Adopting a pet is wonderful, but sometimes applications get declined. If your dog rescue won’t adopt a dog to you, this post should help.
Rescues carefully review applicants to ensure the best match for pets, and while the process isn’t perfect it is part of the process. Ethical rescues focus on finding the right fit for a lasting and happy relationship. However, there are many times when rescue adoption requirements are excessively stringent, too.
Both of us have fostered or have had Danes from rescue situations; we know well the challenges that rescue and rescue dogs often face.
Common Reasons That a Rescue Won’t Adopt Out
If you are looking to adopt a Great Dane from a rescue, you may find that it’s not easy! Dog rescues often have strict requirements for adopters. Some of them are fair, some put a wrench in getting the pet adopted out.
While it’s important for rescues to be diligent about what applications they approve, it’s equally important that they don’t deny an animal a good home because they don’t like the training method used or type of fencing.
Here are some common reasons rescues decline adoption applications:
The applicant doesn’t have giant breed experience
Their fencing doesn’t meet the specifications
Young children live in the house
The applicant is not willing to crate-train
The rescue doesn’t allow electric fences, E-Collars, or Prong Collars
There are no verifiable veterinary records, or the records are negative
Veterinary records show the applicant has not kept their other pets up to date on vaccines or flea/tick prevention
Other pets in the house are not spayed or neutered
It’s clear that the applicant has a history of abusing or surrendering animals
Many people looking to adopt a Great Dane have an electric fence or several acres.
Several acres sound amazing for a dog, and it is, but not if the dog (who may already have a history of running as a stray) decides to run, and run, and run some more. Especially in a new home lacking a relationship and routine with the new owner.
That’s understandable, however, some rescues will not adopt dogs to families that use an electric boundary fence. Given how many pets need wonderful homes, this is one place we do wish they would be a little more understanding.
An electric fence is a good solution in many cases. For dogs that DO jump physical fences, it’s practically necessary.
Small Children in the Home
Giant breed dogs can be wonderful with children, but they can also be afraid of them, knock them over, or play too rough.
The last thing a rescue wants is a Dane returned to them because he jumped and knocked over a 4-year-old!
Unfortunately, many people also do not properly teach their children how to interact with dogs.
The dog may tolerate being sat on, poked, and teased for a short while. However, when they reach the end of their fuse and growl, nip, or bite the dog ends up in rescue again, only this time with a bite history.
If you have young children, consider first if a giant breed dog is the best choice for your home. If you are committed to it and to adopting, be upfront and honest with the rescue!
Tell them what you know, how you plan to manage the environment, how you plan to train the dog, and how you teach your children to interact with the dog.
Unwilling to Crate Train
Crate training is not cruel. Great Danes can grow to love their crates because it becomes their quiet, safe place. Not only that, a crate-trained Dane cannot eat something dangerous or destroy the couch (and be returned to the rescue as a result).
If you are resistant to crate training, why?
It doesn’t matter how much you think you know about training, or how well-trained your last dog was, attending a training class with your new rescue Dane is a valuable opportunity to bond.
We recommend everybody take training classes, especially rescue dogs! Classes are fun, can help you become a better dog owner and trainer, and teach your dog to focus on you despite distractions.
Veterinary References
If you don’t have a history of taking care of your dogs, Great Dane rescues are going to be cautious about placing a dog in your home.
Their goal is to STOP abuse and neglect. They want to see that you have taken great care of your past dogs.
If you are new to owning a dog, find a vet and show the rescue that you’ve already spoken with them and begun a relationship.
Vaccines & Preventatives
Great Dane rescues spend a TON of money treating heartworms in the dogs that come into their care.
It’s expensive and heartbreaking (literally). They don’t want to place dogs in homes that don’t take those things seriously.
In areas of the Country where heartworms are particularly bad, many rescues require that your existing and past dogs have been kept up to date on preventatives. A veterinary reference can go a long way here!
We are big believers in waiting to spay and neuter Great Danes until their growth plates are closed (age 2+), so we understand how frustrating this particular restriction can be.
However, too many people breed dogs for fun and money, and this is one way they make sure they never send a Great Dane to an irresponsible breeder’s home.
If you have no intention of breeding and have a solid reference from your veterinarian, it may be worth sharing that.
No History of Abuse
This one seems obvious, but it needs to be said. If you’ve surrendered a Great Dane before for nearly any reason, you are going to have a very difficult time adopting.
Be Patient
If a rescue won’t place a dog with you, that doesn’t mean that you should run out and purchase a dog from the first breeder you find on Craigslist.
Unethical breeders are the reason why so many Danes end up needing rescue in the first place, so make sure you aren’t contributing to the problem.
Ethical breeders are also going to be exceptionally picky about buyers but may have fewer restrictions about spaying/neutering, fencing, and children.
Sometimes it helps to volunteer for the rescue and sign up as a foster! They are more likely to place dogs with owners that they know well.
If you have giant breed or Dane experience, you KNOW all of this and they know it won’t likely be the reason you return a dog to them. If you want to adopt but have never had a giant breed, try these things:
1. Volunteer with the rescue to help out at adoption events, take photos, write bios, etc.
2. Write a short essay about what you’ve learned about giant breed dogs. Share what you know and prove to them that you have fully researched this! Tell them WHY you are interested in Great Danes, adoption and living with a giant breed dog.
We don’t judge here. Rehoming a dog is a thoughtful and responsible decision that requires careful consideration and dedication. It’s an act that comes with a lot of emotions, negative opinions, and fear.
While it may be a challenging choice, various circumstances such as changes in living situations, health concerns, or unforeseen life events may necessitate finding a new loving home for a Great Dane. We recognize that making this choice is often a responsible and selfless act that prioritizes the best interests of the pet, creating an opportunity for them to thrive in an environment better suited to their needs.
If you’ve found this blog post, it may be because you are thinking about rehoming your Great Dane.
There are legitimate reasons to need or want to do this; our goal here is not to judge but to help! If you are looking to find a new home for your Great Dane or are considering surrendering your Great Dane to a rescue, read on for ideas and need-to-know information.
Rehoming a Dog & Negative Opinions
Rehoming a dog can make you feel guilty. People want to make you feel as if you are doing something wrong, or that you are a bad person. Don’t let them.
If you have carefully considered the decision to rehome your dog, you should not feel guilty or bad about the choice. We have found that this choice often benefits the pet, as they will be in an environment more suited for them.
There is one exception to this, however. If you are rehoming a previously loved senior dog to make room for a puppy, you should feel guilty. That is never ok.
But if you are moving, struggling to have enough time or resources for your pet, or have a medical condition that requires your home to be free of pets, read on. We’re going to show you how to make this move responsibly.
1 – Check With The Original Breeder or Rescue
Sometimes the most simple solution is the one many tend to forget.
Depending on where your Great Dane originally came from, you need to check with your breeder or your rescue first! Most rescues and breeders require that the pet is returned to them if you feel at any time that you cannot care for it.
Ethical breeders will always have a lifetime return guarantee. They never want to see a dog of theirs end up in rescue at any age and will take the dog or help you find an appropriate home.
If your breeder or rescue is unethical and will not act in the best interest of your pet, we support you in finding alternatives.
2 – Be Honest About Training Problems
One of the most common reasons people rehome their pets is because of training issues.
It’s not unusual for people to say that they are at their “wit’s end” and can no longer deal with the pooping, peeing, barking, lunging, biting, or destruction.
If you need to rehome your Great Dane because of issues with training and socialization, be honest with the people who will be taking your dog.
While this can make it harder to find a suitable home that understands these issues, your transparency will ensure that your pet ends up in the type of home willing to work with it.
The rescue can provide training resources, the breeder will want to know, and a new home will be much more likely to keep the dog if they know what they are getting.
It may be easier to find a new home for your Great Dane if you gloss over the fact that he tends to bolt out doors, mark furniture, and nip children, but these things are extremely important for the new owners to be aware of.
If training issues are the reason that you need to rehome your Great Dane, that is ok.
Great Danes are not always the right fit for people, and poor breeding practices have led to many dogs with serious temperament problems.
It’s okay to acknowledge that you cannot help your dog or may not be the right home. We do however encourage you to consider first working with a highly qualified trainer.
Sometimes it is just a matter of making tiny changes to your routine and training communications!
3 – Special Considerations for Rehoming Aggressive Dogs
Aggression and bites are serious. A bite can be anything from a little nip to a full-on attack with puncture wounds or intent to kill.
Most aggression is based on fear. Some common and preventable examples are a Dane that bites a child who tried to sit on him, or a Dane that bites another dog over a toy or bone (resource guarding).
Some aggression and bites are based on problems with neurology, training, or even physical health.
Great Danes are NOT supposed to be aggressive in any way, so this is a serious fault of temperament (poor breeding practices), genetics, health, and environment (training & socialization).
Be very honest with the breeder or rescue about this. What led to the bite? How severe was it?
