Introducing...

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Originally Posted by Kara

You are so very welcome! That pic of him sitting on the sofa sums up everything I love about this breed. Goofy, sweet, people-oriented...oh yeah, and huge! :D He's a very handsome boy & it's a riot that he looks as though someone caught him mid-conversation in this pic...like he's thinking of what to say next. Danes really, really are special dogs.

Thanks again for posting pics of your lovely boy!

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Before my love for Danes, I used to own Border Collies. I always thought they were some of the smartest dogs on the planet (which they are), but Duke is just as smart if not smarter than any Border Collie I ever owned. He is very smart... thick headed and stubborn at times, but very very smart. I'm sure your Dane will be the same way.

Word to the wise when he gets waist high. Watch your genitals. He tags me about once a week with that giant tale of his.

Damn! Duke looks like a huge human on that couch.

That is one beautiful puppy and will grow like a weed.
That only heartbreaking thing about big dog's they don't live very long
compared to smaller breeds. I her Danes live 7-9 year max.

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Originally Posted by chessfighter

That only heartbreaking thing about big dog's they don't live very long
compared to smaller breeds. I her Danes live 7-9 year max.

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I love how everyone brings that up when I mention I own a Dane :tears:. It's not always the case though, my father-in-law's Dane is 11 and a big boy at that.

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Originally Posted by chessfighter

That is one beautiful puppy and will grow like a weed.That only heartbreaking thing about big dog's they don't live very long
compared to smaller breeds. I her Danes live 7-9 year max.

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While the giant breeds do grow quickly, the last thing you want to do is encourage "growing like a weed." In fact, feeding a correct diet with properly balanced calcium, phosphorous and protein ratios is essential to controlling growth within the first year to prevent issues like hypertropic osteodystrophy & osteochondrosis dessicans, among other growth-related problems.

As far as longevity, I know a great number of Dane owners who would beg to differ with your assessment of "7-9 years max." While eight years is considered "average," sooooo many of the shortened lifespans & health issues you encounter in the giant breeds (especially Danes) were caused by unscrupulous backyard breeders who just toss any two dogs together to breed so they can make a buck. BYB'ers don't research pedigrees, they don't health test, they certainly don't bother with showing and titling their dogs, and they don't care about quality. As a result, they pump out sub-standard dogs who often have myriad heath issues (in a breed that due to its sheer size is already prone to them), and ultimately it's the dogs (and the people who love them) that suffer in the end.

You'd probably find it surprising to see how many "double digit" Danes (and other giants) are out there, especially now that so many more - and better - resources are available to help properly meet the needs of these dogs.

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Originally Posted by jsmorphs2

I love how everyone brings that up when I mention I own a Dane :tears:. It's not always the case though, my father-in-law's Dane is 11 and a big boy at that.

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LOL, you're not kidding! If I had a dollar for every time I've already heard that (and our pup isn't even home yet), I could more than cover the cost of his future gastropexy. :rolleyes: :P

:D

K~

The breeder I bought Duke from had a Dane that lived to be 17. He was 2 months shy of setting the guiness book of world record for the longest living Dane. So Danes can live just as long as any other dog if it's treated good, fed properly, see's a vet regularly, etc.

I don't know what food you plan to feed, but I swear by Canidae. Duke loves it and you can see by the picture of him on the couch that he is doing GREAT! Another good food is Diamond Naturals (It's about $20 cheaper, same ratios and almost the exact same ingredients as Canidae). :)

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Originally Posted by chessfighter

Damn! Duke looks like a huge human on that couch.

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Hahaha, that's what everyone says. He acts like a HUGE human too, try eating a hamburger around him... "But Daddy... Icanhazcheezburger?" LOL

Congrats!! I love Danes. Very sweet doggies. I love the pictures posted too. Don't think its possible to envision a Dane with out picturing it owning the family couch. They just go hand in hand:D

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Originally Posted by PassionsPythons

I don't know what food you plan to feed, but I swear by Canidae. Duke loves it and you can see by the picture of him on the couch that he is doing GREAT! Another good food is Diamond Naturals (It's about $20 cheaper, same ratios and almost the exact same ingredients as Canidae). :)

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Canidae is good food, I'm very familiar with it & also know several others who swear by it also.

I feel very fortunate that we have the resources - and freezer space - to feed a balanced raw diet, and it was one of our lesser specifications when we were initially interviewing breeders. Murdock will already be accustomed to a raw diet when he comes home, as that's how all of the breeder's dogs are fed. :)

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Originally Posted by Kara

Canidae is good food, I'm very familiar with it & also know several others who swear by it also.

I feel very fortunate that we have the resources - and freezer space - to feed a balanced raw diet, and it was one of our lesser specifications when we were initially interviewing breeders. Murdock will already be accustomed to a raw diet when he comes home, as that's how all of the breeder's dogs are fed. :)

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I used it with my husky (when she was still with us :() and it was great. Freezer space was an issue, though. Sounds like he's going to have a great home. Again, congrats:)

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Originally Posted by Cendalla

I used it with my husky (when she was still with us :() and it was great. Freezer space was an issue, though. Sounds like he's going to have a great home. Again, congrats:)

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Thank you so much! We've really tried to cover all of our bases before committing to a puppy, much less bringing him home.

There's a 6' chest freezer in our garage where we keep a little bit of surplus from our rat colony (usually we just feed pre-killed, but also don't let anything go to waste), so it's mostly empty. We raise chickens, our neighbor raises cattle, there are multiple meat lockers in our area for raw meaty bones, organ meats & extra "parts", and we're members of a great raw food co-op that also gives us access to bison, venison, salmon, lamb/mutton, duck, goose (muscle, organ & extras of all) and some fabulously stinky green tripe. :hungry: