by Brandy Thorward  

There is alot to know about owning a great dane. The intricacies of the breed are many; Danes can be prone to unique health problems related to their size, and are generally short lived. On the upside, they are loyal, frequently good natured, and generally low key compared to smaller breeds. Still, sharing your home with something that weighs more than you do creates its own challenges.

Although their expected life span is only about 9 years, great danes spend a full two years of it in puppyhood. During at least some of this time, many great dane puppies have a habit of chewing things. Large things suited to their large size, Like couches and chairs. Actually, they probably won't waste time on something as trivial as, say, your best shoes (although, with puppies as with children, anything is possible). It is really REALLY IMPORTANT that a new dane owner become extremely well versed in SOUND, WELL FOUNDED TRAINING TECHNIQUES. The time and money investment you make in attending a good training class with your great dane may save you the time and money investment in shopping for your third couch.

Even so, your great dane WILL outgrow most of its annoying puppy habits. However, there are other reasons YOU WILL NEED TO BECOME AN EXPERT ABOUT TRAINING YOUR ANIMAL. Great danes are big, They can cause you a good deal of discomfort by sitting on you, smacking you with their huge front paw to draw your attention, dragging you by the hand to the door or the bowl or the counter where you keep their favorite treat, or literally knocking you down and trampling you in excitement when you arrive home. They will take over your house if you don't know how to teach them not to, and you may not be happy with the outcome of who gets to use the couch or who gets to sleep in the bed (I personally know someone who wound up having to sleep on the floor for a while.)

All this work takes a LARGE commitment of time and effort on your part. And don't be fooled, there will still be the occasional "mistake". You will probably lose at least one piece of furniture even with the best of efforts. If you are not prepared for this, DO NOT GET A DANE. If anyone in your family is even remotely intimidated by the size of the dog DO NOT CHOOSE A DANE. If you are thinking of keeping the dog outside, the dane is NOT for you. They have a very short coat and are susceptible to both heat and cold as well as theft, And if your plan is to keep your dane locked up alone indoors the majority of the time, or to use solitary lock-up as punishment, don't bother with a dane. The structural integrity of your house may be brought into question by the time your "pet" gets through with it, should he decide HE'D REALLY RATHER BE WITH YOU than locked up. For house-breaking and short periods of confinement, a crate designed for the breed is an essential commodity.

If you really understand all this...can truly imagine and believe it, you just may make a good dane owner. But it's really hard to imagine until it happens. And many rescued danes are received from people who THOUGHT they knew what they were getting into.