I found out from the breeder I have been working with that her bitch Gaby had puppies today.
Gaby is a Great Dane, blue, and the father is a Black Dane. I have the first right to choose a blue male pup and will get to see them in two weeks. 2 out of 11 of the pups are blue males and I am super excited!
Any hints regarding new pups?
Anyone with a Great Dane or other large breed dog have any tips?
I’ve had my dog (a Lab) now for four years. Can’t believe it. I also purchased him before he was born and I can remember when the breeder called and told me that there were two black males in the litter. I was so excited for the next eight weeks. I took a rubber ball along and he was the first of the two that chased the ball and tried to pick it up. Now he’s a heck of a hunting companion.
Four years. Wow. What a long time. When we were riding back from the breeder’s house, he slept in my lap and I could hold him with one hand. Today he weighs about 80 pounds and still seems to think he can sleep in my lap.
Dogs are great. Congratulations.
More details:
His dad was named Mr. Beaujangles. His mom was named Indy. So what did I name my dog? Indy’s Beau Jackson, of course. I thought it was rather witty, though my friends thought I was crazy.
Tips and hints:
If he’s going to be an inside dog, start him immediately with crate training. House training will be a breeze, but you have to be very consistent in your use of the crate.
And just some advice… teach him to walk on a leach correctly. Heel, sit, come, etc. Don’t let him pull and for godsakes don’t get one of those stupid retractable leashes. The dog has no idea of authority with those things.
Congrats.
Thanks Ignatius!
I have been doing a lot of reading already and have picked out an obedience school for us to attend together. My breeder is also going to help me by starting to crate-train the pup at 6 weeks, and i’ll pick him up at 8 weeks. i also know about the issues with retractable leashes. Trust me there won’t be one until he’s well accustomed to the standard 6-footer. And behaving properly on it.
I plan on being a firm but doting leader of our little pack.
How exciting, Ivar! Congratulations!
I can’t help thinking of the day we found our Phyllis. She was four days old when we found out that a friend of a friend of the breeder our vet had recommended had just had a litter of springers. We called and he had one female left, so we snapped her up! That evening we giddily went out to dinner and ran into the vet and his wife, and told him our good news.
We loved her sight unseen from that day on, though we didn’t get to meet her until she was 4 weeks old, and we brought her home at 8 weeks. The breeder said he could have sold her about 6 times over – we were lucky we grabbed her when we did. I’d say she was the pick of the litter --and we picked her over the phone! Now she’s 7 months old and full of beans.
And here’s a funny thing – we did the math and figured out that she was barely a bun in the oven when her predecessor, our dear Emily, died a few days before Christmas. She was waiting for us!
Have fun anticipating, Ivar – it’s almost as fun as when they come home!
Oh, yeah, and I’m a big fan of crate training. Except for a few early accidents, the only times phyllis has messed in the house has been when we didn’t take her outside immediately after releasing her from the crate. The crate becomes her home and she’s happy there.
If you are unfamiliar with large breed dogs make sure you speak with the vet at length about the diseases they are prone to. Be especially aware of bone problems and gastric dilatation-volvulus (bloat).
thanks Michi!
I have read about hip dysplasia, bloat, eyes, heart, epilepsy and countless other issues.
None of these have been found in the breeding line so i will remain hopeful. I am also in contact with the local Great Dane club to help find a vet familiar with large breed issues.
In regards to bone problems be sure to ask not only about hip dysplasia, but also panosteitis, and hypertrophic osteodystrophy (HOD). Diet plays a very large part in both these diseases, and they are very painful to the poor puppy. It sounds like you are doing a great job researching on your own, but I hope these tips help out.
I LOVE Great Danes. My family got a puppy when I was 6, and we had several right up until I was in college. I picked out the last one we had, a Harlequin, when he was the size of a small kitten. His eyes weren’t open yet and he sort of crawled into my lap and started nursing my jacket and I was in love. He grew up to weigh almost 200 lbs!
I’d echo everything others said about the crate training & retractable leashes. People think the crate is cruel but it makes your puppy less anxious when you’re gone if he’s in his little den and it’s necessary for toilet training something that big and hyper. With the right leash and training, a Dane will obey a 7-year-old.
One thing to remember: Male Great Danes drool like nothing you’ve ever seen. Long, sticky, viscous goobers of drool that fly and stick to you and the walls of your house whenever they shake their heads back and forth (often). The drool often contains mud or food or whatever they were nosing around in, and once it’s dried it’s hell to clean off your walls. You will want to keep clean rags (we used to call them “Goober Rags”) handy to wipe off the drool at certain key points:
The wagging tail can be a weapon - watch small children around the dog.
The dog will want to lean all its’ weight against you often.
Danes are highly emotional, and will make you laugh often. Your dog will intervene in family arguments by physically putting himself between the two combatants and looking anxiously between you in a way that will make you laugh and stop fighting. He will become jealous of physical attention you pay to your significant other and try to wiggle his way in between you. He will do weird stuff for attention like stealing socks from the laundry bin and pretending to hide, all the while he’s in plain sight. When he grows up, your behemoth of a dog will shake and shiver like a little nancy-boy during thunderstorms. Sometimes he’ll howl in a way that makes it seem like he’s talking to you. If you kneel down in front of him while he’s sitting, you can give him a hug and he’ll hug you back by resting his head on your shoulder.
Oh, I miss my doggies!
Good luck, Ivar. Someday, I’ll have one of my own.
Oh congratulations on your puppy!
