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??