Sunday, 30 October 2011

Is A Dane Right For You?





When thinking of adding a Great Dane to your family, there are some things to consider. The first and most obvious thing that comes to mind is size. The next thing that comes to mind is how much food will this dog eat? How much will I have to exercise my Dane? And how do they do as a family pet? There are many more things that would come to mind when thinking about bringing a Dane into your home, but these are just to mention a few. I have experience with raising two Dane puppies. One female (Asia) and one male (Hugo.) Asia  is the mother of Hugo. I have experience in breeding, our family have bred Jack Russells most of my life growing up, and Asia was our first time breeding Danes. After moving out of my parents home after finishing school, Asia had her first litter and I decided to bring one home. At that time I already had two Pugs (Jack Russell/Pugs.) One was almost twelve years old and the other was my newest pup, She was almost two years old. I really wanted a new pup for my youngest pug Bella. My oldest did not like to play, and Bella needed a play mate. There would be a great size difference, but I did not think the difference would be a problem. When I brought him home that night, I knew right away they would soon be the best of friends and the size would never matter.




There is no telling exactly how big your Dane will turn out to be. Some may be much taller, having very long thin legs. While some will have shorter legs, while being very thick and muscular. By being able to see both the mother and the father will allow you to better accurately judge the size/body shape your Dane may end up to be. Both of Hugo's parents were of a shorter leg and thick body stature. Now at two years old He is of average height and getting thicker. If both of your Dane's parents had a more longed legged stature, there is a good chance your Dane may have longer legs making them taller. Even at eight weeks, you can still get a good idea at what your Dane may turn out to be. When you go to look at a littler you may notice some that are taller or stockier then others. That will also give you a good idea of which ones will be taller/smaller at full grown. What I have noticed, is that your Dane will "grow into" their features. There feet, joints, ears and nose. You will notice that those features will appear very large in comparison their body. Danes tend to be very "easy going" in the home, so no matter their size they are usually very conscious of their space. They don't need big sleeping areas as they love to curl up in themselves to sleep. They love to cuddle and feel they are lap dogs. So if you plan on having them sleep with you, it will be as if having a full grown person sleeping in your bed with you. So being a dog that craves human interaction, cuddling can get quite heavy. 


The food you choose to feed your Dane is very important. What you feed your Dane will have a huge part in how your Dane grows. Remember to grow them slow, constant growth is the key to proper growth development. Your Dane will grow rapidly in the first nine months, and continue to grow steadily through to eighteen months. Your Dane should be lite and lean until they hit about two years old. Your Dane will start to hold more weight after the initial "puppy stage" when their metabolism slows down. Feeding your Dane a premium dog food with protein levels no higher than 24%, and fat levels 12% to 14%, is key to proper  growth development. You should never feed your Dane puppy food. The protein and fat levels are far too high for your Dane puppy. Feeding your Dane a Raw Diet


Great Danes are known to be "big lazy couch potatoes." Danes are known to be very laid back and easy going. That is not to say that they do not need to be walked and exercised on a daily basis. When you bring your puppy Dane home, it is important to build somewhat a steady walking schedule. It is great for helping in house training your Dane as well. You will need to exercise your Dane daily. They will more then likely have a fast run around the park three times or so, then be very tired, very quickly. Our Pug goes for about twenty minutes after Hugo has had enough. There energy goes in spurts more then a constant need for it like other breeds. However due to the size of your Dane, having a dog with pent up energy can become a problem. So in conclusion, daily walks between twenty to thirty minutes each will allow you to have a happy balanced Dane. 


