Author: Hello Danes

Great Dane Sized Life Jackets
Are you ready to get on the water with your Great Dane? Finding Great Dane sized life jackets is tricky, so we did the work for you. We’re ranking and rating our favorites so that you and your giant dog can play at the lake or in the ocean all summer long!

In addition to sharing our favorite Great Dane sized life jackets, I’m going to cover:
- When and why Great Danes should wear a life jacket
- How to make sure the life jacket you choose for your Great Dane actually fits properly
- The best places to play in the water with your Great Dane
- How to avoid toxic and dangerous summer water (blue-green algae, ick!)
Before using any life jacket, we recommend calling the manufacturer before use; even if the chest circumference is ok, some dogs greatly exceed the weight limit. It’s important that owners are aware of the danger that can pose.

Believe it or not, many Great Danes actually love the water, and some even swim! Others enjoy boating and paddle boards, too.

Author’s note: it is important to monitor your dogs activity in and around water. Your dogs safety rests in your hands whether they have a lifejacket on or not.

The Best Lifejackets for Great Danes

A good lifejacket for your dog should be:
- Affordable
- Well-made
- Adjustable
- GIANT!
Dog life jackets come in a range of sizes and are most widely available for medium-average sized dogs. They also come in a range of different qualities.

Every lifejacket offers different floatation ability, too. Some life jackets are better suited to dogs that are strong, athletic swimmers.

Less expensive options are perfect for Great Dane owners who won’t be using the jacket often, as the lower quality fabrics and stitching may reduce the useful lifespan of the product.

It’s important to note as well that cheaper lifejackets also won’t have as nice of a fit; in general they tend to be fairly boxy and utilitarian vs. athletic and comfortable to wear. For very active and athletic dogs who will be in the water or boating often, we recommend spending a little bit more.

Why the Color of your Dog’s Lifejacket Matters

Make sure to choose BRIGHT colors! Remember that blue and green tones can get lost in the water, so if your dog is struggling or runs off, it’s less likely you’ll be able to see them.

We recommend choosing bright or neon colors such as orange, pink, lime, coral, and yellow.

Camo colors are best suited for highly trained retriever type hunting dogs, and shouldn’t be used as a fashion statement. Because camouflage is designed to make it harder (not easier) to find and see your dog, it’s not a very practical or safe choice for your average pet Dane.

Best Inexpensive Option: Yoyaker Dog Life Jacket

The Yoyaker Dog Life Jacket is a good option for Dane owners who aren’t in the water often. It is unlikely to hold up well to repeated use, but for a day in the sun? Start here! We don’t recommend a cheap life jacket like this for active dogs that will be in the water often.

This affordable choice comes in a range of colors and is one of the larger options we found! It is adjustable up to 48.5″ around the chest. (For perspective, my average sized intact male Great Dane has a chest circumference of 38″).

This is not a lifejacket with a very athletic fit, so on hot days it will be even more important to monitor your dogs body temperature and comfort.

Purchase the Yoyaker Great Dane life jacket HERE.

Best Athletic Life Jackets for Great Danes

An athletic style life jacket will be more suitable for dogs who are in the water often! These are good for all but especially great for Danes who are already fairly confident in and around water. Most athletic life jackets come with added features such as better fit, neoprene, sturdy buckles, and breathable mesh panels.

Outward Hound Standley Sport Life Jacket

The Outward Hound Standley is a solid athletic life jacket for your Great Dane. It offers quality fabrics, bright lime green color, a mesh tummy panel, a leash attachment point, and a double handle system for lifting (if needed). The XL size fits up to a 44″ chest.

This was designed to drain water quickly away from your dogs fur under the jacket, which can help keep your pup comfortable! You can find the Outward Hound Standley Sport Jacket on Chewy HERE or on Amazon HERE.

EZY Dog Doggy Flotation Life Vest

This premium sport jacket is built for athletic dogs who don’t like having a lot of material around their tummies. It was engineered to provide above-average floatation and is a popular lifejacket for people who own large breed dogs! The XL size fits Great Danes with up to a 48″ chest circumference.

It comes in red or yellow and offers a leash attachment point, neoprene straps, heavy-duty stitching, and solid quick-release buckles. You can purchase the EZY Dog Doggy Flotation Life Vest on Chewy HERE, or on Amazon HERE.

Kurgo Surf N’ Turf Life Jacket

The Kurgo Surg N’ Turk Life Jacket was designed for all-day wear (in particular, dogs that boat!). If you like to take your Great Dane fishing, this lifejacket is for you. It’s also one of the most stylish options!

Solid construction, quality fabrics, reflective piping, a leash attachment point, and neoprene are just some of the features of this popular life jacket. The XL can be adjusted to fit up to a 45″ chest.

You can buy a Kurgo Surf and Turf on Chewy HERE or on Amazon HERE.

Best Pet Store Life Jacket for Great Danes

Of course, it’s really nice if we can get a lifejacket for our dogs locally and make sure it fits before purchase. Some pet stores carry lifejackets (typically, it’s seasonal) and you can go in with your dog to test it out.

For that, we highly recommend visiting Petsmart and checkout out the Outward Hound Dawson swim jacket. This version brings athletics to good floatation and comfort and can be adjusted to fit up to a 44″ chest.

If you cannot find it in your local Petsmart store, you can find it on Chewy HERE or on Amazon HERE.

Best Overall Life Jacket for Great Danes

There is one top choice that is wildly popular among dog owners and organizations that support water sports and boating.

The Ruffwear Float Coat is one of the most well-designed and highly rated floatation devices for dogs!

Unlike other life jackets, the buckles are mostly hidden. This greatly reduces the risk that your dog become caught on something while in the water. The Ruffwear Float Coat is well-made, comes in beautiful colors, and will fit a dog with a chest circumference of up to 42″.

You can purchase a Ruffwear Float Coat for your Great Dane on Amazon HERE.

How to Make Sure a LifeJacket Fits a Dog

Once you’ve found a life jacket for your dog that you love, it’s important to make sure that the fit is correct.

If you are at the tail end of the straps and the jacket is snug, find a bigger jacket.

If you cinch the straps all the way down and the jacket is loose, go down a size.

An ill-fitting life jack is dangerous; it is important that the jacket fits nicely on your dogs body, is comfortable for them to wear, and doesn’t ride up if they are floating in the water. Go for a snug but comfortable fit (don’t cut off circulation, please).

We recommend checking buckles and fit often, and adjusting as needed throughout the day. At no point should the jacket be so loose that it wiggles around as the dog moves; this can cause rubbing or chafing and will not support your dog in the water, either.

Do Great Danes Like Water?

Yes!

Many Great Danes actually love the water, choosing to splash, splay, and even swim in it.

In general, positive exposure to water in puppyhood goes a long ways towards building confidence in lakes and oceans. Something as simple as a small kiddle pool in your backyard can be used to help your puppy develop an early love for having their paws and fur wet!

Great Dane sized Kiddie Pool, see it on Amazon HERE

(If you put a small pool in your backyard, please supervise your dogs and kids!)

You might enjoy this paddleboarding Great Dane on Tik Tok, or watch Great Danes participate in the fun and exciting sport of dock diving!

How to Keep Your Great Dane Safe in the Water

Spending the day at the lake or the ocean should be fun and safe, not stressful and dangerous!

If your dog is new to swimming, stay by their side and be encouraging!

For pet owners who want to take their Great Dane paddle boarding or on a boat, a little advanced preparation is recommended!

Please check the weight limits if your paddleboard, boat, or kayak before loading yourself, your Dane, and all your gear on board.
- Introduce the watercraft early! Ideally, your dog will have interacted with these things as a puppy. If not, that’s ok, it’s never too late!
- For dogs of all ages, you can put your personal watercraft (paddle board, etc.) on the lawn and play games getting on and off. Make this a positive experience and then repeat it again on the shore before going on the water.
- For large boats, the same thing applies! Introduce getting on and off, and make it a positive experience.
- Once you are on the water, make sure your dog is in their life jacket and ideally off-leash with a modern sport e-collar (long lines can be dangerous in this situation, but check your local leash laws as well, and NEVER let a dog off leash that doesn’t have perfect recall)
- Take it easy and have fun! If your dog is shaking, panting, drooling, or panicking, it’s not a safe activity.
Paddle boarding with a dog or spending the day on the lake in a boat is a fun activity, but do not do it if your dog really doesn’t like it!

I participate in water sports with my dogs and it makes me so sad to see how many dogs on the water are flat out terrified to be there. Many dog owners seem oblivious to it, unfortunately. Cue into your dogs body language; it’s ok to encourage them to face their fears a little bit, but if they are tense or freaking out? It’s time for a change in plans.

Water Ingestion & Inhalation in Dogs Swimming

Another danger to watch out for in the water is excess consumption or inhalation of water, dirt, and mud.

Not only can your dog pick up parasites this way, but they are at risk of a belly ache or worse, getting water in their lungs.

Inhaling water is dangerous to your dog and it can result from gulping, guzzling, or struggling in the water in some way. If your dog has any kind of near drowning event, we recommend seeing a veterinarian ASAP.

Near drowning can happen to even the strongest of swimmers! In the ocean, the current can easily sweep them away. Some dogs don’t realize their limit and end up to far out in the water but become too tired to swim back.

Just like humans, a dog that is struggling in the water may appear to be ‘climbing a ladder’. A dog in this situation needs immediate rescue and help, even if they are wearing a lifejacket!

Monitor your dogs activity in and around the water, and make sure they are not gulping, guzzling, or inhaling too much.

Blue-Green Algae: Dangerous Water

During warm summer months, blue green algae blooms on stagnant lakes and ponds.

Blue-green algae is extremely toxic and kills many dogs each year after they spend an afternoon swimming.

Symptoms of blue-green algae exposure in dogs include:
- Panting
- Drooling
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Seizures
- Respiratory Distress
- Acting disoriented or wobbly
These symptoms or any known exposure to toxic algae in the water require immediate veterinary care. Left untreated, many dogs experience liver failure and death quickly.

The unfortunate thing about blue-green algae is that at times, it may not be visible. Spores from a nearby (visible) bloom can travel into clean waters. Thankfully, the worst waters typically have active and visible blue-green blooms that warn you to stay away.

It is very important when taking your dog swimming during the summer that you only engage in known safe waters and waters that are regularly tested for algae by your local wildlife and conservation officials. Never swim or engage in water activities where you see an active bloom nearby, and monitor reports from your States park systems and other dog owners.

Here is an exceptional article on how to spot toxic blooms. It shows photos so you can see the difference between a very typical non-toxic green algae and plants, and the dangerous blue-green film and signs of dangerous water (including smells) to watch for.

Not only is blue-green algae a danger, but there are all kinds of parasites that want to feed off your pet. They are easily picked up in wooded natural areas and near water, so learn how to protect your pet from parasites HERE.

Off-Leash Training for Great Danes

I mentioned this above, but it’s important to remember that long lines can be dangerous for dogs while they are swimming or trying to play and run freely.

However, being off-leash is dangerous (and in some places illegal) if your dog is not both well trained AND has a backup device such as a modern e-collar.

Any Great Dane that is out in public near other people or dogs needs to be well trained, especially if they are to be off-leash.

We recommend e-collar training, which is a modern, gentle way to replace the long leash and give your dog more freedom.

Proper e-collar training starts with a lot of positive reinforcement and requires that you purchase a quality electric dog collar, not a cheap shock collar from Amazon. Shock collars are not appropriate for Great Danes and are considered inhumane.

E-Collars don’t use shock, they use muscle stimulation (a tactile sensation like touch) which, with training, your dog learns to associate with certain behaviors. This allows you to communicate from afar and keep your dog safe in the water, too.

Interested in learning more about modern positive off-leash training? Our popular E-Collar guide is 80 pages with illustrations for $19.99, and will get you started.
May 9, 2023
The Best Flea and Tick Medicine for Great Danes
It’s May, and that means that the fleas, ticks, mites, and other creepy crawlies are lurking. Dogs living in most areas of the United States benefit from year-round flea and tick protection. Today we’re talking about the best flea and tick medicine for Great Danes.

In addition, I will cover the following topics:
- Is flea and tick medicine safe for dogs?
- Are there natural alternatives to flea and tick medicine?
- Does flea and tick medication cause seizures?
- How much does flea and tick medication cost?
- Are pills, topicals, or collars more effective at preventing parasites?
- What happens if I don’t protect my dog from fleas and ticks?
This is a huge topic and hopefully a great resource for you! Let’s dig in.

The Best Flea and Tick Medication for Great Danes

There are many flea and tick preventatives to choose from, and everybody will have a different opinion on this (especially because there is a lot of scary stories and misinformation out there!)

Different medications may be more or less effective, depending on where you live, too!

In some areas, fleas and ticks have become resistant to certain medications (especially in bug-infested areas where many pet owners decline flea and tick prevention for their pet). Local veterinarians know what the statistics are and what brands are working to prevent parasites.

