Before making the decision to purchase a Great
Dane, ask yourself the following questions:
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The Great Dane is a giant breed that takes up
more room in the house, needs an appropriate
sized car to ride in safely and will cost
considerably more to maintain than a small
breed. Have you taken all this into
consideration?
-
A Great Dane, especially a rambunctious puppy,
can knock down a small child in play. A Great
Dane must never be left unsupervised with
small children.
-
A Great Dane can be very destructive to your
furniture, woodwork, garden, and personal
belongings. Are you prepared to deal with
this?
-
Big dogs have big medical expenses and require
the same amount of medicine as an adult
person. Are you prepared to purchase canine
health insurance or face huge bills in the
event of a health emergency?
-
A Great Dane MUST be obedience trained to
obtain control. Are you willing to put in the
time and effort to train your dog properly?
-
The Great Dane is a sociable, friendly breed.
Great Danes needs to have human contact,
affection, regular socialization with other
people and animals, and firm, consistent
training. Are you ready to provide this?
-
Great Danes require exercise appropriate to
their age. Many do not “self-exercise.” Are
you committed to providing proper exercise in
all types of weather?
-
Great Danes have good noses and many have a
“stubborn streak.” When not on a leash, they
need a fenced yard or they may “follow their
noses.” Can you commit to putting up a sturdy,
appropriate fence?
-
Great Danes can be excellent companions for
almost any activity you wish to pursue
including jogging, but you *must* wait until
after your pup is two years old to avoid
damage to growing joints. If you are looking
for a puppy, are you willing to wait for it to
grow up?
Unless you can answer yes to ALL the above
questions, then a Great Dane is not the dog
for you.
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HOW TO FIND A “GREAT” GREAT DANE
The best place to obtain a well-bred Great Dane is
from a reputable breeder. The key here is “reputable”.
At all costs, avoid backyard breeders, on-line brokers
and puppy mills, who work with poor quality bloodlines
which may be genetically prone to a host of health
problems. White Great Danes may be deaf or blind and
‘designer’ colors are usually bred by back yard
breeders with no regard to quality or health. Backyard
breeders and puppy mills are only interested in making
a profit, frequently advertising in local newspapers
or selling entire litters to pet stores for resale.
HOW TO IDENTIFY A REPUTABLE BREEDER
Reputable Breeders:
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Are usually members of The Great Dane Club of
America or one of its affiliate clubs and
believe in working towards improving the
conformation and performance of the Great
Dane. GDCA and Affiliate Club members are
guided by a Code of Ethics and do appropriate
health testing before breeding. Recommended
health testing for Great Danes includes hips (OFA
or PennHip), OFA Cardio, OFA Thyroid, and eye
certification (CERF). You can go to the OFA
website (www.offa.org) to review the health
testing on the sire and dam of your proposed
puppy. Be sure to ask about health issues in
the pedigrees of the sire and dam.
-
Ask many questions of prospective owners in
order to insure that their puppy is going to a
good home.
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Unless other arrangements are made, almost
always require a spay/neuter agreement and/or
limited AKC registration for pets.
-
Are usually involved in showing their dogs in
conformation competition, obedience, agility,
rally, tracking or other companion events.
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Wish to be contacted if for any reason a puppy
they bred must be placed in a new home.
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Finding a Reputable Breeder
-
Contact the Great Dane Club of America, Inc.,
or local Great Dane affiliate club and request
names of breeders. You may not always find
someone in your local area.
-
Attend dog shows and talk to breeders,
handlers and other owners who may be able to
give you referrals on obtaining a puppy.
-
Ask your local dog-training center if they can
recommend a local breeder.
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Useful Contacts
-
The American Kennel Club (AKC)
http://www.akc.org/
5580 Centerview Drive Suite 200
Raleigh, NC 27605-3390
919-233-9767 or 800-252-5545
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The Great Dane Club of America
http://gdca.org,
click on “Organization”, then either
“Officers” or “Chairpersons” for contacts. For
Breeders click on “Great Dane”, “Breeding”,
then “Breeders List”.
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Once
you have decided that the Great Dane is the right
breed for you and you have located a reputable breeder
who has puppies available, the next step may be
receiving a set of photos in the mail or by email or
an invitation to visit the puppies. Although some
breeders let buyers choose a puppy, many breeders
match the personalities of the puppies with the
personalities and lifestyles of the buyers. It is not
unusual for the breeder to select the puppy for you.
Questions a Breeder May Ask
1. Have you ever owned dogs before and
specifically a Great Dane?
Familiarity with dogs insures a higher success
rate in placing a puppy in a new home. It is a
particular “plus” if a prospective buyer has had
the experience of owning a unique breed like the
Great Dane.
2. Why do you want a Great Dane?
It is important to determine if a giant dog like
the Great Dane will be the right choice for a
new buyer. This is a breed that matures slowly,
but will be very large at maturity. It’s
important for the buyer to be fully aware of
this, since “he got too big” is one of the
reasons Great Danes end up in rescue.
3. Do you have an enclosed or fenced in
backyard?
