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.ABOUT BLUE GREAT DANES"
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THE BLUE GREAT DANE has been around as long as there have been Great Danes.
The colour exists is other breeds such as the Greyhound, Whippet, Staffordshire, Neopolitan Mastiff &Italian Greyhound to mention a few. It was ‘bred out’ of pugs, considered undesirable, and breeders have been known to cull blues that mysteriously appeared in litters of other colours. Blue is recessive to others, so to breed it requires a good knowledge of genes and how they work, and in the case of Blue Danes, we have to work against age old hereditary ’conformation’ factors, that stem from the beginnings of the breed, and the ‘type’ that was used to make the (Dane) Blue Dane, either the mastiff or the Greyhound are more likely the front runners in this case..where the tendency to get either too coarse or too slight a specimen, which ultimately is not considered of ’ breed type'. This made it a much harder variety to breed, and also found it maligned in the show ring, as judges would favour the fawn , owing to its shear numbers and overall larger gene pool and therefore superior breed type.
During the second world war, the Blue dane almost became extinct in the UK if not for the efforts of a dedicated breeder called Nelly Ennals, of the famous ‘Bringtonhill’ prefix. Today the type still varies in the dane as a whole, from country to country, and the Blue is no exception. Be that as it may, thanks to the determined efforts of many breeders all over the world, the Blue Great Dane is now a far better quality and compares most favourably to his fawn brothers, and competes successfully against him, with many Blue Champions and Breed Specialty winners coming up the ranks.
Generalizations are often made about the ‘different’ temperaments in the various colours..and from time to time one also hears old wives tales like comments about health and other things made with no real study or basis for being true. Whilst all Great danes are supposed to be exactly the same in disposition, it is true to say that there is some noted differences in colours, but these may also have to do with bloodlines, environment, training etc.
Anyone who decides on a Blue Great Dane should note that he or she should be prepared!…...for the many compliments, enquiries, questions, adulation and awe that owning one will inevitably bring. Of all the breed colours, it is ,in my experience, a Blue that brings the most attention, and yes, I have bred harl, fawn and black, and in the public arena I feel qualified to state that the Blues always get the most attention of all. The shy and retiring person may find this attention a bit much..I can cite the case of an owners husband who decided he didn’t want to accompany the dog into public places, after a jaunt to the local flea market, where the attention his Blue dane generated was just too much for him. For anyone considering showing a Blue Great Dane, it is important , especially if you are a novice to the breed in general, to be become well acquainted with the breed standard, and observe overall breed type by visiting if possible, kennels, and definitely going to shows, especially Breed shows, which will give you a very good cross section of the breed where you can at least compare specimens and try to gauge their quality. Be guided by the breeders when you have made your choice. It is safe to say that when it comes to showing Blues, (or harl/black) one must have a very good specimen..mediocre wont cut it. Head type is paramount. To say ‘you need it all’ is not an understatement..sound movement, good temperament, very good conformation..though no dog is perfect, The Blue is often scrutinized harder by judges, and faults are not as easily forgiven as they are in the traditional fawn! In this day and age, it is safe to say that for someone coming into the show scene with a Blue, the way has been softened by the breeders and exhibitors in established kennels who have worked hard to produce top quality Blue great Danes
Important Message
If you have never owned a Great Dane, or maybe never even been near one before, then you need to read on.
Even if you are a dane lover, the following will reinforce in you what drives you to owning a dane, or the need to get another and another….
But before you go any further..If you think a dog is just a dog…..,something to shut out in the backyard and are just looking for something ‘different’ or something to impress or frighten as your only motive for getting one, then please exit now, and do dogdom a favour, and buy a garden gnome, as you don’t deserve any dog, let alone a Great Dane.
What I am going to say next might seem corny, or it might seem over the top to some..but for many people who are drawn to the Dane, that first encounter can be akin to swimming with Dolphins. It is an emotional experience that is never forgotten. It truly has altered peoples lives, and that is saying something. All those of any breed fancy will defend its special qualities and portray it as the ‘best breed’ to have. I wouldn’t dispute the attributes of all the breeds there are, and I too have lived and worked with different breeds . But folks, until you have lived with a Great dane, you have not experienced the ultimate of the canine world. It is not merely the size of this breed that is its unforgettable attribute. And certainly, there are smaller specimens, that may not be as big as they ‘should be’..they still possess the same ‘presence‘. Many anti dog, non committal people have been swayed the other way once they have the privilege of being with a dane. In order to fully appreciate what I am trying to impart..you must actually live with one. (At least spend a few hours ) By that I do not mean sticking him in a kennel and pushing his food at him once a day..you also wont experience the passion and joy of being with one and know his true self if you just shut him in the backyard, and never let him in with you. The Great Dane thrives in your company. The more interaction there is between you, the more developed mentally he will become, his personality will shine and bring with it so many memorable moments, you wont find a diary big enough to write it all down. True enough, he is hard to walk past and not lay your hands upon him, such is his beauty and character. He often takes your breath away , caught majestically posing in the backyard..on brings a smile to your lips by doing something funny, or special. True Dane temperament..or ‘essence’ is something that gets into your soul and can never be shaken off. Keeping your dane outside away from you most of the day and or night is depriving him and you of a great fulfilling experience. As I said at the beginning, if you are going to treat him like ‘just the dog’, then please don’t get one. He expects and needs more from you. If ever a ‘dog’ thought himself above his supposed station, it is a Great Dane. In return you get someone beyond a friend. A daily experience of the best ‘dog and human’ relationship you can achieve. Living with a pack of Great Danes, as I do, is a unique experience, and many are awed by this when they first arrive. Certainly the prospect of entering my domain amid six to seven Danes all at once to the uninitiated can be daunting, even intimidating, but having once realized that though it may seem at first as though one is entering something akin to a lions den, the opposite is true. Experiencing this for the first time, the person ,for whom the Great dane is so far an unrequited dream , is transported into a state of euphoria and leaves with more longing than before….
By shear virtue of his size and beauty, the Great dane is an inspiring creature. But to know him as a close friend is something you must experience. So, if you are contemplating a dane as your next dog., remember this..A Great Dane is not JUST a dog. Think as carefully , if not more so than if you were contemplating marriage to someone! Not only will he need rearing with more awareness and knowledge, but he will need more input from you on an emotional level. How well you will be rewarded , only people like myself know.
Get close to a Dane and your life is never the same. He is truly the Apollo Of Dogs.
Info For Potential Dane Owners
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If you have never had a Great dane, or worse, have never owned a dog at all..you need to fully research the breed, or breeds you are thinking of getting, and wether they not only fit your lifestyle, but that you have adequate space and time to devote to them, as they should become a member of your family, and as such are entitled to as much care and consideration as any member. People who have never owned a dog at all should do more to acquaint themselves with dog phycology, ..many mistakes are made by people which result in serious problems simply because they have no idea about canine behaviour. Hiring a 'trainer' is not always successful either, you need one who is sympathetic to the breed idiosyncrasies ,and definitely not some one who trains guard dogs. We have intervened in potential disasters because of this. If you feel you are totally out of your depth with a Great Dane, regarding training etc, maybe you need something smaller to begin with.
If you haven't seen danes in the flesh at all then you need to !!!
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"BREEDER V BUYER"
The new person seeking a dane , if he is determined to ‘buy from a good breeder’ has a hard task ahead of him. He must first decide what he actually wants . Colour and maybe type, or style of dane, and then he must find a breeder he feels he can trust to sell him a good puppy. In the mind of the buyer (as the ‘consumer‘) he often sees himself as ‘always right’ . That it is his place to give a breeder the sixth degree on all matters pertaining to said puppy , sometimes giving off a mistrustful air because ‘you cant trust these breeders’. He often wants and expects a guarantee with the pup. ……..
Imagine being a breeder for a moment.
You hand raise a litter spend a lot of time and effort and money procuring (its bloodlines , sometimes by importing new lines) chosen a breeding you think is compatible and as problem free as you can, rearing feeding and vetting it as you a re expected to , to then part with these pups to the public whom you have tried to ‘sort the grain from the chaff ‘ with to find good homes that you think will do the right thing, you a re expected to Trust the new owner to do what you ask of them to ensure your puppies will be loved, and reared etc as you would yourself, getting no guarantee what so ever to that effect, and if something does go wrong, you get he blame wholly and solely. Whatever goes wrong with a pup seems always to be the breeders fault, regardless of wether it is blatantly clear the owner has done the wrong thing. Perhaps it is time we as breeders asked for a guarantee that puppy owners do exactly what we ask? I am sure the idea would be met with indignation by potential puppy owners, but when put into this context perhaps the new owner can see that the health of a pup begins with a breeder but its ongoing well being is in the hands of the owner.
