For years, I have wanted to get a Great Dane but we reach a compromise on a large but not titanic dog in Luna. This picture however revives my unrequited desire for the breed.
They are known to be wonderful dogs with sweet temperaments. The only downside is the short life span for Great Danes.
I always wanted to have a great dane, when my situation would have allowed for a dog, but the short life span scared me. (I grew up with Gordon setters – all died I believe n the 12 – 13 year age range.) They are truly wonderful dogs, sweet as pie and just cute,
i would have gotten away with it if not for you meddling kids
our shepherd lived to be 15. unfortunately our great dane only lived till 8 both were great very intelligent dogs and great protective companions
Good photo. Is it a male? If so, send him down to the marina here in Palm Beach.
The life span of a Great Dane is 8 years in fact all large dogs have life spans of from 8 to 13 years. My favourite dog Rexx was a German shepherd sized German shepherd cross and made it to 13.75 years before she had to be put to sleep, this was pretty good going. She had was almost immobile due to septic arthritis in her left elbow, she had already had the same in her right elbow but it was cured with antibiotics. She also had bone cancer in her right foreleg near the shoulder and it removed so much calcium from the bone that it broke.
Rexx breathed her last at 4:30 pm on 23/12/2013. I am still mourning her and so have not got around to looking for a new dog.
1. “The Great Dane’s food must come in big packages … say 50 and 100 lbs.” — Dredd
2. “They don’t live long. Not at all. Amazing beast, but short life.” — Lrobby99
The two may be causally connected — instead of counting years to measure life spans, count heartbeats. Among healthy animals which have the fortune to die of old age, they all accumulated about the same number of heartbeats with more years meaning a slower average heart rate.
http://www.medcan.com/articles/heart_beats_and_life_span_do_we_have_a_finite_number_of_heart_beats/
Yet Great Danes don’t seem to be hitting their “allotted” number of heart beats, nor do a lot of (American) humans. Why? With (American) human, it’s a bad lifestyle including a bad diet. With a Great Dane, it probably has to do with lack of hybrid vigor but diet may also be implicated–
http://bigolddogs.com/
My nephew and his wife have 2 or 3 great danes. They come in handy when the temperature drops to below freezing and the power goes out.
The kennel where we would board our dogs are pretty famous Great Dane breeders in, of course, Dane County, Wi. They are wonderful dogs. The puppies are so cute. These mammoth dogs would play w/ Chihuahuas w/ gentle glee.
This dog is definately titanic in size.
Dredd…. That’s per meal…..
Never had a desire for a dog that big. We had a German Shepherd named ‘Trooper.’ He never realized when he was no longer a puppy and insisted on climbing up on laps. Making matters worse, he was outside the normal weight for the breed, weighing in at close to 100 pounds. Not fat, he was just a huge moose of a dog. But not living long is the worst part about large breeds. At age seven, Trooper’s hips had gotten so bad, and he developed severe arthritis, so he was in constant excruciating pain.
On the other hand my wife’s Pekingese was undoubtedly the most ill-tempered little beast that ever hiked a leg. He lived to be 20. Life isn’t fair sometimes.
I found an ad for a large dog for sale in case someone is interested. And no, his picture is not Photoshopped.
http://i617.photobucket.com/albums/tt256/otteraylens/HUMOR/DogforSale_zps07347b75.jpg
They don’t live long. Not at all. Amazing beast, but short life.
The Great Dane’s food must come in big packages … say 50 and 100 lbs.