The other names of Great Dane are Danish hound, German mastiff or Deutsche Dogge. It is a domestic dog, which is reputed for its gentle personality and giant size. They are the tallest of the Irish wolfhound breed.

Appearance

Generally the male great danes are larger than the female ones. The height of the male is about 30-32 inches while the female breed can be 28-30 inches. The color of their coat is categorized into six colors –fawn, brindle, black, blue harlequin and mantle. The fawn have the base color of yellow, the brindle is fawn and black with stripe pattern. Blue is generally steel blue, black is glossy while the harlequin and mantle has the base colors of white and solid black respectively.

Temperament

They have large and huge body structure and people get deceived by their appearance and ignore their friendly nature. They are sometimes referred as the ‘gentle giant’ because of its friendly behavior towards other canine and even non-canine pets. They are excellent as guard dogs as they are very protective. They can be dominant at times and can be aggressive towards the other pets but that’s not their typical nature. They are always energetic but to maintain that they need sufficient walking and exercise.

Health

The health problems of great danes are common with other giant breeds. They suffer from bloat, gastropexy and hip dysplasia. Sometimes they are affected with DCM (Dilated cardiomyopathy) and congenial heart diseases. They can suffer from genetic disorders or other ears & eyes problems.

History

According to some sources, there were similar looking dogs like great danes in ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece. It is believed that great dane was created with Irish wolfhound and mastiff. The breed is supposed to be 400 years old.

Miscellaneous

In August 2004, "Gibson" a Great Dane from Grass Valley, California was recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as the world's tallest dog 42.2 inches.

Behavior/Obedience Problems and Solutions

Keep in mind, behavior/obedience problems can happen with any breed of dog. They may be experiencing problems because the dog is just young, or has been trained poorly or abused. It is important to identify these behaviors and then address them.

Did you know social confusion is one reason that a dog might act out. Dogs think about their human families as their pack. So, it is important that your dog realizes that he is at the bottom of the pecking order. While this may seem strange or harsh, remember that submissive pack members will do what the more dominant members say. Period.

That means you, the Dog Parent, must learn how to train your dog or puppy, so you, your kids and your dog have the best life possible. Why? Because we all want to be respected by other dog owners as someone who takes great care of their dog. However, there are tons of “so-called dog training” products on the market. Trust me, I have tried them all. However, one continues to rise above the rest - Secrets to Dog Training .

There’s an impressive amount of information packed into this guide. It’s not just the problem behaviors that are discussed. The book starts off with new dog owner advice (how to choose a puppy or dog, the best places to get your dog from, breed information, puppy and/or dog proofing your home, the first veterenarian visit, housetraining and more). If you are looking for more advance info it covers: behavioral problems (such as aggression, dominance, chewing, digging, excessive barking, separation anxiety), intermediate-level obedience commands, health-related dog problems (allergies, cat/dog coexistence, fleas, heatstroke), and advanced commands and tricks. There is also an impressive section on dog whispering.

Daniel Stevens explains the background of the technique, how to utilize voice and body language to your best advantage, and how to use the technique to calmly, assertively, and effectively correct and train your dog or puppy. Step-by-step instructions are included for basic commands (sit, down, come, stay, quiet).

I Love Free Stuff – Don’t You?

You also get a handful of freebies: four bonus books, dealing with advanced house training including both the crate- and paper-training methods; a detailed examination on resolving canine aggression; how to effectively groom your dog (including information on coat care for specific breeds, dental care, and nail-clipping); and finally, how to begin training your dog for security work – even if that means just protecting the family home.

My favorite freebie: a personalized consultation with a member of the Kingdom of Pets team. If you’ve got an issue with your dog that you’d like some individual attention on, you can send them a quick email and receive a personalized, thorough reply packed with expert advice and practical tips. Now that’s service!

I have no qualms in recommending the Secrets to Dog Training package to anyone who owns, or is thinking about owning, a dog. You don’t need to have a “problem pet” for the book to be of assistance: there’s information included that can be useful to any and all dog owners.

From personal experience, the only other thing I would do is upgrade to the Secrets to Dog Training premium version because it has an online video series that is excellent as well as software which allows you to keep track of all the necessary and important details about your dog such as medical history, vaccinations, operations, appointments, obedience training, and much more.

In a nutshell: highly recommended