To be specific they are german origin and are called german mastiffs they are wonderful with children and other animal. A great family dog. There down fall is there life span is only 7 t0 11 years so be prepared to lose then early

My friend has a rescue dog that was abused by it's male owner so when it sees men it cowers away quickly, and it's such a big dog it seems strange. But now it knows me and is a very sweet dog. I have not heard it bark and it's not hyper like the labs, nor crazy around other dogs. This one is short haired so it doesn't shed much and I'm not allergic, I'm thinking it's the breed but honestly this is the only one I've had interaction with. It would appear to eat a lot since it's huge but he has two lab's and they eat just about the same amount with the great dane eating about another scoop a day.

I love my Dane, so I'm biased. He's the greatest lap dog in the world. Medium to high intelligence, very laid-back demeanor. He never matured to full size, he's the size of a big German shepard, so I never had the common problem Great Dane owners have.

He's the most handsome dog I've ever seen. *smooches*

He's turning 14 this year.

I currently am owned by FIVE great danes and I have to say..despite popular belief they really don't eat all that much. A growing pup requires more food, but once they mature you're looking at somewhere between 4-8 cups a day depending on that individuals needs.
If you feed a poor quality kibble you can expect to feed as many as 10-12 cups per day to maintain their weight.
From my experience with owning several different breeds of all sizes I would have to say danes are one of the easiest to own and care for.
They are very friendly, social dogs if socialized as pups. They are great with other dogs of all sizes and with children of all sizes. I have a 20 month old son, 6 year old daughter and a 9 year old son and our 5 great danes all live inside with us.
We have a blind/deaf rescue dane girl who will be 2 in July, a 3 1/2 year old harlequin female, a 4 1/2 year old blue harlequin (my icon) male, and my 2 blue harlequin boys who are 14 weeks old right now.

The only negative aspect of our breed is their life span. Some breeders can show where their danes have a life expectancy of 10-14 years. We have a breeder who does this locally and my adult male came from her lines. So we'll see!
The average life span seems to be 6-9 years. They can develop hip problems, which can be genetic so its important to buy from a breeder who OFA certifies their danes hips!
They can also have thyroid problems, heart problems and can develop HOD, which is a very painful disease caused from too much protein early on.

People run out and purchase their dane pups without doing any research and then run out and buy a big bag of puppy food. :(
A great dane under a year old should NEVER have more than 24% protein in their kibble.
Anything more is just asking for problems. They grow very quickly all on their own and when you try to rush that growth by feeding a high protein kibble it is disastrous.

Great dogs. Although big they actually dont eat as much as you think. Being big doesnt make them any less gentle for kids. They are great dogs to have for kids and adults and they are very active, smart, and loving toward their owners.

They usually are as dumb as Scooby Doo. I know of one that thought it was the size of chihuahua and liked to lay on people.

Young Great Danes need enough exercise to keep them lean and healthy, but not so much that their soft growing bones, joints, and ligaments become over-stressed and damaged. The proper amount of exercise can be difficult to regulate in giant breeds.

When I think of our Dane (Rudy) I can't stop my eyes from welling up. He left us way too soon. He was only 6 when he passed and not a day goes by that I don't think of him, truly a wonderful dog and a magnificent friend. Danes are kings among dogs. Because of their size they don't feel the need to socialize like other dogs. I use to walk him and even though he was not neutered he never left my side. He didnt pull to get at other dogs and I cant remember him once sniffing another dogs butt. The only thing Rudy hated was water. He hated rain and no way would he ever go never a river or lake.
Basically Danes love to lounge around and they dont require a lot of exercise. They get by with just a good long walk very day. We got Rudy when he was already 3 and he became my wifes constant companion. To demonstrate his loyalty we once had this huge snowfall and both my wife and I had to go up on the roof of our one story home to start removing some the snow before the roof caved in with the weight. Rudy didnt like her up on the roof and although it was so cold that day there was no way we could keep him inside. He stood at the bottom of the ladder whining and at one point actually tried to climb up the rungs to get to her. Sometimes just horsing around, my wife and I would play wrestle and the dog hated it. He would get all nervous and he would put his giant body between me and her as to try and protect her, but not threaten me.
If there is a doggie heaven I know he is there. I just hope it doesnt rain in heaven as he would hate that. Until we meet again, my friend

I was outside a bank one day when a young lady with a Great Dane walked up. I asked her if she would like for me to watch her dog while she went inside the bank and she said yes. As she went inside the Great Dane got a little worried to see his master leave him and with a stranger no less. He decided to take me for a walk. It was a workout for me to keep him calm until his owner returned.

I love them but they get hip problems after about 4-7 years. They are great companions!

Gentle, clumsy and loving. The only downside is that they leave us too soon.

big clumsy, lovable, sweety pies:)...if your gonna get one you might as well get two...they look so sophisticated walking as pair.

Great danes are ENORMOUS and they dont know it! Very handsome dogs, sweet and friendly and they are fab gaurd dogs. The downsides are that they drool alot and they are clumsy and greedy. Be prepared to go on lots of walkies! Great dogs though.

