly. I have even heard of 'rage' Goldens.

Like any attribute described in subjective vs. objective terms, the percentage diagnosed will depend on how the clinician interprets the definition and how the reporting data is collected.

Jovi

[simba]

Like any attribute described in subjective vs. objective terms, the percentage diagnosed will depend on how the clinician interprets the definition and how the reporting data is collected.

Jovi

As well as the problems with self-reported data in the first place, even assuming total good faith and lack of self-delusion etc. It's hard enough for many/most people to remember their own medical conditions, let alone the dog's.

And yes, I am one of those "It's a blue pill and starts with A, or possible E" people.

[Liz P]

Data collected by pet insurance companies seems to agree fairly closely with the average lifespan listed by the kennel club surveys.

BTW, some vets are trying to nail down a proper medical definition and cause for rage syndrome. Some believe it is a form of a seizure disorder and are trying to do EEGs on affected dogs. Rage syndrome has been controlled in some dogs with medications used to prevent seizures.

My personal experience with Border Collies is that most of the aggression is fear based. They can be a reactive and shy breed to begin with when compared to the popular pet dog breeds, so I am not surprised that they are PTS for aggression more than some other breeds.

[border_collie_crazy]

Danes are super popular in my area, I love them, but you have to be careful because extreme shyness seems to run rampent in the breed, like curling up in a corner pissing themselves at the first sign of anything "new", and a few have serious aggression issues, the goods ones are wonderful though lol

as far as big breeds go I have to second the Giant Schnauzer vote, eventually I want a giant dog, and so far my giant dog dreams have all lead me to the Giant Schnauzer lol

[waffles]

I think if you are looking into rescue then you can count out a lot of issues (deafness you would know about upfront, size as some are absurdly huge, temperament, etc) and rescuing is just such a wonderful thing. I do think financial issues are important to consider as others have pointed out. With that said, my cousin has two (one is 4 other is 3) and they are wonderful dogs with no health issues so far. Both are friendly and lovable, good with kids and bigger dogs. The one is ridiculously large (I am 4'11" and his head is almost up to mine standing on all 4's) and probably won't live past 6 while the other is no bigger than a lot of other average large breeds. I also worked with a lady who had an 11 year old great dane in pretty good health.

If you're prepared for a short life span, possibly expensive vet bills and just want a goofy rescue to enjoy then I say go for it. But I would definitely not put down a large amount of cash to a breeder for one.

[Tuxedodog]

I had a Great Dane who lived to be 10 (he bloated), the vet told me I got 3 extra years. I called him my 140lb housecat. He was one of the sweet ones, my husband has scars from one that he played with as a child that one day turned on him.

[juliepoudrier]

We had a dane growing up. She was an amazing dog. I don't remember how long she lived, but for however long it was, she was *very* healthy. She loved to play football with us (was great at tackling and mowing people down), and she once prevented our family car (a Corvair, no less, dating myself there!) from being stolen at night (this was back when people left their keys in the car and the thieves were pushing the car down the driveway, presumably so they could start it out of hearing of the house).

My sister used to have rescue IWs and adored them. I didn't like the idea of faces right at counter height (you have to be creative with managing edible stuff). I know at least one of those died of cancer. She now has a rescue GD--a dog who was left on a chain and bred repeatedly. She had scars on her neck from the chain. She was a very nice dog, but did drool (I don't remember our old Bo drooling like that, but that could be a result of changes in the breed between the 60s and now).

I like Scottish deerhounds, but if you want a larger sighthound with a longer lifespan consider a borzoi. My mom's lived to be 12 or 13.

If you're really interested in a rescue GD (or IW), I can give you my sister's contact information and she can put you in touch with actual owners/rescues for both breeds. If you have your heart set on a giant breed and are prepared for a shorter lifespan, you could do some dog a real service through rescue.

J.

[Shetlander]

I once heard Danes described as a "heartbreak breed" because there are so many health problems and also their short life spans.

[rushdoggie]

We had 2 when I was a kid and they were both really sweet. Sadly, my parents gave both of them away when they were young because they were rambunctious.

I do think the Danes I see today are much bigger than the ones I had.

[Lewie'sMom]

Thanks to everyone who replied in this thread. I truly appreciate your input. Hearing the facts reiterated from folks who have no vested interest helps to put things in perspective. (My non-dog person sister thinks I’m nuts.)

After mulling over all your posts and doing more research, I’ve decided, at least for now, to nix the Dane idea. I sometimes tend to romanticize or glamorize things in my head and this is no different. I allow the images of cuddles and funny antics to prevail over the hard fact of the shorter life span and possible chronic health issues. But, that’s not to say that there won’t be a giant breed in my life someday.

I think I could deal with the shorter life span but I’m not sure about the stress and expense that comes with all the possible maladies. When Lewie was so sick, the knowledge that he might not get well, along with watching him like a hawk every day, tied me up in knots for months. There were some mornings when I got out of bed that I didn’t know if I would find him alive or dead.

With certain breeds, the biggest turn-off is the drool. I’d kind of ignored the thought of loose lips and slobber that comes with it. I can handle pretty much anything that comes out of a dog’s body except the slime. Maybe if it was my own dog I’d be less offended, but when we go to the dog park the floppy lipped breeds inevitably get slime all over the other dogs and us peeps. gag! (I’m going to start taking pet wipes to the park.)

The other major factor in my decision is Lewie. He’s not really a dog-dog and I almost feel that bringing another dog into the mix would be a betrayal to him (dumb, I know). He is much more interested in people than other dogs. He seldom engages in play, choosing to schmooze the other owners at the park. He is fine with properly behaved dogs but will not hesitate to reprimand another dog if it’s behavior is out of bounds. He does not tolerate in-your-face dogs. That being said, if/when I get another dog, it would have to be submissive. Lewie is dominate but in a very subtle manner, at least to unknowing people eyes. He was going to take on a very bossy Rottie one day. It kept trying to stand perpendicular with its head over his shoulders and I knew Lewie wouldn't tolerate it for long. I hollered at the owner, who wasn’t watching his dog, and we stepped in to avoid a “discussion” between the dogs. They left the park.

Thanks again for all your words.

Liz, I’m not offended at all. I value your experience and knowledge.

Julie, I remember the Corvair very well. I’m right there with ya’.