It has become clear that a lot of people don’t research the breed well enough., for instance, over time I have encountered dane owners who may have owned one for ‘years’ who didn’t know about bloat. (know what you are’ getting into ‘ in other words)
I find this to be incredulous given the amount of info on the condition and the fact that it is one of the 2 main problems that befall the breed (the other being cardio). The potential owner should thoroughly research the breed and its issues , but also realize that the breeder ‘is not God’.
Many People looking for that ‘top quality’ puppy also expect that breeders ‘test’ for everything going. Well some do and some don’t, but that doesn't automatically mean that the former will have problem free stock and the latter not. Apart from the fact that not all conditions are 100% genetic, testing ,whilst it assures the breeder and the purchaser that the parents of the pups a re ‘problem free’ , it doesn’t not guarantee that the thousands of possible genetic combinations that any one mating can produce are also clear, and the breeder is unable to control this aspect of the breeding. One can only make breeding decisions based on the available knowledge one has, depending on how much one has had to do with the background bloodlines, as well as the honesty and or background knowledge of other breeders on said lines.
Lay people and ‘dog experts’ in the media have often decried the idea of in or line breeding, and certainly it has its pit falls, but it is the devil you know , as opposed to constant out crossing, and though a breeder needs to outcross at some point, there in lies pit falls and it begins again, finding out wether or not the lines have hidden issues. (even mongrels who are the epitome of the ’outcross’ can wind up with genetically induced problems, as it isn’t always the recipe for good health as often touted) Buyers who want something ‘well bred’ assumedly want something exhibiting ‘breed type’ which can only happen by certain breeding practices namely the employment of in or line breeding that ensures the retaining of type., otherwise constant out crossing, apart from becoming totally out of control over the genetic input, leads to a lack of breed type (and could lead to loss of true colour specifications ) and you can end up with ‘a large dog’ who vaguely resembles a Great Dane but is hardly what the standard describes.
‘Breeding purebred dogs is like being asked to walk through a minefield and be told only where some of the mines are, but not all of them.’
With any breed comes issues of health and unfortunately this is part and parcel of purebred dogs. How a breeder deals with issues that surface, as indeed they will,( they longer you are in a breed the law of averages dictates eventually you will see them), will determine the quality and resultant heath of the bloodlines involved. But as I said it isn’t as simple as testing and that solves it all. Breeding dogs is like being asked to walk through a minefield and be told only where some of the mines are, but not all of them. A breeders task , in order to maintain breed type and negotiate through the minefield of problems that can occur in that breed is not easy. The buyer can only hope that the breeder is as ‘in control’ of his lines as much as possible, but should not expect hat he is able to control things to a point where he can guarantee nothing is going to go wrong with every dog he ever bred. (Including whatever vagaries befall it in the buyers hands) This is totally unrealistic. He should also be aware that no long term breeder gets away with it all squeaky clean and the breeder who calls the kettle black will himself have skeletons in the closet, so relying on the hearsay of rival breeders isn’t going to ensure the dog he buys is a healthy one.
The dog buyer would accept himself getting a heart condition without blaming his parents, and if indeed they were themselves healthy, would he just put it down to bad luck-or bad management of his health? Perhaps we should sue our parents when something goes wrong with us!. Buyers should try to understand what a breeder is up against, and put it into perspective. By all means a buyer has the right to expect at time of purchase as healthy and sound a pup as possible , and all being well will have that dog for its whole life span with no problems. He must realize however that being a living thing it can be beset with illness, it may fall victim to something inherited from generations back the breeder had no idea about, and its health and soundness can be affected by outside factors. and he must also take some responsibility for the dogs condition, as from purchase onward, it is in his hands, not the breeder.