We’re going to share some of the most commonly used flea and tick preventatives for Great Danes, including information about Bravecto, Sentinal, Nexguard, and natural solutions.

What Happens if I Don’t Use Flea & Tick Prevention?

Outside of the obvious answer here (keeping fleas and ticks away from your dog), many people are unaware that the proper use of veterinary parasite prevention can also prevent and treat:
- Hookworms
- Roundworms
- Heartworms (spread by mosquitoes)
- Tapeworms
- Whipworms
- Mites (a common cause of chronic ‘allergies’ and itching!)
Not all medicines or natural solutions treat all of those things; it is important to discuss this with your vet and make sure that your pet is fully covered against everything, including fleas and ticks.

Mites bite and cause itching and skin and ear irritation. They are a common and often overlooked source of allergy symptoms in Great Danes.

Of course, the above parasitic infections are pretty gross, but fleas and ticks kind of take the cake here.

Fleas cause itching and “allergy” symptoms. Left untreated, they can also cause welts and intense itching that leads to scabs and skin infections. Many people think their dog is allergic to something in their food, when really, their dog has fleas! Fleas are highly contagious and once they enter your home (via your dog), they are hard to eradicate. Not only that, they will bite humans too! Yuck!

Ticks are a common parasite that carry disease. They are often found in grass, wood, and shade and will attach themselves to the host (your dog), often undetected. They bury their head into the skin, suck the blood out, spread disease, and then use the blood to reproduce.

A tick bite can result in loss of coordination, bacterial infection, Lyme disease, or even death among a laundry list of nasty side effects ticks bring with them to your pet.

Is Flea & Tick Medication Safe for Dogs?

Yes. Of course, there are some different schools of thought on this. In looking at evidence-based veterinary medicine and research, flea and tick medications are safe for your pet.

To be perfectly honest, you do not want to mess around with Ehrlichiosis, a flea-infested couch, or worse…heart worms either, right?

The treatment for existing parasitic infections, especially heart worms, can be pretty nasty.

A very small percentage of dogs have had a notable reaction to flea and tick medications. In many of those cases those dogs had underlying health conditions, had unknowingly been given dangerous and toxic fake knockoff products, or may actually have been poisoned by something else (and the application timing of flea/tick products was purely coincidental).

These cases are well documented not only by the veterinary community but by the manufacturer of the flea/tick medication as well. Seresto Collars and Bravecto chews are commonly faked and sold as authentic!

Many peer-reviewed studies have been done on the safety and efficacy of modern flea & tick preventatives. In some studies, pets were given extremely large doses over long periods of time with no ill effects.

Read this SNOPES article on Bravecto Chews

Does Flea & Tick Medication Cause Seizures?

Many companies and influencers who wish to sell ‘natural’ preventatives will say that flea and tick medications cause seizures and death.

Studies also show that false or misleading content online spreads faster than truthful content.

A quick google search turns up many popular influencer blogs which lay claims to veterinary preventatives being “nothing more than poison for your pet”. These claims are not actually supported by the regulations, research and science behind flea and tick medications.

Side effects are a risk with any medication or treatment you give your dog (and this includes common procedures such as teeth cleaning or vaccination against rabies).

The small risk of side effects, especially when looking at dogs with no known pre-existing seizure activity or health condition is greatly eclipsed by the sheer volume of dogs who suffer (or even die) needlessly from preventable parasitic infections.

The vast majority of dogs experience no side effects at all with veterinary-backed preventatives, and unlike their unprotected counterparts, they are MUCH less likely to suffer from parasitic illnesses, heart worm, itching, and skin infections.

Fake dupes of flea & tick preventatives can be dangerous and are responsible for many cases where serious side effects have been seen.

I’m going to share more information about knockoff Seresto Collars and more below, so you can learn how to avoid fakes and keep your pet safe.

Safest Oral Flea & Tick Medications for Great Danes

We always recommend talking to your vet about flea and tick prevention, as most of these medications require both a blood test and a prescription.

Don’t let that scare you off. The blood test looks for existing heart worm infections. This is important because oral prevention only targets heart worm larvae, NOT adult worms (which will have filled your dogs heart chambers with large worms that look like spaghetti).

A dog with an existing heart worm infection needs treatment first before taking preventatives.

Once your dog is cleared to take preventatives, your veterinarian will write you a prescription for one or more of the following products (depending on your pet, their weight, and what tends to work best for the pets that are seen in their location). We recommend ONLY purchasing directly from your Veterinarian or Chewy.com, never from other sources (where fakes and dupes may be sold).

Bravecto – Flea & Tick

Bravecto is a dog chew that must be given at a specific dose (based on weight) every three months to prevent fleas, ticks, and mites. It must be used in tandem with another medication to prevent worms (including heart worm), so it is commonly prescribed alongside Sentinal. You can view Bravecto Chews HERE.

Sentinal Spectrum – Parasites

Sentinal Spectrum is a monthly dog chew (based on weight) that prevents heart worms, tapeworms, hookworms, roundworms, and whipworms. When used among a large population of pets, medications like this also help control the flea population (by stopping eggs from hatching)! You can view Sentinal Spectrum HERE.

NexGard – Flea & Tick

Like Bravecto, Nexgard provides protection against fleas, ticks, and mites. It uses a different active ingredient than Bravecto, and must be given monthly (vs. every 3 months). It must be paired with another medication that target parasites such as heart worm and round worm. Nexgaurd is often paired with Heartgard. You can view Nexgard HERE.

Heartgard – Parasites

Heartgard is monthly oral preventative that targets heart worm, roundworm and hookworm. It does not work on whipworm or tape worm, so it’s not as comprehensive as Sentinal. Heartgard is often paired with Nexguard. You can view Heartgard HERE.

Simparica Trio – Flea, Tick, & Some Parasites

Simparica Trio is a great solution for Great Dane owners who want comprehensive oral protection against fleas, ticks, and some parasitic worms (including heart worm, hookworm, and round worms) in one dose. This oral medication requires a prescription and must be given monthly. You can view Simparica Trio HERE.

Trifexis – Flea, Heartworm & Some Parasites

Like Simparica, Trifexis is a once-monthly prescription preventative that targets not only fleas and heart worms but several parastic worms as well (hookworm, roundworm and whipworm). Trifexis does not target ticks and will need to be used in tandem with another product. You can view Trifexis HERE.

Do Flea & Tick Collars Work?

Many people prefer topical treatments or flea and tick collars to chewables. There are some pros and cons to this route.

Unlike chewables, topicals and collars don’t typically always require a prescription. However, their effectiveness can be reduced by bathing or for dogs that like to swim a lot. Additionally, collars can get lost and they can be dangerous for dogs to wear unsupervised.

It’s important to note that some dogs and some people are sensitive to the chemicals on topical versions (including collars) and care should be used around children or sensitive individuals.

Unlike oral medications, topical medications and collars can be dangerous for all pets and humans to ingest. Thus, topical flea and tick prevention is not always ideal for homes with cats (who are especially sensitive to certain ingredients).

Many flea and tick collars and topicals do NOT prevent internal parasites such as whip worm, round worm and heart worm; you’ll likely still need a chewable or secondary product for that.

Seresto Collar – Fleas & Ticks

The Seresto collar is a popular option for those looking to keep fleas and ticks at bay. It’s easy to wear and lasts nearly 7 months. Unlike oral preventatives, the Seresto collar does not require a prescription. You can view the Seresto Collar HERE.

Advantage Multi Topical – Parasites & Worms

Advantage Multi requires a prescription and is a topical medication that prevents multiple worms & parasites, including fleas. It does not prevent ticks, so like most topicals, comprehensive protection using multiple products is needed. You can view Advantage Multi HERE.

Frontline Plus Topical – Fleas & Ticks

Frontline Plus is a popular topical that must be applied every month. This formula kills fleas, ticks, and some mites and is easily found at local grocery stores or online without a prescription. You can find Frontline Plus HERE.

Does Natural Flea & Tick Prevention Work?

Unlike veterinary prevention, most “natural” and “holistic” options have not been widely subjected to rigorous and thorough clinical trials and testing for longevity, safety and efficacy.

While some research and limited private testing has been done (usually showing that directly spraying live bugs with the essential oils in the product tends to kills them), it doesn’t often address any potential health (or olfactory/scent) concerns related to prolonged exposure of these same ‘natural’ chemicals on dogs and cats.

The EPA barely regulates ‘natural’ pesticide products at all, so there is no guarantee that what is in the package will be safe or effective.

That doesn’t mean that natural solutions aren’t helpful, but it’s important to understand that even ‘natural’ prevention utilizes chemicals. Commonly used essential oils such as peppermint, citrus, rosemary, lemongrass and cedarwood are in fact chemicals. They aren’t well regulated though, and there is a wide range of quality and concentrations from brand to brand.

Some of those oils (peppermint for example), are toxic to dogs and cats.

Not only that, but essential oils have a very strong scent; dogs may not show signs of discomfort but make no mistake, their incredibly sensitive noses may very well be annoyed (or even harmed) by it. Remember, there isn’t a lot of clinical research.

Resources:

Essential Oils Poisoning

Essential Oils Around Pets

Essential Oil Toxicity in Pets

Plant Based Flea & Tick Products Safety & Efficacy

Sprays and collars that utilize essential oils are often marketed as being safe because they are ‘plant powered’. This feel good marketing disregards the fact that many “plant powered” things are in fact toxic.

I’ve yet to find any research showing that prolonged exposure to certain essential oils is safe, or that liberal use of essential-oil based flea and tick products on the yard is safe for wildlife and vegetation.

In “natural” oral (chewable) preventatives, garlic is commonly used. In small amounts that is ok, but in amounts large enough to actually be effective against fleas and ticks, the dose would likely be toxic to your pet. We don’t recommend oral ‘natural’ oral flea & tick prevention chews for any reason.

Natural prevention has its merits, but in many cases, it’s nothing more than snake oil. Most veterinarians (save for a few fringe types who are often trying to sell a product) will tell you that they see more dogs in their office for parasites who had been on ‘natural’ preventatives than any other.

Evidence shows us that that ‘natural’ products are simply not as effective, as much as we want it to be. The false assumption of protection complicates things even further, as pet owners are led to believe that ‘holistic’ options are just as effective (they aren’t).

According to this study, ‘natural’ solutions may actually be harmful, citing that “Ninety-two percent of animals (n = 44) showed presence of one or more adverse effects.“

More research is definitely needed, and I encourage caution around the kind of ‘holistic’ pet care marketing which implies that ‘natural’ is always good and veterinarian-recommended & science-backed products are always bad.

Essential Oil Based Anti-Parasite Solutions

If you are still interested in ‘natural’ solutions, there are some options. The Wondercide brand has done *some* studies which is also helpful, although their research is not nearly as comprehensive as it needs to be to compete against proven veterinary products. They do not test their products for safety and long term use on animals, so your pet is the test subject.

However, among the many options Wondercide is one of the more thoughtfully formulated natural insect repellent products. If you would like to check them out to use as part of a more comprehensive parasite protection plan, we’ve provided some links below!

I like to spray the edge of our deck with Flea & Tick yard spray to reduce bugs on summer evenings, and I occasionally lightly treat my cloths and my pets fur if we are going into dense or wooded areas.

Wondercide Flea & Tick Yard Spray

This solution of essential oils can be sprayed around your yard to reduce the chance of fleas and ticks on or around your property. It does need to be applied liberally and often (especially after rain or sprinkler use), but may be helpful if you live in an area plagued with pests. You can view Wondercide Flea & Tick yard spray here.

Wondercide Pet & Home Spray

Heading out of your house and want to give your dog a little extra boost in protection? Wondercide pet spray may help ward of pests, especially when used in tandem with veterinary preventatives. You can use this to spray down your dogs coat (make sure to reapply often, especially if your dog goes for a swim). As with any preventative, talk to your veterinarian and monitor your dog for negative reactions (including eye irritation, itching, hives, or drooling). You can view Wondercide Pet & Home Spray here.

Wondercide Flea & Tick Collar

The Wondercide Flea and Tick collar targets fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes with essential oils. Reviews on the efficacy in real life applications of this are mixed, and it’s important to keep in mind that the collar will be in close proximity to your dogs nose (potentially bothering their olfactory sense with ongoing exposure). You can view Wondercide Flea & Tick Collar here.

Itching, Allergies, Mites & More

I touched on this above, but many chronically itchy dogs are misdiagnosed with food allergies.

This is a huge problem. Desperate pet owners are switching food brands again and again, often landing on poorly formulated foods that are loaded with lentils and potatoes instead of meat, just to get rid of the itching.

Many times, those chronically itchy dogs are actually suffering from mites or fleas.

Fleas and mites often go undetected; if your dog is not protected, they are at risk. Dogs that are on research-backed parasite prevention are less likely to suffer from chronic itching and other bug-based ailments.