For many dogs, especially in areas with crowded municipal shelters, a bite history can be a death sentence (even if the bite resulted from an unfair event). If your Great Dane has bitten or shown aggressive tendencies, find a 501c3 rescue instead of surrendering to the shelter.
Most rescues will not take aggressive Great Danes, but some are insured and equipped to do so. Call around.
If your Dane is from a breeder, let them know about the aggression you’ve seen. Quality breeders don’t want to see aggression showing up in their lines and will want to address it.
For some particularly aggressive dogs, behavioral euthanasia is a compassionate choice. Read more about this HERE. This practice comes with heartbreak, but in many situations, it’s far more humane than sending an aggressive dog to spend its last days in fear at a shelter or being bounced around from home to home.
6. Peer to Peer Dog Rehoming
After you’ve checked with your breeder and/or rescue, you may be looking to rehome your dog in a direct peer-to-peer situation.
Finding the right home for your Great Dane can help you feel better about the process of rehoming, but watch out! There are some pitfalls that you want to avoid.
Some people won’t have your Dane’s best interest at heart.
Think the same way that a dog rescue does and be choosy and thorough.
We’ve included some guidelines and best practices below to consider when rehoming your Dane to another person.
Ask for References
When you find somebody interested in taking your pet, ask them for references! Call their veterinarian, too, and make sure that they’ve been keeping their pets healthy and up to date.
Don’t Rehome to Breeders. Instead, Spay & Neuter!
Unless you are rehoming a Champion show dog, you are likely rehoming a dog that should never be bred.
Backyard breeders will look for rehoming posts of intact dogs (not spayed or neutered) so they can buy them for cheap or free and use them in their breeding program. All this does is perpetuate the poor temperaments and health issues that put so many dogs into rescue in the first place.
Even if you are having to move and need to rehome a well-behaved, healthy, and wonderful family dog your dog should NOT be bred.
Do NOT rehome your dog to somebody that would breed him or her!
We know of a very ‘popular’ backyard breeder in Missouri who runs a same-named rescue on the side. His ‘rescue’ uses rehomed dogs for breeding. This is an unacceptable practice and extremely shady to boot.
If you are rehoming peer-to-peer, spay or neuter your dog in advance OR require that they sign a spay/neuter contract where they agree to complete the procedure within a certain time frame.
Charge a Rehoming Fee
This isn’t about making money on your dog. It’s about making sure you rehome your dog to somebody serious.
When a purebred dog is listed for ‘free’, lots of window shoppers (and backyard breeders) come along. Those are not often good homes for your dog.
If you are uncomfortable collecting this fee, ask the new owners to donate to your local Great Dane Rescue. Verify the donation with the rescue before placing your dog.
This fee is NOT about recouping costs you incurred while caring for the dog (training, surgery, transportation, breeder fees, registration fees, etc.). All of those are a loss.
At a minimum, we recommend charging a $500 fee when rehoming your Great Dane.
Be Picky About the New Owners
Be choosy about the new owners, even if that means turning people down. We know you may be desperate to give your dog up, but it’s much more ethical to find the right home in the process.
Be thoughtful about the type of home that would be a good fit for your dog.
Is your dog good with children? Does your dog need somebody who is home a lot? Does your dog need somebody with training experience and a tall fence?
ASK QUESTIONS! The right home will be willing to answer and prove themselves.
Require a Rehoming Contract
We recommend at minimum a simple contract that protects both parties. In the contract, cover at least the following;
Names & addresses.
Description of the dog, including color, height & weight, AKC registration, age, and breeder information.
Information on if the dog has been spayed or neutered and had a gastropexy done.
Spay or neuter requirements
No breeding allowed
Information on where the dog must go if the new owner cannot keep it (will you take it back? Do you want them to surrender to a rescue?
An outline of communication expectations. Do you want updates and photos? How often?
For the new owners, make sure that you also include:
Previous veterinarian information & records (including vaccines).
Microchip # and transfer information.
Food, so the dog can transition better instead of switching foods immediately.
If you have a pregnant Great Dane that you cannot keep or don’t know how to help, we highly recommend speaking with a Great Dane rescue. Many are willing to work with you to find homes for the puppies and make sure they are well cared for.
We believe there is a time and a place to rehome Great Danes.
We encourage people not to judge each other; sometimes rehoming a dog to a more appropriate home and owner is the best thing for it.
Many people are afraid to commit to fostering dogs because they fear not being able to emotionally let the dog go to a new home.
We will be honest, that can be both tough and incredibly fulfilling.
FIND A GREAT DANE RESCUE
Great Danes need you. The rescues need you. As long as there is a need for rescue, there will be a need for fosters.
Dogs end up needing rescue for a variety of reasons. Sometimes people move, lose their jobs or develop health problems that make them unable to care for their dog. For these people, rescue is a valuable resource.
Other times owners find themselves overwhelmed by their Great Dane or unable to care for their behavioral or medical needs. Occasionally, a Great Dane or puppies are severely neglected, injured, dumped by a breeder or owner, or found as strays; these are often the most heartbreaking cases.
Whether we like it or not, the Great Dane rescues are often overwhelmed with surrender and intake requests from private owners, good samaritans and dog shelters. They cannot do this work without having places to send the dogs. That is where you come in!
A large majority of Great Dane rescues take care of all expenses related to fostering, including veterinary care, food and medications. They may even provide bedding, a crate and a leash and collar!
You may need to pick up the dog and transport it to your home, to the veterinarian, to the trainer and to meet potential adopters. Alternatively, a volunteer may do this for you.
Most Great Dane rescues will want to know if the dog isn’t working out in the home, and will want your honest assessment of behavior and temperament.
You will take the dog home with you and have a contracted obligation to care for it. The rescue will give you this information in advance and may require you to medicate, feed a specific diet, report problems and provide a certain amount of enrichment and exercise each day.
You may need to care for the dogs medical and post-surgical needs including giving medications or insulin injections, helping the dog gain or lose weight, and providing appropriate post-op care following spay/neuter or other surgeries.
This work is important and can be incredibly fulfilling!
FIRST CHOICE TO ADOPT
Most rescues give the foster home the first chance to adopt the dog, even puppies! Fostering is one of the best ways to adopt a new Great Dane because you’ll get to trial them in your home and find the one that you cannot let go of.
A lot of people will successfully foster and rehome several dogs, and then one special dog will land in their home that they just cannot imagine sending to anybody else.
This is called ‘foster-fail’ and it’s one of the most beautiful parts of being active in the Great Dane rescue community!
If you choose to adopt your foster dog, you’ll have to pay the adoption fee. At that point you accept all responsibility for the dog (medical care, expenses, food, etc.) and instead of being a foster, you’ll be a rescue dog owner!
You will very likely need to give the dog time to decompress (3-12 weeks), and you will need to set new boundaries from day one (this includes revisiting potty training 101 and constant supervision to avoid marking, barking, guarding, destruction and fence jumping until you get to know the dog).
As a Great Dane foster, it’s helpful to have a good, modern understanding of canine behavior and body language. We will be sharing more resources on this soon!
Not all Great Danes like other dogs, some don’t love people, others are timid and fearful and some have training issues. They are like humans and come with their own preferences. Be open to these differences and understand how to work with them.
The rescue will likely have at least one dog trainer and behaviorist that they trust with whom you can work closely.
INTERESTED IN FOSTERING?
Most rescues have a few basic requirements, but may be flexible:
Fenced yard
Giant breed experience
References
Home often
Willing to crate train
No young children
Existing dogs are well cared for and up to date on vaccines and medications
Even if you submit an application, you can always decline to foster a dog if the opportunity comes up and the timing isn’t right. We encourage you to submit now!
Want to support rescues but aren’t currently able to foster or adopt? 501c3 rescues value your direct donations. Many are connected with Amazon Smile. Every dollar counts!
Hey, we are all here because we LOVE Great Danes. The decision of whether to breed a Great Dane is a weighty and multifaceted consideration that requires careful thought and responsible decision-making.
It’s tempting to jump right into the process because your pet is wonderful with kids and a great family member. Beyond the allure of the breed’s majestic presence and gentle temperament, prospective breeders must consider the complexities of responsible breeding, acknowledging the significant responsibilities that come with bringing new lives into the world.
This introspective process demands an understanding of the dog’s health, genetics, and the commitment required to ensure the well-being of both the dam and the potential litter. Aspiring breeders must grapple with ethical concerns surrounding overpopulation, the potential for genetic issues, and the extensive care needed for both the mother and the offspring.
Diving into the question of whether to breed a Great Dane necessitates a deep examination of one’s motivations, resources, and dedication to upholding the highest standards of canine welfare.
Are you thinking of breeding your amazing Great Dane?
Read on friend!
Reasons That You May Want to Breed Your Pet
Ask any Great Dane owner what they think of their dog. Every single one will tell you that theirs is the best. All of us love our dogs and are attached to everything about them; their personalities, their unique markings, the way that they walk.
Look at this list and ask yourself what reasons you have for breeding your dog:
Love for the Breed: A genuine passion for the specific breed, such as the Great Dane, and a desire to contribute positively to its community and the written breed standard.
