Item: Great Dane Dogs (two)
Purchased from: Sandy Hall, Great Dane’s Exclusive, Grass Valley, CA
Purchase price: $1,300 each
Shipping: We collected
TOTAL cost: $2,600
Order placed: February 2005
Item Received: March 2005
Rating: 
EXCELLENT
The caveat to my 5-star (EXCELLENT) review rating for Great Dane dogs is that you MUST know what to expect if you want a large dog as a pet. Some of the things to consider with these particularly fabulous large dogs are:
- Great Danes take up a lot of space
- Great Danes can knock down your children without even noticing
- Great Danes eat a LOT
- Great Danes slobber (not excessively, but they’re huge so there’s a lot of it)
Great Danes poop as many times per day as any big dog, but the quantity is at least doubled
Why do Great Danes get a 5-star (EXCELLENT) review rating? I guess I can only speak to my Great Danes, and the reasons why they are wonderful:
- My Great Danes were easy to train
- My Great Danes are loving and affectionate but don’t lick us, jump on us, or lie on the furniture
- My Great Danes are big enough to intimidate passing bears (not uncommon where we live) and strangers; and I have absolutely no doubt that they would protect us if we were threatened
- My Great Danes are as gentle as they can be with our three children and their friends, and would never deliberately hurt them
I grew up with German Shepherds, and before I owned Bodie and Doyle (the Great Danes) I had a Dalmatian called Clyde (because he looked as if he was full of bullet holes). All these dogs were wonderful companions, but none have the unique combination of size, gentleness, good nature, and ability to protect. Oddly enough, when considering what breed of dog would be a good fit with our family I found a source that maintained that Great Danes are good apartment dogs because they spend a lot of the day sleeping. I’m not sure I agree with that, and we have a decent yard, but they are certainly placid most of the time and don’t run around frantically as often, for example, as my Dalmatian used to for no obvious reason.
It is very important to teach Great Danes good manners from day one. They are too big to be unruly. We never let ours lick us, jump on us, lie on the furniture, enter the “posh” living room, or go upstairs to the bedrooms. We also taught them to “wait” and to “leave.” As a result, they do not willingly jump on my shoulders as in this image. We have to coax them to do this for occasional photo opps. Neither do they step into the living room or go upstairs unless commanded to sternly. Despite ranking only 48th in a dog intelligence ranking, our Great Danes learned the basic commands quickly.
If you want a dog that is friendly, easy to train, affectionate, good with children, and big enough to poke you in the armpit for attention, Great Danes are the perfect choice. I haven’t regretted our decision for one moment. Although they are full brothers, Bodie and Doyle have quite different natures and constitutions. Bodie is thin and excitable, while Doyle is solid and calm. Oh, and I almost forgot, perhaps Bodie & Doyle’s biggest (literally) claim to fame is that Gibson, the tallest dog in the world, is their half brother.
The Brit
Posted under Domestic Pet Reviews
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