It is very important to talk to a veterinarian and even a veterinary dermatologist if your dog is suffering from itching, scratching, ear infections, scabs, and ongoing skin problems.

How Much Does Flea & Tick Prevention for a Great Dane Cost?

This is where Great Dane owners tend to experience the biggest sticker shock.

Big dogs = big expenses, and because most oral flea and tick medications are dosed based on weight, expect to pay significantly more than you would if your dog was a chihuahua.

I recently renewed our prescription for Bravecto & Sentinal. For two Danes and a small dog it was several hundred dollars out of pocket, but it’s worth it for the peace of mind.

Ultimately, prevention is a whole lot cheaper, and definitely a lot safer, than having to treat my dogs for preventable diseases (especially heart worm and Lyme’s Disease, yikes!).

If cost is an issue, talk to your veterinarian about the most effective and economical option. For those times when oral prevention is out of reach financially, a flea + tick collar is your best bet!

Counterfeit Flea & Tick Products

Fake counterfeit flea & tick meds are a huge problem, and dangerous too. Many documented severe reactions to flea and tick products were the result of a product that only looked like the real thing.

Seresto Collars are one of the most commonly duped products.

To protect yourself and your pet from fake flea and tick medications, the EPA has shared some helpful tips.

As mentioned previously, we only recommend getting your flea/tick meds through your veterinarian or a quality online veterinary pharmacy that your veterinarian approves of.

Never purchase Seresto collars or other flea/tick preventatives from private sellers or unknown websites.

We recommend steering clear of Amazon for the same reason.

As always, talk to your veterinarian. They have a PhD and several years of clinical practice under their belt; we promise, they (like us here at Hello Danes) want your pet happy and healthy!
May 5, 2023
The Anti-Ear Cropping Argument (& Why It’s Wrong)

Today’s post is going to be quick and simple. The anti-ear cropping argument is misleading, and I think we need to talk about it.

This morning somebody started a post in a Facebook group. It was one of THOSE posts. The “this is a hot topic and the initial take on it is controversial” type of conversation that results in a lot of participation, quickly.

They started the thread with a rant about how ear cropping in dogs is painful, torture, abusive, and wrong. Let’s be honest here though, it’s not that simple.

The Anti-Ear Cropping Argument is Misleading

Ear cropping is a simple surgical procedure that is done under anesthesia, and ideally only by veterinarians who are very experienced with the process. The puppies are up playing within hours as if nothing happened. They don’t care about their missing ear flaps.

Ear cropping is less invasive than a spay or stomach tack.

If you walk around a dog show in the U.S., you’ll see hundreds of cropped dogs. The solid majority of them are among some of the most well-kept and cared for dogs in the Country. They are fed an appropriate diet and kept lean and muscular. Their nails are short. They receive a lot of training and enrichment.

Those dogs who were cropped as puppies for their breed standard are far from abused and as adults, they still don’t care about their ears.

Things That Are More Abusive Than Ear Cropping

This is why the anti-crop argument is misleading. There are many, many things happening in the world of dogs that are infinitely more harmful, abusive, and damaging than ear cropping (which is none of those things to begin with). These are the things affecting dogs and the short lives they share with us.

Let’s list them out.

Pet Obesity

Obesity is an epidemic in pets. They are overfed and under-exercised and left to rot on our couches in the name of ‘love’. Many dog owners celebrate this problem by engaging in the idea that overweight pets are cute or ‘all muscle’.

A dog that is allowed to become sedentary and obese is more likely to suffer from boredom, bladder stones, diabetes, cancer, heart problems, joint pain, joint damage, and complications associated with anesthesia.

But let’s keep talking about ear cropping…

Poor Grooming Habits

From pelted Doodles to eagle talons for nails, poor husbandry is epidemic in pets.

Groomers see it every day. Bad teeth, overgrown nails, skin suffering from mites, fleas, and bites (lack of prevention), and coated dogs (such as Doodles who are often sold as ‘easy to groom and hypoallergenic’) with pelted coats that have to be sheered off like a sheep.

The solid majority of pet owners are neglecting at least one of these things. If we want to cry ‘abuse and torture’, let’s please start with basic care items. Not ear cropping.

Lack of Enrichment & Training

Many pet dogs are bored out of their minds.

They chew up the couch to satisfy these missing needs, and when the owners find the mess the dog is often met with the harsh, abusive training tactics listed above. People pull out their phones and take “funny” videos of their “guilty” dog, who is literally just terrified that their owner has turned into an intimidating monster.

So many others are also shocked when at 9 months of age, their sweet 80 pound puppy is pulling them all over the place and lunging at dogs. How could this happen, their dog had “graduated” puppy class and spent time at the dog park for socialization!?

Dogs are living their lives in our homes, often offered little more than a 15 minute walk each day where they are expected to move by our side on pavement and not sniff, explore, run, dig, or climb.

But let’s keep talking about how ear cropping is “abuse”.

Holistic Woo & Anti-Veterinarian Belief Systems

There is nothing wrong with taking a holistic approach to pet care, if you honor the original intent of the world (to address the whole body, and that means utilizing every tool available for health including science).

However, pet owners who walk down the path of disregarding science, modern medicine, and veterinarians in the name of being ‘holistic’ as it’s been defined by a few predatory influencers, are treading in dangerous, neglectful, and often abusive territory.

It is not ok to let a dog suffer in the name of ‘holistic’ treatments. Essential oils don’t cure everything and may be toxic. Broken bones cannot be healed with mud baths and Reiki. Pumpkin seeds are not going to prevent or cure heartworms.

Veterinarians are not money-hungry shills for “big food & big pharma”. These conspiracies are wild and extremely harmful to our pets.

Unethical Breeders & Unethical Rescues

Among the most harmful practices in the world of dogs, far worst than a simple ear-crop procedure, are the poor ethics of so many breeders and rescues.

Skipping health testing, breeding dogs with poor temperaments and structure, telling owners that the dog will be hypoallergenic and family-friendly because it’s a ‘doodle’, and giving puppy buyers unscientific advice about vaccines and nutrition are abhorrent.

That doesn’t even touch on the unethical rescues who pipe their budget towards dogs who are suffering beyond repair (and thus can provide sob-story material for social media). They do this, meanwhile rejecting (“no kill”, which actually means shipped to or left at a kill shelter) or euthanizing healthy adult dogs that don’t bring in the donations or adoption requests.

What about the rescues that adopt known-aggressive dogs out to unsuspecting and underprepared owners? Or the ones who buy entire litters of cute puppies at auctions and sell them as ‘rescue dogs’ or ‘meat trade dogs’?

But ear-cropping is torture and abuse, got it.

You Don’t Have to Like Ear Cropping

My Great Danes have intact ears. I’ll probably never choose to crop a puppy. I can respect pro-crop dog owners’ choices and have dogs with intact ears at the same time.

Most Great Danes keep their natural ears. Some don’t, and that’s ok as long as the procedure was done in an informed manner by a highly skilled and experienced veterinarian.

I think it’s important when throwing around words such as “abuse” and “torture” that we are being realistic. If ear cropping is defined by those terms, it is implied that spaying/neutering or any other simple, common surgical procedure is also abuse and torture.

We have SO many other things in the world of dogs to concern ourselves with; I’ll never understand why so much time and effort is wasted on inflammatory, misleading, and incorrect remarks about a procedure most dog owners know little to nothing about.

April 19, 2023
A Great Dane Bit Somebody
Big dogs are in the news again. This week a blue Great Dane bit somebody at a Home Depot, causing severe damage.

The shopper had been told that the Dane was “in training”, and was instructed to offer a treat when the dog sat.

People who saw the incident cited that the dog appeared to be in control and took the treat gently, but then suddenly lunged at the victims face.

The victim was subjected to a severe bite that required immediate medical care and surgery.

While the injured shopper was receiving attention for the bite, the owners, dog trainer, and Great Dane fled the scene.

It was this photo, published on multiple media channels, which helped tip authorities off to the identity of dog owners. You can clearly see the blue Great Dane, led by one of the two owners involved in the incident, and the dog trainer in this image. The other owner is not shown.

A Great Dane Bit Somebody, and we have a lot to talk about…

How Severe is the Great Dane Home Depot Bite?

According to the Dunbar dog bite scale, based on information that we currently have, this would be considered a level 4 or level 5 bite.

For perspective, a level 2 is when the teeth make contact but do not break skin (a nip, for example), while a level 5 indicates multiple bites with deep wounds.

It is reported that the victim did require surgery. We can reasonably conclude here that not only did the teeth make contact, they were used to cause a significant amount of damage.

Make no mistake. A bite this serious doesn’t happen in stable dogs with no history of aggression or fear.

It is very likely that the owners and the trainer were aware of the fact that this dog wasn’t entirely stable.

This may have prompted the training session in the first place, however, was this situation correctly handled? Let’s dig in.

Great Dane Owner Charged with Misdemeanor for Dog Bite

The other owner of this dog is not seen in the images, however, because he is the one who held the leash, he is the one being charged with a misdemeanor.

While logically this makes sense, there is a larger ethical issue here in that other involved parties may have played a role in the bite having happened in the first place.

For a dog with instability, aggression, or fear, visiting Home Depot was a grave and preventable mistake.

He/she was not wearing a muzzle or appropriate and safe training gear for a giant breed dog (more on this below), even while being supervised by a supposed dog trainer.

Asking strangers to give a dog treats as a training or counter-conditioning method can actually be dangerous, and often backfires, too.

While witnesses saw the dog sit and gently take a treat before lunging, educated dog owners and behaviorists know all to well that doesn’t necessarily mean the dog was friendly, approachable, or safe.

As a matter of fact, the stress of having to choose between ignoring a treat (fear of the stranger) and taking a treat from a stranger (wanting the treat despite the fear) may have been the trigger.

This doesn’t even begin to address the fact that dogs who damage skin do so with intent; it’s not an accident and as I’ve mentioned previously, it’s VERY likely that this dog had documented issues with training, aggression, and fear.

The fact remains, however, that the owners fled the scene and did not provide contact information or support for the injured shopper. The owners and the trainer did not handle this correctly.

AUTHOR NOTE: We do not know the full story, have never met this dog, and do not know who the trainer is. This blog post is based on available information, and I will not be placing blame on any one person.

Breeding Aggressive Great Danes that Bite

Instability of temperament and poor bite control are signs of issues that likely began with the breeder.

Too many Great Dane breeders are pairing dogs together with very little regard for health and temperament; these things are largely genetic.

In other words, it’s not “all in how you raise them”.

Some dogs are just flat out unstable. No well-bred, well-tempered Great Dane is going to cause this kind of damage unless provoked beyond reason. This dog clearly was not provoked, and that’s the problem.

The breed standard states that Great Danes should be “friendly and courageous”.

Great Danes are facing an epidemic of aggression and fear, perpetuated largely by unethical profit-driven breeders.

Note that dangerous behavior in Great Danes is not normal and not acceptable. This Great Dane was failed by humans in some way, and will pay the price for it.

Great Dane Aggression Chart

Assuming that the owners and the dog trainer in question were aware of the fact that this dog was willing to bite or nip, mistakes were unfortunately made. My heart hurts for the owners in this situation, because, those mistakes are often the result of bad advice.

If this dog had always loved greeting people and never once bared teeth, growled or nipped and never showed fear towards humans, perhaps there was a medical issue or serious problem with this dogs temperament.

But given the severity of the bite, it would be highly unusual that no signs of severe or impending aggression had previously been given.

Dogs give us early warnings. They are often subtle and easily missed, or worse, punished away.

Many times owners are coached to harshly correct the dog in some way for low growls and bared teeth. If a dog owner took this advice and nailed a dog to the wall for growling, that can actually result in the dog later skipping the warning growl and going straight to causing damage.

Incorrect handling of fear and aggression causes more fear and aggression, unfortunately.

This particular dog was asked to sit, too. In being obedient and sitting, the ability to show some calming signals such as walking away, turning to the side, or exposing the tummy were removed.

(image courtesy of the BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Behavioral Medicine)

How to Handle an Aggressive Great Dane

As above, we are assuming that this dog was known to be unstable in some way.

As an active member of the online Great Dane community, it consistently shocks me how many people believe that it’s appropriate to socialize unstable giant breed dogs by asking strangers to give them obedience commands and treats.

This should, IMO, never be taken lightly as a common behavior modification exercise, especially if the person handling the dog doesn’t have complete and full control. It’s not always the best choice, in other words.

Handling an aggressive Great Dane requires three things:

a. Management (avoiding scenarios that trigger certain body language or outbursts)

b. A good understanding of behavior, counter-conditioning, and effective training techniques. Owners with aggressive or unstable dogs should be working with a dog trainer (see below).

c. Appropriate tools (which for giant breed dogs include a properly fit muzzle and some kind of collar that is escape-proof and allows for control of the dog no matter if they lunge or try to run. I prefer thick fabric martingale collars (slip on only, not a quick release type which can break) or for some dogs, a properly fit Herm Sprenger Prong collar with a safety clip).

