Of the many things you can do to extend the life of a great dane such as proper diet and making sure they get plenty of exercise a dog ramp is also a fabulous option. While children often think that the big beast are perfect for ridding their backs are one of the most vulnerable points on a big dog like this. They have lots of weight pulling down in the middle and a long span to hold up. Because of their large size they commonly step up and down onto pretty large things which adds a high level of stress to the spine.

As big dogs age common things like getting up onto a bed or into a car can begin to be very difficult and painful. Hips and backs suffer the most and to extend life, improve quality of life, and avoid future problems it is imperative to use all of your options.

Aside from the benefits to the dog there are benefits to the owner as well. Lifting a large dog into a care can be a challenge and cause you to have back problems of your own. Possible injuries to your large pet are costly and traumatic, not to mention time consuming. Avoid these issues with dog ramp and see your pet into old age

1.  If you want an animal that will act more like a family member than a dog this is a great choice.  Danes seem to forget that they are dogs and start to think of themselves as people.  This has some amusing consequences.

2.  If you want a guard dog that will scare the crap out of people but not actually hurt anyone then this is the dog for you.  Their bark is much bigger than their bite and while great danes can be aggressive it is unusual and usually limited to cases of mistreatment.  One thing is for certain, they will scare strangers half to death.

3.  They are lazy and lovable and great around the house but they can also have boundless energy when taken out to play.  The are great for going running and lots of fun to take for long walks.

4.  Great danes are excellent ice breakers.  People always have a story to tell about a big dog and they get lots of attention.  If you like attention and enjoy talking to strangers they are a great fit.

5.  Great Danes are excellent foot rests.  Have lots of chairs and no ottomans?  Get a dane, they will happily lay under foot for hours.

6.  If you like to cuddle and don’t mind a little bit of hair they will give you as much or more love than you require.  Be prepared for a needy beast than can never get quite as much as it needs.

7.  Because little dogs just plain suck.  Want a real dog get a great dane.  Want a rat dog that you have to worry about getting killed by an owl get a poodle.

8.  If you need something to do with all that extra food laying around your house and want a portable automatic disposal this is the dog for you.  They can devour a table full of food in the time it takes to get a bottle of ketchup from the pantry.  Want to loose a couple of pounds and need help with your diet.  A great dane will be happy to help.

9.  This one is a little vain but thats ok.  These are some great looking dogs and they make all other dogs jealous with their good looks.  Go big or go home and never settle for second best looking.

10.   If you realize that all of your material possessions have a limited life span and that you must rotate them out after they have lived out their usefulness a great dane will give you a reason to get rid of those old shoes, that new watch, or that whatever else you leave on the floor.

If you have a house with carpet and you thought it would be a good idea to get a great dane, what the heck were you thinking?  You would be better off pulling the carpet out and exposing the plain concrete slab of your house.  The dogs won’t appreciate this but your allergies will and you will save a fortune in carpet cleaning bills.  There are a couple of reasons that carpet is a really bad idea

Short Hair

Just because danes have short hair does not mean that they don’t shed.  They shed a lot and it is pretty easy to sweep up on hard floors but that short hair also has a way of burrowing deeply into nice carpet.  It won’t vacuum out nearly as easily as long hair because of the reduced surface area and it tends to work its way deeper and deeper into the carpet.  If you have ever removed carpet you know how disgusting it can be beneath the surface.  Multiply that by a factor of 10 just when taking into account the great dane hair.

Big Paws

These monstrous paws do great damage in two ways.  One they track in all sorts of good junk from the yard, danes are not very good at wiping their feet and their feet are so big that the increased surface area contributes greatly towards big muddy foot prints on nice carpet.  Next damage factor.  Ever see a cleated soccer player change direction on a muddy field?  They leave a big divot in the grass.  Danes are capable of doing this to your carpet.  Their nails get long fast any you need a hedge trimmer to cut them so it often goes undone, thus contributing to divoted carpet.

Slobber

This one is a little more avoidable than some of the others but no less destructive.  I have already discussed the tendency of food to disappear in a dane household and carpet seems to be prime eating area for great danes or and dog for that matter.  The likely hood of a steak being eaten off of your nice carpet is pretty high and from what I know steak is fairly difficult to get out of carpet.  Apply this rationale to basically anything that you expect to disappear in the future.  Bones are also incredibly messy but a delight to chew on the carpet.

All solid floors is the way to go, you will save a fortune in heartache and bills alike.  As much as we love our great danes we must be prepared for their ability to destroy.

As you can imagine this is kind of frustrating.  But the danes are so lovable that I always end up giving them a second chance.  Can this be trained out, maybe but I am not that talented a trainer.  The best thing I have found to do is plan ahead a little and realize that they are doing what big dogs do.

If I am spending long in the kitchen and cooking a large meal, the area becomes a no great dane zone.  This is by far the safest course of action but not always practical.  If I do not condone off the area it does not take long at all before I have big noses pushing their way into the mix trying to be of assistance.  I can do without their help.

