Great Dane puppies grow incredibly fast. We recommend referencing our Great Dane puppy growth chart to learn just HOW fast you can expect your puppy to grow.
PRO TIP – Take lots of photos!!! These babies gain size at an insane rate, especially in the first 6 months of life.
Keep in mind that these numbers are all averages! Your Great Dane puppy may be above or below these numbers depending on genetics, health and the nutrition that is provided.
Great Dane Puppy Body Condition
The following are signs that your puppy may require a change in nutrition, medical attention, and/or special attention to socialization:
Great Dane puppies are surprisingly lean! This is better for their growth, joints and overall health. Your puppy should have nice fur, bright eyes, tight feet, confidence, and lots of energy when awake.
The explosive growth period in Great Dane puppies happens from 6 weeks until 6 months. They slow down around then and will eat less, but will continue to grow for much, much longer!
Knuckling is a serious problem in Great Dane puppies that results from explosive growth, incorrect nutrition, and slick or hard surfaces. Read more about knuckling below!
When do Great Dane puppies stop growing? Below you will see a monthly Great Dane growth chart. You will notice that a two month old Great Dane puppy is, on average, 15-30 lbs. These are averages, not every puppy will fit into this chart perfectly.
Birth
1-2 lbs
1 Week
2-3 lbs
2 Weeks
3-5 lbs
3 Weeks
4-7 lbs
1 Month
5-8 lbs
6 Weeks
10-20 lbs
2 Months
15-30 lbs
3 Months
25-45 lbs
4 Months
45-65 lbs
5 Months
60-85 lbs
6 Months
65 – 100 lbs
7 Months
70-110 lbs
8 Months
80-120 lbs
9 Months
85-125 lbs
1 Year
95-120 lbs
ADULT
Female
110-145lbs
Male
135-170lbs
Bigger Is Not Better
There seems to be this fear that our Great Dane puppies just aren’t growing big enough or fast enough.
There is also a subtle competition at play to have the largest Dane, a contest that often begins with breeders who are breeding for size rather than for structure, health and type.
Adding nutrition, fat, and toppers to your Great Dane Puppies diet to ‘fill them out’ or ‘bulk them up’ is one of the worst things you can do. A Great Dane should be lean, muscular, and athletic.
It’s not a race. Slow growth and building towards an appropriate height and weight is the healthiest choice.
You may be looking for a European Great Dane growth chart. European Great Danes and American Great Danes follow breed standards that are nearly identical, and the chart we’ve included in this post is ideal for all Great Danes.
Some breeders have made it their mission to promote bulkier, heavier, droopier Danes as ‘Euro’, often at the expense of the dogs orthopedic structure, eyes and overall health. ‘Euro’ is an aesthetic preference and not actually a sign that a dog is truly ‘European’ or well bred. For more information on the great ‘Euro’ vs. ‘American’ discussion, read our post below.
Keep in mind that our Great Dane growth chart represents the ‘average’.
Your puppy may not fall exactly into the range, and that may be ok!
If your puppy has health problems (including HOD or megaesophagus), comes from smaller genetics, was the ‘runt’ of the litter, failed to thrive or had a rough start they may be on the small side.
Great Dane height and weight in adults is ultimately determined by a combination of genetics, overall health, nutrition, and care given to protect joints and allow for slow growth.
Birth
1-2 lbs
1 Week
2-3 lbs
2 Weeks
3-5 lbs
3 Weeks
4-7 lbs
1 Month
5-8 lbs
6 Weeks
10-20 lbs
2 Months
15-30 lbs
3 Months
25-45 lbs
4 Months
45-65 lbs
5 Months
60-85 lbs
6 Months
65 – 100 lbs
7 Months
70-110 lbs
8 Months
80-120 lbs
9 Months
85-125 lbs
1 Year
95-120 lbs
ADULT
Female
110-145lbs
Male
135-170lbs
The Best Great Dane Puppy Food
What you feed your Great Dane puppy will matter somewhat when it comes to how slowly or quickly they grow.
We recommend choosing one of the highly recommended grain-inclusive kibble brands below. These are all formulated correctly with correct protein, fat, calcium and phosphorus levels.
A large breed puppy formula with an AAFCO statement about being ‘formulated for the growth of large breed (70lb+) dogs is ideal. Click on any to view.
None of this matters if you cannot actually weigh your Great Dane and keep track of their growth scale!
Here are some tips:
Weigh yourself first. Then reset the scale, hold your puppy and weigh again. Subtract your weight from the weight of you + the puppy combined.
Visit the veterinarian. Make going to the vet, stepping on the scale, seeing the vet techs and leaving super fun.
Visit your local pet store. Petsmart and some Petco stores that have an in-house veterinarian will often let you use their scale for free! Always ask first. (NOTE: we do not recommend taking young puppies into Petsmart: get those vaccines first!).
Ask your groomer or breeder if they have a scale you can borrow.
Use lots of treats and make the process of being weighed positive! Some puppies are afraid of the slick shiny surface. You can always teach your puppy to sit on a towel, and then put the towel onto the scale to transfer the behavior.
What Age is a Great Dane Puppy Fully Grown?
Great Dane puppies experience explosive growth for the first 8 months, after which they tend to slow down. Your puppy will likely eat less and may appear to have stopped growing.
At this point, however, they are far from done!
Great Danes will grow in height until they are nearly 2 years old. It is at this age that the growth plates will close and it is appropriate to spay or neuter.
After age 2, they will continue to fill out. Do not mistake this process for getting fat! Many Great Danes are spayed or neutered at this age and become overweight because of the sudden drop in hormones.
Filling out means:
Deeper and fuller chest Wider and more developed hips Maturation of the head structure Muscle development at the shoulders, hips and thighs Coverage that reduces the lanky puppy look
It’s fairly common knowledge that as a general rule, Great Danes grow until they are 3.
They will typically gain height for the first 2 years, and then ‘fill out’ until age 3.
A lot of people, however, seem to mistake ‘getting fat’ with filling out!
Great Danes are NOT supposed to be a heavy, weighty breed. Even ‘Euro’ built Danes should be lean and have a defined waist.
OVERWEIGHT GREAT DANES ARE PROBLEMATIC
Overweight Great Danes are not ‘cute’ or ‘funny’.
Overweight Great Danes cause Great Danes to live shorter and less healthy lives.
Back yard breeders have been breeding ‘Euro’ Great Danes, which has made many people think it is normal to have Great Danes be floppy, droopy and ‘fat’.
It is around age 2 when many Great Danes have their spay or neuter.
Spay and neuter causes a shift in hormones that for many dogs also leads to a slower metabolism and weight gain.
Many people see this happen and assume their dog is ‘filling out’, when really…their dog is just getting fat.
It’s important to work with your veterinarian following a spay/neuter to make sure your Great Dane stays active and at a healthy weight. We recommend waiting to spay/neuter until your dog is at least 18 months of age.
WEIGHT IS BAD FOR DANES
There seems to be a contest to have the biggest, heaviest Great Dane.
Excess weight, however is extremely hard on them.
Most Danes are not built to be 170+lbs. Adding food, satin balls and coconut oil to their diet to ‘bulk them up’ or ‘fill them out’ is extremely unhealthy.
Most Danes may look lean, but very few actually need help gaining weight.
Dogs that are kept at a health weight live on average 2 years longer than their overweight counterparts.
Lean, fit dogs have an easier time playing, walking, running, and getting around.
As a society we are so used to seeing heavy dogs that we may find it alarming to see a dog that has been kept lean and at a healthy weight!
There is nothing cute about letting your Great Dane get fat.
Overweight dogs are more likely to suffer from:
Diabetes
Bladder Stones
Heart Disease
Hypertension
Cancer
Osteoarthritis
Anesthesia complications
(An overweight Great Dane, above)
WHAT IS FILLING OUT?
In Great Danes, filling out refers to the process of the dog developing breadth/width in the chest and hips, as well as developing muscle mass.
Neither one of those things has to do with becoming heavy. Good muscle development is extremely important for Great Danes!
As your Great Dane matures and finishes filling out, you may notice a broader chest and hips, stronger more developed shoulders and larger more defined hip and thigh muscles.
Their face will mature quite a bit and you may notice an increase on the scale, but that’s not necessarily from fat!
Keep your Great Dane active. ***Many people believe that Great Danes should be restricted from exercise as a means to reduce the risk of bloat. At this time, studies indicate that there is no advantage to restricting water or activity, even following meals. There are, however, many advantages to allowing your Great dane to move naturally on soft, varied terrain (fields, hiking trails, etc.)
Below is a health, well-muscled 17 month old intact male Great Dane that is just beginning to ‘fill out’. He is still very lean and gangly and has a lot of maturing left to do:
Below is a photo of his Grandfather, a mature AKC CH. Great Dane that has been kept at a healthy weight. This gives you a good picture of what a Dane may look like as a young pup and then later as a more mature, filled-out adult.
You can see that an outline of the ribs may be visible, and the dog has a waist that can be viewed from both the side and above. His head, chest and hips have become broader and have matured. He is not heavy or overweight!
GENETICS MATTER
Genetics really matter when it comes to size! Don’t compare the weight of your Dane to the weight of others.
Even two Danes of the same weight can look massively different, depending on their body fat ratio, muscle development and overall structure.
Run from any breeder whose focus is on creating the largest, droopiest, heaviest dogs out there.
If they are advertising weights as a means to prove their breeding stock, they may not have the best interest of the dogs in mind. A healthy, well-bred Great Dane is the Apollo of dogs, and will be large without being uncomfortably heavy.
HOW TO KEEP YOUR GREAT DANE AT A HEALTHY WEIGHT
Choose a high quality, nutrient dense diet and don’t over-feed
Keep dietary fat content at or below 14%
Keep your Great Dane active! A short walk each night on pavement is not enough exercise for most dogs to stay lean, fit, and mentally healthy.
Free play and exploration on varied terrain (grass, sand, gravel, hills, rocks, etc.) is important for physical & mental health, and we believe is more important than leashed walks on the sidewalk.
Tug of war, flirt poles (for dogs age 2+), and hiking can be wonderful ways to bond with your dog and keep them in great shape!
