any great dane owners here?
 

thinking about a dane to play with my mastiff...

size shouldn't matter.. my 85 lbs lab plays with a gigantic wolfhound all the time..

although i wouldn't get a toy dog for a playmate.. heh that would be a safety issue.

Danes are wonderful. Be very gentle with training as puppies though. There is no need to smack them, they are so eager to please. Personally I prefer to leave their ears uncropped, their big ears are so expressive.





.

if you have two giant breed dogs, be prepared for shit to get broken when they play (I've heard of great dane owners coming home to broken ceiling fans). if you're looking for strictly a playmate for your dog, I agree with above - just get an average sized dog, they can hold their own :)

Danes are amazing dogs, though. Mine has protected me on several different occasions.

I prefer large breed dogs so I guess it really does matter

I'll leave them outside when I'm gone :1orglaugh

My mastiff's play friend is a german shepherd. You see those 2 running for the fields you know to jump out the way as they'll just run right over you.

I agree on the cropping... and the mastiff is just as sensitive trust me on that one... just found some dane puppies for $450 ... my only concern is moving off the estate and then having to large breed dogs..... :(

My Dane has ties to Driftwood Danes (google!). I've had a hard time finding places to live with my dog - people are generally scared of him even though he's just a big lap dog. Of course, I rent so it's generally more difficult anyways. I had a really hard time finding a place to rent with him.

I have a perfect place now for larger breeds just very expensive and tied to production...

The good thing about Danes is that the less exercise they get.... the less they will eat. You will never see a fat great dane.

And the other thing is their ability to manuver in small places without knocking everything over. It always amazes me how aware they are of their size, (even though they are, as you said, pretty much convinced that they are little lap doge that just want to snuggle!)


:)


.

you have 1 dane or 2?

I understand your point, and to be fair I've always had one dane when living in a smaller place. Multiples only when living in a place where they could spend a lot of time outside, since they want to roughhouse together.



.

If you want something smaller but similarly behaved to a Great Dane could check out greyhounds. Males are usually 70-90lbs and their life expectancy is considerably better.

You won't be able to get a puppy typically but can get a 2 yr old that shows up pretty well trained already. Plus rescuing ftw

Plus they can do 40 mph

the mastiff would kill himself paying with that dog :winkwink:

Actually my neighbors have a 120+ lb italian mastiff and my little 60lb female is always trying to bite its face off. She doesn't really know how to play, it's either sleeping on the couch or trying to murder something

The only issue with Danes is when they are little. You can not rough house with them or you may hurt them growth wise. So keep that in mind.

Maybe a medium dog would be better.

people who crop ears and tails of dogs should have the same done to them...

but i like danes - unfortunately they rarely get older than 10 years

I feel the same but I do wish I had gotten my pitt's ears done as she prone to ear infections and they say some of it's due to her ears not getting enough air.


I thought if I didn't get her ears done she wouldn't look like a pitt. (boy was i sooooo wrong.)

saving money on dogs is never a smart move.. do your research instead.. for all you know they have temperament issues that would negate your purpose for getting another one..

genetic screening is done for a reason.

I have a OEM now think I know how to handle a large breed dog :2 cents:

usually 8 I think... know a few people with cropped ears :2 cents:

????? the mastiff cost $800.. great dog, very 'mastiff like' in every regard... registered, the whole ball of wax.. some people have litters that aren't breeders and aren't making a living from it... gotta say though in every post you have done everything you can to be negative about this.... you must have an interesting life :2 cents:

my dog is prone to ear infections as well ... ever vigilant! :2 cents:

My dog gets yeast infections in her ears.:Oh crap I have spent so much at the vet.

My dog constantly had yeast infections in her ears, it sucked, I would work hard on them have them flushed multiple times, cleaned daily, drops 3 times a day, finally get them cleared up, then two weeks later they were back. If I missed 1 day of taking care of them, she would scratch them till they bled.

was sad to see, but all I could do was stay on them and do my best to keep them clean. when she was laying on my lap, I used to hold them open just to get more air in them, it stunk!

man that sucks :(

My friends German Shepard and Mastiff. His second combination of the two. The German Shepard is definitely the leader of the two.

http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/8864/apoq.jpg



This is from Sunday, my old dog on the left has about a month left because of failing kidneys. The Shepard immediately sensed her illness and stayed by her side all afternoon.

http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/2146/eecz.jpg


.

On the subject of ear infections my friends Mastiff has constant gross infections and un cropped ears ……..

yeah big ass floppy ears :(

Where we got our Doberman from, the wife used to breed Great Danes, She once came home to what she though was a murder scene. Turns out that he'd hit his tail against furniture so hard that it split, and sprayed blood all up the walls. He also suffered from separation anxiety, and had pulled a mattress down the stairs.

I like the breed, but with their large size also comes a short lifespan, and I get too attached to my pets to have to go through that every 7 years.