If I made the daring choice to leave food out in the kitchen, it must, and this is imperative, not be left at head level.  The quick safety test that I run consists of me imagine if I could reach something with my mouth, great danes are about as tall as me, maybe a little taller when standing on two legs, so naturally if I can reach it so can they.  I find that the only truly safe area is on top of the refrigerator.

Tables are not different, if you are planning on getting a dane be prepared to alter your eating experience or be prepared to condone off an area during meal time.  Don’t let the sad eyes fool you, they will devour am entire table of unattended, or attended food for that matter before you have much of a chance to react.

Great danes are irresistibly lovable and have more personality than any other breed I have met.  But they do require some pretty serious lifestyle shifts and don’t ever forget, counter tops are not great dane approved.

I am not going to discuss all dog attacks or breeds I would like to highlight one area of attacks associated with great danes.  Danes are known as gentle giants but they also are responsible for serious injuries every year, partly due to their size.  And unfortunately most of these injuries are sustained by children for a couple of reasons.  One, they are at the right height, two, they are often responsible for tormenting the animals, and three they are scarred.

I am not going to attempt to look too far into the psychology of a Dane but what I have observed numerous times is that people who are afraid of a Dane are much more likely to be attacked by the Dane.  Showing fear leads one to be a little bit more outwardly aggressive, it leads to more eye contact, raised hands, sharper quicker movements, all of which a great dane associates with aggressive behavior.

I am not going to tell people to not be afraid of large dogs because many people simply have a fear of dogs which is easily intensified by size.  To these people simply keep your distance or stand your ground.  To those that would like to overcome learn the body language that will show that you are not a threat, such as, limited eye contact, sideways stance, crouched stance, hands down, higher voice (not loud, higher in pitch).

To the owners who want to make people comfortable with their Danes, learn to do proper introductions to strangers and reward the dane obsessively for good behavior.  Also learn to teach new people in the dogs life the proper mannerisms and how to establish dominance over a large animal.  Be present while these introductions take place and make sure that new people have enough introduction and bonding time with the great dane to overcome their fear.  One effective strategy is to model proper behavior yourself or what I like to do is have my six year old son model the proper behavior for new people.  When an adult who is afraid of dogs sees a six year old interacting without being eaten it can go a long way to overcome fear.

Danes are famous for their photogenic appeal as well as their personality.  They are often photographed dwarfing other animals or babies or in some upsurid character.  One of the most famous dane poses is with a kitten, nose to nose or some other similar fashion.  This particular picture seems to destroy the canine feline myth, poking fun at nature is always a bit amusing.  But this situation is perfectly within the realm of possibility and not just for a well trained model dane.

Great danes were breed to hunt giant boars and various other animals.  The strategy being, corner and hold, not kill.  Warning to cat owners, a dane will chase a fast moving object, and while fast, their acceleration and maneuverability is that of a Mack truck.  Your cat can easily escape but that is not the point.  We want happy comfortable animals, not neurotic beast that take flight at the drop of a feather.

From experience I have learned that it is most important that cats need a place that they can be safe and away from the dane if they wish.  If they wish to venture into dane territory and interact with the danes let them make this decision.  Out of my three cats all of them will at times rub the legs of the danes, it is an amusing sight.  They are a little leary, but have also realized that the danes have soft mouths and are not interested in eating them.  I had one particularly brave cat that would actually wrestle with one of the danes.  It would look traumatic to an outside observer but I observed the cat in the dogs mouth many times having a ball.  At the end of these play sessions the cat would be covered in drool but thoroughly pleased, feline version of extreme sports.

One of the most important comfort factors that should be implemented is to allow the cats to eat in a safe area.  Doing this as well as giving cats a private domain, proper introductions and plenty of space is a sure way to make friends for life.  I have found that small dogs are actually more difficult to integrate into a dane household than cats.  Go figure.

                The most common of the allergies which I appropriately call bald butt, not sure about the scientific name, seems to appear during hotter weather or when a Great Dane is stressed.  I have seen it happen with both of our adopted Danes the first year we had them and return only mildly in following years.  The only remedy that I have found to work for any extended period of time is a steroid sot administered by the vet.  This is not the cheapest option and you have to watch out for accidents afterwards but it is effective.  Repeated bathing seems to make the problem worse.

                Another common problem is the muzzle acne, which I have also seen in both Danes in their first years and is aggravated by similar circumstances.  Acne is pretty gross and is characterized by pustules around the mouth and on the chin.  Danes usually seem oblivious to pain but they seem to be bothered by this particular affliction.  The steroid shot is temporarily effective for this outbreak but thankfully it is more easily treatable.  A simple application of vinegar, usually just once or twice should clear this up no problem.  I just wet a paper towel and wipe down the muzzle.  The Great danes don’t appreciate this much but it does work like a charm.

                Ingrown hairs are also fairly common and not easily diagnosed by someone unfamiliar with Danes.  They most commonly occur on the hip (high friction areas) and appear as big growths, almost like a tumor.  The best solution for these suckers is simple.  Put on safety glasses and squeeze.  The dog is usually oblivious and when it pops it is freakishly cool, blood, pus and hair pop out.  Not for the faint of heart but a small price to pay for a Great Dane lover and sickenely addictive.  After the eruption apply some antibacterial ointment and do it again in a few days.  When the growth flattens out and softens to the touch quit with your sick addiction and let the poor beast grow some hair.