Great Danes are well known for being a great family dog. They are very attached to their family. Socializing your Dane with people is key. Old people, young people, children, babies, men, woman and other animals. Due to their size, not having a well socialized Dane can be dangerous. Great Danes who are shy or weary of strangers can become very protective of their families. We have taken Hugo everywhere we can to get him out and used to being around new people and animals. We like most people have frequent guests come to our home, so having a dog that is not shy or weary of people makes all the difference. Danes are very personable dogs. They CRAVE human affection. They love to lean, cuddle or stand beside you all time to be close to you. They make awesome cuddle buddies for children. Our Dane Hugo loves children. We live across the road from a school and have a two year old nephew. We introduced Hugo to our nephew when he was four months old. I watched my nephew often so I needed to make sure I could trust Hugo with the baby in the house. From the moment I introduced them, they have been very close. My nephew has always found great comfort in Hugo, and Hugo has always wanted to nothing but watch over him when he is here. Even now that my nephew is running around, they still play very well together. Danes are very conscious of their size and do well in general with small children. 


There are many things to consider when bringing home puppy Dane. Make sure you do your research before making that commitment. They are not cheap to feed, and vet visits are not any cheaper. Because of their size, even yearly vaccinations can be quite costly. They are prone to health problems, so researching your potential Dane's bloodlines can give you an idea if any may arise. Socializing your Dane is a must for a well balanced dog. They are very soft dogs and need lots of affection and attention. They do not need extensive exercise, but consistent daily walks are a must. They are easy to train, but start early. For more information or advise please visit Hugo at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hugo/180521955297664



Friday, 28 October 2011

Choosing The Perfect Vehicle For Your Dane

Thinking of getting a Great Dane can be very intimidating. But the thought of what vehicle you will need to take your Dane to the vet, can be just as intimidating. When we made the decision to get a Dane we had a 1999 four door, Honda Civic. We did not put too much thought into the vehicle we would soon need to transport our rapidly growing Great Dane, Hugo. When we brought Him home, Hugo was already 4 months old and 45 pounds. He fit in our Civic very comfortably, until He hit 6 months. We were not expecting it to happen as fast as it had, but we needed to start looking quickly. We are avid believers in a well socialized dog, because of his size an un-socialized Hugo would not be an easy/pleasant walk.  Having said that, we take him to parks, camping, the beach and stores on a regular basis. If you are thinking of bringing your Dane with you on a day to day basis, the vehicle you choose will be very important.

We looked at many different types of vehicles. Always remember to bring your Dane with you when looking to accurately judge the space. Living in a town home with a shared driveway, we also had to think about our precious driveway space. Having a Honda Civic, we thought about the Honda CRV (keeping it in the Honda family) and being an SUV having lots of space for Hugo. Our neighbor had recently purchased a 2009 CRV and we asked if they would mind us taking a look at the space. When they folded all the seats down, we were shocked to see the lack of space it offered. Our next possibilities were in the Ford family. Growing up on a farm, we had many trucks/vans which were all Fords and we found reliable. We looked at the biggest Ford SUV's, the Expedition and the Explorer. Though both of them would fit Hugo at the biggest he would ever get, they were not great on gas and were both far too big to fit comfortably in our driveway. We thought next of the Ford Escape. You see them all over the roads everywhere you go (reliable) and is much better on gas. We looked at older models, but they were just a little bit too snug. Then found a 2010 Ford Escape with low kilometers, at a very reasonable price. When we went to look at it, I fell in love. The seats folded down effortlessly, and the roof was possibly 3 inches higher then the older models we looked at. He stood in the back with ample room around and above him. The back windows are child safe and only go down half way and He stands or sits comfortably with his head out the window. We have frequent back seat passengers so the folding seats make it a breeze to switch back and forth. I love the ride. Its comfortable, smooth and peppy.




     


Im sure there are many other vehicles that would fit a Dane comfortably. But I highly recommend taking a look at them if you are in the market. Its great on gas (for being a V6-SUV) in the city, highway driving or old country roads. Just remember when you are thinking of bringing a Great Dane into your lives, think of how you are going to have to transport them. They grow VERY fast. And remember to bring your Dane with you when you go looking. When looking at an SUV with all seats down, its easy to underestimate the room your Dane will have, especially if your Dane is not full grown. If you or anyone you know have looked or purchased a vehicle that you think is perfect for a Dane, I would love to know. We are now thinking of a new car/wagon, any ideas??