Great Dane Information
Are you Great Dane ready?
The Great Dane is a very large dog, generally known as a “gentle giant”. These dogs love their families, often leaning against them or trying to sit in their laps. Like most dogs, Great Danes require regular exercise, play with a dog friend or a regular daily walk. Great Dane puppies have lots of energy and need outlets for that energy.
Puppy Energy
All puppies require training and socializing and they CHEW, especially the first year. When a Great Dane puppy chews, they can destroy furniture and cabinetry, even walls. In my experience those problems can be avoided or minimized by chew toys, lots of exercise, supervision and crates.
Purchase from a Reputable Responsible Breeder
Buy a puppy from that health tests and has a contract that requires you to return the dog to them if you can no longer keep the puppy/dog.
Finding a Breeder
Why Should you buy from a Responsible breeder?
Responsible experienced breeders know about Great Dane structure, how to breed to produce healthy athletic Danes who will be comfortable their entire lives. Responsible breeders will be there to support you for the life of your puppy, not just until your check clears.
How much should a Great Dane puppy cost?
Great Dane puppies from a responsible breeder will cost $1500-$3000. The initial price for a Great Dane puppy is THE LEAST EXPENSIVE thing about owning a Great Dane. If you can’t afford the initial cost of a quality Great Dane puppy, then consider fostering or adopting an older Dane. If you foster a Dane, the rescue you are working with will pay for the Dane’s food, medical bills. If you adopt an older Dane, they eat less and will already be spayed/neutered and had a Gastropexy surgery done.
How to find a Good Breeder?
Visit a local dog show – find out when Great Danes are shown and go check them out at the dog show. Look online on the Great Dane Club of America’s website on their Breeder Listing page. You can do internet searches for Great Dane breeders, but research the breeders carefully. The worst places to find a breeder is on unmoderated Facebook groups or Craigs List. The people who post on Facebook often don’t health test and they breed for certain uncommon colors, rather than breeding for health.
Great Dane Breeders on the West Coast
On this website is a page which lists some breeders on the Westcoast, visit the Great Dane Puppies page.
Adopting a Dane
Advantages to Adopting a Dane
There are several advantages to adopting a Dane. Adult rescue Danes are usually house trained, are spayed/neutered and are current on shots. Adult Great Danes are past the aggressive chewing stage, usually calmer, requiring less exercise than Great Dane puppies.
Older Danes Have Known Temperaments
Great Danes from rescue or Danes looking for new homes from their breeders come with known temperaments and quirks, so you know ahead what you are getting. Things like how much energy they have, what kind of prey drive, etc.
How to find a Dane to Adopt?
One place to start looking for a rescue Great Dane would be the GDCA Rescue List . It’s possible that the GDCA website will not always be up to date, so you can simply do an internet search for “Great Dane Rescue”. Most rescues won’t want to rehome too far from where they are located.
Contact Breeders to look for a breeder return
Occasionally breeders will have a dog returned to them because circumstances have changed in the family, illness, death, loss of income. Contact breeders and see if they can put you in touch with a breeder who has an older Dane looking for a new home.
