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The Great Dane – A Not So Small Lap Dog I have always loved large dogs, so it was fitting for me to get a Great Dane when I purchased my own home. I got my Great Dane from a breeder and he was about eight months old. They say you can tell how big a dog will get by his feet, well Brutus had huge feet and I knew he was going to be a huge dog. In the Great Dane world, the larger the dog the more prized he is so it was exciting to see how big he would really get. As a puppy, Brutus decided that he really loved me and wanted to be with me everywhere I went. This wasn't all that big of a deal when he was a puppy, because he was about the size of a small Labrador, but as he got bigger I began to wonder if I needed a bigger house! Between me and the dog, nobody else could come in the kitchen. When it was time to watch television, he took up most of the couch and I was covered with the front legs and received the occasional lick across the face. It was obvious that Brutus thought he was a lap dog, but he was much too big for that. I began training Brutus early in his life. I wanted to be certain that I would be able to take him on walks without being drug through the park by the dog. I also wanted to be certain that he wasn't a leaner. Great Danes are so large that they enjoy putting some of their weight off on you and that is typically not a good thing, especially has your male turns into 200 pounds of dog. My nieces absolutely love Brutus and he is so patient with him. He will sit on the floor with them and they will play games with him, dress him up and lie around with him. He watches movies with them and gives them big, sloppy kisses. He is the only big dog that I think you could truly trust when it comes to children. I have never seen Brutus be rough with another animal. He even loves our kitten. She likes to jump and attack his tail, but it doesn't bother him one bit. They are a truly unique pair. They curl up together on the sofa and sleep and they play little games with each other. He is very gentle with her because he knows he is much bigger than her. If you want a big dog that you know is gentle, then the Great Dane is the dog for you. They are known as "gentle giants" for a reason and they make excellent companions. You can take your Great Dane anywhere and wherever you go with him he is sure to get a lot of attention. When choosing a Great Dane it is important to know that many consider the Harlequin variety to be a little more stubborn than the other colors when it comes to obedience training, but start early and you shouldn't have any problem at all with basic dog training. |
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