"Breeders Terms"
You may have heard this mentioned by dog breeders and wonder what it entails. Simple, it means that you can acquire a purebred dog, sometimes for nothing, if you agree to keep it entire, healthy and allow it to be used by the breeder, once maybe twice for breeding. This allows you to have a handsome pet for nothing or minimal outlay, and the breeder to keep tabs on bloodlines by placing dogs in good homes rather than keeping them themselves, which may mean kennelling. Most breeders agree that it is better for the dog to be in a good caring home, than one of many or kennelled. There are no set rules regarding Breeders terms..it is an agreement worked out by the breeder and ‘guardian’. Most breeders don’t want to use the dog over and over and over, this is not how we do things...usually it is one or two litters, and the dog may then be desexed. If it is a show dog, they may then transfer the dog into the name of the guardian, as until then, the registration remains in the name of the breeder.
Some breeders insist that in the case of a bitch, she comes for the mating and stays until the weaning. This is not always good for the dog, as it is out of its natural home and environment. It Is wise to reduce stress at this time. The Bitch can be sent home, and with special instructions on feeding etc, and stay there until a suitable time prior to the whelping , so she gets a bit familiar with her surrogate family, and settles into her whelping area. A dog is another matter, and this is more simple, as the breeder wants him available to use on a bitch, and will generally be happy to take the girl to him,. Sometimes however, the breeder may wish to ’borrow’ the dog so he is on the property, to avoid a lot of repeated travel if the bitch is a maiden and timing is a bit unsure. Before taking a bitch or dog on breeders terms it is always important to work out what the breeders wants and get it in writing if possible. If a breeder is doing all the work and covering all costs, they will generally expect the whole litter for themselves. Occasionally they will agree to either the price of a puppy or give you a puppy . As I said, there are no hard and fast rules. There is no question that the picks of the litter will go to the breeder, regardless. This is the whole point.
Don’t agree to taking a dog on breeders terms unless you are prepared to follow through with the arrangement. Don’t use it as a means to get a ‘cheap’ dog, as if you are signing something, you may find yourself in hot water if you renege .
Though most of my breeders terms have been 'gentlemen's agreements and by word of mouth, I have learnt the hard way that it should be water tight in writing.
Breeders don’t just offer them to any one either, so it isn't just a matter of wether the person may want to do it, the breeder must feel confident the new guardian is someone who can be worked with for the betterment of the breed.
A misconception by some is that all the dogs expenses are going to be paid for by the breeder. Wrong. As your 'pet' you are responsible for the dog in this manner. That included emergency surgery or ordinary vet care not connected to the actually use of the dog/bitch at stud.
If for instance a bitch needed a caesarean then this should be the responsibility of the breeder. If a dog is injured during the mating then this too should be dealt with by the breeder. Anything outside this is in the category of normal pet ownership , stuff you would still have to do with a pet without 'breeders terms' on it.
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The Price Of a Puppy
You Get What You Pay For.
When it comes to the cost of buying a well bred Great dane, some might be given to thinking they are buying by the projected eventual kilos! When justifying the cost of a Dane, pets are often from $1200 - $1500 and show dogs from $1800 - $3000 A pop..depending on the breeder, and also the colour, and the breeding..whether or not it is ‘sired by an import’ or in the case of Harlequins for instance, hard to get either in number or in perfection of markings etc., then there is the cost of feeding and registration and vaccinating and worming ..not to mention any sundries that occur. (like perhaps microchipping which at the moment is optional in most states except NSW-so I‘m led to believe, or screening for problems)..By all accounts, these when add up per litter are not ‘huge’ amounts as outlays go. Enough do burn a hole, but not thousands..(though, feeding a litter of 8 dane pups, 3-4 times a day isn't ’chicken feed’ in money terms.and if you skimp, they will suffer) Anyhow…. let me put cost into perspective another way. Imagine hiring someone who was the professional equivalent of :A geneticist, A kennel maid, A Vet Nurse, A midwife, and A baby sitter rolled into one who has to live in and be on call 24 hours a day. What could you expect an hourly rate to be, and what would your outlay be for a duration that is more or less 18ish weeks worth of service? (I haven't even mention till now the possible stud fee, or maybe the cost of traveling to the suitable sire, or sending the bitch to him via plane?, or cost of importing a sire, or semen, sundry costs for storing, shipping, testing…. ??...or the actual artificial insemination. the pre insemination tests...or pre whelping time of looking after a bitch, feeding her and exercise and possible vet checks).. I dread to think of what it would all add up to ...…
Remember I said Professional..Unlike the person who sits home and uses the dog down the road because it is there and the same breed, the Good Breeder who is doing it ‘for the showring’ has the standard of the dane, the heritage of the breed and the future of it in mind and in his care and is trying to preserve or better it in some way...Raising a litter properly in good health , knowing its hereditary background and how to join genes together to an advantageous end –not just for the showring, but also so that the litter are also happy healthy pets– who have been possibly helped into the world if malpresented or stuck..., watched over, sleep next to, possibly hand supplemented if necessary, whisked to the vet ‘in case’ something was deemed not right, (how would you know what was wrong..sometimes some things are not obvious to the untrained eye) being there to feed them 3-4 times a day when they are weaned..cleaning up after them from the time they start eating solids….A breeder is therefore in my humble opinion, obliged somehow to put a $ on their time and effort, their expertise, knowledge of what they are doing and doing well, if indeed they have a reputation for breeding excellent dogs, and they are justified in charging for a professional ’service’.