Take a FitPaws class with a qualified instructor.
The information contained in this post is for informational purposes only. We do our best to present the most up-to-date research, however it is up to the reader to make decisions regarding the health and well-being of their dog. We make no claims here to prevent or treat bloat or any other condition related to Great Danes. Find a veterinarian with GIANT breed experience, and chat with them.
Some of the products we list on our website contain affiliate links. If you choose to make a purchase, we may receive a small commission for referring you. We only recommend products that we truly believe in. This commission does not affect the price of the product and is used to fund our content and expenses related to operating this website.
If you are concerned because you have a Great Dane puppy with knuckling, crooked paws, bowed-out legs, or bumps on the front legs, you’ve come to the right place. It is important to understand what causes knuckling over, and how to quickly fix knuckling in Great Dane puppies.
Knuckling over, better known as “Carpal Laxity” is one of the challenges that may arise during the explosive puppy growth phase.
As you are now aware, giant breed puppies, known for their rapid growth, can sometimes face orthopedic concerns that affect their front legs. This post is a big one, and in it, we are providing the most up-to-date information based on science & research! Use our table of contents to navigate.
In this post we will discuss:
How to determine if your Great Dane puppy is knuckling
What causes knuckling in giant breed puppies
How to fix knuckling over, flat feet, and carpal laxity in Great Danes
A Great Dane puppy knuckling over, with carpal laxity
What is Knuckling Over in Puppies?
Knuckling, or Knuckling over is the layman’s term for a large or giant breed puppy when their front limbs collapse. You can see in the image above that the knuckle joint is bowed over the foot.
This condition is a result of fast growth and while it looks alarming, it is one of the least concerning growth disorders that big puppies can face!
Is Puppy Knuckling & Carpal Laxity the Same Thing?
The WORD “knuckling” and carpal laxity go hand in hand. However, the word “knuckling” is medically incorrect for this condition.
In other words, the use of the word ‘knuckling’ is actually a misnomer!
When people say ‘knuckling’ in reference to bowed legs on a giant breed puppy, what they really mean is “Carpal Laxity”.
True knuckling is actually a neurological condition, usually associated with more serious disorders in older dogs. To be clear, the use of the word ‘knuckling’ in reference to Great Dane puppy feet is basically slang.
Now that that is out of the way, it’s important to note that I will be using the terms “Carpal Laxity” and “Knuckling” interchangeably in this post.
When you speak to your vet, mention that you have concerns about carpal laxity. This will make much more sense to them, and their diagnosis will make much more sense to you, too!
Is Knuckling Over in Great Danes Serious?
Knuckling over is one of the most common growth complications in Great Danes and other giant breed puppies.
With carpal laxity, the dogs weight becomes too much for the quickly developing bone and cartilage, and the legs ‘buckle’ or go flat in response to the stress.
Some puppies have a mild case of knuckling over, others have a more severe case. Either way, this is a notable (and reversible) condition that requires treatment.
It often pops up with very little warning, and puppies can be normal and then wake up from a nap buckling over. Other puppies show early signs, such as having shaky legs and flat feet.
While the exact cause of knuckling is unknown, it is believed to be related to dysfunctional (too fast) growth, often brought on by improper nutrition. Excessive or improper exercise and slippery or hard surfaces can cause further damage to the lax joints.
It is a condition that requires swift action and treatment, however, it is NOT a serious condition requiring life-saving measures. Don’t stress! With the right treatment, this problem resolves quickly.
This photo above is of an 8-week-old Great Dane puppy who was diagnosed with HOD and knuckling. This is a severe case. Knuckling can look more mild or more severe than this.
Normal Great Dane Puppy Growth vs. Knuckling
Many people mistake normal, knobby growth plates, flat feet, or angular limb deformities with knuckling!
Healthy Great Dane puppies will often have large, knobby growth plates on their front paws. These growth plates may swell a little bit before a growth spurt; this is normal!
However, excessive swelling is indicative of problems such as HOD and PANO which are much more serious than carpal laxity. Always monitor the condition of your puppy’s growth plates and report to your veterinarian; if there seems to be pain, limping, and/or a lot of swelling.
What are the Signs & Symptoms of Puppy Knuckling?
This photo above is a fairly severe case: notice the bowed appearance and toes.
It’s important to understand the warning signs that may indicate early or developing bone growth problems in your puppy, and see a giant-breed-knowledgeable veterinarian ASAP. Left untreated, puppy knuckling can lead to permanent damage and deformity.
Symptoms of puppy knuckling over and carpal laxity include:
Weak limbs that ‘shake’ on soft surfaces
Flat toes/splayed feet
Ankles that rest over the top of the foot
Bowing out
Flat feet (another form of carpal laxity)
Crooked front limbs or ‘ballet feet’ (which may also indicate growth plate damage and angular limb deformity, more serious than knuckling)
We’re going to dig more into how diet affects bone growth in large and giant breed puppies below, but before we get there, check your food! If the calcium level is above 1.2% it should NOT be fed.
How to Quickly Fix Puppy Knuckling in Great Danes
I’m going to deep dive into the nutritional and environmental issues related to knuckling below, but if you are reading this article you may be looking for a quick fix.
Here is the long and the short of how to QUICKLY fix puppy knuckling:
Encourage lots of free play on soft, varied terrain such as grass, sand, and gravel
Do NOT use a harness, which can restrict natural movement
Put runners and rugs down in your home
Avoid slick or hard surfaces and jumping
Utilize orthopedic bedding
See your veterinarian for further instruction and monitoring
Here is our heavily researched list of the best foods for Great Dane puppies, especially if they are suffering from any kind of growth or orthopedic disorder:
Check out THE GIANT DOG FOOD PROJECT to compare brands and values.
What Causes Knuckling in Giant Breed Dogs?
While the exact mechanism behind the cause of knuckling still needs more research, there are strong correlations to diet and exercise practices. If you have a puppy that is knuckling over, you MUST immediately address the diet.
A proper diet for a giant breed puppy should be like this:
Large or Giant Breed Puppy OR All Life Stages Formula, NEVER adult-only foods
AAFCO Large Breed Growth Statement – this is a MUST-have
1.2% or less calcium, no exceptions
3.5g of calcium or less per 1000kCal
We’ve partnered with the Giant Dog Food Project to develop a search tool that allows pet owners to sort through nearly 700 brands and formulas, and find the ones that match those values. Visit the Giant Dog Food Project Pet Food Search Tool HERE.
Feeding an unbalanced diet can cause knuckling over
Feeding an unbalanced, nutrient-dense fussy diet is thought to be the leading cause of knuckling. Too much calcium and feeding too much food or too many toppers, treats, and supplements cause the puppy to grow unevenly.
Here is a list of things that cause a diet to be unbalanced:
Poorly formulated kibble (see our recommendations)
Regular puppy foods that were not designed for large+ breed growth
Adding supplements such as calcium or multivitamins
Adding too many unbalanced toppers such as yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, and meat
Offering too many treats and training treats
Feeding a food that was not formulated for large or giant breed dogs (the ratios are different)
Mixing two or more types of kibble
Home-cooked or homemade raw diets (which are rarely formulated correctly)
Switching diets, especially when doing so often
Feeding a kibble that is not formulated by a veterinary nutritionist or Ph.D. in Animal Nutrition
Do any of the things on the list above apply to you? We will outline them in detail below.
Feeding the wrong kibble
We believe in science.
Science tells us that the only appropriate kibble for a Great Dane puppy is a LARGE or GIANT breed puppy or “All Life Stages” formula from a brand that meets veterinary guidelines for ethics, sourcing, testing, research and responsibility.
You may have heard that Great Dane puppies should “only have adult food”. This information is outdated in 2022 and may actually be dangerous. We’re digging more into the science of this below!
Choosing an appropriate food for your Great Dane puppy means that it should be:
Ideally be formulated by an on-staff, full-time, board-certified Veterinary Nutritionist
A large or giant breed puppy or “all life stages” formulation that was created to support slow, even growth of large and giant breed puppies
Be rigorously tested, researched and subjected to feeding trials
Come from an established brand with lots of peer-reviewed research behind it
Meet nutritional guidelines through feed trials and testing, not just be ‘formulated to meet minimums’ on paper
Less than 3.5g of calcium per 1000kCal
1.2% or less calcium
Calcium to Phosphorus ratio of as close to 1 : 1 as possible
AAFCO’s statement that the food was formulated for the growth of (70+lbs) large breed dogs <—important, although not, AAFCO sets minimums. A food can ‘meet the minimum’ and still not be the healthiest choice.
The following brands and formulations are the only ones that meet the requirements listed above. We do not recommend feeding any other food brands to Great Dane puppies, though many people recommend other foods.
Many pet parents will switch their puppy’s food often in an attempt to resolve chronic loose stools, itching, or ‘pickiness’.
All this does is create a puppy who will refuse to eat until toppers or a different food is offered.Picky dogs are created by, you guessed it, US!
This practice also contributes to poor overall gut health, itching, and loose poop.
People mistake these health issues with ‘allergies’ when really, their pup just needs the right amount of correctly balanced food and some time for their gut to adjust.
Choose a proper science-backed food, measure it with a scale, don’t overfeed, and stick with it.
No matter how ‘healthy’ it may seem to offer ground meat, rice, and veggies in lieu of kibble, home-cooked dog food is rarely balanced correctly. Imagine if you ate that kind of diet every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It wouldn’t take long before you started to suffer from malnutrition!
Dogs need correctly balanced meat, bone, and organs in their diet in addition the the right ratios of protein, carbs, fiber, amino acids, nutrients, and minerals.
The website www.balanceit.com allows you to plug in your home-cooked food recipe and see what it’s deficient in. Even recipes made by “canine nutritionists” and celebrity veterinarians are often wildly incorrect.
Homemade diets should only be made under the guidance of a board-certified veterinary nutritionist and NEVER for growing giant breed dogs.
Overfeeding Great Dane Puppies is Bad for Growth
Feeding too much food to a puppy can cause uneven, fast growth, loose stools, and knuckling.