I love these dogs! I grew up a total cat person, and my first ever dog was a 160lbs black Dane - a sweetheart through and through! Call me partial, but they are one of the best breeds out there. That being said, there are some things you have to consider: First, they eat a lot. Duh, I know, but along with that you have to buy QUALITY food, or you're setting yourself up for a dog with problems. Second: PLEASE TRAIN YOUR DANE! They truly do not know their size, and they can seriously injure you just by greeting you at the door. You have to teach your dog manners, no matter what size, but for Danes it is extremely important that you take the time to socialize and train them. Don't EVER allow behaviour from a pup that you wouldn't want from a horse. I have to say here that I have 2 kids, 3 and 1 in age, and my Dane is wonderful with them. Just imagine leaving your baby with a rambuncious 5 year old boy, and you'll understand why you have to supervise kids and Danes together. Once again, they don't know their size, and they do think everything is a game. Third, do some research into the dog you're buying. American bred Danes have dramatically shortened life spans and a myriad of health problems. Reputable breeders will provide not only a pedigree, but any and all health testing done on dogs in their blood lines. Many great breeders are incorporating top european lines to improve the dogs' health. Fourth: Listen to your breeder! If you have done your homework on picking a breeder, you can trust them to know what is best for your dog. Don't go running to your vet (unless he/she has extensive knowledge on this great breed) and throw everything your breeder told you out the window. Stick to his/her recommendation on food, supplements, exercise and training. Do your homework, don't rush to buy the first cute puppy that crosses your path, and be a responsible owner, and you will be rewarded with a gentle giant that will prefer long walks or hikes and lounging at your feet (or on your lap, if you allow it) to running through the house knocking over anybody and anything, chewing on your furniture and kids alike. BTW, I live in an apartment on 750 sqft, and my Dane fits right in. That's what walks are for!!!

These are great dogs. Big, smart, and very loyal. That's my kind of pup!

ya gotta love em

lovely animal, loyal and smart i love big dogs. plus a great danen has short hair, so it can leave better anywhere..they are so sweet

Buy a pickup to haul the dogfood home, and set up a trust account to feed the bugger. Other than that, a pretty nice dog.

Scooby Dooby Doo!!!! These are massive dogs that think they are lapdogs. They will jump all over you and attempt to share your chair with you. But it's all good, it just means that they are extremely affectionate and lovable, if clumsily so. A problem these dogs have is that their heart is a little too small for their body, so any kind of extended physical exertion may result in them dropping stone dead on the sidewalk. Great dogs to have around, but may accidentally knock over and injure small children (quite indeliberately) so be careful.

Nice dogs, but too big and seem to require too much space and time

I have a Great Dane, and she is the best dog that I have ever had. As long as you have the space for them...they are definately worth it and are just great dogs.

They eat a lot but from what I have seen of my freinds Great Dane, she is sweet. But then again, I had another friend that has a one year old son that was dragged by the head 50 ft. Hmmmm.. unpredictable you could say.

Wonderful dogs--a bit on the goofy side, but their fabulous personalities and loveableness (is this a word?!) more than make up for it.

Great danes are a lot of fun, but also a lot of work. They don't know their own size. Even though they are so big they are still good with kids and loving.

so f*ckin big! but they're sweet and playful despite the size

Great Dane's are great. Great Dane's are too dogs as the Excursion is too SUV's.

wow they're so big and handsome. they're pretty good natured and once they're trained you've got an AWESOME dog!

My parents had a Great Dane not long after I left home and, a number of years later, my sister had one as well. Judging by those two dogs, this is a wonderful breed! Despite their size, the two I knew thought they were lap dogs. Ours were happiest sitting in your lap with front legs on the floor . . . or curled into a surprisingly small ball so you wouldn't notice she was on forbidden ground next to the chesterfield on the living room carpet . . . or right at your heels as you went about the house keeping up with daily chores. Although I'm a cat person by choice, I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for Great Danes. Their hearts and spirits are huge enough to match their physical size.

I like these dogs – though I’ve only been fortunate enough to meet a couple in my life. Both times they impressed me as gentle giants. The first time was when I was about 12 years old and one just seemed to appear at my back fence early one morning when I was out in my back yard. I can still see him standing there - a beautiful fawn colored male with black markings around his nose – very striking. I’d never even seen a dog that size and so I was slightly wary – but never really scared. He just looked at me for a few minutes and then moved on. The second time was years later when I was taking my Cardigan Welsh corgi Casey to obedience school. Well, I really love corgis and one of their endearing and occasionally slightly annoying traits is that they think they are big dogs in short bodies. I think in reality that they’re just trying to cover up any fear of the unknown they may have by getting the first round of barks in. So, as we all walked our dogs around in a circle for leash training, Casey suddenly stopped, turned and started barking obnoxiously at this young but huge Great Dane behind us. This dog could have easily wiped the floor up with Casey (who was short enough to walk under him without even touching the tips of his ears to the Dane’s belly). Instead the noble Dane just looked down at him calmly as if to say – what IS your problem short guy? When you’re as big as that I guess you just don’t have to be aggressive to get by.

Sweet, loving giants with the nobility and majesty of a king. These are wonderful dogs and truly are gentle giants.

Great big, goofy, lovable dogs. Definitely need LOTS of room to run and play. Not the ideal dog for an apartment! Unfortunately, I know from personal experience..I think he was only a couple months old and he could already reach the kitchen counter..well there was a 2 lb. package of ground beef out to thaw (not for long)..he inhaled it and in the middle of the night we woke up to a rancid family room full of land mines! Still an Awesome dog!

Big dogs rule over little dogs, and this is the king of the Big Dogs.