Great Dane

Temperament

At home, a Great Dane is surprisingly gentle. It loves closeness, leans against its owner's legs, happily claims the couch and usually gets along well with the whole household. The standard describes it as friendly and devoted to its family, self-confident and hard to provoke, and possibly reserved with strangers. A Dane's looks alone put intruders off, and if needed it will stand up for its home. A young Dane, though, can be a clumsy, boisterous teenager that has no idea how big it is and can knock over a child or an older person with one swing of its tail. That is why early training in loose-leash walking and calm greetings is key: a year from now, you will not be able to hold back a 70-kilogram dog by force. A hunting instinct inherited from boar-hunting ancestors can still show, and some males act dominant toward unfamiliar males.

Energy

calmvery energetic

Affection

independentvelcro pet

With children

not idealgreat

With other pets

difficultgreat

Trainability

stubborneager to learn

For first-time owners

for experienced ownersyes

With strangers

waryoutgoing

Playfulness

dignifiedeternal puppy

Shedding

minimalheavy

Grooming

easydemanding

Being left alone

strugglescopes well

Apartment living

needs a house and yardgreat in a flat

Barking

quietvocal

With other dogs

difficultgreat

Protectiveness

lowhigh

Drooling

hardly anya lot

Cold tolerance

feels the coldexcellent

Heat tolerance

strugglescopes well

Scores of 1–5 compare the breed with other breeds of the same species, based on the sources at the bottom of the page. Every animal is different. How we score traits

Who is the Great Dane for?

The Great Dane is a dog for a person or family with a big house, a big car and a budget built for a giant, who are prepared for a shorter time together than with smaller breeds. It does well with calm, consistent people who raise it from puppyhood. If you live on the fourth floor without an elevator, have small children and little time, or cannot stand drool on your clothes, choose a smaller dog.

Size and looks

Care and exercise

An adult Great Dane needs about one to two hours of exercise a day, including off-leash running in a safe area. Puppies call for caution, though: until about 18 months, avoid long runs, stairs, jumping and running beside a bike, because heavy, fast-growing bones and joints are easily damaged. Feeding is a top priority in this breed. Puppies should eat a giant-breed food that slows the growth rate, and adult dogs should get two or three smaller meals a day instead of one big one, with no hard exercise right before or after eating. This lowers the risk of bloat. The short coat only needs a weekly wipe with a grooming mitt. You will need a big bed with an orthopedic mattress, a big car, and a budget for medications, which are dosed by body weight. Danes cope poorly with both heat and frost.

Health and breed-related conditions

The most painful truth about Great Danes is their short life. The American Kennel Club gives 7–10 years, and in a large British study the median was 10.6 years. The biggest threat is bloat, a condition in which a distended stomach twists on its axis; without prompt surgery it is fatal. The breed club also lists heart disease, hip dysplasia, autoimmune thyroiditis and eye disease, and panosteitis in puppies. Excess weight shortens a Dane's life and reduces mobility in old age. The harlequin and merle colors are a separate issue: the UK Kennel Club points out that two copies of the merle gene increase the risk of hearing and vision disorders, and responsible breeding takes color genetics into account.

• bloat (GDV)An emergency typical of deep-chested dogs; it needs immediate veterinary help.
• heart disease (including cardiomyopathy)The breed club lists heart disease among the main problems; a cardiac exam is recommended.
• hip dysplasiaA developmental joint defect made worse by growing too fast and by excess weight.
• autoimmune thyroiditisLeads to hypothyroidism; detected with a blood test.
• panosteitisA painful, usually temporary lameness in fast-growing puppies.

This is general breed information, not a diagnosis. If something worries you, talk to your veterinarian.

Breed history

The Great Dane's ancestors were the old bullenbeissers and boar-hunting dogs that combined mastiff mass with sighthound agility. For centuries the type went by many local names: Ulmer Dogge, English Dogge, Saupacker. In 1878 in Berlin, a seven-member committee chaired by Dr. Bodinus decided to bring these varieties together under one name, "Deutsche Dogge". Two years later, at a show in Berlin, the first standard was written, and since 1888 the Deutscher Doggen Club has been its guardian. The English name Great Dane is a historical mix-up: the breed has nothing to do with Denmark. Today the Dane is first and foremost a family dog and a showpiece.

Fun facts

• The name "Deutsche Dogge" has been official since 1878, when a Berlin committee merged several local types of large dogs.
• The FCI standard divides the Great Dane's colors into three groups that are bred separately: fawn and brindle, black-and-white with merle, and blue.
• The first Great Dane standard was written in 1880 at a show in Berlin.
• The AKC lists "Apollo of Dogs" among the breed's nicknames.

Frequently asked questions

This breed also appears in

• Large dog breeds
• Guard dog breeds

Sources

1. 1FCI standard nr 235 – Great Dane (PDF)fci.be
2. 2AKC – Great Daneakc.org
3. 3Royal Kennel Club – Great Daneroyalkennelclub.com
4. 4Royal Kennel Club – Registration of dogs of merle colouring (2020)royalkennelclub.com
5. 5McMillan et al. 2024, Longevity of companion dog breeds (Scientific Reports)nature.com

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.