Desire for a Similar Companion: Wanting to replicate the positive traits, temperament, and appearance of one’s beloved pet for personal enjoyment.
Financial Incentives: The potential financial gains from selling puppies, especially if the dog comes from a recognized and desirable lineage.
Educational Purpose: A wish to experience the miracle of birth and educate oneself about the complexities of canine reproduction.
Preservation of Lineage: A commitment to preserving the lineage and bloodline of a particular breed, especially if the dog has exceptional traits.
Those reasons come with considerations, too, that should be taken very seriously. How much responsibility are you willing to take for the realities of breeding?
Before you take another step towards breeding your dog, put some time into your evaluation of the following considerations:
Overpopulation Concerns: Awareness of the global issue of pet overpopulation, leading to millions of dogs in shelters, and the ethical responsibility to avoid contributing to the problem.
Health and Genetic Considerations: Understanding the potential risks of passing on genetic diseases or health issues, and the importance of thorough health screenings for the breeding pair.
Time and Commitment: Recognizing the considerable time, effort, and resources required for the health and well-being of the mother and the puppies, including proper care during pregnancy, whelping, and postnatal care.
Screening and Responsible Ownership: Emphasizing the importance of thoroughly screening potential homes for the puppies and promoting responsible ownership to ensure a lifelong commitment to the dogs.
Ethical Breeding Practices: The commitment to adhering to ethical breeding practices, including proper socialization of puppies, ensuring suitable living conditions, and supporting buyers throughout the dogs’ lives.
The Health of Your Pet: breeding and whelping are a serious and risky business. Never breed a pet you aren’t willing to lose.
The Great Dane Breeding Checklist
Here is a checklist to follow before breeding your Great Dane. We will outline this in more detail below. If your dog doesn’t meet all of these basics, they should not be bred!
Which ones apply to your pet?
The dog has a known pedigree
The pedigree is free of wobblers, bloat, serious aggression, fearful/timid behavior, IMGD, heart disease, blood clotting disorders, degenerative disorders, and hip or elbow dysplasia.
You have studied the pedigree and believe it to be free of those conditions
The dog has full registration (a limited registration indicates that the dog should not be bred)
Full health testing: eyes, heart, hips, thyroid and genetic testing and color screening has been completed and passed
The dog has a stable, confident, friendly temperament with humans and other animals
The dog is at least age 2, and if female under the age of 5
You are diligent in choosing a partner to pair your dog with
You are willing to support puppy buyers for life
Should I Breed My Great Dane?
If you’ve gotten this far and are still asking this question, we are ready to dig in!
All breeders start somewhere, and asking this question is the first step!
AKC Registrations and Papers
AKC papers are helpful, but they are NOT an indicator of quality.
AKC papers show that the dog came from a lineage of other Great Danes. They don’t show if the puppies came from a lineage of robust, healthy, well-built dogs.
You can see this at play often: many people with purebred AKC Great Danes are still struggling with devastating issues including aggression, arthritis, ACL tears, heart disease, wobblers, and degenerative disorders.
Some AKC ‘purebred’ Great Danes don’t even look like Great Danes because breeders weren’t being careful or selective with their pairings.
Having AKC papers in the U.S. (or Canadian Kennel Club for Canada, FCI for Europe) is important as it helps document lineage and shows puppy buyers that they are getting a purebred dog.
We have seen some positively sketchy ‘AKC’ Great Danes.
Papers are NOT enough to make a breeding decision though. It’s that simple.
Structure, Movement, and Breed Standard
You don’t need a show dog to breed dogs, but you should be thoughtful about what genetics you are passing along.
Having a neat color, great personality or a ‘Euro’ look simply isn’t enough.
If all you see are positive things, remember this. All dogs have faults, and for every positive thing they pass on, they pass on their faults, too.
Whether we like it or not, all dogs have some fault or another. Even the most well-kept, well-bred beautiful show dogs will have something minor that isn’t ‘perfect’.
Those faults lie in their genetics, and breeding is how you either continue or discontinue faults.
Some common and unacceptable faults in Great Danes include:
Roach, sloping or sway back
Narrow hips
Overbite or underbite
Hip or elbow dysplasia
Droopy eyes
Excessive jowls/flew/drool
Apple or dome-shaped head
Wide-set eyes
Sloping stop
Stick out or hound ears
Incorrect ‘Dane’ look in the head overall
Poorly developed feet, flat feet, stick-out feet
Weak pasterns
Cow hocks
Lack of substance
Flat chest/front
Poor angulation
Over angulation
Wear rear
Double merle
Aggression
Fearful or timid behavior
Genetic propensity towards dysplasia, bloat, wobblers, cancer, blood clotting disorders, or heart disease
Can you evaluate your dog objectively? If you aren’t sure, you can always ask for help!
Understanding angulation and overall structure requires an educated eye.
This is important because poor structure leads to pain and mobility problems later in life; poor genetics should not be intentionally passed on.
Ask in one of the many conformation groups on Facebook (post photos of your dog and they can tell you where the faults and strengths are) and get into the show ring with your Dane (there are fun conformation classes you can take to learn how).
Temperament is equally important! Great Danes should be reliable, friendly, and confident. Danes with excellent temperaments will be easy to train and can pass a Canine Good Citizen test.
They should not be fearful, flighty, or unstable in any way.
Because temperament is largely genetic, it’s important that you only breed your dog if it has an exceptional and stable personality.
As the breeder, you should also be willing to dedicate a lot of time to the young puppies in your home by socializing them appropriately before they are sent home at 8-12 weeks of age.
Breeding Rights & Limited Registrations
Make sure you reference the contract that you signed when you purchased your Great Dane.
Is there any language in there restricting you from breeding your dog?
Do you need to talk to the original breeder first?
Did your breeder sell your puppy with Limited AKC Registration (meaning that you will NOT be able to register or paper the puppies that are produced from the litter)?
If your breeder didn’t outline these things, doesn’t care, had no restrictions, or didn’t have a contract in the first place you should NOT be breeding your dog.
These things are red flags for unethical breeding practices and indicate that your pup likely comes from questionable genetics.
Your Great Dane may be a wonderful family pet, but he/she isn’t likely to meet a reasonable standard for breeding quality.
Great Dane Health Testing
A vet check is not enough.
If you want to breed your dog, visit www.ofa.org and view the current requirements for fully health-testing Great Danes.
At a minimum, your dog will need to have and pass the following health tests before breeding:
Eye exam by a Board-Certified Veterinary Ophthalmologist
Echocardiogram to assess heart health and rule out primary DCM and heart disorders
Thyroid panel to assess thyroid function
Both the DAM and the SIRE will require these tests, which can run upwards of $2-4K for each dog.
It is flat-out irresponsible to breed without completing, passing, and submitting these tests to www.ofa.org.
If you don’t know for a fact that your dog is free of significant, painful, and/or life-threatening faults then you should not proceed. An Embark panel does not count.
Additional Health Screenings
If you want to be extra diligent and ethical, you may also want to perform the following screenings, especially if your Great Dane doesn’t come from an already exceptional and known pedigree:
We do not condone the practice of breeding dogs without full OFA health tests, and if you choose to continue without them, we no longer support you. It is even more offensive to set up a website with a breeder/kennel name and continue without this testing.
Puppy buyers are becoming more and more savvy about this. It can be extremely difficult to sell puppies from untested parents, because people are seeing just how heartbreaking it is when Great Danes receive preventable structural, growth and health faults.
If the dog you want to breed came from parents who were not fully health tested as outlined above, these things are even more important.
OFA health testing cannot be completed until the age of 2+. Thus, age 2 is the minimum age when you can consider breeding a Great Dane.
Not only that, but you can’t fully evaluate a Great Dane’s mature structure until they are at least that age.
Males in particular tend to mature slowly; you do not want to breed a still-growing 18-month-old Sire and then find out that they never really fill out correctly (and passed on a poor substance to the puppies).
Patience is a virtue here! It’s important to allow Great Danes their full chance to develop before asking them to breed for you.
Females especially should never be bred before the age of 2. Breeding uses up a lot of nutrients and resources that are necessary for bone and heart health, two things that young Danes especially need to focus on. For the health, safety, and comfort of the bitch, she should not be bred before full maturity.
Has your dog been bred before?
No Dam/Bitch should ever be asked to breed more than 2-4 times. So if you’ve reached that point, STOP.
If your Dam or Sire has produced a litter in the past, what were the litters like?
Were the puppies solid, healthy, robust, curious, and friendly?
Did they become quality pets?
Did any of them have significant structural problems, health issues, or faults?
Have any of those puppies developed bloat, aggression, autoimmune disorders (including allergies), heart problems, limb deformities, blood clotting problems, seizures, diabetes, or thyroid issues?
Don’t breed again if your breed choices are not producing dogs that serve to improve the breed.
Do you have a breeder mentor?
What made you want to breed your dog in the first place?