Your puppy does need to eat a LOT of food. But too much is a problem.
Puppies that are offered poorly balanced puppy or adult foods, who then overeat to try and get the nutrition they need, can suffer from chronic loose stools, knuckling, HOD, growing pains, and permanent joint deformities.
Great Dane puppies that are offered ‘adult only’ food in particular may need to eat much more than necessary.
Adult food doesn’t provide them with enough nutrition for their energy levels and muscle development.This is one reason why we see so many teenage Danes with ongoing loose stools that look like walking skeletons with no muscle: they are literally starved for nutrients and will over-eat to try and compensate.
We no longer recommend choosing adult formulas. All Life Stages Large and Giant Breed Formulas are ok.
A science-backed large or giant breed puppy food from Purina, Royal Canin, Hill’s, Eukanuba, or Iam’s are excellent choices.
Puppy kibbles have more nutrition in the form of calories, fat, and protein. This can make it easy to overfeed, especially if you are used to seeing your Dane pups have to gorge themselves on adult formulas.
Watch your puppy’s body condition and adjust accordingly.
Poor nail maintenance and slick floors
Great Dane puppy nails should be trimmed weekly. Do not ever let them get so long that they touch, scrape or click on the ground.
Hard, slick surfaces contribute to early joint damage.
Encourage your puppy to play freely on soft, varied terrain in lieu of walks on hard pavement. Use runners and throw rugs to eliminate slipping and sliding in your home.
Nutrition & Knuckling in Giant Breeds
It is believed that nutrition is a key factor in bone and growth disorders in giant breed dogs. Current research shows that excess calcium is among the most damaging nutritional problems. Because giant breed puppies utilize every bit of calcium offered to them in their diet (they are unable to get rid of it), their bones take all of it in. That would seem like a good thing, except it’s not!
Excessive calcium is linked to a whole slew of bone growth issues including osteochondrosis, hip and elbow dysplasia, angular limb deformities, retained cartilage cores, and more. Some researchers understandably also speculate that these damaged bones are more susceptible to developing things such as Osteosarcoma (bone cancer) and Wobbler disease later in life.
It is extremely important to find and stick to an appropriate balanced diet for your puppy! Unfortunately, the giant breed community still promotes many myths. These myths are NOT rooted in current research and science.
Common Great Dane puppy food myths include:
“Great Dane puppies should never have puppy food”
“Purina, Royal Canin, and Hill’s Dog foods are trash”
“Protein levels MUST be below 24%!”
“Fresh roasted deboned meat, fruits, and veggies are healthy and more nutritious for dogs than meat meals made of muscle, bone, organ, and cartilage”
We recommend:
Protein – ignore this number if you are choosing a professionally balanced food recommended on this page. This is a myth that was disproven by peer-reviewed research. The protein level does not matter. The bioavailability of amino acids, as well as calcium and phosphorus levels, DO matter.
Fat – ignore this number as well, for the same reason as above
Calcium 1.2% or lower (1.3 – 1.4 can also be okay if you do not add any toppers or supplements). Overall calcium intake should never exceed 3.5g per 1000kCal.
Phosphorus is close behind calcium.
The following brands are correctly formulated and tested for the growth of our gentle giants.
There are 300-400 new boutique food brands offered each year in the U.S. When you choose science instead of fancy bags and marketing, it’s easy to narrow the options down.
Foods with fresh ‘deboned meat’ paired with peas, potatoes, fruit and veggies. These foods sound nice but in reality are likely to be heavy in starch and low in meat.
Choosing the correct food for your Great Dane puppy is extremely important! Chat with your breeder and a giant-breed knowledgeable veterinarian for more advice.
Vitamin C for Treating Puppy Knuckling
Many people swear by Vitamin C to aid in the treatment of knuckling in Great Danes. Vitamin C is a known antioxidant that is important in bone formation. However, some researchers say that adding too much to the diet can have the opposite effect.
In addition to addressing the nutritional aspect of knuckling (we recommend switching food immediately with a short transition period), there are other things you can do!
Change the diet ASAP. This is the MOST important step you can take. Stick with what you choose.
Put runners down, everywhere. Your puppy should not be jumping, sliding, running or walking anywhere with a slick surface, especially while treating knuckling.
Do not allow your puppy to jump up or to launch themselves off of furniture. Use ramps, training, crates, and gates to prevent this behavior.
Avoid hard pavement and leashed walks, which are hard on joints and don’t allow the puppy to move naturally.
Don’t run or bike jor with your Dane puppy until they are age 2+, have good hips and feet and are well conditioned to exercise.
Avoid training methods that use physical force and pressure for down/sit, alpha rolls/pinning, extended down-stay or long ‘pack/structure walks’. None of that is healthy, natural or necessary, especially for giant breed puppies.
Limit crate time, which can lead to weakness and poor orthopedic development.
Unless your veterinarian prescribes rest, allow your puppy to freely walk, move, run and explore varied terrain every single day. Grass, sand, gravel, hills, and dirt are great examples. As a bonus, this is great for socialization! Use a long leash or a fenced yard.
Work with a certified Canine physical therapist to strengthen the feet, toes, ankles, shoulders and core.
Choose orthopedic beds, like the BIG BARKER (our personal favorite).
TALK TO YOUR BREEDER! They can be the best resource, especially if you’ve done your research and chosen an ethical breeder that supports your puppy for life.
We always believe that you should also work with a giant-breed experienced veterinarian!
Some bone growth issues are much more serious than knuckling (angular limb deformity, HOD, and Wobblers for example) and it’s important to rule them out.
Have more questions about knuckling or want to share your experience? Leave a comment below!
Only well-bred Great Danes should be used for breeding! Unhealthy, fearful, aggressive dogs with poor structure should never be used in a breeding program. Any breeder that isn’t proud to show off their Dam & Sire to you is a breeder you should be wary of.
They may show their dogs, take them to training classes so they can get their CGC (Canine Good Citizen), Rally (obedience), Trick, Parkour or other similar titles.
Some breeders do not show or title their dogs at all which may or may not be a red flag.
As a general rule, however, Great Dane Breeders that are active with their dogs tend to be better advocates for health, structure and the breed as a whole.
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They should not be excessively heavy or refined, and they should have a well-balanced structure that is built to support their size.
Be wary of breeders that are focused on buzz words such as ‘designer/rare color’, ‘Euro champion’, and ‘vet checked’. These breeders may not have the best interest of the dogs health in mind.
Ethical Great Dane breeders are proud of the health of their dogs and do not hesitate to complete and share the results of FULL OFA health testing on all of their dogs.
Many ‘breeders’ will skip this step because it’s expensive and may produce results that prove they should not breed a dog that they own.
Run from any breeder that does not do full OFA health testing of their dogs. At minimum, you need to see that they have good or excellent results for hips, elbows, heart, eyes and thyroid.
Outside of the U.S., OFA may not be the registry that is used. This doesn’t negate the requirement that breeders should be completing x-rays, echocardiograms, eye tests and blood work for all of the dogs that they breed.
Great Dane puppies start off small, sleepy and sweet. It’s only a matter of months before they are larger than most dogs (80-100 lbs by 6 months of age) and able to accidentally hurt somebody.
Because they are so large, they also lose their ‘puppy license’ early.
In public, many people may assume that they are adult dogs and have higher expectations of them in regards to their behavior.
WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU SHOULD TRAIN YOUR PUPPY?
A Great Dane puppy that pulls, lunges, runs out of doors and ignores commands is an absolute handful to deal with, and that can all happen before they begin to reach sexual maturity (a whole other ball of wax that includes typical teenage shenanigans, among other things.
Basically put, if you wait until your puppy is 4-5 months old before attending a training class or working on anything other than ‘sit’, you’re in trouble.
THE 5 ESSENTIALS FOR PUPPY TRAINING
Here is our list of 5 Things ALL Great Dane Puppies should know by 6 months of age!
Given that most puppies are already 2 months old when they come home, you have 4 months to install calm, confident behavior. Put that work in now and it will pay off!
POTTY TRAINING
CRATE TRAINING
LEASH TRAINING
BASIC OBEDIENCE COMMANDS
PUPPY SOCIALIZATION
In order to train a puppy, pet parents need to be vigilant with training sessions, create a puppy training schedule, and begin training soon after they bring their new puppy home.
POTTY TRAINING A NEW PUPPY
The first of five things that puppy parents are responsible to help their new puppy learn is potty training.
Potty training requires their puppy to begin learning that they cannot pee and poo inside the house, but rather finding a potty spot outside.
Training your puppy to potty outside is not always as easy as it sounds. Young puppies have natural behaviors and learning impulse control for when and where to potty is something that puppies learn over a few weeks time.
Start training your new pup to go outside to go potty right when you bring them home. House training a new puppy can be difficult, but if you are consistent in your efforts, your puppy will catch on quickly.
Pet parents can potty train a puppy with puppy treats and lots of positive reinforcement. Spend longer periods of time outside with your new pup, if possible. Using food rewards, begin training your puppy where you would like them to potty.
We do not recommend putting your puppy’s nose in their pee while they are potty training as this could confuse them and teach your new puppy that you are the dominant one and they are powerless.
CRATE TRAINING A NEW PUPPY
The second of the five things that all puppies should learn is crate training. Crate training a new puppy is important for several reasons:
It creates a safe space for your puppy to stay when you are not able to supervise them. Puppies have a natural denning instinct and will often seek out a small, cosy space to rest in.
A crate can provide that for your puppy when they are first learning to stay calm and relaxed in your home.
Crating your new puppy will set the puppy’s life up for success by teaching them that not everything in the world is for them to chew on or play with. Puppies are notorious for chewing and getting into things, so crate training can help to manage that natural puppy behavior.
Crate puppy training can also be used as a management tool when company comes over or if there is something going on in the house that is too stimulating for your new puppy. It allows you to have peace of mind knowing that your new puppy is safe and not getting into anything they shouldn’t be.
It is important to start training sessions with your new dog on the leash as soon as possible. Your pup will probably show aversion to the leash at first, but dog’s learn quickly that a leash usually equates to something fun!