                I have two danes and two kids and no serious injuries related to either category.  The Greatdanes will scare the crap out of the occasional kid but it is normally unintentional.  And on occasion one of the Danes will corner a small child and wait for the hunter to come finish the job, depending on the child I usually discourage this type of behavior.

                Trampling is by far the most common incident related to children and is always unintentional.  It is usually a misguided attempt to show love and is closely related to the bull in a china shop syndrome of which Danes are gifted.  Trampling can usually be remedied with a hug and by reassuring the child that they are not lunch. 

                Be forewarned Great Danes and crybaby children do not play well.  Black eyes, busted knees, and attacks from the killer Dane tale are common.  By the way the Great Dane is the only canine that inherited the stegosaurus attack tail.  Kids watch your heads, adults watch the soft spot located about midway.

A reminder to children.  Great danes are not miniature horses, they are not related to cows, and while they will tolerate being ridden, it will ruin their backs and decrease their already short life expectancy.

As a reassurance to parents I will let you know that my ferocious looking, blue, male, Great Dane that slightly resembles Lucifer and scares the crap out of grown men will tolerate anything thrown at him so far.  I have seen him ridden, chased, chase, hit, his teeth poked at, wrestled with, tail pulled, and to top all I have witnessed a 3 year old grab him by the balls.  I thought for sure it was over despite the fact that this was a pretty tough kid but the Dane barley noticed, possibly even appreciated.

I have been pleased with the family dynamics of my kids and Great Danes and even more pleased to see these gentle beasts act protective of my family.  Not overly protective but enough so to scare off most danger and reassure a concerned father.  When the smaller children show up (under about 3 and possibly not so tough) I do keep a close eye or keep them away.  Fighting, aka. Playing Danes can be dangerous to anything around people, furniture, cars, etc.

Their bark will haunt a child for years and watching them at play is reminiscent of Roman coliseum blood battles.  At 120 lbs on the small side they easily dwarf most other dogs.  It is a little strange to see a dog with its paws on top of a 6 foot fence peering down at you, but not uncommon.  Great Danes make excellent scare dogs because of their imposing presence, most would be intruders will be happy to continue on to an easier target and avoid the dog that looks like it could eat them for an afternoon snack.

Despite the Great Danes imposing appearance and ferocious look they are quite possibly the gentlest of the Canine line.  With the exception of the bull in a china shop quality they are excellent house or apartment dogs.  And, aside from the fact that they may trample small children in their effort to show them how much they love them, they are excellent with kids, tough kids that is.   

Barking is fairly infrequent, though what my family refers to as talking is common, think Scooby.  Biting is pretty much nonexistent and when it does occur it is usually playful mouthing that looks much more ferocious than it really is.  Aggression is uncommon and the only time I have seen any true aggression it is directed at someone who may pose a real or imagined threat to the Great Dane or its people.

Danes usually play well with other animals but they were bread to hunt and corner other animals and hold them there until people could arrive and finish the hunt.  So, excessively yappy small beast should be forewarned, instinct may prevail and lead to a possibly destructive chase, that will probably end in a pee puddle on the floor when the yappy beast is corner and scared witless.

Anyone considering adding a Dane to the family should realize that they are adding a member to the family and should treat the dog accordingly.  These beast are altruistically loyal, I have seen them try to climb trees for their people, didn’t end well.  They will fit well into a family and do best when they are able to be as close as possible to the family.

                First and most straightforward.  Leave Danes alone and without a chew toy and they will be pissed.  The normally loving devoted animal decides to take revenge for being left alone, I am not sure if this is true revenge or separation anxiety, but none the less, they chew.  If they have a nice big juicy bone or a chew toy hopefully they choose this but if not watch out.  Furniture is fair game, so are door knobs, shower faucets, cabinets, wood seems to be especially tasty, and the newer or more expensive the better.  So, if the Dane is untrained or in a chewing phase a cage is an excellent idea, they seem to actually kind of like the cage, I thought it was strange too.

                The next less direct means of destruction by a Dane is simple use.  Danes become convinced that they are people just like the rest of use and that they have just as much claim to the furniture as we do.  It may start with the Great Dane sitting on furniture like a person and the owner thinking this is a wonderfully cute photogenic moment, but it will end with full blown Dane lounging in the recliner or on the bed.  Once the habit is set it is hard to break and it does not take much to set the habit when the floor is the alternative.

                You must decide in the beginning.  Are you willing to share your furniture with a beast that is worse than a lazy teenager and incapable of cleaning up its hair or are you not.  As cute as it is and as cuddly a beast as a Great Dane can be don’t even let them on the bed to visit for a second.  I am reminded of the old adage of giving someone a foot and having them take a mile.

                Our solution has been to give them a couch and only one couch and provide plenty of other comfy beds and pillows that the Danes know are theirs.  Consistence is key, if you want to cuddle get on their bed.