Find a mentor who has vast experience breeding Danes.
Don’t just pick up advice from a backyard breeder (unfortunately, they hide in plain sight) or other pet owners. Find somebody who is truly focused on breed health and ethics. The Great Dane Club of America is a good place to start.
At some point, if you truly want to get ‘in’ to breeding, you’re going to see the difference between ‘well-bred’ and ‘purebred’ and you’re going to want a puppy from an excellent breeder
By seeking out their advice BEFORE you breed, you prove yourself early and are more likely to have access to quality puppies.
We are always happy to provide our honest opinion about your breeding program and breeding stock as well, just send us an email!
So You Bred Your Great Dane, Now What?
Breeding your Great Dane doesn’t stop with the choice to do it or not. Once the decision has been made, there are key considerations, especially for females!
Breeding a Great Dane Sire
Breeding the male comes with much less responsibility than breeding the female.
The biggest responsibility here is to make sure that your excellent, fully tested, and proven male is only being offered to excellent females who will be bred ethically, are fully health tested, and with a breeder who plans to support the puppies for life.
You will want to work with a qualified reproductive veterinarian to discuss semen collection vs. natural breeding.
Choose a female that compliments your male well and balances his faults. Do not just pick a random AKC Great Dane.
Breeding a Great Dane Dam
If your dog is the Dam, you have additional responsibility as your dog will be carrying the litter.
They say to never breed a dog you would not be ok losing.
The fact of the matter is that breeding and whelping can be dangerous.
Not only that but raising Great Dane puppies is fun until it isn’t.
The mother may require medical support and even an expensive C-section. You MUST have money set aside for this.
Some of the puppies may die or need to be euthanized, and you MUST prepare yourself emotionally for this, too.
You will need an appropriate XXL whelping pen, puppy pads, blankets, a heat lamp, ribbons and collars for each puppy, and a kit full of additional birthing supplies and supplements that your veterinarian will recommend.
Because pregnancy, whelping, and nursing will use up a lot of important nutrients, your female will need to be on science-backed high-quality puppy foodand supplements (talk to your veterinarian).
You will be up all hours of the night, especially at first (and that’s just with a healthy pregnancy and birth!).
There will be POOP and PEE everywhere.
You’ll have to pay for additional veterinary checkups for your dam, and the puppies will also need vaccinations, deworming, and possibly dew-claw removal (more $$!).
Registering and microchipping the litter will also cost money.
As the puppies grow they become tenacious, noisy, and HUNGRY! They also bite. A LOT.
A large litter can eat a lot of food, as can the mother who needs the nutrition to support the growing puppies.
This decision to breed could end up becoming the longest and most expensive, exhausting, frustrating, and rewarding 5 months of your life.
You’ll have to find quality, dedicated, and knowledgeable homes for the puppies, too. That is no easy task for new breeders, especially. You need to draw up contracts and be prepared to enforce them, too.
Can you support your puppy buyers?
Expect to have to provide support to all puppy buyers, for the life of their dogs.
They will send you text messages and phone calls and will need information about food, puppy biting, vaccines, and more.
Are you educated about Great Danes and prepared to field those questions? If not, don’t breed your dog.
Are you also prepared to take those dogs back should any one of them have significant health or temperament issues, or if an owner cannot keep the dog?
Ethical breeders feel immense pain and guilt if any of their dogs end up needing rescue, expensive veterinary care, or euthanasia.
If you don’t care where the puppies end up once they leave the litter, you should not be breeding your dog.
Will you be proud of the results?
Are you willing to accept responsibility if puppies in the litter turn up with significant faults?
Will you be proud of your litter if they have flat feet, hunched backs, or timid personalities?
Are you going to feel good about seeing puppies turn up with droopy eyes, bloat, or wobblers?
Think about how the choices you make now will affect not only every puppy in the upcoming litter but your life for the next 5-15 years.
We Understand wanting to breed Great Danes, truly.
This is why we are here with a solid belief in education and ethics, wishing to share that foundation with others so that every puppy buyer receives a dog that has been truly set up for success.
Good breeders have waitlists. If you have to work hard to sell the puppies, that’s a good sign that you should NEVER HAVE BRED the dogs in the first place.
Do you wish to get into breeding ethically?
Do you desire to make sure that you are creating healthy, confident puppies?
We encourage you to keep learning. Find a high-quality breeder and mentor with them.
Purchase a dog that could be shown and consider going into the show ring. Get to know the people in your local breed club. Dig into the written standard and understand what the difference is between a well-bred dog and a purebred dog.
Lastly, be thoughtful.
We know you love your dog, but chances are you probably shouldn’t breed him or her.
Alternatives to Breeding
If you really want to breed so that your dog can ‘experience motherhood’ or so that your kids can ‘learn and experience it’, consider rescue instead.
Many rescues need temporary foster homes for whelping mothers, or temporary housing for young puppies until they are placed.
It’s a good opportunity to do a POSITIVE thing for your Community and still get to experience the sweet magic of tiny puppies!
There are questions to ask a dog breeder to examine whether they are producing quality puppies!
We hear often from people who brought a puppy home from a bad dog breeder, an unethical or back-yard breeder and said ‘I just didn’t know any better’.
Breeding dogs should be something for responsible dog breeders, NOT for everyone. Likewise, a new puppy owner should be educated on what puppy is the right puppy for them, be sold a healthy puppy, and be prepared to take care of them for the entire puppy’s life.
Questions to Ask Dog Breeder
Responsible breeders LOVE to answer questions from puppy buyers!
Reputable dog breeders pour their life and heart into their new puppies. A dog breeder who is hesitant to answer questions is NOT a good breeder!
Puppy buyers should never be afraid to ask ALL of the questions, as a legitimate breeder will love to discuss all of your wonderings.
QUESTIONS FOR YOUR DOG BREEDER
Does the mom and dad have temperament testing?
Do the puppies come with a health guarantee?
Are there health certificates to show the health tests that have been done on the mom/dad?
What is the breed’s temperament?
Are there any genetic diseases in the genes?
Are you able to visit the breeder’s home and see the puppies in real life?
How many dogs does the potential breeder own?
Is the dog breeder apart of a kennel club?
Are you able to speak with previous puppy buyers?
Does the breeder own the puppy’s parents?
Do the puppies get taken to vet visits?
Do the puppies and dogs get socialized from a young age, and if so what are the methods?
How many litters has the female and stud dog had?
RESPONSIBLE BREEDERS VS. BACKYARD BREEDING
Whether we like it or not, bad breeders are out there. They are everywhere. Some are even scams: they just want your money and have no puppies to sell at all.
If you are looking for your next (or first!) Great Dane puppy, we wrote this post for you. Just because a breeder has puppies doesn’t mean that they are operating ethically or selling healthy puppies that were raised with care.
Look for Red Flags When You Are Getting a New Puppy
Responsible breeding is not easy to do. Dogs and puppies cost a lot of money and time to care for properly. If a breeder is not asking questions about you and your home, they may not be as interested in finding the best homes for their puppies as they should be.
A responsible dog breeder will:
Be able to tell you about the temperament of the parents and grandparents
Have done health testing on the parents
Ask you a lot of questions about your home and family
Help you to pick the right puppy for your lifestyle
Give you a contract that outlines their health guarantee and terms of sale.
When you are looking for a breeder for a puppy, look for ‘red flags’ to help you identify the reputable breeders from the ones who may not be the right breeder for ou.
RED FLAG NUMBER 1: The breeder has no name or a bad name in the local community.
Keep in mind that just because people might know about your breeder or may even recommend them, does not mean that they don’t have other red flags!
A newer responsible breeder may not have an established presence, but if they are operating ethically, they are working under the mentorship of other breeders and will have a reputation that way.
It is ultimately the breeder’s responsibility to make connections within the breed clubs and find mentors that will help them produce the best puppies for their puppy buyer.
RED FLAG NUMBER 2: No or limited OFA Health Testing.
Breeders that invest in OFA health tests are more likely to be interested in the breed standard and health as a whole. When both parents have been fully tested, they are less likely to pass on painful, preventable, and sometimes life-threatening conditions such as hip displasia, thyroid disease, and cardiomyopathy. Ensuring that your puppy has a health certificate can be the difference between many breeders who are breeding solely for financial gain vs. buying a puppy from a reputable breeder who wants to better the breed.
Ask the breeder for the CHIC # for both dogs contributing to the litter. If they cannot give you this number, don’t have it, or you cannot verify it in the database at www.ofa.org, it is a MASSIVE red flag.
Outside of the U.S. the process for this will be different, however, it is a red flag if the breeder doesn’t complete at minimum x-rays, echocardiograms, eye exams and blood work to check for hip dysplaysia, elbow dysplays, eye disorders, thyroid disease and cardiac problems on both dam and sire.
Expect NOTHING less. A vet check is NOT health testing.
RED FLAG NUMBER 3: They seem desperate, too ‘perfect and impersonal’ or require a deposit provide more information.