A nylon head collar cannot safely be worn with a muzzle, which is a good reason to avoid that tool and choose a properly used prong collar or martingale instead. This is especially true for dogs that are known to be a bite risk or that lunge and try to escape.

How to Choose a Dog Trainer for a Great Dane

We don’t know anything about the trainer who was working with the owners of the Great Dane that bit somebody.

However, I would like to point out the fact that while Home Depot is a popular place for people to work with their dogs in a training capacity, many stores don’t actually condone this. Situations like this one put stores at risk, and are likely to result in managers no longer allowing dogs in the store.

There is also a business ethics dilemma associated with a dog trainer utilizing private property (which Home Depot is) for their for-profit business; especially when their choice to do so has resulted in a shopper being damaged for life.

I can’t really talk, as I’ve attended Home Depot with a dog trainer on more than one occasion, but this incident does bring up some valid discussion points.

To that end, we recommend finding dog trainers who:
- Carry full liability insurance
- Have an outstanding reputation in the community
- Can administer Canine Good Citizen and Trick Dog testing
- Use positive reinforcement
- Know how to properly condition a dog to a prong collar or E-Collar in a positive way if needed or desired as an alternative to head collars and harnesses
- Believe in muzzles
- Has at least some comprehensive education in behavior management, counter-conditioning and desensitization
I recommend search the IACP database for qualified trainers. You can search your area HERE.

If your dog bites somebody or injures another dog, do NOT leave the scene. It is important that you provide contact information and be prepared to pay for damages. You will also be required to prove that your dog is vaccinated against rabies.

It’s best to avoid this tragic scenario in the first place, of course! Keep your dogs safe; giant breed dogs are a bigger liability no matter how you spin it. They should be loving, friendly, gentle giants but that isn’t always the case. Seek professional help and manage the environment to protect your dog and others.
April 12, 2023
5 Dog Food Marketing Gimmicks You Should Know About

It’s no secret that I’ve become a passionate advocate for good nutrition when it comes to my dogs. At one time I fell for some very common dog food marketing gimmicks and my dogs suffered as a result.

As a matter of fact, my experience seeing my heart dog harmed by a popular ‘high quality’ dog food sent me down a huge rabbit hole that I will not soon dig out of.

There are 300-400 new dog food brands every year in the U.S. All of them are trying to get the money out of your wallet, and will tell you what they have to in order to make it happen.

Are you wanting to avoid being confused or even scammed by pet food industry marketing tricks and misinformation? This post is for you!

5 Dog Food Marketing Gimmicks

#1 Dog Food Marketing Gimmick: “Family Owned”

A common phrase seen from dog food companies is the word “Family Owned and Operated”.

This statement makes dog owners feel like they are supporting a small business, helping a neighbor, or purchasing from a company that is run by people, not corporations. It feels good to purchase from “family owned” companies that appear to have been passed down from generation to generation.

I hate to burst your bubble here, but this is a big gimmick.

Of course, many pet food brands and manufacturing facilities have been passed from one family member to the next generation. This happens in a lot of businesses and it’s great, sure.

Small ‘family owned’ operations are just as susceptible to cutting corners as the big guys.

Unfortunately, small business playing in the big world of pet food are more likely to cut corners, because they just don’t have the clout or affordable access to resources, funding, research, and the supply chain that bigger companies do.

We see this at play with Fromm Family Foods. This family organization employs a lot of people and sells millions of dollars worth of food each year, yet, they don’t have a single qualified nutritionist on staff and never have. They do no feeding trials and their research efforts dried up circa 1990.

We can reasonably assume that isn’t the only place they are keeping their operation lean!

Midwest Pet foods (the makers of Sportmix, Earthborn, Ultimates, Venture, CanineX and Unrefined) actively market that they are a “family owned” business. They have been under fire from the FDA for sanitation practices at their plants that have resulted in harm or death to over 300 dogs to date. Midwest does not employ a single qualified nutritionist, either.

A lot of dog food companies rely on smaller ‘family owned’ manufacturing plants (that as above, employ 100’s of people and qualify as medium to large businesses) and a lot of those plants absolutely do have problems.

Family owned sounds nice on paper, but as above, just because Bob Junior now owns the plant instead of Bob Senior does not mean that they are actually producing something better for your pet. Chances are, they are just as money-driven as any other business out there.

#2 – Pet Food Brands with “No Recalls”

A lot of people mistakenly believe that “no recalls” is an indication that a pet food company is higher quality.

Many times however, companies issue recalls voluntarily out of an abundance of caution. They should, too, because the alternative to issuing recalls is literally to sweep issues under the rug and hope it doesn’t become a problem.

Of course, sometimes a company will have a very negative recall history. There is a huge difference between that and a recall that a big company issues for quality control reasons. It’s important to figure out how to sort out the difference.

Primal Pet Foods and Darwins are examples of brands with inexcusable recalls who have received some damning warning letters from the FDA as a result of sanitation and nutritional practices at their “family owned” plants.

Champion Pet Foods (the makers or Orijen and Acana) knew they had food on the shelves made with beef tallow that had been contaminated with euthanasia drug. Instead of recalling it from pet owners who had already purchased the food, they quietly pulled pallets from the supply chain and didn’t say a word otherwise.

People unknowingly fed it to their pets…and while no pets appear to have been harmed, the ethics of it are appalling.

A company attempting to uphold a history of “no recalls” is going to be much less likely to recall products for small (but notable) issues. Your pet gets to be the guinea pig.

My point here is this. “No recalls” doesn’t always mean that a company is operating ethically, safely, or with transparency.

So instead of judging a book by that cover, look at the nature of the recalls, how quickly they were responded to, and why they happened in the first place. Some companies should absolutely be avoided. Others? There is more to the story.

Thank those companies for recalling instead of letting pet owners bear the brunt of a human mistake.

#3 – A “Team of Highly Qualified Nutritionists & Veterinarians”

Did you know that the solid majority of pet food brands on the market don’t have a single qualified nutritionist on staff?

But if you look at their website, you’d be made to believe that the company has a massive team of highly qualified and highly educated people sitting in their home office, dedicating their time to formulating food for your pet.

I’m sure you’re starting to catch on here, but this too is a marketing gimmick.

With rare exception, what companies really mean when they say they have a ‘team’ of qualified people, is that they pay off-site 3rd party consultants to look over their recipes.

In many cases, those “highly qualified” nutritional consultants may do nothing more than check a box and verify that on paper, the food is nutritionally complete.

Off-site nutrition consultants have no allegiance to the brand or the formulas being marketed. A solid majority of foods on the market are actually generic recipes that were spit out by a computer.

While this usually results in foods that are generally good at keeping pets alive, it’s a far cry from the nutritional research and formulation processes of companies who actually have qualified people on staff.

This practice of marketing the idea of a ‘team of nutritionists’ is also very, very misleading to pet parents who want to know that a lot of dedication was actually made to their pet’s food!

Our recommendation? Look for food brands that have board certified Veterinary Nutritionists or at minimum, people with a PhD in Animal Nutrition on staff.

Tread cautiously though, because companies use all kinds of slick language to bypass actually saying that they don’t employ people for nutritional formulation and food science.

You can check your brand here: https://petnutritionalliance.org/resources/pet-food-manufacturer-evaluation-report/ and see if the results line up with what they say on their site.

If they didn’t reply to the Pet Nutrition Alliance or refused to answer? Run. Transparent companies have nothing to hide.

#4 – The “Good” Ingredients List

Marketing has taught all of us to be very, very wary of the ingredients in our dog food.

As a matter of fact, it was Blue Buffalo who largely pioneered this concept when they launched their ads showing pet parents how to compare ingredients.

The problem? Most “good” ingredients lists only look that way because of…you guessed it…marketing gimmicks!

Not only have companies strategically rearranged their ingredients lists to appeal to pet parents, they have intentionally replaced a few highly nutritious ingredients with “nicer sounding” foods that don’t provide anywhere near the same energy, fiber, protein, fat, mineral, or vitamin content.

Piggy-backing off the previous section of this blog, it’s important to keep in mind that many of these “nice” sounding ingredients lists and “quality” substitutions are being created and promoted by companies who have no qualified nutritionist on staff.

This includes Blue Buffalo, who came up with the entire concept of judging a food by the ingredients in the first place but only recently (2022) hired a veterinary nutritionist to correctly formulate their diets.

Because as we are learning, this is all about marketing.

Here are some common ways that dog food companies organize their ingredients lists to sell to you.

#1 – “Meat is the first 5 ingredients!”

This implies that the food has more meat in it than other foods.

However, it’s smoke and mirrors. Instead of using 10oz of chicken, they used 2oz of chicken, 2oz of dried chicken, 2oz of chicken liver, 2oz of whitefish, and 2oz of dried lamb.

The meat content is the same, it’s just been split up. Then all they have to do is split up their grains (by using multiple sources or through ingredient splitting) and other ingredients so that none of those weigh more than any of the meats.

#2 – “Fresh meat is the first ingredient”

Fresh meat is heavy, so it’s nearly always at the top of the ingredients list (which is based on weight prior to extrusion).

Fresh meat is 70% water.

Companies want you to believe that your dry kibble is loaded with meat because they show you a photo of a beautiful chicken breast and an ingredients list with “real chicken” as the first ingredient.

But after the fresh chicken is extruded into kibble, the moisture (and thus a solid majority of that heavy fresh meat) is gone. In many cases, the finished kibble will have less fresh meat in it than other ingredients.

This is why some companies use a meat meal, which is dehydrated before it’s used in the extrusion process and contains a lot more nutrition as a result. A kibble that contains some kind of meat meal or meat by-product meal will always have more meat based protein, amino acids and nutrients in it.

#3 – “Includes spinach, blueberries, and carrots”

In an attempt to appeal to consumers who want a ‘fresh’ or ‘holistic’ option, some kibble foods will include a range of fruits and vegetables from spinach to pomegranate and lay claim to the antioxidant benefits.

The bag will often contain beautiful and colorful photos of these ingredients, too.

But like fresh meat, fruits and vegetables are mostly water. To meet nutritional requirements, these cannot be too high on the ingredients list, either, otherwise it throws off the density and nutritional balance of the finished dry kibble food. They are nearly always listed near or after salt, indicating that they are less than 1% of the overall formulation.

As one board certified veterinary nutritionist put it, “it is fairy dust”.

Skip this and top your dogs food with real fresh fruit and veg. (Up to 5-10% of the overall diet is acceptable for treats and toppers like this).

#4 – Ingredient Splitting

This common trick allows dog food manufacturers to take a whole ingredient and split it up into multiple parts on the ingredient list.

This changes our perception of how much of that ingredient is in the food, as it can either be perceived as being “more” (for example, multiple meat sources as in the #1 example above), or “less” (by pushing the now lower-weight ingredients down on the ingredients list).

You’ve found ingredient splitting when you see a brand utilizing multiple forms of the same ingredient. For example:

“Peas, pea protein, whole peas, pea fiber, pea flour, green peas”

“Lentils, whole lentils, yellow lentils, green lentils, lentil fiber, lentil flour”

“Oats, oat groats, milled outs, rolled oats, oat fiber, oat flour”

#5 – “Holistic, Super-Premium, Functional, Human Grade”

There are many common words used by dog food companies to sell their products, and the vast majority of them are completely unregulated terms with absolutely not legal definition.

Holistic, for example, is often used to indicate a food that is somehow more ‘natural’. It’s a word that has been misused for so long that people associate it with a perception, not an actual meaning. Any food company can grab this word and throw it into their marketing.

Given how similar 99% of dog foods actually are to each other, even the ‘holistic’ ones, this particular term lacks any real authority to designate one food as ‘healthier’ or ‘higher quality’ than the next.

Super Premium is another word with no meaning at all. To the point of being laughable. As if being ‘premium’ weren’t enough, THIS food option is SUPER premium, ooooh!

See my point here? Words like “Super Premium” are there to make you feel some sort of way about the dog food. There is no legal definition for this term either.

Functional is the new “it” buzzword, courtesy of “Integrative, Functional, Holistic” Veterinarians and practitioners. Honestly though? All food should be functional. It is supposed to support health, right down to the cells.

I’m honestly concerned that some dog food companies have to tell us their food is ‘functional’ to get our attention.

Human Grade is complicated. There are some very loose regulations surrounding the use of this word. In theory, the ingredients should be sourced from suppliers where the intention of the food is for human consumption, and made in kitchens that prepare human foods, for example.

But once ‘human’ food is put into a dog food recipe, it’s no longer human grade as the final product is intended for use by animals. Not humans.

Food from suppliers intended for use in dog food doesn’t have to be trash; and truthfully, it’s well regulated. Keep in mind that the ‘human’ supply chain is just as susceptible to problems related to salmonella or otherwise.

Choose companies that have good ethics and practices and don’t waste your money, hopes, and dreams on the overpriced and wasteful ‘human grade’ marketing gimmick.

