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Breeds  /  Great Dane
Breed guide

Great Dane

The Great Dane is often called a gentle giant, and for once the nickname is accurate. They are enormous, calm, deeply affectionate dogs who genuinely believe they are lap-sized. We started with Great Danes seventeen years ago and they are still the breed closest to our hearts.

Great Dane puppy standing outdoors at TM Countryside K9 in Goshen, Indiana
At a glance

Breed overview

Danes are quiet, steady and remarkably easy indoors — most of the day is spent asleep against someone's leg. What they ask of a family is space, patience through a very fast first year, and eyes open about a shorter lifespan than a small dog. In return you get one of the most gentle, people-focused companions there is.

Breed groupWorking Group
Size110-175 pounds
Height28-34 inches
Lifespan7-10 years
TemperamentGentle, calm, affectionate, dignified
Energy levelModerate, low indoors
Good with kidsVery good
Good with other petsGood with early socialization
Honest fit check

Is a Great Dane right for you?

A great fit if you want…
A calm, affectionate housemate rather than a busy dog
Room for a very large dog, and a car that suits one
Patience through a fast-growing first eighteen months
Eyes open about a shorter life than a smaller breed
Personality

Temperament

The temperament is the biggest reason this breed is so loved.

Gentle by nature

A well-bred Dane is soft-natured and careful with people. The size is imposing; the temperament rarely is.

Calm indoors

Danes are famously lazy in the house. A walk, some play, and most of the rest of the day is spent asleep somewhere inconvenient.

Wants to be with you

They are companion dogs first and they do not do well shut away from the family. Expect a shadow.

Sensitive

Danes read a room and take correction to heart. Gentle handling brings out the best in them; harshness shuts them down.

Appearance

Distinctive by design

Tall, square and powerfully built without being heavy-set
Short, smooth single coat that needs very little work
Long, elegant head and a deep chest
One of the tallest breeds in the world
Recognized coat colors
Fawn
Golden with a black mask
Brindle
Fawn with dark striping
Blue
Soft steel grey
Harlequin & Mantle
White with black patching
Grooming & care

Keeping a Great Dane healthy

Brushing
Once a week with a rubber mitt or short-bristle brush is enough. The coat is short and easy — grooming is the least demanding part of owning a Dane.
Bathing
Only as needed. Plan where it will happen before the puppy is 100 pounds — a Dane is not a kitchen-sink bath.
Nails and feet
Keep nails short. On a dog this heavy, long nails change how the foot loads and that matters for joints over a lifetime.
Ears and teeth
Routine ear checks and dental care, started in puppyhood while handling is still easy to teach.
Training

Trainability

Train early, while they are liftable
Everything you teach a 20-pound puppy you will be grateful for at 150 pounds. Manners, leash work and calm greetings come first.
Leash manners matter more here
A Dane that pulls can move an adult. Loose-leash walking is not a nice extra with this breed, it is a safety skill.
Gentle methods only
Danes are soft. Positive, patient training builds a confident giant; heavy-handed correction produces a nervous one.
Health considerations

Why responsible breeding matters

Every breed carries its own strengths and its own things to watch, and no honest breeder will tell you otherwise. With Great Danes the honest conversations are about growth, bloat and lifespan — and every one of them is better had before you bring a puppy home.

We would rather you ask us hard questions now than wonder later. These are the ones we would ask any breeder, including us.

What health testing do you do on the parents?
For Danes, ask specifically about the heart, hips and thyroid. Our parent dogs are health and genetically tested before they are ever bred.
Can I see the results?
Testing means little if nobody can look at it. Ask any breeder to show you the paperwork on both parents, and ask us the same.
What should I know about bloat?
Bloat is the emergency every Dane owner should be able to recognise. Ask your vet about it before you need to, discuss feeding routine, and know the nearest emergency clinic. We will talk you through it at go-home.
How do I manage that growth?
A Dane puppy grows extraordinarily fast, and growing too fast is its own risk. Large-breed puppy food, sensible portions and no forced exercise on hard surfaces while the joints are still forming.
Modern lifestyles

A breed that fits the way we live now

Space, and a plan for it

They are calm indoors but they take up room, and so does the car, the bed and the doorway. Think it through honestly first.

Moderate exercise, carefully

Daily walks and free play. Hold off on running and repetitive impact until growth plates have closed, usually around eighteen months.

A shorter life, lived well

Seven to ten years is the honest range. Families who know that going in tend to give the years they have everything they have got.

Common questions

Frequently asked questions about Great Danes

Yes, and it is the reason we have raised them for seventeen years. Danes are gentle, calm and patient, and they are usually very good with children. Their size means supervision around small children is simple common sense — a friendly tail at that height clears a coffee table.
Additional resources

Think a Great Dane is your match?

See who's available now, or join the waitlist for an upcoming litter.

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