Desperation is a classic breeder red flag that may also indicate that the breeder is a scam and may not even have real puppies to sell you.
If they seem pushy and offer high-pressure sales, list off all of the triggers (‘Health tested’, ‘Raised in a Home’, ‘Comes with a Leash and Collar’, ‘Snuggly and cute’), and seem to have very little interest in making sure you are the right home for the dog, tread cautiously.
Great dog breeders don’t have the capacity to get an entire litter of puppies potty trained, leash trained, and even ‘fully trained’ before sending them home. Yes, a responsible breeder can get started on these things and other dog related activities, but it is ultimately up to the puppy’s parents to finish these tasks1
A breeder should NEVER require you to place a deposit before answering your questions, and good breeders are exceptionally picky about buyers. You should have to work a little to prove yourself. If it’s the other way around, be wary.
RED FLAG NUMBER 4: The breeder won’t show the parents, or the parents are aggressive, look sick, or don’t look like Great Danes or the breed.
A professional breeder is proud of their Dam and Sire dogs. They keep them in a home environment and make sure that they are healthy, clean, and well-cared for.
Run from any breeder that won’t show you the parents, or if you see that the parents are kept in a kennel/barn, are not well-kept or lack breed type. It is unacceptable to see dogs being bred that have roached or sway backs, narrow hips, minimal substance, flat feet and overall poor structure. The parents should be excellent example of breed type in both structure and temperament.
RED FLAG NUMBER 5: The puppies are sick, weak, timid, roached or are knuckling and have flat feet.
Ask to see photos and videos of the puppies often as they are raised.
They should have plenty of substance (they should not appear wimpy or scrawny), great structure, nice head shapes and large, solid tight well-knuckled feet.
A reputable breeder will be exposing them to a variety of textures and obstacles (ramps, tunnels, boxes, grass, tile, gravel, etc.) that help build their confidence and strength. Additionally, the breeder should keep the puppies clean and trim their nails often.
IS YOUR GREAT DANE PUPPY KNUCKLING?
Check out our science-based and constantly growing knuckling resource page.
Timid or ill-tempered puppies (those that resource guard or are pushy and rude) often become timid and ill-tempered adults.
Quality breeders work very hard through thoughtful breeding practices and socialization to make sure puppies have excellent substance and temperaments.
Ideally you want to see that the puppies are curious, stand up tall and appear enthusiastic and healthy.
If you notice something looks off about the entire litter, there could be something amiss with the breeder. A whole litter getting sick is a red flag.
RED FLAG NUMBER 6: The breeder doesn’t have a contract or lifetime breeder support and return guarantees.
Don’t get sucked into the line that the dog breeder is ‘desperate’ or ‘has cancer and cannot offer support’. Dog breeders who do this solely for the money will make up all kinds of lies to tug at your heartstrings.
Ethical breeders care very much about their puppies and never, ever want them surrendered or ending up in rescue. Run from any breeder that doesn’t state in the contract that they want the dog back for any reason.
The contract will also outline breeding rights, spay/neuter timelines, and care guidelines. A dog breeder who truly cares about their dogs will be there for the entire dog’s life. Buying a puppy from a good breeder is not ‘a moment’, but a relationship!
The dog breeder should require you to return the dog to them if you are unable to keep it for some reason.
As a dog owner, this gives you an opportunity to return the dog to a safe place (the breeder who can then rehome him or her) if needed, instead of dumping the dog into the lap of our already strained Great Dane rescue system. If the breeder doesn’t offer lifetime support and at least a 2 year guarantee warranting the dog against certain health problems, run.
RED FLAG NUMBER 7: The dog breeder allows the puppies to go home prior to 8 weeks of age.
Inexperienced or careless breeders may claim that the mom ‘lost interest’ and ‘isn’t caring for the puppies’ around the time that the puppies naturally wean from the mother.
The mother may snap at the puppies to remind them to stop nursing or to correct them for being rude, and breeders will use this as an excuse to send the puppies home weeks before they should be leaving their mom.
The communication the mom gives the pups, and the communication the pups give each other is an incredibly important part of their development.
Puppies that go home prior to 8-10 weeks are extremely immature and struggle with bite control and potty training. There is rarely a reason for a puppy to go home earlier than this; if the mom is truly exhibiting dangerous aggressive behavior towards the pups, she should not have been bred.
Be patient and hold your dog breeder to a higher standard!
Double Merle puppies can be deaf, blind, or may have allergies and other health conditions. In the right hands these dogs can live a wonderful life, but many of them are either euthanized or end up in rescue and have questionable temperaments and high veterinary bills.
It is very important when buying a puppy to be able to see a full health certificate of all of the dogs within their genetics to make sure that your puppy was not the result of a double merle breeding.
Double Merle puppies are preventable. Make sure your breeder only pairs genetically proven (through testing) solid colors (such as mantle, black or blue) when breeding to a harlequin, merle or piebald dog.
Did you buy from a ‘red flag’ breeder? We’d love to hear your experience!
That’s a lot of information on which breeders NOT to choose, but how do we know which breeders are the ones to look for?
This post is perhaps the most important in our series on finding and supporting ethical breeders, and one you should read before you purchase your next Great Dane Puppy.
FIND A GREAT DANE BREEDER NEAR ME
Before you can begin the process of choosing a breeder, you have to find one!
Now that you’ve got a few names, you’ll want to narrow it down a bit. Perhaps you are looking for a specific color, or really like the ‘look’ of the dogs being produced by one of the breeders. Avoid buzzwords like ‘Euro’.
Healthy Great Dane puppies should have good bone (‘substance’) and be confident, curious and friendly. They should have tight, strong feet and be free of knuckling, worms and sores.
If you see timid, sick, weak or small puppies contact your local Great Dane rescue.
They may be able to step in and request that the breeder surrender the dogs and help them find suitable homes once they are healthy.
WHAT IS AKC REGISTRATION?
Ask the breeder about AKC Registration.
They should have a documented pedigree for the puppies going back at least 4 generations, and should be willing to share it with you so that you can research the genetics.
Most ethical breeders sell their puppies with an AKC LIMITED registration, meaning that you won’t be able to breed your puppy and register the off-spring with the AKC.
This restriction helps breeders keep their genetic lines from getting mucked up by ‘backyard breeders’.
IF YOU’RE LOOKING TO BREED YOUR NEW GREAT DANE
If you want to breed, be honest with the breeder and ask if you can mentor with them. Finding a quality breeder to learn from will also ensure you have better access to quality puppies for breeding in the future.
LOOK FOR A BREEDER THAT SOCIALIZES ITS PUPPIES
Make sure the breeder you are talking to thoroughly socializes the puppies.
Well-socialized dogs make GREAT family pets! Be wary of any breeder that doesn’t expose puppies to a variety of textures, obstacles, noises, experiences and items. They should be spending time with the puppies and making sure they have lots of opportunity outside of the whelping area.
If the puppies are extremely timid, shy and fearful it’s very likely that the breeder is not using ethical practices for breeding and socialization. These puppies absolutely deserve an amazing chance at life, but their breeder does not deserve your money.
Some of the best breeders use Puppy Culture/ENS type protocols that are time consuming but extremely effective for ensuring that puppies are confident, engaged and able to handle the world. Read our post on Puppy Culture socialization here.
NO DOUBLE MERLE
No ethical, thoughtful breeder will pair two dogs with spotted coats.
Entire rescues are dedicated to saving the sick, timid, weak, deaf and blind white or mostly white puppies that result from these preventable pairings. Some breeders will do this anyways and then hard cull (euthanize) the white puppies at birth so that people never know.
Be educated about this, it’s important!
CHOOSE AN APPROPRIATE COLOR PAIRING
Appropriate Great Dane Color pairings include:
Harlequin + Mantle Mantle + Mantle Black + Black Etc.
BREEDER CONTRACT
A breeder should have a solid, in-depth contract for you that covers everything from basic care requirements to breeding restrictions, spay and neuter and health and return guarantees.
Any breeder that does not require this doesn’t likely care much about the puppies, where they end up, or their relationship with you as the buyer. Ask to see the contract in advance; this can also help weed out breeders that are actually a scam and don’t have any puppies to sell you at all.
BREEDER GUARANTEE
Your breeder should be 100% willing to take a puppy back at any time, for any reason.
This simple guarantee helps ensure that no ethically-bred Great Dane ever ends up in a shelter or rescue.
If your breeder wouldn’t take a dog back, they don’t care much where they end up. In my opinion, that’s one of the worst offenses a breeder can make.
If you don’t think it matters because you never have any plans to return the dog, do a quick search through the many Great Dane rehoming groups. Digest the sheer volume of posts from people who didn’t think they would ever have to find a new home for their dog.
None of those people likely have a breeder who backs them up and will help them. Don’t be that person, and don’t financially support those kinds of ‘breeders’.
BREEDER KNOWLEDGE AND SUPPORT
The breeder you choose should have a HUGE amount of knowledge about Great Danes and will be able to talk to you about nutrition, health and more.