Your beloved pet is a dog, not a human. Given the opportunity, they will tear into your trash and happily eat all the guts out of a chicken carcass.

Anytime we post an article like this, we get a million questions about “‘well, “ok fine, what SHOULD I feed instead?”

Do you want the honest answer? Stop looking at the marketing and the ingredients lists. Look around at the literal billions of dogs that are quietly eating and thriving on veterinary recommended food brands. Those brands have qualified nutritionists on staff and dump millions of dollars every year into nutritional research and feeding trials.

For a comprehensive (and growing) list that addresses common brands/formulas as it relates to large + giant breed puppies (in particular), check out this spreadsheet:

THE MEGA GREAT DANE FOODS SPREADSHEET

You can also check your brand against the data in the Pet Nutrition Alliance Database. Notice how many brands only use nutritional consultants, and that’s if they even bothered to include their information in this database.

THE PET NUTRITION ALLIANCE DOG FOOD DATABASE

Transparent companies have qualified nutritionists on staff and absolutely nothing to hide.

April 10, 2023
My Great Dane is Aggressive On Leash
Ah yes. Leash reactivity. If your Great Dane is aggressive on leash, but not necessarily off-leash, this post is for you. Of course, some dogs are are reactive both on and off leash, and this post will have valuable information for them, too!

Leash aggression is a really frustrating and dangerous problem, especially when it comes to giant breed dogs.

There is nothing worse than trying to take a peaceful walk when your 140 pound dog makes an absolute fool of himself over another dog or person walking by.

It’s embarrassing, it causes a lot of anxiety, and the list of scenarios where something goes horribly wrong are pretty insane to think about.

I don’t know about you, but I have no tolerance for Great Danes being aggressive on a leash. So let’s dig into this.

What Causes Leash Reactivity

To better understand how to treat this behavior, we have to look at why it happens in the first place.

Dogs communicate with other dogs through subtle body language. When stable, well-socialized dogs approach each other, they do so in a non-threatening way by turning their body slightly to the side and keeping their ears, mouth, and tail relaxed and neutral.

Both dogs watch each other for signs that they are uncomfortable or excited, and the communication between the two dogs continues until one or both make a decision to proceed or walk away.

Off-leash dogs are able to both express natural non-threatening body language, AND escape and retreat from dogs that show signs of discomfort.

When a dog cannot escape, or is unable to move forward towards something that they find interesting, scary, or fun, tension from the leash is transferred into the dog via the connection point (collar, harness, etc.).

As you can imagine, this tension is very, very frustrating.

Leash reactivity and its root cause are incredibly simple. To put this bluntly, a leash reactive dog is frustrated.

Making matters worse, the repetition of this cycle of excitement or nervousness paired with the restrictive leash teaches the dog to anticipate tension when seeing another dog (or whatever it is that they tend to react to).

The anticipation of this tension in and of itself causes many dogs to start bubbling up with negative or frustrated feelings even before the leash becomes tense. It is at this point when owners lose control.

What Does Leash Reactivity Look Like?

Many people think that leash reactivity only means aggression. Of course, dogs that snarl, snap, and lunge on a leash are being aggressive.

However, for some dogs, leash reactivity presents as nervousness or excitement!

Some dogs will shut down, pin their ears, lean, and may even spin circles or pull forward trying to protect themselves or leave the situation. These dogs may be perfectly confident off-leash, but being on leash makes them nervous and anxious.

Other dogs will jump, whine, wiggle, lunge, and basically flip out trying to get out of their collar so they can greet another dog. This too is a form of leash reactivity, even if it’s not aggressive or protective in nature.

Either way, these behaviors are dangerous. It is very difficult to control a giant breed dog that is nervous, anxious, or frustrated on leash.

How to Prevent a Dog From Becoming Leash Reactive

If you already have a leash reactive dog, this ship has probably sailed but this section will help you better understand how to work towards prevention in the future.

Here are common reasons why dogs become leash-reactive as they mature:
- The dog has been allowed to pull, especially early on
- As a puppy the dog was allowed or even encouraged to approach all people and dogs for “socialization” purposes, even if they were lunging at the end of a leash to do so
- The dog has spent more time approaching dogs and people off-leash at will than they did learning how to politely ignore dogs while on a leash
- Poor leash handling/handler skills, including a lack of confidence and direction
- Incorrect use of training tools including harnesses, collars, electric collars and prong collars
- Lack of correct socialization (learn more about this in our guide HERE)
- The dog has an unstable or insecure temperament
- Excessive force and tension on the leash, coming from the handler, including harsh corrections
- Boredom (when taking a walk is the most exciting part of the day, dogs will often seek excitement during the walk)
- Coddling a dog during a reaction or while they are anxious or fearful
- Rewarding the dog for reacting by removing the thing they are reacting to, or by allowing them access to it (instead of teaching them to ignore it in the first place)
Some dogs with incredibly stable temperaments can be poorly socialized and never trained and they will be amazing on leash no matter what.

For many dogs, however, leash reactivity is the result of multiple compounding problems. Remember, it’s rooted in the restrictive and frustrating nature of being on a leash.

How to Stop Leash Reactivity in Great Danes

If you have a leash-reactive Great Dane, it stops here. Now. Today.

Before you can address leash reactivity, you must prevent it from occurring in the first place. Keep in mind that every time your dog practices the behavior, it is further reinforced.

Take away the foundation.

This may mean only walking when no other people are likely to be out, driving somewhere quieter, or finding other forms of enrichment such as a backyard scent work kit or FitPaws-inspired obstacle course.

This is temporary! In no way should you remove your dog’s access to the world entirely; isolation as a form of training is not a good answer. But for now, you should focus heavily on managing and preventing the behavior.

Note: If your Great Dane is aggressive on leash and seeks to harm, extra steps must be taken to protect other people and dogs. We highly recommend working with a trainer. Depending on the nature of the aggression, muzzle training may also be warranted.

Step One – Keep Your Reactive Dog Safe & In Control

In addition to the above considerations, ALL leash reactive dogs must be on secure equipment. Avoid tools that break, are easy to escape from, or that make it difficult to physically control the dog during an outburst. Even if you visit somewhere that the reaction is unlikely to happen, it’s important to keep your dog safe.

Tools that are NOT appropriate for leash-reactive dogs include:
- Flat buckle collars, especially the type with a plastic latch
- Chain/choke collars (harsh correction that tends to escalate reactivity in the wrong hands)
- Front clip “T” shaped harnesses such as 2-Hounds Freedom or Easy Walk no-pull (adds tension to the shoulders, restricts movement, and are very easy to escape from)
- Any harness or collar the dog can slip out of
- Retractable leashes (very dangerous!)
- Head collars/gentle leaders (for dogs that lunge or pull, these can cause a lot of damage)
- Cheap shock collars used to harshly correct outbursts (or any electric collar that is used incorrectly)
- Any kind of leash with a cheap/wimpy clip and/or that is difficult for the handler to hold onto
Instead, I highly recommend the use of the following tools for dogs that are aggressive or reactive on leash:
- A wide, flat martingale collar such as this one
- A slip collar such as this one (use with trainer guidance)
- A slip lead like this
- An properly fit harness from Ruffwear, like this Flagline Harness
- The Herm Sprenger Prong Collar (use with trainer guidance) with a safety clip
- A quality long leash (for working in low-distraction areas)
- A study 6-8 foot leash of your choice
The above tools make it easier to control your dog and won’t allow them to easily pull out of their equipment and escape or act on their frustrations.

Step Two – Teach the Correct Alternative Behavior

Before you can really address leash reactivity, your dog needs a clear picture of what they should be doing instead. If your dog already has great leash skills in general (doesn’t pull, looks at you on command, stops by your side and waits), you can probably skip this step.

Otherwise, it’s back to basics!

Start in a low distraction area such as your living room. Use treats, praise, and play to teach your dog to walk by your left side.

At first, you may have to reward your dog for taking just one step with you. After consistent practice, you should be able to walk all over your house with your dog by your side, no matter how many twists and turns you throw in there!

This is something you have to teach, and it’s a step many people skip.

Once your dog understands how to walk by your side on command, practice the skill in your yard or in other areas nearby that are free of distractions. Clip a loose leash to your dog and continue practicing. Don’t forget to add in stops and turns!

If your dog doesn’t have this basic skill thoroughly installed, you’re going to struggle with addressing leash reactivity. Remember, leash reactivity is caused by tension and if your dog never pulls, there will be no tension.

Remember to ONLY use the equipment listed above; as you move towards situations where reactivity can happen, it’s important that you can maintain control.

Step Three – Re-Socialize Your Reactive Dog

One of the biggest mistakes people make in puppyhood is that they allow their puppy to pull on the leash and greet all people and dogs at will.

This causes reactivity and aggression. It has the opposite affect as intended!

Now imagine your leash reactive Great Dane is a puppy, and we’re going to reset things a bit here.

Dog training secret: good socialization means learning to ignore distractions in the environment, and to only interact with them when it’s safe and appropriate.

A dog that has been taught through proper socialization to be indifferent towards dogs and people in the environment (vs rushing up to them and pulling in the process) will not be leash reactive.

Take your dog out on a longer, loose leash to your front yard or a huge park where you can safely work with your dog but not trigger reactivity, frustration, or anxiety.

Sit in the grass together. Watch people and dogs walk by. Use praise, treats, and play to reward your dog for engaging with YOU, not dogs and people they see milling about nearby.

With time, you can gradually close the gap between you and the distractions. Never close that gap more than your dog can currently handle though.

Pro Tip: Do NOT let well-meaning people approach and ask for a greeting. The goal here is to show the dog that people and dogs in the environment are just ‘there’ and don’t always mean getting to play, lunge, or go nuts.

The more time you can spend doing this, the better! Replace your daily walk with this activity for even a week and you’ll start to notice a massive improvement in your dog’s ability to ignore reactivity triggers in the environment.

Step Four – Counter-Condition and Desensitize

The next step is to teach your dog that seeing dogs or other triggers in the environment is actually a positive thing and does NOT result in leash tension.

If you address leash reactivity by become frustrated, shouting, and popping the leash then YOU are actually part of the problem.

Start in a place where you see no other dogs or people. Come up with a trigger word such as “pineapple” or “woof”, or use a clicker.

Engage your dog with you, then say the trigger word or click the clicker, and immediately give your dog a treat. Repeat this several times until your dog will hear the trigger word or the clicker and look at you in anticipation of a reward.

This is Pavlov! The dog will quickly learn to associate this word with something good. It is very helpful to use this word (or the clicker) several times throughout the day at first, in different places, so your dog learns it thoroughly.

Pro tip, make sure your dog isn’t doing something they shouldn’t be when you say the trigger word or click!

Next, go back to the quiet spot on the lawn or a park where you can see dogs and people from afar. As soon as you see one, say your trigger word (or click) and immediately reward your dog!

With time and repetition, your dog learns that distractions in the environment result in their favorite new word.

Step Five – Correct & Redirect

This is the part people always want to know how to do.

Correct and redirect. Yes, there is a time and a place for this.

Enter the Herm Sprenger Prong Collar with a safety clip.

A properly used Prong collar does not actually poke and stab your dog. Unlike other ‘no-pull’ tools, it actually results in a very clear yes/no communication that is based on even pressure around the neck.

Because you’ve followed the steps above and worked a lot on teaching the correct behavior and reducing the emotional response to triggers, you can start applying some correct/redirect action.

To be perfectly honest, no matter how much time you had put into this up to this point, odds are, your reactive dog can absolutely still make a fuss. Don’t be complacent.

As your dog shows signs that they are able to ignore distractions from 10 or 15 feet away, start taking them to the edge of their comfort level.

The moment your dog starts to tense up, correct (a tiny wrist-action pop of the prong collar), reward your dog for responding to the correction, and redirect. Remember you can still also use your trigger word/clicker for the positive association as well.

With time and practice, even the most reactive dog is going to be able to calmly and confidently walk past another dog on a leash! The trick here is to issue the correction (like a tap on the shoulder saying “uh uh, we’re not doing that“) before the reaction becomes an explosion.

By bringing your dogs focus back to you, you can immediately then ask for a correct behavior, reward your dog, and move on with your day.

Some trainers and many people skip the first several steps and go straight towards correct and redirect. While this can be effective in the short term, it is my personal belief that a more holistic and comprehensive approach rooted in creating positive associations and resetting socialization experiences will be more beneficial and reliable for all involved.

Do you have a Great Dane that is aggressive on a leash? Are you struggling with reactivity?

Join us in our Facebook community and ask questions, we are here to help!

Great Dane Owners Support Group
April 6, 2023

Is Victor Dog Food Good for Great Danes?

You may have seen that the Great Dane community often recommends Victor Dog Food. Is Victor Dog food good for Great Danes? Why is Victor so popular among Dane owners? Can Great Dane puppies eat Victor food?