Using a food lure, show your dog that you’d like them in a sitting position, then you can put the leash on to your pup.
Show them how to walk politely. If your dog likes to jump ahead, slowly begin training your dog basic manners on the leash.
Never allow a puppy to pull or learn that pulling ‘works’. This may mean adjusting your expectations: puppies do NOT need long walks, so it’s generally fairly easy to avoid practicing poor leash skills.
Loose leash walking is largely a socialization issue: puppies that are generally understimulated (bored), anxious and fearful or over-excited by the environment tend to pull, whine, lunge, jump and try to run.
PUPPY SOCIALIZATION IS RELATED TO LEASH TRAINING YOUR PUP
Put the time in now to reinforce engagement, calm behavior and staying nearby.
As above, calm leash manners are largely related to proper socialization. Confident puppies that are desensitized to the world are much less likely to be pull like a freight train, a behavior that is often driven by anxiety or excitement.
Check out our blog post on Great Dane puppy socialization for more tips! That said. even well-socialized, calm and confident dogs can quickly learn that pulling gets them where they want to go. You still need to train the correct behavior and reinforce appropriate leash skills EARLY and often.
FUN LEASH GAMES THAT CAN BE PLAYED FOR THE ENTIRE LIFE OF A DOG
Reward your puppy for eye contact several times. When your puppy is engaged and interested, turn your back.
When your puppy comes to the front to find you, say “YES!” and give a treat. Turn your back again and take a step away.
The puppy will come to find the treat, say “YES!” and give a treat. Make this FUN! Work up to turning your back and walking all over the house. A puppy that has been taught this fun game will follow you and stay close.
This is early loose-leash walking with engagement (eye contact)! Practice this game in your living room, in the backyard, and on a long leash (15+ feet) in the front yard.
Make it fun, exciting, and increasingly more difficult for the puppy to ‘keep up’ with you! *If your puppy seems uninterested, try playing this game later in a lower distraction area. A boring bedroom for example, and use HIGHER value treats to start. Make sure your puppy has also had enough play time AND nap time.
THE WITH ME GAME – EARLY FOUNDATION FOR HEEL
Some people call it ‘with me’, others call it ‘heel’.
Position yourself so that the dog is on the side you want to build the behavior on (most people choose the left side for the dog). Keep the leash in the hand OPPOSITE your puppy.
Put a high value treat in your fist and hold it in front of your puppies nose. They will sniff and as you walk forward, they will walk with you.
Practice this many times until you can eliminate the ‘lure’ of your fist, take several steps and then reward your puppy for walking next to you. Remember to use a lot of praise directed to your dog all throughout training!
In a matter of weeks, with consistent practice, you’ll be able to walk with your pup, all over your house and turn left or right and your puppy will stay glued to your left side without frequent treats and without lures. Deliver rewards more and more sporadically as the behavior becomes stronger.
Practice this skill everywhere. Indoors, in your yard, in your front yard, in a training class, in a park where children and other dogs are there to generate distractions, at a pet-friendly store.
Start easy and work your way up!
BASIC OBEDIENCE COMMANDS
From the very day your adorable new puppy comes home, reward eye contact and engagement as often as possible. Basic commands can be taught by doing activities where your pup learns that it is fun to stay engaged with you! You are your dog’s advocate. Dogs learn by having fun. Keep training sessions short and get active with training your dog.
TRAINING YOUR PUPPY TO COME
If your puppy comes to you, PRAISE! YES!
The practice of seeking out your attention and your eye contact is VERY important and one that will pay off if you spend a lot of time rewarding it.
THE LOOK AT ME GAME
Have your puppy or dog sit or engage with you.
Say ‘LOOK!’ and hold a treat by your eye. When your puppy looks at you, say ‘YES!’ and deliver the treat. This activity is training your new pup that eye contact is a positive!
As your puppy understands, fade out the treat lure and just point to your eye, then eventually fade out pointing to your eye and just say “LOOK!”.
You want your puppy to automatically make eye contact with youwhen you say the word “LOOK” or when you say their name.
This skill is phenomenally important when you want (or need) to redirect your puppy back to you.
ENGAGEMENT GAME TIME
Toss a treat away from you, just a few feet away.
The puppy will run and grab it, let them have it.
Be energetic and say your puppies name. As SOON as your puppy turns their head back to you, say “YES!” and then reward your puppy with a treat.
Play this game several times in different places. Toss the treat farther away, to the side, etc. Make this fun!
TEACH YOUR DOG TO TOUCH YOUR PALM WITH THEIR NOSE
Teach your puppy to boop their nose to your open palm. This is an excellent ‘alternate’ behavior that can be used to redirect your puppy away from other dogs, people and even barking.
To teach ‘touch’, hold your hand open. Your puppy will probably go to sniff or see what you have. Immediately say “YES!” then offer a small treat.
Practice this behavior for no more than a minute, and then use it often at home.
When your puppy clearly understands that touch always means ‘touch the hand’, you can make the game more complicated by moving your hand into different places.
Between your legs, up high, down low, etc.
If you see your puppy start to focus on something, try the TOUCH command. With practice, you’ll find that it’s a really valuable tool for redirecting your dogs attention away from something and back to you.
PUPPY SOCIALIZATION
Basic commands go alongside puppy socialization. You do not need to attend group classes with your dog to have the perfect pup, although you can certainly get your pup with other puppies if you want to.
To keep your puppy engaged, practice some skills that will help them in the real world.
One of the biggest ‘socialization’ mistakes people make is allowing excited, squealing humans to greet their puppy. This either terrifies the puppy (making them fearful and aloof towards strangers) OR makes them extremely jumpy and wiggly when greeting people because they associate the experience with elevated excitement levels.
Neither version of that is a good look for a 100+ lb adolescent Great Dane!
Practicing calm greetings early are essential for creating dogs that can meet people and go anywhere without fear, nipping, jumping, peeing or other submissive (belly up) & excited behaviors.
CALM GREETINGS GAME TIME
Contrary to popular belief, your puppy does NOT have to meet every person and dog that comes along.
Many people do not like dogs, and some especially do not like large dogs that pull hard to come at them! It’s also true that many dogs do NOT like other dogs, so it’s important to teach your puppy how to ignore dogs instead of pulling to get to them.
One of the most important skills you can teach your puppy is that people and dogs are everywhere, and that’s all there is to it.
BONUS: this is great for socialization!
PEOPLE WATCHING
Sit on your lawn or in a park and just watch people walking by. Watch a variety of people on bikes, carrying children, walking dogs, pushing strollers, etc.
Watch, and use your ‘LOOK’ and ‘TOUCH’ commands to encourage your puppy to focus on you, not on the environment.
Note: If your puppy is fearful OR excited, move farther away from where people and dogs are and keep practicing. You’ll eventually be able to move closer, especially if you are consistently rewarding your puppy for focusing on you.
SAY HELLO TO NEW FRIENDS FROM AFAR
Have a friend stop to greet you from afar. Say hello and have a little chat, but have your friend IGNORE your puppy.
This helps teach the puppy that they will not be greeted by every person or dog who comes along.
Remember to redirect your puppy back to you with LOOK and TOUCH, and back up several feet from your friend if your puppy cannot focus on you.
Over time you’ll not only be able to move closer, but your friend will be able to greet your puppy!
CALM GREETING PRACTICE
It’s much easier to teach calm greetings with dogs that are well socialized (have calmly watched tons of people and dogs walk by) and engaged with you. Keep building that foundation.
To practice calm greetings, keep your puppy on a leash, and have your friend approach.
If your puppy tries to jump and pull, choose one of the following:
Ask for a LOOK or TOUCH, if those behaviors are very strong
Immediately do an about face. You can say ‘uh-oh’ and turn and walk AWAY.
With practice, your puppy will learn that jumping and pulling means they will NOT be allowed to greet people and dogs, and that approaching calmly is the key.
If your puppy has already been allowed to practice jumping and pulling to greet people and dogs, this behavior can be difficult to work with…especially when your puppy is 75lbs and counting!
HIRING A DOG TRAINER
We highly recommend you find a highly qualified trainer to help you if you are struggling!
When meeting strangers, do NOT be afraid to advocate for your dog! Say “I’d love to have you greet my dog, can you please help us?”
You can give them a treat to give your puppy, and tell them that you want your puppy to calmly wait while they approach. They will reward the puppy with a treat and your puppy will learn two things: calm behavior = attention from humans AND food!
Such a great lesson.
GO TO YOUR PLACE
Teaching a puppy to ‘go to a mat’ is easy to do and creates a behavior that can be taken anywhere.
You can use a yoga mat, towel, or elevated surface (KLIMB platform or Kuranda Cot) for this.
If your puppy can calmly lay on a mat and ignore distractions, you can take your puppy anywhere and they will have the mat to keep them calm and contained when needed.
Imagine how valuable this skill could be while having guests over, visiting family, sitting in the vets office or even camping!
This skill is especially helpful for excited dogs that have a hard time settling.
PLACE SKILLS GAME TIME
One of the most simple ways to create early mat skills is to integrate the mat from day one.
Put the mat or elevated surface in the room and randomly leave treats on it for your puppy to find.
This particular version is especially helpful if you want your dog puppy to have a dedicated lounging space in your home.
For creating a more portable mat situation, try this.
Place the towel or cot on the floor. Immediately reward your puppy with a “YES” and treat for investigating.
Then toss a treat AWAY from the mat. Your puppy will chase the treat and then come back. As soon as they come near the mat, sniff it or step on it, say “YES” and offer another treat.
Repeat this game until your puppy learns that coming onto the mat is VERY rewarding.
Add the ‘FREE’ and ‘MAT’ commands.
Say FREE and toss the treat away from the mat. Then when the puppy comes back, say ‘Go to your mat’ and reward the puppy for putting all four paws on the mat.
Work this skill up to the puppy actually laying on the mat. Step away just a bit then reward again.
Gradually you’ll be able to walk away from the mat and have your puppy calmly stay on it until you say FREE.
SOCIALIZATION HOLES AND GAPS
Holes in your socialization and training will become very, very clear when your puppy is around 6-9 months of age. It is around that point where fearful behavior, aggression, barking, pulling, and ignoring recall and other commands can become a real problem.