Expect your breeder to be interested in you as a buyer, and to want to watch the puppy grow up. They will be there to answer your questions!
It is important that you have a personal relationship with your breeder. If you don’t like them as a person, that maybe a red flag.
WHY DOES CHOOSING THE RIGHT BREEDER MATTER?
It’s not the ethical breeders that are the problem.
It’s the careless, thoughtless backyard & mill breedersthat are a driving reason behind why so many dogs end up in rescue.
We support breeders, and we support a buyers choice to choose breeders instead of choosing rescue.
If you choose to purchase a dog, we ask that you to be thoughtful in your decision. Choose only the types of breeders who are not contributing to the population of discarded purebred Great Danes that fill up local rescues across the Country.
Great Dane puppy socialization is NOT for the faint of heart… BUT…
Socialization is one the MOST important things that you can do with your Great Dane puppy!
This process begins with the breeder. An ethical breeder will have already exposed your puppy to a variety of sights, sounds, people, textures and obstacles. They will have also taught the puppies some early basics about collars, crates, cars, handling, sitting politely for a treat, coming back and peeing outdoors.
Unfortunately, not every breeder is that thorough, but it really does make a difference.
Make sure you choose breeders that are breeding dogs with good temperaments. Puppies that come from anxious, fearful or aggressive parents are more likely to have those behaviors as well, no matter how much you socialize them.
GREAT DANE PUPPY SOCIALIZATION IS NOT WHAT YOU THINK
Many people believe that socializing a puppy means taking him to a pet store or dog park and meeting lots of people and dogs.
The truth is, both of those places and situations are the exact kind of environment where a dog may actually learn to be afraid of dogs and people!
Dog parks and pet stores are for mature, confident dogs that are vaccinated and already engaged with you as the owner. Not under-vaccinated or terrified dogs that are still learning about the world and how to appropriately handle interactions with humans and dogs.
Now that I’ve made a mess of your beliefs about socialization, it’s time to chat about what socialization for Great Dane puppies actually looks like!
SOCIALIZATION is about positive exposure to novel things
The more positive, safe, calm and curious exposure your puppy has to novel things, the more likely it is that your puppy will be confident and able to handle new situations (including people, dogs, and travel).
OBSTACLES
Create a ‘puppy playground’ and change it every day. Make sure to include novel items and obstacles that require the puppy to climb up, over, under and around. Encourage the puppy to explore.
Well socialized dogs are calm, confident and gentle. They are much easier to train because they are less excited by or anxious about the environment, people, sounds and dogs!
Early desensitization to common sounds is important. Play these sounds and then praise and treat the puppy. Play them and act like it’s no big deal. Mix it up!
Play the sound of thunder, babies, cars, gunshots and fireworks from your phone.
Knock on the door.
Have somebody ring the doorbell, randomly (ignore it every time!).
Bang pots and pans together.
Drop things on the floor.
Run the vacuum, drill, dremel, & hairdryer.
If at any time your puppy seems scared (ears pinned, cowering, shaking, stop! This is meant to be fun.
Yes it’s important to keep puppies safe before they are fully vaccinated. But that’s no reason not to socialize them. There are MANY things that you can do before your puppy is truly ready to meet the world.
TOUCH
Because Great Danes are SO large, it is important that they are accepting of touch.
Touch the puppies toenails with trimmers and a Dremel, treat and praise.
Brush the puppy all over with crinkled up foil, a dog brush, or your hands.
Do a pretend vet and judging exam. Look at teeth and ears and do a pretend shot using a ballpoint pen.
Rub the puppies ears and pretend to clean them.
Run your hand down your puppies back and to the tip of the tail.
Gently pick each foot up and put it back down again.
Brush the puppies teeth.
Do not use training methods that involve hitting, pinching, shoving, tapping or pinning/alpha rolls. These can seriously undermine the work you do to make your puppy trust you and trust your hands and the hands of a veterinarian or groomer.
TEXTURES
Textures are all things your dog may encounter in the world. Make a point to explore and touch all of these surfaces at minimum:
Sand & gravel
Grass
Wood chips
Concrete & asphalt
Snow & Ice
Puddles and wet spots
Bridges
Tile
Hardwood
Carpet
Foam
Foil/shiny objects
After all that, it’s still true that your puppy needs to be exposed to people and dogs. We encourage you to do this part thoughtfully. Exposure to rude people and rude dogs is not socialization.
WATCH
Sit on your lawn, near a bike path, or at a park. Be calm and just WATCH.
Children playing
Strollers
Wheelchairs and walkers
Bicycles & Scooters
Large dogs
Small dogs
Barking dogs
Wildlife
People of all kinds
Reward your puppy for looking at you and ignoring these things. Ultimately, that is what you want from your dog as an adult! Calm confidence.
Of course, greeting people (calmly) and dogs (safely) is also important! Consider taking a puppy preschool class in a clean facility where early social skills are reinforced.
When meeting people, there is no reason to reward a jumping, excited, peeing or nervous puppy with attention from people that are squealing with excitement to meet him! That scenario is the fast track towards creating a 120lb adolescent Great Dane that either jumps and tackles people with enthusiasm, or is unfortunately afraid of them.
Know body language. If at any time your puppy is scared (ears pinned, stiff, avoidance, hiding, shaking, panting, tail tucked, lip licking) these are signs that you are moving too fast.
EARLY TRAINING
Every experiences that your puppy has a young age (good or bad) can shape the future.
If you take a puppy that has had very little exposure to early training basics (sit, look, leave it) into a store you may accidentally be having your puppy practice the WRONG behavior in those situations.
People will be so excited, and your puppy may either be fearful (bad socialization experience) or too excited (that’s not pretty when they weigh 140lbs!).
Focus on training inside of stores! They are a great place to practice ignoring people and dogs.
Be choosy! One bad experience with a rude, out of control dog or a pesky child can ruin a puppy for life. It’s much better for a puppy to learn to ignore and walk away from those two scenarios than it is for them to learn to ‘tolerate’ it.
Walking into a dog food store is like walking into a shark tank. You’re immediately inundated with nutrition advice and thousands of bags with bright colors and promises of better health for your pet. If you are interested in what we believe are the best foods for Great Danes, this blog post is the place to be (NOT the pet store)!
Back in the day, before Natalie and I started this site and put literal years into educating ourselves about the most current advice for Great Dane care, we were confused. So confused! It’s easy to get sucked into marketing and anecdotes from other dog owners. We all love our pets and want what is best.
When we dug around in search of the best foods for our Great Danes, here is what we found:
Outdated advice, including food brands that no longer exist
Nutrition information and ideas that are not based on any actual research and science
Recommendations for food brands that are poorly formulated
Click bait articles that seem to know very little about Great Danes
Promotional articles from dog food companies that don’t know how to formulate for Great Danes
Fear mongering, elitism, and pseudoscience in pet food marketing
A whole lot of confused Great Dane owners!
This blog post today is for those who feed Great Dane KIBBLE, and we are bringing you science-backed, UP TO DATE information about what to feed your giant breed dog! Raw and fresh info coming soon, though we share some of that here, too!
Great Danes have very specific nutritional requirements.
The appropriate food will keep them at a healthy weight and will support their gut health, joints, growth, and structure. Read on!
Food Requirements for Great Danes
The best foods for Great Danes may not be what you think.
Remember, on this blog we look at science, research, and evidence; not marketing.
Foods for Great Danes must be formulated specifically for the growth (puppies) and maintenance (adults) of large and giant breed dogs. This means that puppies need a large or giant breed puppy or all life stages food, and adults over the age of 2 need an adult or all life stages food.
Additionally, we like to see foods meet the following guidelines (especially for Danes under the age of 2):
Calcium level at or below 1.2%
3.5g or less calcium per 1000kCal
Calcium to Phosphorus ratio of as close to 1 : 1 as possible
Specifically labeled for large or giant breed dogs
Grain-inclusive
Includes meat meal or meat by-product meal, which may lower the risk of bloat
Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionist or PhD in Animal Nutrition employed by the company
We are going to break down the science of dog food in this blog post below. Our recommendations MAY surprise you, so we’re backing up our information with science!
Now before you go crazy and start looking at a million labels, let us help you.
What are the Best Food Brands for Great Danes?
To keep things simple, here is our list of foods that meet the guidelines and recommendations outlined in this post. Click on any to see them on Chewy.
Check out THE GIANT DOG FOOD PROJECT to compare brands and values.
I like to note that some people have not loved our recommendation to choose well-researched, science-backed foods. We believe that such opinions are often misinformed. To be perfectly honest, I used to be misinformed as well, and actively considered foods such as Purina and Royal Canin to be absolute garbage.
Of course we all want to believe that the ‘holistic’ option is best, but I’ve learned that’s not always the case; millions of dollars are spent every year on dog food marketing and we are all susceptible to it.
A dry diet which contains named (chicken, beef, or salmon) meat meal or meat by-product meals will have MORE meat and more meat based nutrition in it, and that’s just good science.