You get what you pay for is so true. The delightful puppy you take hope might have been rolled on and killed by a tired mum except for the breeder who sat vigilantly next to or stayed as close as possible nearby so it didn’t happen, And ‘slept’ (using term loosely) next to them at night for sometimes up to a week, or more, leaping up at every squeak and shuffle, until they are more mobile and eyes start opening,
Knowing that if there was something congenitally wrong with a pup (and mother nature does play awful tricks now and then!) before it was ready to be sold, and not selling it to an unsuspecting buyer..(White danes for instance have been sold as ‘rare’ these can be deaf, blind, fully or partially..) There are many things you get with a conscientious reputable breeder...and one of these things is a bigger price tag for the puppy, and in the established long time ones, a wealth of knowledge and experience to back them and YOU up, so everything goes smoothly as possible)
Certainly there are those backyarders who are making a quid out of the unsuspecting, and people do pay large sums for unregistered danes, (and of course very paltry amounts too)..whos breeding is highly In question, who's genetic background is totally unknown to both parties, but desperation will drive people to buy from these vendors, if nothing else is a round, and they want a dog, and wont wait.,. Harlequins suffer the most ‘abuse‘ this way, as the colour only is the selling point, and the ‘breeder’ will cash in on this fact. (Putting high price tags on the mismarks and calling these rare is an old trick) You might get lucky occasionally, but ‘in the trade’ we know of many who haven't.
So if you choke on your cuppa when you casually ask ‘the price’ for that much desired pure bred Great Dane pup, stop for a minute and consider the time ,effort, patience, sleep deprivation, work, knowledge, and yes the money that went it to achieving it and you might then understand that most times..you get what you pay for..and in this case, its so much more than just ‘a dog’...and in a world where peoples time and knowledge is rewarded - the more educated or skilful or talented you are, you will realize a skilful, knowledgeable breeder can produce a ‘product’ that is superior in many ways, not to mention the ‘company backing’ you get..Breeders invest themselves, their dog world reputations and their heart and soul in their dogs..and buying from a breeder like this is getting someone who isn't only bent on ‘selling something’ to who ever comes along, but to someone they feel will do justice to their puppies, treat them with the same regard they themselves would, and be there to educate The owner and offer info along the way or advice that actually saves money for owners, not helps them spend it.
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Health Issues We do ECG, Thyroid tests and structural integrity evaluation.