We’re bringing you the science, stats, and facts today on choosing Victor dog food and yeah, what I have to say about this may be controversial.

If you are looking for the best food to feed your Dane, this post is for you. I’ve done the research for you!

Is Victor Dog Food Good for Great Danes?

I’m going to come out and say this, but please make sure to continue reading into the post because I’m backing my stance up with actual science. Here it is:

Most Victor Formulas are incorrect for Great Danes.

Many popular Victor dog foods have the WRONG balance of calcium to phosphorus, and contain excessively high levels of calcium to begin with.

As a matter of fact, here is a list of things that can be caused by incorrectly balanced food and excessive calcium, especially when fed to Great Dane puppies under the age of 2:

HOD & Panosteitis
Retained cartilaginous cores
Disturbed endochondral ossification
Delayed skeletal maturation & growth of bone length
Abnormal bone remodeling
Skeletal disorders such as incorrect hip or elbow development
Conformational faults including flat feet (affects dogs of all ages)
Heart Disease (affects dogs of all ages)
Poor breeding outcomes (including small litter sizes)

Calcium and skeletal disorders in Great Danes go hand in hand, especially for puppies who are exposed to a high amount of calcium in their diet.

Are you feeding a Victor dog food that is not correctly balanced for your Great Dane?

Calcium, Phosphorus, & Great Dane Puppies

To understand why many Victor dog food that are commonly recommended in the Dane community are incorrect to feed, we have to first understand what appropriate calcium and phosphorus levels are.

Great Dane Puppies should be fed a diet with the following ratios:

Calcium to phosphorus ratio of 1.2 – 1 or 1:1
Calcium guaranteed analysis below 1.3%, and ideally around 1.1%
Balanced vitamin D levels
Calcium amount below 4.5g per 1000kCAL, and ideally below 3.5g per 1000kCal

Why does this matter?

Because study after study shows that excessive intake of calcium, and calcium that isn’t balanced correctly with phosphorus (and vitamin D), leads to skeletal problems and bone growth disorders.

Too low of calcium is also bad, however, that’s a problem seen primarily in raw and home cooked diets, not in commercially prepared diets that meet AAFCO guidelines.

Dane Puppies will utilize nearly all of the calcium fed to them, and it is believed that adult giant breed dogs in general are less able to deal with excessive minerals (including calcium) as well. Basically put, if a Great Danes’ food has too much or too little calcium, it can be disastrous for their bone health.

To further complicate things, nutrients such as vitamin D play a role in the bioavailability of the calcium and phosphorus provided in the diet, and zinc may as well.

Many people believe that knuckling is the only growth disorder that Great Dane puppies face. Knuckling is the most obvious, but not the most dangerous.

Knuckling results from other nutritional factors, not necessarily just calcium, as knuckling is related to laxity in the tendons and excess weight on underdeveloped joints.

Just because a puppy doesn’t knuckle and seems to ‘grow fine’ on a particular food, doesn’t mean that food is the best choice.

Many growth disorders related to nutrition or even genetics are not apparent until the dog is slightly older, in pain, becomes lame, or presents with poor bone health and structural problems.

Correct structure and build of the Great Dane is part genetics, part nutrition, and part environmental factors.

Screen Shot 2023 01 18 at 10.34.43 AM — From the Great Dane Club of America.

Victor Foods for Great Danes

While we don’t love any Victor formula (we will cover this more below), there are a few popular foods that, based on calcium content and the CA/PH ratio alone we would not feed.

This data below is based on the GENERAL analysis, not the Guaranteed Analysis (which Victor gives us very little data on, unfortunately).

The actual calcium levels may be even higher or lower than listed in the general analysis. It seems that Victor doesn’t do a lot of testing on the actual nutrient levels in their foods, which is also problematic.

When I inquired with Victor via email to clarify their general analysis information, they directed me to their 800 number instead. The fact that I have to run around in circles to obtain relevant nutrition information in writing is a red flag.

Name	Calcium	CA/PH Ratio	AAFCO Large Breed?
Victor Professional (Purple Bag)	1.76%	1.3 to 1	Yes
Victor Multi-Pro (Yellow Bag)	1.71%	1.4 to 1	Yes
Victor High Energy (Red Bag)	1.69%	1.2 to 1	Yes
Victor Hi-Pro Plus (Teal Bag)	2.39%	1.5 to 1	No
Victor Beef & Rice	1.77%	1.4 to 1	Yes
Victor Chicken Meal & Rice	1.37	1.3 to 1	Yes
Victor Grain Free (ANY type)	Varies	Varies	Varies

Some of the foods listed above DO have the AAFCO statement indicating that they meet the nutritional levels for large breed growth. Essentially this means that their calcium content is less than 1.8% on a dry matter basis.

In our opinion, 1.8% is MUCH to high for a Great Dane, we like to see 1.2% or less.

All formulas on that list above, regardless of their AAFCO statement, have unbalanced calcium to phosphorus ratios for Great Danes, with one exception (the Victor Hi-Energy red bag), and even that still has a high calcium content (1.67%).

It’s important to note that a Hi-Energy formula is meant to provide extra nutrition (in this formulation, they use a lot of fat). Excess nutrition is ALSO linked to orthopedic growth disorders, so that food is another example of one that should not be fed to Great Danes under the age of 2.

The two most popular foods also have high calcium levels as a whole, which exceed the recommended safe upper limit of 4.5g per 1000kCal.

Victor Professional at 4.7g per 1000kCal
Victor Beef & Rice at 5.4g per 1000kCal

Both of those formulas are popular among Dane owners who feed them to puppies, and we’re not sure why. The analysis alone goes against every reasonable guideline on the topic.

There is one food that I found among Victor foods that has a small label on it indicating that it’s for ‘big dogs’. That is the Elite Canine, green bag. It has a calcium to phosphorus ratio of 1.3 to 1 or 1.2 to 1 (depending on the analysis), approximately 3.4g per 1000kCal, and is an “all life stages” formula (essentially, this is puppy food).

Do not go running to get that formula without finishing this blog post, though, as Elite may also be problematic!

Is Victor Dog Food Good?

We don’t like to food bash around here.

One of my biggest pet peeves in the dog focused social communities are statements such as:

The food is full of fillers and trash
Never feed ‘grocery story’ or ‘cheap food’
I would never feed my dog corn and slaughterhouse waste
Danes are expensive, you MUST feed a ‘premium’ food
That’s like feeding your dog McDonald’s!
Veterinarians have no training and receive kickbacks
There have been “no recalls” so it must be good
The FDA said the DCM grain free link was debunked!

Truth time: all of those statements above are based on misinformation and classism. The misinformation that leads to these statements is often dangerous and frustrating, too. (I’ll be covering each in different blog posts).

We have no tolerance for bashing foods that are correctly balanced and at a price point that dog owners can afford. A lot of marketing goes into ‘premium’ pet foods to make us feel like they are healthier or better for our pets, but it’s all marketing.

Of course, you want to choose the best option for your budget, and that is where science and information comes into play. Many people choose Victor because it’s marketed as “Super Premium” and comes at a reasonable price point.

You will notice that we don’t food bash, but we DO point out legitimate factors to consider when choosing nutrition for your pet. We look past marketing and past a lot of the needless, inflammatory, and misguided statements listed above.

See the most recent recall on Victor food here

Should I Feed Victor Dog Food to a Great Dane?

Here are some other legitimate factors to consider when choosing a food like Victor to feed your Great Dane.

Victor Foods does not staff a qualified nutrition professional.

At least one of these people should be on staff for the brand itself:

Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionist (DACVN/ACVN or aka “Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Nutrition)
PhD in Animal Nutrition, ideally companion animal nutrition

To put this simply, the “head chef” at Victor Pet foods has an animal science degree buffered by a simple, inexpensive online certificate in companion animals, from an organization focused primarily on livestock. He does not have even basic nutrition credentials, let alone a veterinary background.

While Victor does collaborate with consultants, they aren’t clear about the scope of that relationship or the qualifications of the consultants.

It’s important to understand that most times, what this really means is that a recipe in written form was signed-off by a 3rd party, or tested in an off-site lab for verification of nutrient content.

Just because a food meets AAFCO minimums, does not mean it was thoughtfully and professionally designed to provide optimum nutrition. For giant breed dogs, this is an important consideration as they have very particular nutritional requirements.

One of the greatest faults of many dog food brands is that they don’t have formulas which were designed and tested specifically to properly support large and giant breed growth.

Of course, some dog foods have the correct ratios, but were they designed for that purpose? Or do they just happen to meet the AAFCO minimum guidelines on paper?

We prefer foods that were developed, by qualified nutritionists, specifically to support the slow, even growth and healthy bone development of large and giant breed puppies.

Calcium Levels & Great Dane Puppy Growth

The science of calcium and the calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D link to bone growth issues and poor bone modeling becomes more and more clear as research is done.

Here is a study that found puppies under 6 months of age were most susceptible to inconsistent calcium levels: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12118666/

Here is another resource, a well-cited paper regarding nutrient levels and feeding large or giant breed puppies.

When we look at food brands that have qualified nutrition staff, who do feeding trials, and who do a lot of research, we see MUCH different analysis from their large and giant breed formulas than we see from most, if not all Victor formulas.

Science-backed companies have cutting-edge nutritional profiles and their formulas should be the baseline upon which other true large and giant breed puppy formulas are built.

When I’m choosing food for a Great Dane puppy, I want food that most closely matches the brands who have qualified nutritionists, do feeding trials, and publish actual research on this topic. (Or better yet, feed the brands backed by actual science and research).

Unfortunately, Victor foods does not meet any of these basic requirements and most (if not all) of their formulas end up missing the mark. Notice how the Victor formula is lower in protein, much higher in fat, and higher in calcium, too.

A note about protein: many people choose food for their Great Dane based off the protein level. This is an outdated practice with many studies showing that the protein level is not a factor in the development of growth disorders.

Too low of protein can actually be detrimental to proper growth, and may result in excessive intake of calcium.

Do Great Danes Do Well on Victor Food?

Anecdotally, many people cite that their Great Dane does well on Victor foods. Fixing an issue with chronic loose stools seems to be a common positive comment that we see from Dane owners who switched to Victor.

Many Victor dog food formulas contain inulin (a prebiotic) and probiotics, so this isn’t a surprise.

Good stools happen on many other brands as well. While good gut health is super important, it’s not the only sign of good health, however.

Many dogs with shiny coats and perfect stools die in their sleep from unchecked heart disease that presented with very few symptoms. When evaluating the health of the dog, we’re not just looking for good stools.

Additionally, most Great Dane owners are unable to properly evaluate their dogs movement and structure. As a result may not see an issue with poor angulation, wonky movement, swollen knuckles, turned out limbs, or flat and splayed feet. These are all things where genetics, environment, and nutrition play a role.

For perspective, check out this young Great Dane. In the first image, she’s being fed Victor foods. Notice her feet after being switched to a more appropriate food. She no longer has swollen ankles, and her feet are providing a much better, stronger platform to support her weight.

This was a positive and notable change for multiple dogs in this same breeding program, not just the one in this photo. I know this dog personally and her feet improved in a matter of 2 weeks on the food switch.

Does Victor Dog Food Cause Breeding Issues?

We prefer to rely on science rather than anecdotes, but we should note that MANY reproductive veterinarians advise clients to stay away from Victor foods and recommend using well-researched, specially designed formulas from Pro Plan and Royal Canin instead.

Anecdotally, there is a huge volume of reports from breeders whose dogs were struggling on Victor. Low birth weights, stillbirth, and small litter sizes are just some of the suspicious volume of noted complaints.

This problem could be related to certain ingredients, bioavailability, or the nutritional balance of protein, fat & carbs.

We will never know, however, because Victor does NOT do any research and does not perform any feeding trials.

Does Victor Dog Food Cause DCM?

Many studies have shown, on repeat, that there are two main factors contributing to dogs developing heart disease (DCM) from dog food.

An abundance of peas, potatoes, chickpeas, sweet potatoes, or similar legumes used in the first 10 ingredients.
Foods that do not have a board certified Veterinary Nutritionist (DACVN) or PhD in Animal Nutrition on staff to formulate the foods (incorrect formulation).

It’s not about being ‘grain free’. There are confirmed cases of DCM on all kinds of foods, with or without grains.

There is a lot of misinformation about grain-free dog foods and DCM.

For a comprehensive look at DCM and dog food, check out this non-biased (contains no ads, sales pitches, affiliate links, or food shaming) timeline of events.

Think the FDA debunked the grain-free DCM food link? Think again.

We do not believe that all Victor dog foods will cause heart disease, but, we encourage all Dane owners to stay away from Grain Free foods of all types. Here is an ingredients list from Victor Grain-Free.

Notice how peas and sweet potato make up a huge portion of this diet. Peas in particular have been shown to be problematic when used in large amounts. For more information on nutritional DCM, READ HERE.

Does Hello Danes Recommend Victor Dog Food?

We do not.