“Fresh meat” and “deboned meat” can be in the food as well. It’s important to note, however, that fresh meats are roughly 70% water, and once extruded into kibble won’t be a large portion of the final product.
For this reason, we recommend steering clear of foods that only use fresh or deboned meats to appeal to YOUR taste and wallet.
Organ, bone, tissue and cartilage on the other hand (in the form of meat meals and meat by-product meals) are species-appropriate and will contain necessary amino acids, vitamins, proteins, fats, and even glucosamine!
All about Calcium & Phosphorus Levels
Calcium should be 1.0% – 1.2% Phosphorous should be 1.1%-.8%
The overall calcium level should not exceed 3.5g per 1000kCal
For puppies, it is also very important that the food has the AAFCO Large Breed Growth Statement, indicating that the formulation is appropriate for growing puppies that will be 70+lbs or more as adults.
The ratio of calcium to phosphorus should be as close to 1:1 as possible. (For example, a 1.4 to 1 ratio is not acceptable, but 1.2 to 1 is)
However, these are NOT the only considerations!
A food with the correct ‘analysis’ and ‘healthy sounding ingredients’ may still be incorrect.
This is why choosing an appropriate large or giant breed formula from a company with qualified nutritionists on staff matters so much.
Additionally, many foods on the market that are popular in the Great Dane community are actually dangerously high in calcium and way too low in protein.
There is a lot of outdated misinformation out there about protein levels in Great Dane food. Many people believe (and promote) that Danes should be fed ‘low protein’ foods to ‘prevent knuckling’.
That statement is unfortuantely based on pseudoscience, anecdotes, and misunderstandings about protein in pet food.
Quality protein from meat, meat meal and meat by-products is necessary, and studies show that protein does not actually “cause knuckling”.
Too many calories and too much of the wrong kind of nutrition is what causes growth problems in Great Danes, not too much protein.
Foods that use a lot of peas or legumes, especially when paired with “fresh deboned meat” (which as mentioned above is 70% water) may have replaced a significant amount of meat protein with plant-based protein. This is not healthy.
Large Breed foods that are backed by legitimate peer-reviewed science and research will have optimal fat, protein, calcium, and phosphorus levels. Most also offer joint support.
If you are choosing an appropriate food, the protein level on the bag should not be a consideration.
A more extensive list of our favorite foods for Great Danes is below, but until then, here are some of our favorites.
Great Dane Food Dealbreakers
Here are some foods that you definitely want to avoid for your Great Dane.
Grain Free Food for Great Danes
Unbalanced foods from boutique companies are believed to lead to dietary-induced heart problems (Secondary DCM).
Grain-free foods in particular are problematic as most are from boutique food companies that tend to replace a lot of actual meat content with peas, potatoes, chickpeas and legumes.
There is a growing body of evidence that should be addressed, especially because Great Danes are already prone to genetic heart problems (Primary DCM).
Secondary (nutritional) DCM is often a silent killer. You may not know your dog is sick until it’s too late.
Secondary DCM is often reversed completely, however, by choosing science-backed dog food formulated by Veterinary Nutritionists.
Bloat & Nutrition Risk Factors
To date, no food brand has been correlated with an increase in bloat risk.
However, the following factors HAVE been noted and require more study:
Low fiber diets
Poorly formulated diets with fat in the first 4 ingredients, often seen in foods from Victor and Life’s Abundance which are not formulated by a veterinary nutritionist or backed by research. There is one exception to this rule; the Royal Canin Giant Breed line. Read more about this HERE.
Dogs that are fed only a dry food diet (we recommend mixing in canned food into at least one of your dog’s daily meals
Dogs that eat quickly (we recommend slow-feeder bowls)
Dogs that eat from raised bowls (though more study is needed). This is likely related to gulping and excess intake of air from the unnatural eating position that occurs with raised feeders.
MLM Foods for Great Danes Scam
MLM foods such as Life’s Abundance (also NuVet Vitamins) are foods where breeders profit off of the (expensive) food being sold to puppy buyers.
Some breeders also participate in the unethical practice of essentially requiring this purchase or in offering a more robust health guarantee if you feed this food.
These foods are backed by a lot of marketing claims, but no science.
Some foods meet WSAVA Guidelines but unfortunately, most don’t.
Look past the marketing and fancy words on your dog food bag.
Start asking questions.
Food should be formulated by on-site, employed, credentialed Ph.D Veterinary Nutrition professionals with extensive, certified knowledge in veterinary health and nutrition.
If you reach out to a company and they have a list of excuses for why they don’t actually staff a full-time board-certified Veterinary Nutritionist (DACVN or ACVN), or why they don’t also then test their foods by investing heavily into research and trials, tread cautiously.
Many companies will say they use a “team of nutrition experts, including nutritionists“.
What this most often actually means is that they paid a consulting company to sign off on a formula they generated using software or spreadsheets. If it meets nutritional minimums, a box can be checked and the company can claim that a ‘Nutritionist’ was involved.
Photo credit to @born.greater
The List of Best Foods for Great Danes
As before, this food list is not exhaustive. Remember to get your nutrition advice from credentialed professionals and those who share the same ethos of choosing science-backed, highly researched nutrition.
This list is for ADULT dogs over the age of 12-18 months.
These are the same foods that are recommended by veterinarians and fed by the top breeders (whose dogs are healthy, lean, robust and long-lived). We recommend putting your favorite on autoship from Chewy.com!
For puppies, choose the Large Breed puppy version.
The addition of fresh whole foods and toppers (up to 10% of the diet) on a professionally formulated food will provide better nutrition than a few dried blueberries in a bag of ’boutique’ food ever will.
We recommend feeding same-brand canned food, in addition to dry food.
Here is a list of ‘popular’ Great Dane food brands that we do not recommend.
Why are these foods on the ‘not recommended’ list?
Simply put, they don’t meet basic criteria for ethical, quality formulation and nutrition.
In other words, these foods are not typically formulated, researched and/or then fully tested by people with legitimate credentials to do so.
Most ’boutique’ foods only look healthier and feel ‘higher quality’ because of marketing, not because they actually are.
They do not participate in common canine health research and journals (choosing instead to do their own ‘testing’), and they often do not substantiate their formulas in actual food trials (choosing instead to pay somebody to just look it over on paper to see that AAFCO minimums are reached).
Most of these brands below have documented, verified cases of secondary (dietary-induced) DCM.
This is despite having only a tiny market share and minuscule sales compared to ‘big dog food’ (science-backed brands with a huge market share) that do not have any documented cases of nutrition-related DCM).
It is a myth that ‘holistic’, ‘ancient grains’, ‘super premium’, or ‘human grade’ boutique dog foods are healthier or better for your pet.
These are marketing terms with no true regulations or standards.
Foods that are not Recommended
Many of these foods are popular in the Great Dane community, but that doesn’t make them better. A lot of these foods are made in factories that manufacter many other brands on contract, and none of the brands listed below have qualified nutritionists on staff. Many of them have calcium levels that are in excess of current recommendations, too!
Nutrition is a KEY element in Great Dane health. We believe these brands should be looked at with higher consumer demands of quality and ethical formulation practices:
Earthborn Holistics
Diamond Naturals
4Health
Victor (high calcium levels in all but one formula)
Your Great Dane is bored. It’s true. Many Great Danes are bored, and frustrated pet parents see the symptoms as a sign of disobedience or dominant behavior.
This is important. Most people imagine their Great Dane should be a couch potato, content to lounge all day. They kind of are. They do like to lounge! Most will happily park themselves on a couch given the opportunity. They don’t need the same kind of intense working and exercise that a herding dog or terrier might need. But they are still dogs, and I think we all tend to forget that.
Great Dane Signs of Boredom
Imagine a life inside a home. You cannot see friends, watch TV, read a book, work on a hobby or go for a walk. This is the life most pet dogs are living.
A few toys scattered about and a quick 15 minute walk really isn’t fair, nor is it enough.
Boredom is something that plagues many pet dogs, not just Great Danes. All of us get stuck in a routine and forget that our dogs are living their lives alongside us, and have different needs than us, too.
Do any of these common ‘complaints’ accurately describe your dog?
Boredom, frustration, confusion and anxiety are key factors with dogs that are destructive, out of control and difficult to live with. Not ‘Dominance’ or being ‘defiant’ or ‘stubborn’.
Dog Behavior & Boredom Go Hand-in-Hand
SO many difficult behavior problems are minimized or even eliminated when you solve issues related to boredom, anxiety, and a lack of sleep.
Stir crazy, under-stimulated, over-tired anxious dogs are really hard to live with.
Any good dog trainer worth their salt will address most behaviors by first assessing the routine and what kind of access the dog has to appropriate mental enrichment and exercise.
Destruction, digging, chewing, getting into the trash, barking and hopping the fence are all signs that a dog literally doesn’t have any appropriate outlet for the correct behavior.
They are saying, in dog language that they are BORED.
Enrichment Ideas for Great Danes
Are you ready to tackle boredom and common behavior problems?