People naturally want to know about the health of the dog they may be buying. Unfortunately, the impression the lay public has of dog problems is that they are generally all ‘hereditary‘, and by simply purchasing a puppy with parents who have been ‘screened’ or tested, then they will be getting a ‘problem free’ dog. If only it was that simple. The reality is quite different. First all , the facts about testing : In order to be assured a dog doesn’t have a heart problem, you need to do a check every six months. A dog can be certified free of heart disease at one or two , but by three-four YO, have the condition, and too late, the dog may have been bred with already. As to wether or not the condition is hereditary is also another issue...Screening in countries where it is mandatory as per the Kennel Control rules to test them (i.e. Europe, USA) has not significantly reduced the incidence of things like heart disease or HD (Hip dysplasia) The % is about 13% of the breed affected .(One OS specialist believes it is only 5-10% hereditary!) Where heart is concerned, there is a possible other problem with the condition being related to viral attack, the culprit being the parvo virus, and the most obvious source is over vaccination. (Also from contracting the disease its self from outside sources...but not all dogs that get parvo and survive succumb to the afore mentioned condition and many have lived to a ripe old age.) By shear fact that the great dane is a giant , therefore an unnatural size, the likely hood of problems related to giantism can occur. The "Giant Breed-problem" or "Giant-size -problem" (= this has been detected also among the miniature breeds, but with oversized animals) So basically, the bigger we make the size, the more reasons to be worried about DCM we have...So, the much bigger you go, the susceptibility increases, be it to heart probs, and/or skeletal probs. One of the problems encountered in Danes is that a lack of enough Taurine, which is crucial to correct heart function, dogs produce it, but not enough of it for their body mass, and the older they get the less they seem to make, and this deficiency will trigger the onset of the likes of Dilated Cardio Myopathy, where the heart looses the ability to contract, and just enlarges , to a point where it can no longer pump properly. Perhaps a good preventative insurance idea is to supplement with a combination of Taurine, L Carnitine and Co Enzyme Q 10, which in this specific combination, are reputed to help prevent and or offer therapy for heart conditions in general. (Feeding raw heart often is also recommended) Interestingly, 100% of all Cats diagnosed with Cardio were Taurine deficient, this is why it is included in cat food. CoQ10 has been shown in human studies to be very good at mitigating the symptoms of mitral valve prolapse, so since we know that syndrome occurs in Danes it might be very useful in this problem Hereditary heart disease is certainly real, but wether it is actually passed on as a heart defect, or is in fact a sort of syndrome where nutrients are not absorbed or manufactured thereby setting up the predisposition for the condition could be another argument. Whatever the case maybe, heart disease is probably the number one killer of Great Danes. Until DNA marking becomes available readily and inexpensively to breeders, there will be no real way of knowing wether a bloodline carries the supposed fault, (for sure as far as a real hereditary condition goes) or an individual dog. (who may be a victim of viral onslaught)..and presently, the only thing that screenings does its give comfort to the owner / breeder, that at the time of the test, the dog is free of the problem. It is not a guarantee for the future, or a true evaluation of the genetic integrity of the animal. As reported earlier, testing has not altered the rate of incidence in these conditions. And as breeders well know, that a genetic problem can be ‘called up’ from generations back, by simply the wrong paring, and considering the extreme multitude of possible combinations in any mating, the truth is that things like this are very hard to control. A breeder may feel they have control over a particular combination and are making the right decision, but , where mother nature is concerned, you have very little control. So One might buy a pup from two ‘clear’ parents and still get a defective puppy! Though Heart disease might be the No1 dane prob, The words Hip dysplasia are often the first words out of the puppy buyers mouth. The Words Great Dane and Hip Dysplasia seem to be fused together as one most of the time. (Much to out annoyance) Once again, as previously mentioned, the condition affects a small % of the breed, and as to what constitutes genuine ‘genetic’ HD and what is in fact the result of incorrect rearing, feeding and unaddressed injury is another source of debate. Many breeders whilst agreeing there can be a hereditary issue in some specimens, know how easy it is to ruin the structural integrity of a fast growing giant. Simply... HD can be induced. The more likely ‘hereditary’ predisposition is the obvious fact that again, here we have a fast growing (unnatural) large sized breed who is susceptible to abnormal conditions manifesting themselves if they are not getting the right nutrition, are over exercised , or injured when in the middle of this critical growth phase. In order to determine that a dog remains free of ‘HD” , it is necessary to x-ray them every year, ‘to be sure to be sure!’. Find me a breeder who is willing to put his danes under full anaesthetic time and time again without a serious life threatening condition to deal with and you have found a rare animal. Most just will not. Vets are often guilty of diagnosing this condition on sight, without an x-ray to prove it. And further more, where vets are concerned, it is unwise to get the ‘bloke down the road;’ to do it unless you are totally sure he is very competent at doing this exam properly, as errors are made, and dogs have actually been injured by incompetent practitioners. The resultant scoring should also be done by someone qualified to do it. .The novice owner or lay observer can quickly make an erroneous ‘diagnosis’ by confusing other conditions with HD. Apart from just plain injury or a chiropractic issue, probs. the likes of perhaps spondylitis, or Wobblers syndrome for instance, may be easily confused with HD. as the rear movement will be affected .