It’s extremely important to install as many positive, calm skills as possible when your puppy is young!
Even the best training will be challenged by an adolescent puppy; anticipate that at some point, your dog will attempt to defy all of these things that you’ve spent hours teaching.
It is at that point which you need to continue teaching, continue reinforcing, and continue managing behavior so that your puppy has more successes than failures.
VACCINATIONS
We do not recommend waiting until your puppy is fully vaccinated to begin socialization and training!
Training classes should begin as soon as possible. Most trainers will have puppies begin class at 10 – 12 weeks of age; they are well aware of risk and will keep a clean and sanitized facility.
If you are worried about disease, you can hire a trainer to come to your home and teach you and your puppy valuable early skills.
Puppies are so sleepy at first that many people think they have an ‘easy’ puppy.
The puppy does eventually ‘wake up’ but the bad habits and poor socialization skills have already been installed.
This problem paired with the size and power of Great Danes is a big reason that so many end up surrendered in their adolescent months.
Choose only ethical breeders with a lifetime return guarantee (no dogs in rescue, ever) and make sure that you understand the responsibility that comes with owning, and being loved by a Great Dane.
Puppyhood is a time to set your dog up for success in life, not just the next few months.
Chew toys, chew toys, and more chew toys. Your puppy is going to want to chew on EVERYTHING.
Make sure that you have an adequate supply of safe things that your pup can chew on during training. A chew toy could help your pup learn what is right and wrong in regards to chewing.
TRAINING A PUP TO GROW UP INTO A RESPONSIBLE DOG IS NOT ALWAYS EASY
Puppy training tips are everywhere, but ultimately puppy training comes down to owners being willing to dedicate time, patience, and consistency to the process.
You need to be willing to:
Set limits
Create a schedule
Stick to that schedule
Provide plenty of chew toys
Make sure your puppy has plenty of socialization opportunities
Take your pup to training classes
Remember, your puppy is counting on you to help them grow up into a well-behaved, responsible dog. Don’t let them down!
Choosing the right food for a Great Dane sometimes feels like rocket science. We get it because we’ve been there. Selecting the right food for your Great Dane is crucial for maintaining its health and well-being, so this is important! Our Great Dane Dog Food 101 post cuts through the fluff and gives you the best and most up-to-date answer.
This post covers several Great Dane food topics including:
How much dog food does a Great Dane need?
What is the best food for Great Danes?
Is Grain-free food good for dogs?
Should pet owners be feeding large breed puppies puppy food or adult food?
What does a senior dog need to be eating?
Let’s dive into the best dog food as well as get answers to other commonly asked questions.
Great Dane Dog Food Nutritional Requirements
Giant breed dogs, such as Great Danes, possess distinct nutritional needs due to their size, growth rate, and physiological characteristics. The sheer magnitude of their bodies requires careful attention to nutrient levels to support healthy bone development and prevent musculoskeletal issues.
It is well-studied, for example, that excess calcium is damaging to growing bones. Giant breeds undergo rapid growth during their puppy stage, making their nutritional requirements specific to this critical phase.
Additionally, their slower metabolism and susceptibility to health conditions necessitate controlled calorie intake and a balanced diet to avoid obesity-related complications.
Here is our shortlist of requirements. Check each one of these items to narrow down your choices!
Calcium level of 1.0 – 1.3%, ideally less than 1.2%
3.5g or less of calcium per 1000kCal
For puppies under the age of two: AAFCO Large Breed Growth Statement
Formulated for large or giant breed dogs
Grain inclusive (never feed grain-free dry kibble, more on this below)
Ideally formulated by a company with a board-certified Veterinary Nutritionist on staff, that does feeding trials and nutritional research
At Hello Danes, we researched this for you and recommend the following formulas (for your convenience). All of these meet the current science-backed recommendations:
Determining the appropriate amount of food for Great Danes requires a balanced approach, taking into account their size, age, activity level, and individual metabolism. The food you choose matters, too.
Generally, adult Great Danes may consume between 2,500 to 3,500 calories per day, but this can vary. Puppies, during their rapid growth phase, may require up to twice the amount of calories compared to adult dogs!
It’s crucial to follow feeding guidelines provided by reputable dog food brands and to monitor the dog’s weight and condition regularly.
Feeding too much to puppies can contribute to orthopedic growth disorders, and feeding too much to adults can contribute to obesity-related health problems.
Consulting with a veterinarian to tailor the diet to the dog’s specific needs and adjusting portion sizes based on age and activity level is key to maintaining optimal health and weight in Great Danes.
I’ve seen puppies eat 6-12 cups/day, while adults may eat only 3-7 cups, depending on the nutrient density of the food.
Author’s Note: The outdated practice of feeding adult food to Great Dane puppies is NOT recommended. It often results in above-average food intake, because the puppy is starved for protein and nutrients. Read more about this HERE.
Never Overfeed a Great Dane
More is not always better when it comes to feeding your dog. Overfeeding can lead to health problems like obesity and digestive issues.
Great Dane puppies that are fed too much will grow too quickly, putting them at risk for developmental orthopedic conditions such as Panosteitis, HOD, OCD, and Carpal Laxity.
In many cases, chronic loose stools can be attributed to excess intake of food! Cutting back is a healthy choice.
Accelerated Growth: Overfeeding can lead to rapid growth in puppies, contributing to musculoskeletal issues and joint problems.
Obesity: Overfeeding contributes to obesity, placing extra stress on joints and exacerbating existing health concerns.
Digestive Issues: Consuming more food than necessary can lead to digestive problems, including indigestion and diarrhea.
Reduced Lifespan: Overweight dogs are more prone to various health issues, potentially reducing their lifespan.
In adult dogs, overfeeding increases the risk of many conditions, including surgical complications. For overweight dogs that get Osteosarcoma, life-saving amputation surgery may not be an option.
Many people are tempted to feed their Great Danes too much food out of concern that they are too thin! They are rarely undernourished.
For dogs that refuse food and lose weight doing so, a medical emergency is indicated. This is not a sign to add fatty foods to the diet.
Here are some common health problems associated with excess weight in adult dogs:
Arthritis: Overfeeding can contribute to excessive weight gain, placing additional stress on the joints and increasing the likelihood of developing arthritis in dogs.
Joint Problems: Excessive weight can lead to joint issues, including hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia, affecting the dog’s mobility and comfort.
Cardiovascular Conditions: Overweight dogs are at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular problems, such as heart disease and hypertension.
Respiratory Issues: Obesity can strain the respiratory system, leading to difficulties in breathing and increased susceptibility to respiratory infections.
Reduced Immune Function: Excessive weight can compromise the immune system, making dogs more susceptible to infections and illnesses.
Liver Disease: Overfeeding may contribute to the development of liver problems, impacting the organ’s function and overall health.
Decreased Quality of Life: Dogs that are overfed and overweight may experience a reduced quality of life due to limited mobility, discomfort, and increased vulnerability to various health issues.
Can Great Danes Eat Grain-Free Food?
In recent years, concerns have been raised about a potential link between certain grain-free diets and a serious heart condition called dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). While not exclusive to Great Danes, this breed, like others, may be susceptible to DCM if their diet lacks proper nutrients.
DCM is a condition where the heart becomes enlarged and weakened, affecting its ability to pump blood efficiently.
Several studies have suggested a likely connection between grain-free or boutique diets and an increased risk of DCM. In some cases, the condition is reversed with a diet change, indicating substantial theories that diet does indeed play a huge role in heart health (just as it does in humans!).
Many holistic veterinarians and influencers promote that grain-free foods “have more meat and fewer carbs and fillers”. They also believe that removing grains from the diet can help resolve allergies, itching, and digestive issues.
This is an absolute myth. At least, the part about having “more meat and less carbs”, is. Grain-free dry diets are loaded with carbs in the form of lentils, potatoes, peas, and other legumes…not more meat as marketing has led us to believe.
In our popular Great Dane group on Facebook, several members have come forward to tell us their stories of losing (or nearly losing) their beloved Great Danes to heart disease after feeding them grain-free foods. Until we have more information, it’s just not worth the (very real) risk.
If you have a Great Dane suffering from an unhealthy gut, allergies, and itching, perhaps a trip to a veterinary dermatologist or veterinary internist is in order. They have other treatment options that will be ultimately safer and more effective.
Feeding Guidelines for Great Dane Puppies
You cannot feed a Great Dane Puppy the same way that you feed an adult dog. Great Dane puppies must have a diet with strictly controlled calcium, phosphorus, vitamin, mineral, and energy levels.
Here are some general feeding guidelines to ensure the healthy development of your Great Dane puppy:
Large or Giant Breed Puppy Food: Choose a puppy food specially formulated for large breeds. Look for options that specify “large breed” or “giant breed” on the packaging, as these diets typically address the specific nutritional requirements of growing Great Danes.
Balanced Calcium and Phosphorus: Ensure the puppy food has a balanced ratio of calcium to phosphorus, typically ranging from 1:1 to 1.2:1. This helps support proper bone development and minimizes the risk of skeletal issues.
Caloric Intake: Great Dane puppies have a high metabolism, but it’s crucial not to overfeed. Follow the feeding guidelines on the food packaging, but individualize portions based on your puppy’s age, weight, and activity level. Regularly monitor their weight and adjust portions as needed.
Meal Frequency: Feed young Great Dane puppies three to four meals per day to accommodate their fast growth and reduce the risk of bloat. As they mature, you can gradually transition to two meals per day.
Avoid Rapid Growth: While it’s essential to support growth, avoid overfeeding to prevent excessively rapid growth. This helps reduce the risk of musculoskeletal issues, including hip dysplasia.
Treats and Table Scraps: Limit treats and table scraps, as excessive treats can contribute to weight gain. Too many goodies will unbalance the diet and encourage picky eating.
Regular Veterinary Check-ups: Schedule regular check-ups with your veterinarian to monitor your Great Dane’s growth and ensure they are meeting developmental milestones. Your vet can provide guidance on adjusting the diet as needed.