The dominant sense of all dogs is the nose,
which gives them the tendency to roam. They may
become injured or lost. The large size of the
breed makes some people over-react to a dog this
size. Chaining a Dane (or any breed) to an
outdoor doghouse or tree is inhumane and can
result in serious injury or death.
4. Where will your new puppy live?
The friendly, affectionate nature of the Dane
and the fact that this breed craves the
companionship of other animals and people means
that it will be happiest in the house where it
can be cared for by a loving family.
5. How long will the puppy be alone?
Breeders are reluctant to place a Great Dane
puppy in a home where it will be alone for
excessively long periods. Even the companionship
of another dog or cat will go a long way in
providing companionship for a new dog. The
affectionate Great Dane does not do well by
itself for extended periods.
6. Are you willing to spay or neuter a
pet Great Dane?
Spaying or neutering is usually required by
responsible breeders who do not want their
valuable bloodlines be used by novice and
backyard breeders.
7. Can you afford not only the purchase
price of this pet but also the maintenance? New
owners need to be aware of how much it costs to
keep their pet well cared for and healthy.
8. Is the decision to purchase a Great
Dane a unanimous one in your family?
Danes who go into a family situation where not
everyone wants this unique breed may start out
with a couple of strikes against them.
9. May I visit your home or have a friend
visit?
Breeders may want to come to your home to see
for themselves where their puppy will live, or,
if they live some distance from you, they may
ask another breeder to do this for them.
10. Who is your vet?
The breeder will want to know that you have a
reliable source of veterinary care for your Dane
and may want to speak with him or her. You will
need to find a veterinarian who has experience
with large breed dogs. |
Questions to Ask a Breeder
1. How long have you been breeding AKC
Great Danes?
Good breeders have usually been involved with
Great Danes and showing their dogs for a minimum
of 3 or 4 years.
2. Do you belong to the Great Dane Club
of America or an Affiliate Great Dane Club?
Membership in these clubs involves working
within a code of ethics that gives greater
credibility to a breeder. Some unscrupulous
people have been known to claim false membership
in clubs so you want to verify such memberships.
3. What type of activities do your dogs
participate in?
A majority of breeders are involved in
conformation competition. This would indicate
that their Danes are probably good physical
representations of the breed. Other breeders may
participate in obedience, tracking or other
companion competitions.
4. What type of health problems do you see
in your Great Danes?
Virtually every breeder who has been involved
with any breed will encounter some health
problems from time to time, so beware the
breeder who says he/she has never seen any
problems. Refer to the section on Health to
familiarize yourself with some of the common
health problems in the Great Dane. Ask what
types of health testing the sire and dam have
had.
5. Do you have any puppies available, and if
not, when do you plan another litter?
In some parts of the country, there is
frequently a shortage of Great Dane puppies.
Some breeders receive up to 8 or 9 calls a week
for pet puppies with no litters being
anticipated for perhaps another 6 months or
longer. The majority of breeders will put your
name on a waiting list. Other breeders whose
lists are full are usually more than willing to
refer you to other reputable breeders in the
area.
6. What kind of warranty do you offer?
Guarantees vary among breeders and are sometimes
connected to your agreement to raise your puppy
according to the individual contract agreed
upon.
7. What is the price of the dog?
Pet puppies might be less expensive than show
prospects, but many breeders feel they have put
equal love, effort, time and money into all
puppies in a litter and have the same price for
both pet and show puppies. What separates a show
potential dog from a companion only may be
trivial, therefore, don’t expect to get a
“cheap” puppy from a breeder and never request
the one who has “something wrong” with it.
8. What type of paperwork will the
breeder provide?
Reputable breeders will provide a bill of sale,
a four generation AKC pedigree, and a contract
detailing the conditions of the sale. AKC
registration papers will be included unless they
simply have not yet arrived back from AKC in the
mail. Most reputable breeders will also give you
information in writing in the form of articles,
pamphlets or even books to help you raise your
puppy. All health and diet information will be
spelled out in detail here and in conversations
with your breeder. |
NEVER BUY A GREAT DANE FROM A PET STORE OR AN ON-LINE
BROKER
Pet store Great Danes and those from on-line brokers
come from backyard breeders and puppy mills. Most
likely, you will not know who bred your dog or have
anyone to contact if you have questions or a problem.
The health of these Danes is generally at risk because
they were not bred by knowledgeable breeders devoted
to improving the health and appearance of the Great
Dane. Pet store puppies are separated from their
mothers at too early an age and usually do not have
the chance to develop healthy bodies and temperaments.
In fact, pet store Danes often become seriously ill
and end up costing their owners hundreds and even
thousands of dollars in veterinary expenses. Pet
stores, puppy mills and on-line brokers do not
guarantee the long-term health of a puppy.
Most poorly bred Great Danes are smaller than those
from reputable kennels and often lack the majestic
head and expression that define the breed. They may,
instead, look more like Greyhound or Labrador
Retriever mixes. Despite the inferiority of the dogs
they sell, pet stores usually charge as much, if not
more, than reputable breeders of quality Great Danes
do.
No matter how impatient you or your children are to
get a Great Dane, it is always better to wait, even a
few months or longer, and get one from a good breeder! |
IS
THE GREAT DANE THE RIGHT DOG FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY?