dogs

Great Dane Puppy and Dog Information

Sunday, October 23rd, 2011

The Great Dane makes a good pet for those looking for a very large dog. She makes a good watch dog and only a fool would challenge her. She loves her human family and only needs moderate exercise. She is good with children but dangerous because of her size, especially to very young children. As a reminder, never leave a child unsupervised with any puppy or dog. She is slow to mature and very clumsy and rambunctious as a puppy. They may not get along with other dogs, especially same sex dogs, unless well socialized as a puppy.

Approximate Adult Size

The approximate adult size (two years old or older) of the male Great Dane is 30 to 34 inches to the withers (highest point of the shoulder) and 120 to 200 pounds. The female ranges from 28 to 32 inches to the withers and 100 to 130 pounds.

Special Health Considerations

Most dog breeds have certain inherited health problems associated with that specific breed and the Great Dane is no exception. Be on the lookout for Canine Hip Dysplasia (genetic based looseness in the hip joint that can lead to arthritis pain and lameness), bloat (Gastric Dilation-Volvulus, the second leading killer of dogs, can kill within the hour, this space is too limited for a complete explanation but you should read up on this). Feeding more then once a day and avoiding exercise right after meals may help guard against bloat and genetic heart problems, and hypothyroidism (sluggish thyroid gland which can result in weight gain). This disease list is an informative guideline only. Other diseases may also be significant threats, please contact your veterinarian for a complete list.

She should visit the veterinarian several times in the first year for shots, boosters and check up. Then, as an adult, she should visit the veterinarian yearly for shots and check up. As she gets older, six years and on, she should visit the veterinarian twice a year for check ups and shots. Remember; avoid feeding your dog sweets.

Grooming

The Great Dane has a short, smooth glossy coat. She needs little in coat maintenance. She sheds average and needs weekly brushing. This will help her maintain a clean and healthy coat and help you keep a closer eye on her health and strengthen your emotional bond with her.

Her teeth should be brushed at least twice a week with toothpaste and toothbrush designed for dogs. Brushing removes the accumulation of plaque and tartar which can cause cavities (rarely) and periodontal disease. Dog periodontal disease can lead to pain, loss of teeth, bad breath and other serious disease.

Her toenails may need to be examined for growth and clipped regularly. The toenails of the rear feet grow slower than the toenails of the front feet. Generally a guillotine type trimmer is the best for this chore and competent instructions to accomplish this can be found on the net.

Life Span

The Great Dane can live between 7 and 10 years with proper nutrition, medical care and excellent living conditions.

History

The Great Dane comes from Germany and were used to hunt boar. They may have been developed from interbreeding the Boarhound, Irish Wolfhound and ancient Mastiff. They were first registered by the American Kennel Association in 1887.

Some Registries

  • Great Dane Club of America
  • UKC United Kennel Club
  • NKC National Kennel Club
  • CKC Continental Kennel Club
  • APRI Americas Pet Registry Inc.
  • AKC American Kennel Club
  • FCI Federation Cynologique Internationale
  • NZKC New Zealand Kennel Club
  • KCGB Kennel Club of Great Britain
  • ANKC Australian National Kennel Club
  • ACR American Canine Registry

Litter Size

5 to 12 Great Dane puppies

Category

Working. Mastiff.

Terms To Describe

Strength, dignity, regal, great size, power, dependable, friendly, courageous

SPECIAL GOOD POINTS

  • Good watch dog.
  • Generally loving and very gentle.
  • Does not need much grooming.
  • Not a barker.

SPECIAL BAD POINTS

  • Poor guard dog but they can be scary.
  • Can be stubborn.
  • Can be hard to train.
  • Grow up slow.
  • Puppies are clumsy and thus dangerous to toddlers.
  • Short lived.

Other Names Known By

Deutsche Dogge, German Mastiff, Ulm Dog

Every dog is an individual so not everything in this information may be correct for your dog. This information is meant as a good faith guideline only.

About the Author

Mitch Endick is a short article writer, editor and website developer for the popular pet site http://www.petpages.com, a pet information site with free pet ads, dog classifieds, and puppy for sale info. Petpages.com also offers information on cats, fish, reptiles, birds, ferrets, rabbits, mice and even pet bugs.

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The Largest Dog in the World Is a Great Dane

Monday, September 26th, 2011

It’s official, the largest dog in the world ever, is a Great Dane called George.

Now standing 43″ at the shoulder and weighing 18 stone, George the Great Dane started life in November 2005 in Oregon and now lives in Arizona, by the time he reached 1 year of age he was already topping the scales at a whopping 14 stone!

A male Great Dane usually weighs somewhere between 9 to 11 stone when fully grown and stands between 32″ and 36″ at the shoulder, they are fully grown by the age of 2.

Great Danes make great family pets and George is no exception, he is a softy with children and afraid of other dogs, including Chihuahuas! His owners say that George spends most of his days eating, he gets through about 100 pounds of dry food per month,sleeping and playing with toys,his favorite one being a doll that plays a nursery rhyme when he presses his nose against it.

Great Danes are very sociable animals and the largest dog in the world is as sociable as they come, he even has his own Queen size bed in his owners bedroom! He made such a fuss whenever he was left alone at night that his owners relented and let him in their bedroom, where he promptly took over the bed until his owners got him one of his own.

All was well until their first baby arrived which put George into a giant sulk as he did not like being so rudely woken in the middle of the night. It took George 3 months to accept the new arrival, and he did so on Christmas morning when he finally acknowledged the youngest member of the pack by giving her a giant lick on the hand.

It was February 2010 that the adjudicators from the Guinness World Records measured George in a vets presence and not only declared him the tallest dog in the world but the tallest dog in the world, ever!

Now George has a giant fan club on Facebook with more than 70,000 fans and has traveled by plane to Chicago to appear on the Oprah Winfrey Show.

When George was a young puppy he was chosen from a litter of 14 because he appeared to be the outsider, the runt of the litter, not joining in with the rough and tumble that the other puppies were enthusiastically throwing themselves into.

After they got him home his owners quite quickly noticed how big his feet were compared to the rest of him. Little did they know what was in store! So the largest dog in the world is quite oblivious to his star status and merrily goes about his daily routine like any other giant breed dog, that’s why we all love them so much, even if they are the largest dog in the world, isn’t it?

John Morrod is the proud owner of 2 Great Danes, you can find lots of interesting videos, articles and training tips here http://greatdanepuppy.net

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Use Dog Training Collar to Abolish Inappropriate Barking

Sunday, September 25th, 2011

Your dog barks too loud, or too often, for no reason or during resting hours? You can use a dog training collar to make it reduce annoying barking. You also have other anti barking methods or devices at your choice, but this is one of the most effective. Here are some of the drawbacks of other types of anti-barking tools, and why an anti-barking collar has an edge over them:.

1. Some health problems may occur

Unfortunately, some anti-barking collars are unsafe for your pet pooch. You don’t want to cause your dog any heath problem that may happen while using them. Alternatively, the aversive stimuli used by anti barking collars are so subtle and you can also set their dosage just to startle your dog while barking. You can be peaceful about the safety of your dog while wearing the training collar. Your dog’s safety is likely one of your top priorities, and that includes when you’re training it. During the use of a dog training collar the health of your dog has no reason to alter.

2. They’re ineffective.

There are gaps between the promises of many anti barking methods and their real effects. You are buying such products for their effects. Scientific studies have been performed to compare the effectiveness of different tools designed to reduce excessive barking. How effective can they be? Some studies show that certain Dog Training Collar models can eliminate nearly 90% of your dog’s excessive barking. It is hard to find such a success rate among other behavior modification methods.

3. They’re unaffordable.

An obedience training school for pets can cost up to several hundreds of thousands of dollars, especially when they guarantee a high rate of success. Nevertheless, you can hardly find such a school to prove the same rate of success as an anti barking collar. You only need to dispose of about $100 to get a simple anti barking collar. So in terms of the product’s value, an anti-barking collar is definitely a better choice.

4. Some are considered inhumane treatment

Some of the most efficient anti-barking techniques are considered to be inhumane treatments for the dogs. Dog owners love their pets and won’t consider using hurting or distressing techniques or tools to train their dogs not to over bark. The anti-barking collars bring into play ones of the most slight aversive stimuli. They use incentives like ultrasounds or the citronella oil. So you can be 100% sure that such types of Dog Training Collar are as humane as they are effective.

5. They’re complex.

Customers, especially those with less technical abilities, prefer to buy the products that are simply to understand and operate. Mistakes can occur when using a tool you don’t really understand. It is very simple to set and employ a dog training collar. It typically includes a microphone for detecting your dog’s barking, and a battery. According to your settings, the device will issue warning beeps or aversive stimuli if the dog barks too much, often, loud or when not allowed. While the mechanics of such collars are basic, what’s more important is that they’re effective in reducing your dog’s excessive barking. They really do the job you paid for.

Some Dog Training Collar types abolish almost 90% of the inappropriate barking. Any pain is excluded for your dog while you train it. There is no doubt that these types of Dog Training Collar are humane and efficient.

Great Dane Dog Breed Profile

Friday, September 23rd, 2011

Great Dane Dog Breed Profile

Description: The Great Dane is a majestic, giant dog. The dog can reach 30 to 34 at the shoulder and weigh between 110 and 200 pounds. The bitch, as is usually the case, is smaller, being 28 to 32 tall at the withers and weighing between 100 to 130 pounds. The coat is short and shiny and comes in brindle, fawn, harlequin, blue, black, and mantle. This is a very strong and powerful dog. The Great Dane’s ears are often cropped to make them stand upright, but can be left natural. This breed generally lives under 10 years. It is also known as the German Mastiff and the Deutsche Dogge.

History: References to the Great Dane can be found on ancient Greek coins. An even earlier appearance occurs in drawings from 3000BC from Egypt. The Dane’s origins are more reliably traced to the invasion of Germany by the Alans in 407AD. These people brought a strong, mastiff-like dog with them. This dog was superlative in hunting boar and other large and dangerous game. Interbreeding with the English Mastiff and Irish Wolfhound, and possibly the Greyhound resulted in the dog known today as the Great Dane.

Temperament: Despite the Great Dane’s large size, it is a good natured and gentle dog and is suited to living in the house with its family. The Dane is very oriented towards people and is kind with children, although it may be too big for a small child to play with comfortably. This dog is loyal to its family and makes a good watchdog. It should be socialized with other dogs and pets while young.

Health Issues: A very serious problem with the Great Dane is heart disease. This often shortens the life of this breed considerably. Hip dysplasia is also present, as with most large dogs. Care must be taken to keep the Dane inactive after eating to help prevent stomach torsion, or bloat. Because the Dane grows so quickly, the puppy must be restricted in its activities in order to prevent injury to the bones. Running should not be allowed in young dogs, they should be given daily walks for exercise instead.

Grooming: Being a short-haired breed, the Great Dane does not require extensive grooming. The dog can be brushed weekly to keep the coat clean and free of dead hair. It is often recommended that the Dane be given a dry shampooing, as giving this giant dog a wet bath can be a project in itself. Make sure the Great Dane’s nails are kept short and if the dog has natural ears, keep them dry and clean.

Living Conditions: Although the Great Dane is a very large dog, it should be kept close to its human family. This dog loves to interact with those it loves and will suffer if kept tied up in the yard. The Dane needs to be exercised every day, it requires long walks and a chance to run freely if this is possible. This dog can live in an apartment as long as its exercise needs are met.

For more information on Great Dane, Training, Puppies and other dog breeds please visit my sites below. Thanks for stopping by.

Puppies For Sale

Puppies or Dogs

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The Electronic Dog Fence Is Not Visible

Thursday, September 22nd, 2011

The Electronic Dog Fence Is Not Visible

Not long time ago, when we spoke of a dog fence we refer to a substantial structure raised with the purpose of keeping our dogs within a specific area. With the advances in technology, however, we think of dog fences in the sense of invisible fences with no visible lines of demarcation set in wood, stone and metal. It is not a visible fence, but it works even better when it comes to maintaining our dogs inside our yards.

Many visible benefits can, indeed, be enjoyed with electronic pet fences. Firstly, you’ll be exempted from spending a lot of time, money and effort that would have been required by the construction and maintenance of a barrier made from timber, stone or metal to border your property. When it comes to installing an electronic Dog Fence, this is quite a simple job, even if you do it yourself: place the transmitter as to cover the whole containment area, set the perimeter by placing the proximity sensors and attach the electronic collar around the neck of your dog.

When you need the fence, turn it on. You have a fully-functioning invisible dog fence installed within minutes instead of the days it takes to make a traditional perimeter fence

Secondarily, you don’t have to bother of disturbing the aesthetics of the place. For example, if you want to protect the flower garden with the exotic blooms from the attacks of your dog but you still want to showcase its beauty, the invisible pet fence will accomplish the job.

In neighborhoods where material fences are not permitted by law the invisible fences can be installed. This is to allow easy way in for emergency services.

Thirdly, you have three main alternatives of electronic dog fences. You are then able to choose which one is the most suitable for your needs, preferences and budget.

Wired systems require wires to be buried in the ground with said wires emitting the radio signal that activates the receiver in the collar to release the beep and then the electric shock

The wireless systems use a central unit to receive signals from the proximity sensors and to transmit activation signals to the dog’s collar.

GPS-based systems are becoming popular since these allow for faster and easier installation of the fence since the unit can be placed the designated area sans the physical effort required to install the wires or the central unit

Fourth, the electronic dog fence is more effective in restraining your dog from escaping the yard and exposing itself to risks of car accidents, dog fights, getting lost or being injured due to other kind of mishap. The dog does not understand electricity but dislikes the unpleasant sensation induced by the shock, so he or she will quickly learn to avoid that feeling by simply turning back when it hears the warning beep issued by the collar.

Your dog will be safe and sound and you will be peaceful leaving it alone at home. Or in spending for the hospital expenses of the people your dog may have bitten, for that matter.

If you are worried about the electric shocks, just test the collar of the Dog Fence on yourself to see they are painless. They are mild intensity shocks that can be adjusted according to your requirements.

Installing an electronic Dog Fence is quite a simple job. You have three main alternatives of electronic dog fences. Don’t worry about the shocks given by the collar in the Dog Fence.

3 Great Large Dog Breeds for Apartments

Monday, August 29th, 2011

3 Great Large Dog Breeds For Apartments

With living in an apartment, picking the right dog can be difficult-especially coming from a person who isn’t partial to small dogs. After doing some research, I was surprised to find that there are numerous large-breed dogs that are well-suited for apartment living.

1. Mastiff – Mastiffs are huge so when my boyfriend told me they are actually perfect for apartments, I called him crazy. Come to find out, they really are! Because of their massive size, they tend to be lazy. Being calm-mannered dogs, they aren’t yappers either. His parents have two mastiffs and I have only heard them bark when they feel there is danger. Also, they don’t require a ton of exercise so a large backyard or constant walks are not necessary.

2. Greyhound – My cousin has a greyhound and it is, by far, the sweetest dog I have ever encountered. Though she is a large, lean dog, she sees herself as a lapdog, always trying to snuggle on the couch. Greyhounds are good apartment dogs because they are so mellow and sweet. They require a bit more exercise than a mastiff would but still not so that it would cut into your daily routine.

3. Great Dane – I would only recommend a Great Dane for someone that can make a commitment to daily jogs. Though Great Danes are mild mannered dogs that do not bark a lot and tend to be lazy around the house, they do need to get out a lot more than the other dogs listed.

What kind of big dogs do you have in your apartment?

Four different authors share their stories on apartment living. Find some great advice and share your apartment living stories on myrentalpad.com.

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Bark Control Devices Are Affordable

Monday, July 25th, 2011

While barking is a normal behavior for dogs, is your dog barking too much? As many people have such annoying barking dogs, training methods for Bark Control have been developed, but none such effective as the anti bark collars. The primary components of such collars are a microphone and battery. As the collar would be attached to the neck of the dog, the microphone that is used to detect the barking of the dog cannot be powered through wires, that would be very unpractical, so it is powered by the two batteries. When the microphone detects your dog barking, the collar typically emits a beep, and then provides an anti-barking stimulus. Here are some of the problems related to excessive barking, and how bark-control devices can help:.

1. Excessive barking is annoying. Some dogs don’t stop from barking, others start barking at the most inappropriate times. Like the moments when you are trying to concentrate on something or when you want to relax. When someone is comming, it’s a normal thing for your dog to bark, announcing the visitor. But if your dog is barking constantly then you should consider some type of bark control device, such as a special collar. As ironic as it may seem, it’s indeed possible to love your dog yet hate its barking. When he strarts barking for nothing in the middle of the night, it can drive you nuts.

2. Loud barking will disturb your neighbours. No matter what kind of neighbours you have, you should act responsibly within your neighborhood. Noise pollution is one of the most common causes of angst among neighbors. And one of the most common causes of noise pollution is excessive barking. Most neighbors will be understanding if your pet pooch barks from time-to-time. But incessant baking in the middle of the night can lead to legal complaint. To stop this habbit, you need anti bark devices. You’ll be able to have normal relations with your neighbours. And that includes a large area.

3. It can cause you stress. Most parts of our modern life are stressing. Consider that before our days “begin,” traffic jams and road rage can cause our stress levels to skyrocket. Stress is difficult to treat, but it can be prevented through reducing its causes. Eliminate or reduce excessive or unpropper timing barking that are one of the main causes of your stress. The relevant words here are “excessive” and “unproper timming”. If your dog barks too much at the wrong time, then you might become desperate to find a solution that will effectively cause your dog to pipe down. One of them is to use the bark control collar.

4. It can affect the relationship with your pet. Of course you don’t want to give up to your pet. Nevertheless, you cannot go well along an all-day barking dog. You may even no more want to hear of him. The good news is that Bark Control collars can help to minimize your dog’s barking, thus improving your relationship with it. When you’re on good terms with your pet dog, your quality of life will definitely improve.

Training methods for Bark Control have been developed. The electronic anti bark devices can help to solving excessive barking. Minimize your dog’s barking using Bark Control collars.

A Great Dane Winter

Thursday, April 21st, 2011

Great Danes, known as the Apollo of dogs and beloved by anyone who has had a chance to get to know one were originally from Germany. The origin of the Dane name is unknown but nonetheless inappropriate. Despite that fact weather they hail from Germany or a Scandinavian country they seem oddly maladept for the cold that these countries have to offer. Short haired dogs such as the Rhodesian ridgeback are from scorched hot areas of Africa.

Short haired dogs do have one thing in common, they are hunters. The adaption of short hair seems to have something to with the hunting aspect of their existence. Running through thick bush and bramble are much easier if your are not snagging every branch and tree you pass. The sleek aerodynamics of many of these breeds can be observed, especially in greyhounds which have also been used to hunt in the past.

Modern Great Danes are not used to hunt very often and many can be found in homes in warmer climates these days but winter happens every year in most of the world and Great danes shiver at the thought.

We take a couple of steps to make our Danes comfortable for the winter. First, we make sure that they have something to lay on besides the cold hard wood floor. The Dogs would prefer that we let them on the furniture, but as I have previously discussed, furniture, if you want it to last is not great dane approved. We get the dogs some nice fluffy beds that will insulate them from the floor.

Next, we put out a couple of space heaters. Danes, may be tall, but when they lay on the floor they are in the coldest area of the house. The air below your waist can be 5 to 10 degrees cooler than the air above. They huddle by the heaters on especially cold days.

We also feed them a little more during the cold periods, giving them more calories than usual to keep warm. They don’t mind this one bit, it just means don’t forget to let them out a little more often. The Dane’s quick metabolism usually prevents them from putting on much weight but a little extra insulation never hurt.

Dane clothing can be hard to find as well as expensive if you do find it so when we put a sweater or something on them it is usually a hand me down. This looks kind of funny but they appreciate the extra warmth.

There are many other things you can do that I do not routinely do because I live in a fairly warm area but, just to list a quick few. Cover them up with a blanket, get some dog booties, use a heated blanket, and warm their food and water.

Once outside in the cold Great Danes don’t seem to have much problem, they have a very high pain tolerance but it is pretty forlorn to see them shivering on the floor in your home. I can easily envision a pack of Danes huddled around a great fire in a medieval German castle.

More on http://www.greatdaneapproved.com

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Bullmastiff Pup (Satchmo 12 Weeks) Meets Great Dane (Misty1yr) and Rhodesian Ridgeback (Georgie 2ears)

Thursday, January 8th, 2009

Duration : 0:2:6

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Bullmastiff Pup (Satchmo 12 Weeks) Meets Great Dane (Misty1yr) and Rhodesian Ridgeback (Georgie 2ears)

Thursday, January 8th, 2009

Duration : 0:2:6

(more…)