Even just a few minutes per day can go a long ways here. If you have more time on the weekend, save that for the big stuff. During the work week, compromise where you need to and make up for it later. That’s ok to do!
#1 – Unstructured Walks
Instead of structured walks on pavement, consider also adding unstructured walks that involve sniffing, exploration, and moving naturally on varied terrain such as grass, sand and gravel. (This can help their feet too!)
This DOES mean getting off your property; remember, your backyard is not a novel or interesting environment.
In this situation it is incredibly important that your Great Dane be a calm, gentle, and friendly ambassador of the breed. This is NOT a good activity for Danes that lunge, pull, bark, or are fearful or aggressive.
It’s also important that the stores you visit are truly dog friendly! Only service dogs (who are task trained to assist with a specific medical condition such as seizure alerts or blind navigation) are allowed in most stores. If you are unsure, call the manager to ask in advance, and always err on the side of caution.
Sit at a park on a blanket and watch people and dogs walk by.
Not only is this activity mentally engaging, but it socializes your Great Dane by allowing them to realize that they can be ‘in’ the chaos without being apart of it.
People watching is also a great opportunity for you to work on your obedience training with your dog! By using positive reinforcement, you can teach your dog that engaging with you is much more fun than lunging, pulling, barking, or reacting towards people, dogs, bikes, and children.
Use clicker training and teach your Great Dane a new trick each week.
Clickers are a fantastic tool that work by communicating to your dog the exact moment they do something you like.
Many people think that clicker training means clicking at the dog with the clicker to get their attention. This is completely wrong!
Clicker training starts by teaching the dog that when they hear a click, they get a treat.
Click, treat. Click, treat. Click, treat.
With a little practice, you can then begin to CLICK when your dog completes a behavior such as sit, paw, down, or touch. For example:
Sit, Click, Treat. Sit, Click, Treat.
or
Touch, Click, Treat. Touch, Click, Treat.
The dog learns to ‘work for the click’ because clicks = good things! Clicker training aids in providing your dog with clarity and precision, which means they learn more, faster.
Take a class together. Learn how to stand for the show ring (conformation class), work up to your Canine Good Citizen (obedience) title and then go a step farther into Rally Obedience.
There are MANY amazing sports and obedience classes that you can take through local training clubs that will help you build a better relationship with your dog and possibly even provide you with a fun new hobby.
Here are some ideas:
Basic, intermediate, and advanced obedience
Conformation (how to act like a show dog)
Rally (Obedience course)
Dock Diving (Dive off a dock for a toy)
Scent Work (Learn how to find things by scent tracking)
Agility (Athletic course)
Lure Course (Running quickly after a lure)
Trick Training
#6 – Learn Scent Work with Your Great Dane
This goes hand-in-hand with taking a class, but you can also learn to do this at home with youtube videos.
Scent work is an incredible way to work your dogs mind.
Dogs have an amazing sense of smell and within a few training sessions, most dogs are able to find ‘hides’ (scent) that are just out of sight.
It only takes weeks from that point to teach them to find scent that is well hidden! If you enjoy the process and your dog is good at it, you can even earn ribbons and titles together.
Some handlers are paid very well for dogs that can scent track things such as bed bugs or drugs, and many are even used in search and rescue efforts.
#7 – Fitpaws & Body Confidence Training
Purchase some FITPAWS or other dog fitness gear and learn how to use them to teach your Great Dane better balance, coordination and body awareness.
These are fun and can be used in your living room or backyard. When used under the supervision of a canine rehabilitation specialist, they can also be incredibly helpful for building core strength as well as building strength in the toes and ankles.
Because standing on the FITPAWS is basically a dog trick, using lots of positive reinforcement is key. This will wear out your dogs mind and body!
If you don’t have FitPaws, watch Youtube videos online for dog coordination exercises.
Have your Great Dane eat meals out of a puzzle feeder.
This will slow down their eating, reduce their risk of bloat, provide them with better digestion, and wear their brains out, too!
Puzzle feeders come in so many shapes and sizes. Experiment with what works well for your pet.
If you don’t want to spend money on bowls to clean and wash, you can roll your dog’s kibble up into a towel! They have to forage to get it out and will love ‘working’ for their dinner.
Stuff rubber KONG or West Paw Topl toys, freeze, and let your dog figure it out!
Here are some popular dog Kong or Topl stuffing ideas:
Kibble (hydrate with bone broth)
Peanut butter (take it easy with this one)
Pumpkin
Plain yogurt
Canned dog food
Make sure that you only replace 5% of the normal diet with treats, toppers, and stuffing. Your dog does NOT need a Kong filled to the brim with peanut butter, in other words! Rehydrated kibble is always a good choice, as it’s part of the normal diet and gives you a base upon which you can be creative.
For example, smear peanut butter inside before stuffing it with the canned food or rehydrated kibble, then add a treat for the dog to find in the middle!
Freezing the Kong or Topl before serving will make it last longer, and can be a great activity for dogs that have separation anxiety.
#10 – Play Hide & Seek with your Great Dane
There are many ways to play with dogs, and hide and seek games are perfect indoor activities for those not-so-nice weather days.
You can play hide and seek by hiding in another room or behind a curtain and then rewarding your puppy or adult Great Dane for finding you! This fun game also builds on recall (staying close and always looking where you are), so your dog will have better off-leash skills out of the home, too.
You can also hide toys or treats for your dog to find around the house, and make doing so a fun daily part of the routine.
#11 – Introduce a Flirt Pole to Your Great Dane
For dogs aged 2+, you can introduce a flirt pole.
Flirt poles tap into natural prey drive; dogs love to chase, circle, and ‘catch’ the lure on the end.
However, a flirt pole is an incredible alternative to laser pointers. It results in the same fun behaviors and play, but unlike a laser, the dog can actually ‘catch the prey’ and is less likely to develop obsessive or compulsive behaviors.
Flirt poles can also be used as a reward as part of a positive training program.
Don’t expect any miracles here, at least not straight away.
A dog that has made a habit of chewing up beds and hopping fences is a dog who has made these things part of the routine. Adding a TON of enrichment will help, but many times this also requires thoughtful training and management.
Get creative here! Get ahead of the curve and keep the enrichment activities coming. Work with a highly qualified trainer to change or even eliminate the behaviors that are unacceptable.
Even just one new enrichment activity is bound to get even the most wound up dog to settle more!
If your dog is currently showing signs of boredom and anxiety, don’t stress! Jump in, change your routine and go from there.
We tend to do things more often when we are rewarded for them. Dogs are the same way.
Most dogs are highly motivated by food. From a biological perspective, this makes a lot of sense. Use food to your advantage when training, and gradually distance and eventually fade out the rewards over time.
Treats for Puppies
Puppies especially need teeny, tiny bites.
I like to use pieces that are the size of my pinky nail or even smaller!
You do not need huge chunks of meat to teach with food; offering several rewards quickly is much more effective than a few big rewards spaced farther out.
By minimizing the size of each reward, you are also able to give more rewards in the same span of time, which is really handy for teaching difficult behaviors such as ‘STAY’ and ‘COME’.
Start with a high-rate of reward and as your dog understands the trick, space the rewards out.
Zuke’s mini natural are amazing and dogs go wild for them. I like to cut them in half so they go farther; these are rich, use sparingly.
Frozen veggies: some dogs will go nuts for a basic blend of carrots, peas and green beans in tiny bites.
Freeze-dried organ meats are fantastic when you really need to ‘get the point’ across. Use tiny bites sparingly.
Training has to be fun, otherwise why would either of you be interested? If you or your dog aren’t having fun, figure out why that is and fix it. The goal here is to reinforce correct behavior and build a bond based on trust, engagement and good habits.
The best training treat is the one that your dog will work for. Some dogs are happy to work really hard for plain old kibble, others need more motivation. The more difficult the skill you want to teach, the more valuable the rewards need to be.
Your puppy can only learn so much in a day. Break training sessions up so they happen several times per day, only a few minutes at a time.
Lastly, make sure you aren’t using so many training treats that it replaces more than 10% of the diet.
Great Dane puppies are exceptionally sensitive to dietary and diet-based growth issues, so you need to make sure that most of the nutrition is coming from their actual food.
If you notice loose stools or excess gas, back off on the training treats! Try even smaller bites, or use a spoon coated in pumpkin to do a quick lesson in ‘heel’, where they walk in position and lick the spoon as the reward.
We recommend that ALL Great Danes, especially puppies receive a daily probiotic supplement. This can help keep the gut bacteria healthy which is great for eliminating gas and loose stools. Additionally, gut health and bloat seem to go hand-in-hand! Having a healthy gut may be a key factor in reducing bloat risk.
The information contained in this post is for informational purposes only. We do our best to present the most up-to-date research, however it is up to the reader to make decisions regarding the health and well-being of their dog. We make no claims here to prevent or treat bloat or any other condition related to Great Danes. Find a veterinarian with GIANT breed experience, and chat with them.
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