The lack of qualified formulation staff and unbalanced calcium levels should give dog owners pause about considering this food for their Great Dane.

Of course, if it works for you and you love it, we’re not going to bash you for feeding it. We do however, want to make sure you are well-equipped with legitimate information.

If you wish to use Victor foods, keep in mind that the green bag, Elite Canine, is the only grain-inclusive formula by Victor that is actually balanced correctly for giant breed dogs. It does list peas in the first 4 ingredients, however, which is a risk factor for nutritional DCM. We do not recommend this food.

For our list of professionally formulated foods that fully meet guidelines and recommendations, go HERE.

February 20, 2023

Dog Food Recalls – Should You Be Concerned?
Dog food recalls are a scary business for pet parents. In 2023, Victor Pet Foods issued a massive recall of all formulas in their line because of salmonella contamination. As the details emerged, we learned that they had been selling contaminated food for nearly a year (if not longer). Before that recall, Purina voluntarily recalled a small selection of veterinary food (“Elemental EL” to treat allergies) from the shelf after receiving two reports of dogs who got ill (both dogs are fine now).

How concerning are dog food recalls, anyway?

(You can read more about the Purina Recall Here, and the Victor Recall Here).

Recalls simply mean that a product is being removed from store shelves and distribution channels. Most times, consumers who purchased the product before the recall can request an exchange or refund.

The 2022 Purina Recall is a great example of a recall that was done by the company out of an abundance of caution. They issued this recall even though numerous bloggers, influencers, and pet owners would present the issue as a source of panic and fear.

Are Dog Food Recalls Bad?

Marketing has taught us to believe that recalls are a bad thing, or that recalls indicate that a company is not honest, truthful, or diligent.

Many people reward pet food companies with no recall history, not realizing how nuanced this topic is.

Of course, sometimes recalls are indicative of a much bigger problem. There are times when a company has been negligent or has poor quality control practices. (Victor, we’re looking at you!). If a company is particularly resistant to recalling a product, the FDA can require them to do so.

Recalls can be an indication that a company is doing the right thing, too.

Most of the time, recalls are done for very good reasons. There are numerous reasons for recalls, and many times, it’s actually related to a supplier, not the company that manufactured the product.

Dog Food Companies With No Recalls

Unfortunately, the negative feelings generated about dog food recalls tend to make the idea of “no recalls” appealing.

Having “no recalls” is a major reason that dog owners are drawn to certain brands. All of the largest brands (Purina, Royal Canin, Hill’s) have had recalls. These are mega-billion dollar (yes, billion) companies that feed a lot of dogs.

Having no recalls is a red flag.

Here is a list of reasons why a dog food company with no recalls can be a red flag:

#1 – Small Market Share

A company with a small market share (compared to a large company such as Purina, for example) has millions fewer dogs eating their food. If an issue comes up that could justify a recall, it’s much easier to sweep it under the rug instead.

#2 – Recalls are Bad for Marketing

For companies that actively market their history of “no recalls”, it can be an exceptionally tough pill to swallow if they do run into issues in the future. This can make a smaller company with a small market share more likely to avoid recalling something that it really should.

#3 – Financial Instability & Small Dog Food Companies

A smaller company with no recalls is also less likely to have the financial resources to accept the hit that comes to the bottom line. Not only are recalls bad for their public image but recalls can be devastating to their profits.

When we as consumers applaud companies with no recalls, and avoid companies with recalls, we incentivize companies to keep potentially dangerous products on the shelves.

Dog Food Company Recall Issues

Here are some recall issues that have popped up in the past, from companies who denied doing a recall (because remember, recalls are bad for the public perception of the brand). Notice the blatant disregard for the pet owners, and for the pets they are feeding.

Champion Pet Foods (Orijen & Acana)

This company has had multiple issues that should have warranted a recall out of caution, however, none were issued.

In 2003, some of their products may have been contaminated by cows that had mad cow disease. Champion knew it was a potential problem and indicated that they were willing to offer refunds for concerned pet owners, but no recall was issued.

In 2018, a supplier delivered beef tallow that was contaminated with Phenobarbital (a euthanasia drug). Champion Pet Foods used the contaminated tallow in production and many bags of food were distributed to suppliers. Once the FDA stepped in, the company retrieved unsold products but did not issue a recall for food that had already been sold.

Champion (Acana / Orijen) did not recall food that was potentially contaminated with Phenobarbital.

In 2019, the FDA released statements about a potential link between grain-free pet foods and the development of deadly nutritional DCM. (Since this time, many studies have shown a link between excessive use of peas, lentils, potatoes, and legumes and dogs developing heart conditions; these ingredients are common in grain-free foods).

Champion Pet Foods, despite being implicated many times in early confirmed and ongoing reports, and despite making certain formulas that are loaded with suspect ingredients (lentils and peas) did not recall their grain-free foods. To this day they continue to deny any link.

Victor Pet Foods

Victor Foods prides itself on never having had a recall, and it’s a major reason many people choose the brand.

However, Victor has been implicated many times by pet owners and even veterinarians for dogs becoming sick on their formulas. Nutritional DCM reports have been confirmed (see THIS group for more information) and a lot of reproductive veterinarians will tell you that breeding issues are common for dogs fed Victor.

Of course, they did end up issuing a massive recall in 2023 that prompted many of us to dig deeper into their practices. Turns out that Victor has been selling contaminated food for months; they were not testing their products for salmonella.

Darwin’s Raw Pet Food

In 2019, several kinds of Darwin’s Raw Pet food were found to be contaminated with salmonella. This is an unfortunately common problem with raw dog food in particular, and Darwin’s is not the only one to face pushback from the FDA regarding their practices.

Darwin famously denied a recall and told consumers there was nothing to be concerned about.

Read more HERE.

Pet Food Recalls That Are Alarming

As we see above, some companies don’t recall things that should be recalled. This is a common practice with many stories we will never hear about (because it’s easy to hide small mistakes).

Other companies recall things where the fact that there was an issue in the first place is alarming. Let’s dig into this:

Midwestern Pet Foods (Sportmix, Wholesomes, Earthborn Holistic, Pro Pac)

Midwestern Pet Foods was found to have serious issues with its manufacturing facilities, indicating poor overall quality control and testing practices.

Many formulas were recalled because of salmonella and aflatoxins (both are deadly and yes, many dogs died).

This is a good example of a brand where recalls are an indication of bad practices, and should be a clear red flag to pet owners that it may be best to avoid this brand altogether.

Knowing that Midwestern Pet Foods had seriously nasty production practices in the first place should be alarming to all pet owners.

Hill’s Science Diet Prescription Vitamin D Recall

Like many brands (including Fromm and Purina), Hill’s has had to issue a recall regarding vitamin D levels in certain formulas of their foods.

Purina issued its recall in 2022 after just two dogs turned up sick; the recall was voluntary and initiated by the company out of an abundance of caution.

Fromm issued their recall in 2021 after certain canned foods had elevated levels of vitamin D.

In the case of Hill’s, it was determined that they did NOT test their vitamin pre-mix before using it in the product. For a smaller company, this wouldn’t have likely been a huge deal. For a large company like Hill’s, many dogs were made ill by this oversight.

This is an issue and Hill’s has been held accountable for it. It’s not a mistake that they are likely to make again and while we still recommend Hill’s, if you feel uncomfortable feeding it that’s understandable.

Critical Thinking & Educated Consumerism

This of course brings up the discussion about being an educated consumer and using critical thinking skills to make decisions.

Recalls save lives. In a perfect world, no dog food company would ever need to recall something. But it’s bound to happen, especially for companies producing food at a large scale.

Some recalls are damaging and very alarming.

Some recalls are helpful and done with safety and ethics in mind.

Some recalls are potentially damaging, and the company learns from them.

Some recalls that should happen, never do.

It’s important to be alarmed for the right reasons.

The 2022 Purina Vitamin D recall has generated more social media attention than almost any other in recent history. It’s a small recall related to just one product line, with no deaths or serious damage. In the history of recalls, especially among recalls that have caused death and damage, this should be a blip on the radar.

To put this into perspective, Fromm Foods had a vitamin D recall in 2021…I bet you never even heard of it. There are very recent recalls as we speak from Fresh Pet and Primal Pet Foods as well.

Despite this, bloggers, influencers, and pet owners are out in force with inflammatory headlines:
- “Purina has TOXIC ingredients”
- “Purina recall indicates deadly food!”
- “Dogs Sick from Purina Food”
- “Toxicity in Purina Foods”
These kinds of misleading statements drive distrust for Purina and lead uneducated consumers to believe that all Purina foods have been recalled and that Purina itself is a bad company.

Many of the same people who make these statements give a pass to Champion, Midwestern, Mid-America(Victor), and Darwin, even though their recalls (or lack thereof) are infinitely more dangerous and unethical.

How to Choose a Pet Food Company

It’s no surprise that choosing a pet food company is hard; there are thousands of brands on the market, all with fancy labels vying for your attention.

There are many ways to choose pet food, and some of the most popular ideas are actually among the worst reasons!

Here is a list of things that many people prioritize when choosing a pet food, not realizing that they may be being misled:
- The ingredients list (which is easy to build around consumer tastes, not necessarily quality nutrition)
- The recalls list or lack of recalls (the whole point of this post)
- Unregulated marketing terms such as holistic, super-premium, or biologically appropriate
- Higher price point (which may mean nothing at all in terms of nutrition and quality)
- False claims about the food preventing or treating certain conditions such as cancer
- Pet store employees, influencers, and poorly qualified “canine nutritionists” who promote certain products as healthier or higher quality
Are you falling subject to any of those common practices above? Take a step back and evaluate the credentials and qualifications of the people you source nutrition information from. Most nutritional information fed to us by pet stores, influencers, and food brands is nothing more than marketing.

We recommend the Tufts Veterinary University Petfoodology Blog HERE.

You can also look up legitimate and helpful stats (such as who formulates the food) on your brand at the Pet Nutrition Alliance.

For recall notices and information, the most ethical, up to date, and informational source is the FDA. You can read the FDA list of pet food recalls HERE.
February 10, 2023
Why I Won’t Use a Front-Clip Harness on a Great Dane
I’ll just come out and say it. I would never use a front-clip harness on a Great Dane. This shouldn’t be a controversial opinion, but it really is!

Front-clip harnesses (such as the Pet Safe Easy Walk or 2 Hounds Freedom No-Pull Harness) are popular among dog owners and trainers who believe that because they are made of nylon, that they are a gentle and non-aversive tool.

However, I beg to differ. Not only is a front clip harness aversive, it’s potentially (ok highly likely) to cause damage, frustration, and pain to your dog.

Hear me out. If you use, or plan to use a front-clip harness, or have been told by a dog trainer that it’s humane (and that prong collars are bad), you’ll want to dig into this post.

4 Reasons I Won’t Use a Front-Clip Harness on a Great Dane

I will cover these in more depth below, but here is the short version of why I think front clip harnesses are dangerous for dogs, especially for long-term use.
1. They are easy to escape from
2. It’s hard to get a proper fit on them
3. They are inconsistent from a communication standpoint, which can lead to frustration
4. They restrict the movement of the shoulders and can cause uneven strides, poor forward reach, and even limping
Because Great Danes have sensitive orthopedic needs, it’s important to avoid the use of training tools and devices that result in restrictions to natural movement.

Unfortunately, poor front angulation and incorrectly set front assemblies are something that plague Great Danes (we can thank the sheer volume of mediocre breeders for this). Dogs with an incorrectly placed shoulder and straight angles will struggle more with movement and reach than dogs whose genetic pedigree offered them better structure.

For those dogs with the flat front and cathedral style chest, the front-clip harness is adding insult to injury. (Read more about front-assembly in Danes HERE)

Below is an example of a Great Dane with a poor front assembly. Notice the ‘cathedral’ shape created where the chest and elbows meet. This happens because the shoulders are too far forward on the body. This dog also has poor angles in the shoulder, leading to that straight up and down appearance. Dogs with poor structure are built like stick figures, in other words.

#1 Front Clip Harnesses are Easy to Escape From

A front-clip no-pull harness is designed in a “T” shape and it is very easy for a dog to pull backwards to escape from one. Because harnesses like this put a lot of pressure onto the chest and shoulders, some dogs may attempt to back out of them just to relieve the sensation.

Responsible Great Dane ownership means keeping our dogs under control at all times.

Not only is an escaped Great Dane dangerous to other dogs, people, and wildlife, they are a danger to themselves. If your Great Dane is not impeccably off-leash trained and likes to slip out of collars or harnesses, a T-shaped no-pull harness is the wrong choice.

Instead, choose a wide, flat fabric martingale collar (like this one), which is escape proof. This is the perfect solution for newly rescued dogs as well, who may be a flight risk.

#2 It is Hard to Get a Good Fit On a Front-Clip Harness

T-shaped front clip harnesses are exceptionally difficult to fit correctly on a dog, especially on Great Danes who have massive chests.

