Joey’s Breed of the Month

By John Morgan | Dated April 16, 2015

Hey gang!! How are you all? I feel like it’s been ages since I posted a Breed of the Month! And it’s a big one this month. Literally!! This month I’m profiling one of the world’s tallest dog breeds. Dogs resembling the modern breed are seen depicted in Egypt as far back as 3000BC. A friendly and affectionate breed, they are often referred to as gentle giants and the world’s biggest lap dog. Have you guessed yet? That’s right, this month we’ll be taking a closer look at the Great Dane.

Did you know that the world record holder for the tallest dog is currently held by a Great Dane called Zeus, who measured in at a whopping 112cm from paw to shoulder! Now that’s a giant dog! Great Danes are generally good with other dogs, non-canine pets and kids. Because of their size, they do need training. Especially given their desire to be a lap dog or lean against you.

We don’t have a lot of clients who have Great Danes, I imagine their size is a bit of a deterrent for a lot of people looking at getting a dog. But we have amazing clients, Grant and Mark, who have owned some of the greatest Great Danes ever. Due to some health issues, we even had the pleasure of boarding two of them a year or so ago. Not surprisingly, we don’t have cages or runs big enough to house Great Danes for extended periods of time, so Dudley and Chloe pretty much took over the hospital while they were with us! I was a little put out by this initially, but then I discovered their amazingly tasty food in the fridge, and we were the best of friends!! Grant and Mark only have Dudley now, but there was a time, when they were breeding, that they had three Danes! So keep reading about the extremely handsome and rather large Dudley!

Name: Dudley
Age: 2.5years
Weight: 78kg

Did you research breeds? And what made you decide on a Great Dane? We did research. I always wanted a Dane, even as a child. I love the great nature of the breed. They are imposing to look at and some people are quite intimidated by their sheer size. But Great Danes have the most loving nature and are goofy and fun to be around.

Breeder? Rescue? Pet Shop? Breeder. Dudley came from Stordansk breeders.

Best thing about the breed? Their loving nature and the looks you get when you take them for a walk!

Worst thing about the breed? Unfortunately Great Danes are prone to health issues like bloat, hip dysplasia, congenital heart disease and a gene mutation that causes an all white coat which usually results in the dog being blind and deaf. Like all giant breeds, they have a short life span, usually of between 6-10years.

Something people might not know about the breed? Great Danes were originally bred as German hunting dogs in the 16th century. In Germany they are called Deutsche Dogge, which translates to German Mastiff. The cartoon character Scooby Doo is based on a Great Dane, and in the movie ‘Beaches’, Bette Middler’s character owns a Great Dane called Tiny.

Who would you recommend the breed to? Great Danes are a fantastic family dog who will move right into your home, sleep on your bed, destroy your furniture and eat you out of house and home! However they will love you unconditionally all of their life and will quickly become one of the family.

Think a Great Dane would be a good addition to your family? Given their predisposition to some not so nice health issues, I would strongly recommend thinking about getting pet health care insurance. Big dog surgery and medication can be rather expensive.

Well, better go. Enjoy the rest of your week and I’ll catch you all next week. Meows for now, love Joey xxx

Dudley as a puppy

Dudley the lap dog