Bloat: Despite surveys to determine why danes get bloat (gastric torsion) nothing concrete has been found to pinpoint the exact reason why a dane will suddenly torsion . One minute we have a ‘perfectly’ healthy dog, the next a dog at deaths door. A common idea is that a dane will bloat ‘after exercising too close to having consumed a meal or water’, or being fed too soon after exercise. This is not entirely true. Whilst some episodes might well be caused by this on occasion, in many cases , there is no food or exercise involved. In many cases there is some form of chronic stress. many danes have been known to stress when kennelled and not used to it, such as owners going on holiday etc, and the dog is kennelled. Or even when the owners return, the dog has bloated after it has come home after their absence. Danes have been known to bloat because of bitches in season. prolonged stress due to the unavailable bitch in season in close proximity, is a definite invitation to bloat. The highly nervous or the highly strung dane are also candidates .Thunderstorm fear could do it. .in all of these cases, there is either an extreme sudden stress response or prolonged stresses on the dog. Basically, the stress induced depletion of essential amino acids and trace elements/nutrients that keep things normal could be the primary cause of bloat. A theory being that as the nervous system is affected, and lets go further and assume that others body tissues and parts such as ligaments and muscle etc are effected, that spasm can occur due to these deficiencies, (a bit like a cramp in your leg etc) or ligaments get weak, allowing for the stomach to twist on its self. The precursor to the torsion is often Gas build up, but gas build up can also be the result rather than the cause. Gas build up prior to a twist may be food related. Another common belief is/was that dry food would swell up and cause the bloat. A more likely scenario is the non digestion of food allowing it to ferment , which then produces gas and then we have the potential for bloat. The inclusion of inferior wheat by products in a lot of dry foods is a common reason dogs have reactions to food. Dogs are not made to digest processed wheat by products. Like may people these days there are many cases of wheat intolerance or allergies to same. Wheat alone may not be the sole offender, and certainly there may be other reasons a food may not agree with an individual. Whilst other theories abound on why danes bloat, like conformation related to chest size etc, there is good reason to suggest that diet may well have a great deal to do with it. Good reading on this is available from Linda Arndt of Blackwatch Great Danes. Minimizing the Risk of Bloat Include it the diet:
Whilst there is no guarantee, the fore mentioned should help reduce the risk.
Great Dane Age
Great dane age span is partly of course due to the fact they are giants and giantism as such isn't 'normal' .
A generally accepted age in the fancy would be about 8, but this is general, many are living to 10-12..I have heard of 13-14 , but these would be exceptions, and I would warrant they probably were smallish specimens closer to 'normal' large dog size, not 'giant' as nature intended)
I have lost danes at 11.5 , I have 2 almost 10 YO here, a 7 YO I intend to bring out as a veteran for the next dane show and also show in main class.
Longevity in danes would depend on several factors (mainly):
genetic family potential
Absence of diseases such as heart conditions
Absence of structural compromise (leading to degeneration of joints etc)
Individuals not being so potentially so enormous that in reaching their abnormally induced size they grow badly and result in structural and organ problems. They can end up unsound ,incongruous unhealthy dogs..(why I glaze over when a novice first time potential dane owner says 'I want one as big as possible' - they are much harder to rear and in the hands of a complete novice disaster is imminent.)
In my experience a good diet and continued exercise keep older dogs in good form, but I advocate muscle/chiropractic assessment as pups, and occasional once over as adults to ensure joints aren't compromised by misalignment or muscle injury.
Starting of with a supposedly 'genetically' sound pup may be one thing, keeping the dog going along nicely with no probs is another. No we don't wrap them up in cotton wool but early attention to sensible rearing is a good start. One thing you can at least be sure of is that if you can see parents and even grand parents or older relatives to your potential puppy, you can have a reasonable idea of the age potential of your pup.
Remembering that longevity as in people, isn't just about your genes, but also your lifestyle and maintaining fitness and health .You can have the potential to live to 100 but if you smoke or eat badly you probably wont. If you get bad arthritis or suffer a debilitating injury your mobility will be seriously affected. For you, a walking stick or frame, or even a wheel chair, for a dog, at worst euthanasia. In giant breeds, generally three legs isn't an option as it might be in smaller breeds.
SIZE MATTERS Yes size matters when we are referring to a great dane. A dane is a giant breed after all, isn't he. It therefore follows that he should be as big as possible right? Well according to our current standard (in Australia) we are all breeding well over the set height requirements, which is 28 inches for a bitch and 30 for a dog. Go get out your measuring tape and work out how big (or small ) this is. There is no set maximum height , therefore anyone can breed one as tall as they like. One of the most prevalent (and annoying ) ideas is that a Dane should be as big as possible , or he is ‘too small’ even though an individual he may be well above the standard height. This is most demonstrated by the lay public who have (miss) conceptions about the breed. As ‘official guardians and caretakers of the breed’ it behoves us to heed the standard to the nearest proximity when breeding for conformation and peculiarities. “I want the biggest one’ .I want the tallest, I want one that must be ‘…..’ tall ..heard time and time again. The general public wants the biggest dane they can get as a rule, but it has been clearly demonstrated time and time again they are often not able to rear a genuinely enormous Dane into a sound adult. With massive size usually comes a lot of bone, coupled with very fast growth and even seasoned breeders know the difficulty this can present in getting a dog like this grow up straight and true without growing problems and structural defects. True ‘giantism ‘ is not as nature intended therefore is thwart with potential problems. Unskilled pet people often make a hash of rearing such big danes and they are seen with bad developmental problems that lead to arthritis, not to mention things like HD etc, and consequently an earlier death for the dog…. When getting into the guts of the matter, a male of minimum height (30”) is still bigger than most breeds of dog . The tallest breed is the Irish Wolf hound. The min. height for an Irish male is 31”. The desired breed average is (for a male) is 32-34” This would be according to our fanatical must have a ‘big dog’ people still too small. How big do you want the dog for goodness sake? A comfortable ( and what seems a good breed average currently ) size to achieve in a Dane without too much growth drama as long as they are grown with due care would be 35-36 ”. Most breeders seem to achieve this as a rule. Once danes start to get beyond this we often start to see structural problems creeping in. Bearing in mind whilst we are at it, that the dane is not a mastiff either and neither should it have the same sort of massive bulk as a mastiff. Make up your mind what breed it is you actually want!. But I said size matters.. am I contradicting myself? No- the size of a giant breed is greater than the average dog. When the ‘average’ dane is up against most breeds he is bigger and taller in general. He does not have to be a behemoth to embody a Great Dane. Extreme height /or bulk doth not maketh a great dane..he has to have other attributes that without, he would merely be a tall/or heavy dog . Ever heard the saying ‘the bigger they are the harder they fall’? Yes.. then think Great Dane- the more load on the organs and skeleton the dog has the harder it all has to work and the more likely it is to break down. So think carefully about your obsession with over average size….realize that with gigantism goes reduced life span. The smaller or should I say more ‘normal sized’ which is a mid range dog size, the longer lived. “in general’...as breeders of the ‘giant breeds, we are aware of the problems that gigantism brings with it, and we should therefore be mindful that we need take care that we breed for a dog that does not become a caricatures of its true self in pursuit of some obsession or ideal that defies the laws of nature to an extent that it is self deleterious for the poor dog. Therefore we should be breeding danes that yes are ‘tall’ but not at the expense of all else. The desire for a dane as big as possible may have its roots in that ‘other thing’ that braggers claim bigger is better ‘mine is bigger than yours’ and there fore has an ego issue at its basis. If I had a dollar for ever person who has claimed to have this enormous dane ‘at home’ (the dog you will never see) ..it is always ’bigger’ than the ones the person is looking at, it is like ‘the fish I caught was ‘this big’ sort of thing. Most lay people are not acquainted with the standard and have no idea of what is actually acceptable size wise , nor with the potential problems associated with rearing the very big ones. So yes size matters, it matters that The Great dane should be big enough to be deemed a giant compared to other dogs, but it also matters that the dog not be so enormous that he is impossible to rear soundly and is plagues with health problems. Most breeders are not breeding anything near the minimum height, naturally wishing to breed for a taller specimen, but 'bigger isn't necessarily better' when it comes to over all breed type and soundness...... Breeders are not all trying to out do each other on who can breed the tallest, biggest dane. This attitude belongs in the play ground or after a few pints down the local.
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Contact Details
Gayle RevillBendigo region, VIC, Australia
Email : bluedanes4me@southernphone.com.au