The wrong fit will put even more unnecessary pressure on the shoulder assembly, and could also cause rubbing under the armpits.

Easy Walk even states that excessive pulling into the harness can change the fit and cause additional rubbing and chafing.

Note the addition of the martingale loop to the chest. This is part of the harness to add additional squeezing action when your dog pulls.

Squeezing the shoulders so the dog can no longer move forward is not as ‘gentle’ of a technique as these tools are marketed to be.

#3 Front Clip Harnesses Provide Inconsistent Communication

The 2 Hounds Freedom no-pull harness is built to be used with a double leash system where a leash is clipped to both the front and the back of the harness. It also has the martingale loop to provide squeezing action.

Keep in mind that two connection points doubles the tactile input from the leash. In this case, the dog will feel pressure into their back, chest, or both.

Even if only one leash clip is used, the communication will be inconsistent.

When a dog is learning how not to pull on the leash, it’s important to use a combination of YES and NO to communicate.

When a no-pull harness says “NO” by applying pressure to the chest or tightening the strap around their shoulders, the dog should in theory understand that pulling = bad and not pulling = good.

The problem is that this pressure is incredibly inconsistent. Even taking a step forward and not pulling into the harness can result in an incorrect communication of “NO” that is frustrating and confusing to your dog.

Super sensitive dogs will respond to a harness like this by not pulling, ever. They may even move slowly and appear ‘under control’. Their body language may be subdued and docile.

Some people mistake this as ‘calm’, when truthfully it’s a form of behavior suppression.

I’ve even seen some dog trainers say that a harness like this is ‘calming’ and makes the dog feel secure. I personally believe this is a massive misunderstanding of how the dog actually feels.

Less sensitive dogs may respond by adding pressure; they will pull into the harness to try and relieve the sensation. The harness will then force their body to the side. Because the pressure of YES and NO is not super clear in a harness like this, even with dedicated training to teach it, a dog may never quite understand what the end goal is.

#4 Front Clip Harnesses Work By Suppressing Natural Movement

Do an experiment.

Watch the people in your neighborhood walk their dogs. Look for the dogs that are on front-clip harnesses.

Do they look comfortable? Happy?

Is the harness keeping the dog from pulling, or does the dog pull into the harness while the loop tightens up around their shoulder?

Are they able to reach forward and take natural steps, or do they appear to be limping, walking slowly, or taking small steps instead of large strides?

When you start to really observe, you’ll notice that many of the dogs in front-clip harnesses tend to look either uncomfortable, or they are pulling anyways.

A no-pull harness is built with a strap across the chest that is meant to tighten and apply pressure when they pull forward into it. With enough pulling and pressure added, the dog will eventually also be forced to the side.

As Great Dane owners and advocates, we believe that this type of training tool is unfair to Great Danes and potentially damaging to their orthopedic health, especially when used long term.

Should I Use a No-Pull Harness on My Great Dane?

This is up to you.

For short term use (while in training), a front clip harness may provide you with just enough leverage to reinforce the correct behavior.

We would not recommend long term use of a no pull harness on Great Danes.

If you do want to try a harness with a front clip option, choose a well-built harness with a Y-front on it, like the Ruffwear Front Range. This won’t restrict movement, but if your dog tries to lunge or pull it will pull them to the side (and give you a little more control).

It’s important to keep in mind, however, that Great Danes are giant breed dogs. If they pull into a nylon training tool like this, it’s not likely to stop them from dangerous behaviors such as running, lunging, or jumping while on a leash. An untrained Dane in a harness is a dangerous animal.

There are two training tools that we do recommend for Great Danes. When used correctly, both tools are humane, gentle, and don’t rely on restrictions to movement.

An E-Collar can be used at very low, positive levels to establish off-leash reliability. Read more about this HERE. Well trained off-leash dogs cannot injure themselves or others by pulling or lunging. The skills taught in a positive off-leash training program translate beautifully to the use of a slip lead or martingale collar when needed.

A prong collar uses even pressure (not poking or stabbing) and makes YES and NO communications very clear for dogs that have been taught how to turn the pressure off. Unlikes a nylon harness, the shoulders are free to move naturally.

Note in the illustration below, from the Great Dane Club of America written standard for Great Danes, how the front arms reach out, extending as far as the nose can reach.

How Do I Train My Great Dane Not to Pull?

Of course, pulling behavior is frustrating and dangerous!

A Dane pulling into a non-restrictive front clip harness (like the one mentioned above) is a MUCH better alternative to a Dane pulling into a flat collar.

However, there are better ways overall.

The biggest leash mistake dog owners make is not realizing that in order to stop pulling, the dog must be taught what to do instead.

My advice?
- Stop looking to “no-pull” tools to magically solve your pulling problem
- Start instead, off-leash, in your living room. Use high value treats to reward the behavior of looking at you, walking next to you, engaging with you, and coming when called
- With time, you can clip on a leash (to a collar) and continue practicing the behaviors of “Heel” and “With Me”. Additionally, you can phase out the rewards and just use praise, too!
- Once your dog has a solid understanding of walking near you, layer in the prong collar.
- Teach your dog how to respond to gentle prong pressure by turning towards you.
You can purchase a Herm Sprenger prong training collar HERE.

Here is a phenomenal video on how to properly and positively introduce a prong collar. Special thanks to Argos Dog Training for this fantastic content (please LIKE and FOLLOW this trainer!):
February 8, 2023
Bissell Bark Bath Review for Great Danes
I recently splurged on a Bissell Bark Bath for my Great Danes and literally RAN to the blog to tell you about it. If you are considering options for bathing your Great Dane, this Bark Bath review is a must-read.

When a Great Dane is muddy and dirty, you know it! Giant muddy paws and 130lbs of dirty fur on your couch are a sign that it’s time for a bath!

I’m a big fan of letting my Danes play in the mud and run around outside; but it comes with the added headache of keeping my house clean, too. I purchased the Bark Bath by Bissell for two reasons:
- I wanted to easily remove irritants such as pollen, sand, and dirt that were causing my male Dane to itch
- Our newly renovated shower doesn’t have enough water pressure to get my dogs clean (unfortunately)
Does the Bissell Bark Bath work to get a dog clean? Are dogs afraid of their Bark Bath? Let’s dig in.

What is a Bark Bath?

This one is a little crazy, but hear me out.

The Bissell Bark Bath is essentially an upholstery cleaner for your dog.

I’m not kidding. This thing looks like a carpet shampooer and acts like one, too.

At first, I thought “this has GOT to be a joke, right?”.

No, it’s not a joke. Bissell went there. They literally made a device that shampoos your dog like they are a piece of furniture. As a matter of fact, they’ve even included an attachment so that you CAN shampoo your actual furniture, too.

I know what you are thinking though. There is NO way this could possibly work! Dogs will be afraid of the Bark Bath anyways, right? How does a Bark Bath even get the dog clean?

Are Dogs Afraid of the Bark Bath?

Here is my honest experience with this.

At first, my dogs were cautious. Within minutes, all three of them actually seemed to enjoy it.

If your dog likes being brushed (I use a Sleek EZ) or is used to being brushed, the Bark Bath will be no trouble at all for your dog.

This really speaks to the importance of good early socialization for Great Dane puppies!

Bissell includes a beautiful, well-thought-out training guide for acclimating dogs that are not as amenable to the process of being cleaned with a Bark Bath. This guide uses solid, modern behavioral training practices and I was super impressed with the content!

Here is my mantle boy Figaro getting bathed after spending an afternoon running in a VERY muddy field. It’s loud only because my phone was next to the machine during filming – in an ambient room it doesn’t sound this noisy.

Notice how I have him on a towel, and the water/mess is minimal.

Is the Bark Bath Loud?

Bissell includes a thick microfiber mat to put the machine on. This dampens the sound which is not super loud at all. The machine resonates at a deeper tone, so there is no aversive high pitched whine. If anything, the deeper sound of the machine is soothing.

They also made the cord and hose super long so that you can place the machine several feet away from your dog. In theory, if you had a noise-phobic pet, you could absolutely put the device in another room and bath your dog around the corner.

What Does the Bark Bath Come With?

The box includes the Bark Bath machine itself, but also a huge tray of tools for all different coat types from short to long.

It also includes an attachment which can be used to spot clean carpets and upholstery, which are different from the ones you use on your dog.

Bissell included a sample size fabric soap and a full size bottle of no-rinse oatmeal dog shampoo.

The kit comes with two soap reservoirs: one is for dog shampoo, the other one is for upholstery. They are labeled so you don’t mix them up, and when you use the machine you simply snap the correct soap container into place. It’s very easy and straightforward.

They have also included the mat (to dampen the sound of the machine), a microfiber cloth (to wipe feet and face), and a bag to store all of the pieces and parts.

The cord and the hose wrap neatly onto the Bark Bath machine itself, which I like because I cannot stand storing things with errant tangled up cords.

How Does the Bark Bath Work?

The machine is easy to set up (see above where I mentioned pouring the included shampoo into the reservoir, which pre-measures and dispenses soap for you as you clean).

With Danes, the short hair combs are perfect.

I started with my most easy-going confident dog who loves being brushed, just so I could see how the machine worked.

You do not have to wet the coat or scrub it in advance. I do think brushing it first with a Sleek EZ to remove surface dander and extra fur can provide the best results, though.

I had him stand on a towel and then before I turned the machine on, I ran the brush down his back a few times. Then we got started for real.

It literally works just like a carpet cleaner! You depress the button and soap and water comes out, then as you move the wand down the fur, it scrubs and sucks up the water (and dirt). You can see the water and dirt getting sucked back off of your dog.

The water ends up in a reservoir and let me tell you, it was NASTY.

I am able to easily “wash” a whole mildly dirty (not muddy) 130lb Great Dane in about 15 minutes with some solid time spent on his tummy and legs. Once I was finished with shampoo, I switched to ‘rinse only’ mode and ran through his coat one more time.

Do you know those satisfying lines that the carpet gets after you vacuum? This happens with your dog and the Bark Bath, too!

Once I was done, my dog was only a little damp. It was easy to towel dry him and send him on his way!

Does the Bark Bath Actually Get a Dog Clean?

Honestly?

So far, so good.

I’ve run the machine on all three of my dogs multiple times and they are shiny, clean, and smell great. I have no complaints.

Do I think it beats an experienced groomer doing a traditional bath in a salon? No. Nobody can beat that, those people know their stuff.

Is it better than, or similar to an a typical at-home bath? YES! It absolutely replaces a DIY bath in your tub or walk-in shower.

The Bark Bath absolutely got my dogs clean with minimal mess and drama, too.

One of the biggest benefits I can see with a tool like this is that it’s also VERY simple and easy to use for just a quick ‘surface clean’ when you don’t want to deep clean your dog.

This could also be a game-changer for dogs with seasonal and environmental allergies. Just keep it ready-to-go in the mudroom and suck up all the gunk your dog tracks in on their coat.

With a little more time spent, it absolutely gets the dog as clean as a bath, too.

What is the Bark Bath Recommended For?

Having now used (and decided to fall in love with) the Bark Bath, I think it’s an exceptional tool for many situations:
- All people who want their dogs clean
- Dogs that are afraid of traditional baths
- Pet parents who cannot physically wrestle their giant dog into a tub
- Dogs with sensitive skin that benefit from keeping irritants off of their coat
- People who let their dogs run and play in mud and dirt often
- Pets that have lost their mobility and need to be on a stable or soft surface for bathing
The Bark Bath is currently $189 – 199 on Amazon and payment plans may be available. This machine will pay for itself if you are used to frequenting the self-serve dog wash!

What Kind of Shampoo Does the Bark Bath Use?

Bissell makes a shampoo specifically for use with this machine, and says that using other shampoos can void the warranty. This is a common practice in similar (carpet and upholstery) appliances as suds and bubbles or certain soap formulations can harm the machinery.

My Bark Bath came with Oatmeal shampoo. It smells amazing and left my dogs fur soft and shiny, so I haven’t tried the other varieties yet. They offer four types:
- Oatmeal
- Vitamin E
- Honey Blossom
- White Tea & Aloe
All of these choices are soothing and safe to use on puppies, too.

My complaint? It does NOT go far. With giant breed dogs, you’ll go through a lot of the soap.

The machine DOES give you a ‘rinse only’ option that doesn’t pull soap into the water spray and if I would remember to switch to that I wouldn’t go through quite so much shampoo. My bad.

Photo of my Bark Bath cleaned dogs on their Big Barker Bed.

Where Can I Buy a Bark Bath?

I’ve only found one place to purchase a Bark Bath, though I’m sure they can be obtained through some other online retailers.

Amazon has very fast shipping and may offer a payment plan on this device.

You can get it on Amazon HERE.

Do I recommend Bark Bath? Without a question. The Dane community is currently sleeping on this device, but truly, it’s awesome. I would say this is definitely in my top ten “must have” tools for owning Great Danes!
February 7, 2023