Here is our list of foods that meet all recommendations for Great Dane puppies. They need to stay on an appropriate formula until age 2. This is the most current recommendation (2023-2024).
Check out THE GIANT DOG FOOD PROJECT to compare brands and values.
Supplements for Great Danes
Navigating the world of supplements for Great Danes is like walking into a Jungle! There are so many options and a lot of companies trying to get our money. The supplement industry is largely unregulated!
It’s easy for companies to bring new-fangled options to market. All they have to do is pay a factory to manufacture their products and package them with a well-designed label.
The truth is that many supplements are not proven, not researched, not carefully manufactured, and may do more harm than good.
When considering supplements for your Great Dane, stick to brands that are both veterinary recommended and/or have the NASC Seal (which is obtained by proving the safety and potency of the formula being sold).
Never give a multivitamin or multi-supplement. If your pet’s diet is properly balanced, a vitamin or mineral supplement may result in excess nutrients such as vitamin D and calcium intake. This can result in a slew of nutritional problems. More is not better!
Here are some supplements you might consider!
The Best Fish Oil for Great Danes
Great Danes are prone to many health conditions. Some include food allergies, skin issues, joint conditions, and digestion problems.
Fish oil is a great way to support large breeds regardless of the dog’s age. It can be given at any life stage, in moderation. Because fish oil is high in fats, it does add a lot of calories to the diet. Watch your pet’s body condition score and don’t let them become overweight!
Buyer beware, not all fish oils are created equal. With any product you choose, you must verify that the company is using exceptional quality control and proving its supplements in clinical and safety trials.
Nutramax Welactinis a great example of a fish oil that is carefully sourced and formulated, manufactured by a company that backs up their promises with clinical research and industry-leading quality control.
Joint Supplements for Big Dogs
There are MANY joint support options on the market, and like the others, it can be hard to choose. Save your money! Don’t even consider ones that don’t have clinical research and owned manufacturing facilities.
We use and recommend Dasaquin and Cosuquin products.
A lot of Great Dane breeders recommend giving all puppies a lot of vitamin C to “prevent knuckling”.
This practice is not backed by science. Like many home remedies, this is one that may do more harm than good.
See, here is the thing. Puppies DO need vitamin C in their diet. At one time, decades ago, pet food manufacturers didn’t know how to formulate food for giant breed puppies.
As a result of incorrect nutritional levels, big puppies were experiencing all sorts of problems with growth including Carpal Laxity and growing pains. In response, breeders tried all sorts of things!
They tried feeding adult foods to slow growth (you’ve probably heard this outdated and damaging recommendation before!) and adding vitamin C to promote healthy bones and collagen development. These remedies seemed to work, and this advice has stuck around in the giant breed community for decades now.
There is a fair amount of clinical research showing the important role that vitamin C plays in bone growth and stability!
“Overall, vitamin C exerts a positive effect on trabecular bone formation by influencing expression of bone matrix genes in osteoblasts.”
Now it’s 2023 and modern large and giant breed puppy foods have been formulated correctly to remove dietary influence on bone growth disorders. We no longer have to starve our puppies of nutrition on adult foods to slow their growth.
These new foods also contain the correct amount of vitamin C to support healthy bone and cartilage development. There is not too little, nor is there too much.
Reread the above quote about “influencing [the] expression of bone matrix genes in osteoblasts”. To put this simply, in the context of wanting to SLOW bone growth and prevent the bones from maturing too quickly, we have to consider once again that over-supplementation may be harmful.
I’d also like to point out that too many Great Dane puppies suffer from chronic loose stools. This is a side effect of excess vitamin C.
Don’t blame those loose stools on chicken or grains; look at your supplements, first.
Great Dane Feeding Chart
The numbers on the chart below can vary depending on the food you feed, your dog’s age, their overall health, and their activity level. If your pet receives a lot of additional calories in the form of treats, toppers, enrichment toys, and supplements this chart will be inaccurate.
We recommend offering puppies 3 small meals a day. Transition to 2 meals each day at around 6-8 months of age, if you wish.
This chart is just a guideline of what you can generally expect when feeding a proper diet that meets WSAVA recommendations. Follow the manufacturer’s directions and your veterinarian’s advice. Always monitor body condition, too! Fast growth and excess weight are bad for Great Danes. Err on the side of caution.
Pro Tip: if your dog has loose stools, you may be overfeeding them!
Age
Timing
Amount
Puppies under 12 weeks
3x/day
2-4 cups/day
Puppies 12-24 weeks old
3x/day
3-6 cups/day
Puppies 24 + weeks (6 months) or older
2x/day
5-10 cups/day
Puppies 12-18 months
2x/day
6-12 cups/day
Adults 18+ Months
2x/day
4-8 cups/day
These values are averages. Your pet may need more or less. Always talk to your veterinarian and use the manufacturer’s feeding chart as a guideline.
Pet Food Ingredients 101
Distinguishing between fact and fiction is crucial when making informed choices while selecting pet food. Common misconceptions can arise regarding ingredients such as by-products and grains.
A lot of misinformation about pet food is spread by profit-driven influencers and veterinarians who want to drive sales for their books, courses, and supplements.
Not to mention the millions of dollars made by pet food rating websites such as Dog Food Advisor. They earn money every time you click.
Here is some information about pet food ingredients that mirrors what board-certified veterinary nutritionists have to say on the topic!
Chicken Meal and By-Product Meal in Dog Food
Meals (such as chicken meal, beef meal, salmon meal, or chicken by-product meal) in dog food are essentially a concentrated and dehydrated form of meat, excluding moisture content.
When utilized in well-formulated pet foods, meat meals are far superior to ‘fresh meat’ or ‘raw meat’ in terms of nutritional content, protein, and balanced amino acids.
To put this simply, pet food companies that attempt to woo you with “freshly roasted meat” as the primary or only meat ingredient may be making up for the resulting nutritional deficiency in the synthetic vitamins (which are in all pet foods). Some companies have to use more added vitamins than others.
Fresh meat is 80% water and doesn’t have bone, organ, or cartilage in it; these are nutrient-dense and biologically appropriate foods for dogs, even if they don’t sound good to all humans.
Chicken By-Product meals from companies like Royal Canin are a nutritious and high-quality source of protein that is more similar to a properly formulated raw diet than anything else. If you’ve heard otherwise, you’ve been misled.
I don’t know about you, but I am SICK and tired of predatory influencers that spread misinformation in exchange for profits. Let’s move onward…
Rice & Corn
Rice and corn are commonly included in dog food for several nutritional reasons. While many influencers have disparaged these ingredients, they are desirable when feeding Great Danes!
Energy Source: Both rice and corn are excellent sources of carbohydrates, providing a readily available energy source. Carbohydrates are crucial for fueling the day-to-day activities and metabolic functions of dogs.
Digestibility: Rice, in particular, is easily digestible for dogs, making it a suitable option for those with sensitive stomachs. Corn, when processed properly, is also digestible (more digestible than beef, actually) and provides dogs with essential nutrients.
Fiber Content: These grains contain dietary fiber, which aids in promoting healthy digestion. Adequate fiber in a dog’s diet supports regular bowel movements and helps prevent constipation. It can also reduce the risk of bloat!
Nutrient Profile: Rice and corn bring a range of essential nutrients to the table, including vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. These nutrients contribute to overall health and well-being, supporting functions such as immune system maintenance and skin health.
Cost-Effective: Both rice and corn are cost-effective ingredients, which can contribute to making dog food more affordable without compromising on nutritional value. This affordability allows pet owners to provide their dogs with quality nutrition at a reasonable cost.
Alternative Protein Source: While not as high in protein as meat, rice, and corn can still contribute to the overall protein content of the diet. This can be beneficial for dogs that may have allergies to certain meat proteins or for pet owners looking to diversify protein sources.
Gluten-Free Option: Rice is naturally gluten-free, making it a suitable option for dogs with sensitivities or allergies to gluten-containing grains. This provides a grain alternative for dogs with specific dietary requirements.
It’s important to note that the quality of rice and corn in dog food depends on factors such as sourcing, processing, and overall formulation. Responsible pet food manufacturers carefully select and process these ingredients to ensure they meet the nutritional needs of dogs.
Additionally, individual dogs may have unique dietary requirements, so consulting with a veterinarian can help tailor a diet that best suits a particular dog’s health and preferences.
Panosteitis, commonly referred to as “growing pains” or “pano,” manifests as a painful and distressing condition observed in Great Dane puppies. Large and giant breed dogs grow extremely fast during puppyhood, and fast growth is associated with several disorders. Panosteitis in Great Dane puppies is a condition characterized by inflammation in the long bones of the limbs, causing intermittent lameness and discomfort.
If you have a Great Dane pup that is in pain, they may have panosteitis!
In this post, we will cover:
Symptoms of growing pains in dogs
What causes panosteitis
How to prevent growing pains in puppies
Treatments and therapies for managing panosteitis
The role of balanced diet in reducing the risk of growth disorders in large & giant breed puppies
Symptoms of Panosteitis Growing Pains in Puppies
It’s important to note that MANY growth disorders cause similar symptoms. If your puppy is sick, limping, flat-footed or buckling over, lame, lethargic, painful, or has growth plates that are warm to the touch, you must see a veterinarian immediately.
Our blog will provide you with a starting point. The symptoms of panosteitis include:
Intermittent Lameness: Puppies with panosteitis often experience shifting lameness, moving from one limb to another.
Reluctance to Bear Weight: Affected pups may show hesitancy or reluctance to put weight on the limb, leading to a noticeable limp.
Migrating Lameness: The condition may cause lameness to shift between the front and hind legs over time.
Altered Gait: Panosteitis can result in changes to the puppy’s gait, contributing to an observable limp or awkward movement.
Lethargy: Puppies with growing pains may exhibit signs of lethargy, displaying reduced energy levels and overall activity.
Reduced Physical Activity: Due to pain and discomfort, affected puppies might be less inclined to engage in normal physical activities.
Swelling: Swelling around the affected limb can be present, often accompanied by sensitivity to touch.
