What You Need to Know About Owning a Great Dane

For more than a decade, Mike Loftus has served as the president of MLE, a signage and branding company in Illinois. When not working on projects for MLE clients, Mike Loftus enjoys spending time with his family and pets. He owns a dachshund, a Jack Russell terrier, and two great Danes.

Great Danes are excellent dogs, but individuals should consider a few factors before they make the decision to adopt one. The first and most obvious factor is size. Great Danes grow to be between 110 and 140 pounds, and people need to make sure that they can handle that large of a dog. A larger dog is also a greater financial investment since they can easily eat eight cups of food each day. Also, great Danes are very social and like to be by an owner’s side--or even in their lap. People who like a lot of personal space may want to consider a different breed.

Another important factor is saliva. Keeping up with the excess saliva from a great Dane is a major struggle, so owners should be ok with some water and drool on the floor at times.

Also, great Danes are prone to separation anxiety, so they are not a breed that can be left alone for 10 hours each day. Long periods of separation can cause depression and/or destructive behavior.