Great Danes draw attention wherever they go due to their enormous size. However, these dogs have a tendency to be very gentle and are sensitive souls. They are among the world's tallest dog breeds and a Great Dane is the record holder as the world's tallest dog, standing over seven feet high when on his hind legs.

Great Danes are considered to be a working breed and they have strong powerful bodies. They were once popularly used as hunting dogs for wild boar. Today, these dogs are primarily companion animals. They are beautiful dogs that have a variety of coat colors.

A fawn Great Dane is primarily golden with a black mask around the eyes. A brindle has fawn markings along with black stripes that sometimes look like tiger stripes. Blue and black are also common colors and these dogs often have white spots on the chest and toes but for show purposes, these markings are not desired. Harlequin refers to patterns where the colors of black and white are both present in patches over the body. Mantle is a coat color where the dog is black and white but he has a solid black color covering his back and skull.

Great Danes are excellent pets as far as temperament goes. The get along well with other dogs and family pets like cats. They are also good with children as they are very gentle. However due to their huge size, it is always wise to supervise them around small children. Some dogs may hearken back to their origins and chase small animals but that is usually an individual quirk and not reflective of the breed in general.

Even though Great Danes were once hunting dogs, they don't need a whole lot of exercise. They do need to be exercised daily in order to stay healthy but these dogs make good apartment dwellers even though they are large simply because they are quite happy to lounge around most of the day. When the puppies are growing it is important not to give them too much exercise because they grow so fast it can cause them bone problems.

Like other big dog breeds, Great Danes have slow metabolisms especially when compared to small breeds. They eat surprisingly less than you might think. They are prone to gastrointestinal problems like bloat and GDV. GDV is a painful twisting of the stomach that can come on quickly and be fatal. It may be triggered by rapidly drinking water or over exercising right before or after eating. Great Danes are also predisposed to cardiac diseases that can shorten their lifespan. These dogs typically live eight to ten years but can live as long as fourteen. This dog breed also has its own genetic disorders. If a dog has white coloring near an organ then it will not develop. For example, if the dog is white around the eyes he will be blind and if he is white around the ears he will be deaf.

Unfortunately, many Great Danes are discarded because their owners where not prepared for life with a huge dog, especially one growing up through the puppy stage. Puppies grow rapidly and can weigh a hundred pounds while still having the mentality and maturity of a rambunctious puppy.

Great Danes thrive on human companionship and are not good dogs to leave alone in the yard for the purpose of being a watchdog. They are much happier and more well adjusted when allowed to live indoors as part of the family unit.

Great Danes have been portrayed in many movies and cartoons, most notably Scooby-Doo, the dog from a well known cartoon series and Marmaduke, the subject of a cartoon strip.

Article by Kelly Marshall of Oh My Dog Supplies, your top source for anti itch dog shampoo online.