I have an 11 year old (rescue) harlequin (Great Dane) myself, as well as a couple of komondors. And I just lost my Ibizan Hound to cancer.
Anyway, you really sound tuned-in to the facts already. Crate train, obedience and health issues covered. I’ve never heard of a bloat-free line, though. Especially in GD’s. So watch for bloat anyway. Although symptoms vary. Feed good food, and soak it first. May or may not help, but why not?
And by the way, once you have trained your dog to walk on a string, flexi leads are fine. They are especially handy on road trips when you need to, um, empty your dog on lead.
Keep in touch with the breeder for more tips as needed!
Enjoy!
Vebr
This is true, and something I didn’t pick up on in his post. Bloat is not a hereditary diease, it’s just something that happens. Most often bloat is caused from exercise intolerance or eating too fast. Feeding small meals, moistened, and at an elevated level can help prevent bloat, but sometimes it happens for no apparant reason. The most important things to watch for are unproductive attempts at vomiting, thick, ropy drool, and obviously, a distended abdomen. I have seen one case of bloat in a German Shepherd where the stomach was pushed up under the ribcage, so upon presentation it did not look like a “classic” bloat. Be aware that bloat is a surgical emergency that needs immediate attention. I have seen cases of bloat that have ruptured because the owners just thought the dog had an upset stomach, so they put the dog outside for a while.
Again thanks for the other info re: bone disorders, i’ll do the research.
You know, I do know bloat isn’t hereditary, that was just a lapse in thinking on my part.
Also, yeah I do have a fairly good understanding of bloat and I’ve read quite a bit of the literature regarding it.
The question is, where do I find a feeder stand 36 inches high?
I’ve also been over the emergency procedure for bloat and will keep the necessary tools in my canine emergency kit. Not that I ever want to have to stick a tube down my dogs throat to relieve gas pressure. And I know that’s only a temporary measure. I’ll just have to follow the guidelines about food and exercise and remind myself of it often.
VEBR, sorry about the recent loss of your Ibizan hound.
and yes, I’ve started collecting drool rags (and large plastic bags for picking up after the dog, too)
Vebr and Magdalene, any suggestions on dog food for large breeds?
Ivar, it’s been a long time since I’ve dealt with feeding dogs - I’d ask your breeder & vet for suggestions - maybe go with that the breeder feeds them?
I know our procedure was to take x scoops of some kind of dry food, mixed with about 1/3 of a can of wet food and a little warm water to moisten everything and make it juicy & tasty. I don’t remember the brand, though.
My dad made a stand for the bowls so the dogs didn’t have to bend down too far to eat and drink, and for a bed we got them one of the hammocks that’s raised off the floor a few inches as well - they LOVE it.
Good luck.
That’s great Ivar – I hope your new pup is all you wanted but not more. 
Great Danes are not lap dogs, that’s for sure. My dog is a chow/german shepard/lab mix and likes to pretend he’s a lap dog – I don’t think so!
(not to down the good news but…)
Just a PSA to the rest of the Dopers.
Please don’t forget that if you want to add a dog or a cat to your household, please look to the animal shelters and look for a sweet mutt or shorthaired kitty. If you don’t want or need a pet at this time, please ask your local no-kill shelter if they need help with fostering, food, care, money etc…
And by all means (I don’t mean to sound like Bob Barker) get your pet spade or neutured.
End PSA to the rest of the Dopers.
I know there are some pet manuals out there that teach how to pass a tube or even how to trocharize a dog, but I DO NOT ADVISE THIS.
In regards to food, Eukanuba puts out a puppy food designed specifically for large breeds. This is what the vets I have worked for recommended. Ask your vet what he or she preferrs.
Sorry, no large breed here. In fact, just the opposite. But I am soooo with you Ivar, because I was as excited as you are just about two years ago.
I have a Cardigan Welsh corgi who is short and sweet. She got to meet a Great Dane this weekend and what a treat that was! Seeing those two breeds together was amazing.
Congratulations, doggie daddy!
Michi,
I know that just because I’ve read how to do the procedure doesn’t mean i should. i do know that the University emergency vet clinic is only 5 minutes away. i’ll count on that more than anything. i’m talking last resort, no other hope but to do the procedure because there is no help nearby kind of situation.
and Techchick!
Also i did put my name out to local great Dane rescue organizations at the same time that I looked for breeders. having settled on the breed I wanted I was willing to take in a rescue dog, but the problem is that many of them are sick and I didn’t feel i would be able to take of a sick dog properly.
And I did go to the pound every week for months and looked and looked. So many black labs and lab/shepherd crosses. it’s just shameful. i just never found what i was looking for. not necessarily a Dane, but personality, size, short coat, the whole package.
Maybe the problem is that i lived with my friend’s Dane for a while and i really fell in love with the breed and i couldn’t get that out of my head… i don’t know.
Foodwise I think that Eukanuba has much too high protein and fat generally, so i’m going with Eagle Natural.
Thanks for the feedback everyone!
Ivar, your food choice sounds great. And there are several companies that manufacture raised feeding systems (food and water dishes in a stand) but the right bowl will also fit into a bucket. If you are interested.
My Dane was a rescue. She’s 11 now and has been just great. She wasn’t sick, just not sufficiently loved. She sure is now. BTW, she bloated about 5 years ago. She’s theoretically bloat-proof now (as we had a “tummy tack” done.) When she bloated there was no drool, no attempted vomiting, no distention. Just pain and distress coming and going. I took one look at her and knew, though. But sometimes the symptoms are just not “classic.”
You enjoy - I am so excited for you!
Vebr