Varied Severity: Symptoms can vary in severity, and the duration of discomfort may differ from one puppy to another.
Veterinary Consultation: Timely consultation with a veterinarian is essential for accurate diagnosis and appropriate management of panosteitis in growing puppies.
What Causes Panosteitis in Puppies?
As with many disorders and conditions seen in Great Danes, the exact cause is still unknown. Many theories have floated around, however! It is believed that there are dietary, environmental, and genetic components.
Some puppies will suffer from panosteitis even if you do “everything right”.
If your puppy is from a breeder, they must be aware so that they can address the issue from the ground up. Ideally, they should not be seeing this condition regularly pop up in their litters; if they do, that’s a sign that something is not right.
Genetic Predisposition: Great Danes, a large and giant breed, may have a genetic predisposition to panosteitis.
Rapid Growth: The fast growth phase during puppyhood, characteristic of large breeds, is thought to contribute to the development of panosteitis. Never accelerate growth with fatty foods and nutritional supplements!
Nutritional Factors: Imbalances or inadequacies in diet, especially regarding calcium and phosphorus levels, are believed to play a role in panosteitis.
Hormonal Influences: Hormonal fluctuations during the growth phase may contribute to the inflammation observed in panosteitis.
Immune System Response: Some theories suggest that panosteitis may result from an immune system response, although the exact mechanisms are not fully understood.
Environmental Factors: Certain environmental factors or stressors may exacerbate the development of panosteitis in susceptible Great Dane puppies. Hard, slick floors are an example of an environmental factor.
Viral or Bacterial Infections: While less common, infections have been considered potential triggers for panosteitis in some cases.
Exercise Intensity: Excessive or intense exercise, especially in rapidly growing puppies, is believed to be a contributing factor.
Hormonal Changes: Fluctuations in hormonal levels during the growth phase may contribute to the development of panosteitis in Great Dane puppies.
For most dogs, growing pains are likely a complex interaction of multiple factors.
What Age Do Dogs Get Panosteitis?
Growing giant breed dogs are not considered mature until age 2 (or after the growth plates have closed). This means that panosteitis can be diagnosed at nearly any time before that! It is most often seen between 4 and 18 months of age.
Male dogs are affected more often than female dogs, presumably because they tend to be larger.
However, panosteitis can occur in the long bones of a dog of any age.
How is Panosteitis Diagnosed?
A veterinarian may want to do x-rays, in particular, to rule out more serious bone growth disorders that may present in a similar fashion (retained cartilage cores or HOD, for example).
The veterinarian will feel the bones of your puppy and look for a pain response.
A radiograph of the affected bones may then show increased bone density, which can help to verify the diagnosis of Panosteitis.
X-rays may require that your puppy be sedated. Work with a veterinarian that you trust! This necessary step can ensure that your pup can have the radiographs taken without excessive use of handling (which can be painful and stressful to a puppy suffering from growing pains).
The good news is that Pano (Panosteitis) is generally mild and self-limiting. Most dogs outgrow the condition and suffer no long-term effects.
This does NOT mean that you shouldn’t seek diagnosis and treatment!
Panosteitis can be very painful for the puppy. Your veterinarian can prescribe anti-inflammatories and medications to help treat the condition. Changes to your pup’s diet and exercise routine may also be prescribed (more on this below).
How Long Do Puppy Growing Pains Last?
Pano typically impacts the affected leg /affected bone of one or more limbs for a few days to a few weeks. It will often then switch to a different limb.
This can go on for several months, especially if left untreated!
The good news is that panosteitis is not a degenerative condition; unlike other puppy growth disorders, it does not cause long-term damage to the bones.
The Role of Diet in Healthy Large Puppy Growth
Nutrition plays a pivotal role in the development of healthy bones, joints, and overall skeletal structure, particularly in breeds like Great Danes, known for their substantial size and explosive growth.
Feeding a nutrient-dense, calorie-dense food with high calcium levels is devastating to them. This is a common problem seen in boutique food brands designed for regular (not large/giant breed) puppies. Do not fall prey to marketing!
Instead, choose a large or giant breed puppy food that was designed to support slow, even growth.
Large-breed puppy formulas are designed to maintain the delicate equilibrium between essential nutrients, such as calcium and phosphorus, ensuring that the skeletal system develops at a controlled rate.
Overnutrition, especially in terms of excessive caloric intake or improper ratios of key nutrients, can lead to a spectrum of issues, including skeletal abnormalities and conditions like panosteitis.
The food you choose for your Great Dane puppy is of fundamental importance. The only foods we recommend feeding (especially for puppies suffering from Panosteitis) are listed below:
Check out THE GIANT DOG FOOD PROJECT to compare brands and values.
What Dogs Get Panosteitis?
While growing pains can affect all dogs, this particular disorder disproportionally affects large and giant breed puppies.
Big dogs grow incredibly fast and the bones, muscles, and tendons need to be coordinated during this time. The dogs listed below are most susceptible to panosteitis:
German Shepherds
Labrador Retrievers
Basset Hounds
Great Danes
Doberman Pinschers
How Long Do Panosteitis Episodes Last?
The duration of panosteitis episodes in dogs, including Great Danes, can vary widely and is influenced by several factors.
Generally, each episode may last anywhere from a few days to several weeks.
The intermittent nature of panosteitis, characterized by shifting lameness and periods of relative comfort, adds to the variability in episode duration. Some puppies may experience shorter and milder episodes, while others may endure more prolonged and pronounced discomfort.
The age of onset also plays a role, with panosteitis typically affecting puppies between the ages of 5 to 18 months during their rapid growth phase. As the affected dog matures, the frequency and intensity of episodes often diminish.
However, individual responses to treatment, environmental factors, and the overall health of the dog can influence the length and severity of panosteitis episodes. Veterinarians play a crucial role in managing the condition, offering tailored treatment plans and guidance to alleviate symptoms and ensure the well-being of the growing canine companion.
How Can I Treat My Puppy’s Growing Pains?
If you are seeing clinical signs of Pano, a veterinary visit is recommended.
We highly recommend switching to a large or giant breed puppy food that meets WSAVA guidelines and making changes to your routine to eliminate environmental factors such as hard floors.
Do not feed supplements or toppers of any kind to your pano puppy.
Additionally, the following things can help:
Pain Medication and Anti-inflammatories as prescribed by your Veterinarian.
Use runners, yoga mats, and rugs on your floor as your dog’s activity on slippery surfaces can cause more pain.
Keep puppy nails short.
Regular short, gentle walks on soft varied terrain such as grass, sand, and gravel will help to keep muscles toned without stressing the bones. Use a long leash and avoid restrictive no-pull harnesses.
Apply a warm compress to the affected area, such as this one from Amazon. Follow the directions for safety, please!
Feed a balanced, science-based, and tested large or giant breed puppy food (read more HERE)
Do not overfeed or encourage your puppy to eat a lot.
Acupuncture, laser therapy, and CBD can help with pain relief in long bones and soft tissue lining. Talk to your veterinarian for a referral!
Repeat x-rays if necessary to rule out hip dysplasia and other growth disorders.
It may also be helpful to choose a proper orthopedic dog bed. We recommend a Big Barker bed.
How to Slow Growth to Prevent Panosteitis in Puppies
Do not overfeed your puppy and let him/her become heavy and overweight.
Many people are concerned that their puppies are too thin or not eating enough. However, one of the worst things they can do is to start adding tasty treats, toppers, and fatty foods to the bowl!
Great Dane puppies benefit from receiving a well-formulated, simple diet with the correct balance of calcium, phosphorus, and energy. Adding enticements only messes up this balance, leading to growth disorders and more.
It is normal and desirable for Dane puppies to be lean and lanky during their explosive growth stages. Heavy, bulky puppies that are encouraged to grow quickly are more likely to suffer from growth disorders.
Never feed a multivitamin supplement, no matter how much your breeder wants you to believe it’s necessary. Remember, breeders are not nutritionists! Talk to a board-certified veterinary nutritionist if you want a science-backed answer.
Don’t be tempted to choose low-protein adult food as a means to slow growth; this outdated practice is not recommended.
Welcome to the world of owning a Great Dane Puppy! Now you have to figure out what to feed it. Choosing the right Great Dane puppy food can be difficult and confusing. There is a lot of conflicting, misleading, and even dangerous information out there. We get it, because we’ve totally been there!
Great Dane puppies grow extremely fast and unfortunately, the wrong dog food can be devastating for their health. Giant breed dogs are susceptible to a number of nutrition-related imbalances and orthopedic growth disorders.
Many of these conditions are preventable with the right diet. Choosing the best puppy food for your Great Dane is key, and the right kibble may not be what you think!
If you have a new Great Dane puppy and are confused about what to feed it, you’ve found the most scientific, up-to-date article! We are driven by current research and science, not outdated advice or clickbait.
In this post you will find:
A list of the best foods to feed a Great Dane puppy (2023 update!)
Health problems caused by incorrect nutrition in puppyhood
How to choose food for a Great Dane puppy
Best practices for feeding Great Dane puppies
Supplements and health information
Read on, Great Dane friends!
2023 Best Foods for Great Dane Puppies
Before we dig into the WHY, please check out this list of foods that are the best and most well-researched options. You don’t need to flip endless bags to find the right one; choose from the list below and you WILL be making a solid choice.
We know you are busy chasing that cute puppy around, so if you want the simple, already researched-for-you answer, here it is. Easy-peasy!
The foods on the list below meet the following science-backed recommendations:
1.2% or less calcium
3.5g or less calcium per 1000kcal
Formulated by a board-certified Veterinary Nutritionist who is on staff for the company (not a consultant)
Grain-inclusive
Contains Meat Meal as a top ingredient (reduces bloat risk)
Has the AAFCO Large Breed Growth Statement
Formulated correctly for the growth of large AND giant breed puppies (not “adult maintenance” diets)
Check out THE GIANT DOG FOOD PROJECT to compare brands and values.
Great Dane Puppy Growth Disorders Caused by Wrong Food
If you are new to Great Danes, you may not be aware of how they are different than other dogs. They experience explosivegrowth from birth to 8 months of age, and then continue to grow and fill out until they are nearly 3 years old.
Imagine going from 1 pound to 100 pounds in just 8 months!
The wrong kibble formulation and unbalanced, untested foods from boutique companies or home cooking can cause:
Increased risk of adult arthritis, wobblers, osteosarcoma, and orthopedic problems
There is a lot of confusion and misinformation out there about what to feed a Great Dane Puppy.
Today we are using science and modern knowledge to clear it up, once and for all!
If you are looking for dog food for an older or adult Great Dane (18+ months), read HERE.
Great Dane Puppy Food – What You Need to Know
We are going to cover some important need-to-know topics below. You may notice that we are going to dispel a LOT of myths about what to feed Dane puppies, too!
Here are some common nutrition myths in the world of Danes. If you hear these, you are hearing information from people that are stuck in 1993.
“Never feed puppy food!”
“Great Dane puppies should only eat adult food!”
“The protein level must be very low! Never feed a food with protein above 24%”
“Add calcium to the diet so their bones can grow.”
All of those statements are outdated and misleading! Let’s dig into this!
Should I feed puppy food or adult food to my Great Dane?
This is the biggest and most important question you can ask yourself as a Great Dane Owner! Should Great Dane puppies eat adult food?
Absolutely not! Get that idea out of your head right now.
Story time!
20 years ago we didn’t have an understanding about what causes growth disorders in large and giant breed puppies. Anecdotally, breeders found that if they fed adult food to their puppies, they experienced fewer growth problems.
At one time, this concept did have merit. The problem here is that it’s now 2023 and we have much, much better choices.
Adult food works to minimize growth disorders by literally starving the puppy of the nutrition that it needs to grow.
Seriously. I don’t know about you, but I am not ok with that. We see a LOT of 8-18 month old Great Danes that have no muscle tone and are hopelessly lanky and skinny. This is why! They are being fed adult food and don’t receive enough nutrients to support their muscle, tendon, and brain development.
Guess what?
Through feeding trials and data research, dry dog food formulas have been modified and updated. Many large and giant breed PUPPY foods are now considered ideal for giant breed puppy dogs.
A science-backed, properly formulated large-breed or giant-breed puppy food will have been designed, tested, and proven to encourage slow growth and healthy bone development. Veterinarians and veterinary nutritionists will repeat this.
Great Dane puppies should be on a well-researched large or giant breed puppy formula until 18-24 months. Intake and body condition should be monitored. You should never, ever feed traditional puppy foods that are not made for large breed dogs! This is of key importance.
Here is our list of appropriate foods to feed a Great Dane Puppy (more on why, below!):
Check out THE GIANT DOG FOOD PROJECT to compare brands and values.
Calcium & Phosphorus Ratios in Great Dane Puppy Food
In addition to being an appropriate grain-inclusive large or giant breed growth formula, the ratio of calcium to phosphorus is a key consideration when choosing food for your puppy.
Calcium must be at or below 1.3% (1.2% is even better) and the Phosphorus should be CLOSE behind it.
NOTE: However, even foods with correct calcium and phosphorus ratios may not be appropriate!
There is a lot more to nutrition than just that. Amino acids, the source of those nutrients (meat vs. peas or legumes), and ultimate bioavailability and formulation of the finished product are incredibly important. It is also believed that vitamin D and zinc levels contribute, which is why it is difficult to compare foods in an informed manner. Two foods may appear to be very similar based on the limited information the label provides, however, they likely are not.
A typical CA/PH analysis might look like this below, or similar. Do not feed food brands that don’t have this information easily accessible on the label!
Calcium 1.2% Phosphorus 1.0%
Look specifically for the AAFCO large breed growth statement on the bag of food. This is a requirement to find in addition to seeing the calcium levels at or below 1.2%!
The AAFCO large breed growth statement will contain something that looks like this:
“including growth of large-size dogs (70 pounds or more as an adult)“
If it says “excluding growth of large-size dogs”, do NOT feed it. If it does not have a statement about the growth of large-size dogs, don’t feed that either.
What is the Best Protein Level for Great Dane puppy food?
Many people believe that protein is the most important thing to look at. This is fairly dated information, based again on old observations. Some people believe you should keep protein levels less than 24%.
Many Great Danes are being starved of protein in the name of this. Protein provides amino acids that are necessary for health. Protein must come primarily from a meat source. Meat meals and meat by-product meals are ideal, as they offer a concentrated source of amino acids and protein!
Food brands that use ‘fresh deboned meat’ and no meat meals will be deficient and likely heavy in starches; don’t fall for marketing that is designed to appeal to your tastes. Foods that are extremely heavy in peas, lentils, garbanzo beans, potatoes, or derivatives of them are not safe to feed.
Meat meals (or by-product meals) contain biologically appropriate meat tissue, bone, cartilage, and organ. These ingredients have also been shown to reduce the risk of bloat by 53%!
Some of the best foods will have protein levels up to 32%! Royal Canin Giant Breed Puppy, for example, which has been scientifically proven for growth.
Here are other considerations:
Meat and/or ideally meat meals must be in the first 4 ingredients (may reduce the risk of bloat)
The food you choose for your Dane puppy should have an AAFCO statement on the bag with only small variations to the following statement.
This statement should indicate that the food is formulated for the growth of large-sized dogs AND that food trials were used to prove that the formulation is correct for growth:
Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that [THIS FORMULA] provides complete and balanced nutrition for all life stages, including growth of large sized dogs (70 lb. or more as an adult).
***Note: In dog food, ‘Large Sized Dogs’ is a simplified term that INCLUDES giant breeds.
If the nutrition statement says “formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles”, it means that the food wasn’t substantiated in food trials. It was only seen to meet certain minimums on paper.
It’s important to understand that MANY food companies can use a computer program to spit out recipes, send it to their marketing department to make adjustments that appeal to you (ingredient splitting), and have it signed off by a consulting company that it meets AAFCO minimums.
Use your best judgment here. Ask questions and look past the marketing.
Best Food Brands for Great Danes
The following food brands are recommended for these reasons:
They meet the highest standards for analysis, formulation, testing, science, nutrition, and ethics
Formulated by on-staff board-certified veterinary nutritionists
They use biologically correct ingredients such as meat by-product meals
Subjected to millions of dollars in research, testing and feeding trials
Balanced protein, fat, calcium and phosphorus ratios
Proven
Science-based, not marketing-based
All of the items below are links to this product on Chewy. We recommend placing your choice on autoship!
Large Breed Puppy foods from these brands are ideal for Great Dane Puppies:
Check out THE GIANT DOG FOOD PROJECT to compare brands and values.
This list is not exhaustive, and it is up to you to do your own research. It is important to note that the Great Dane community is full of anecdotal stories and dated advice.
Our blog is focused on science and we update it often with the most current recommendations.
We no longer recommend brands that do not meet WSAVA guidelines. See our FAQ for more information.
Signs that your Great Dane puppy food may not be the right choice:
You’ve chosen a food from a boutique ‘feel good’ company that doesn’t employ a board-certified Veterinary Nutritionist (DACVN) to formulate and test the food
We do not recommend Life’s Abundance or similar foods or supplements (including NuVet) where breeders receive commissions (‘kickbacks’) when you purchase from them.
These foods are not formulated by boarded, professional Veterinary Nutritionists. The high pricing is reflective of the commission scheme underneath the brand, not of the actual quality.
Here is our list of dog foods and supplements we would never feed for any reason. These brands made this list because of extra-shady marketing tactics, having a bad reputation among the veterinary and veterinary nutritionist community, having high rates of harm caused by unbalanced nutrition, extreme ingredient splitting, and/or because they are MLM.
Orijen
Acana
Gentle Giants
Life’s Abundance
Paw Tree
NuVet
Most grain-free kibbles, especially 4Health, Acana/Orijen, Zignature, Fromm, etc.
When should my Great Dane puppy switch to adult food?
As long as you are feeding one of our recommended formulas, you should follow the manufacturers recommendation.
Pro Plan, for example, has foods that encourage you to feed them until 18-24 months. Royal Canin does as well.
We believe that Great Dane puppies should have puppy food until 18-24 months.
Puppy Food Q&A
What are WSAVA Guidelines?
The WSAVA is a non-profit, worldwide organization dedicated to supporting veterinarians, health, science, and nutrition. Any food brand can sponsor these important efforts, however, most boutique brands do not.
The WSAVA has released a set of common-sense guidelines to consider when choosing food for your dog. These guidelines are simply a set of recommendations. There is no such thing as ‘WSAVA Approved’, and the WSAVA does not make ‘kickbacks’ or money from food brands.
Some science-backed food companies (including Royal Canin and Purina) make ‘Giant Breed’ specific formulas, and those are fantastic!
The Royal Canin Giant Breed line is perfect.
However, many ‘giant breed’ formulas have been phased out or are hard to find.
Large Breed foods from Purina, Hills, Science Diet and Royal Canin are formulated and tested for dogs over 70+lbs, and this includes our giant breed dogs.
Therefore, both giant and large breed formulas are ideal and can be correct for Great Danes!
Meat Meal and Meat By-Products? YUCK, right!?
Many people see ‘Meat Meal’ or ‘Meat By Product Meal’ on the ingredients list and immediately believe that it must mean the food is full of cheap protein and junk.
Meal and Meat By-Product Meals are a concentrated form of whole-prey meat, not junk as you may have been led to believe.
Dogs don’t eat nicely cut and trimmed steak and chicken filets like us humans do.
They eat the WHOLE animal! Bone, organs, muscle, tendons and more. There is absolutely nothing wrong with meat meals and meat by product meals.
“By Product” simply means that the food is a rendering left over from some other process. Us humans don’t eat a lot of organ meat. Therefore, organ is ‘by product’.
Dogs NEED organ, bone and other ‘yucky’ things in their diet.
Whole prey model raw diets rely heavily on bone, organ and other tissues.
It’s not junk, it’s necessary nutrition.
What are Boutique Food Brands?
A boutique food brand is a dog food from a company that:
-Does not employ a board-certified Veterinary Nutritionist (DACVN) to formulate and test foods -Does not regularly utilize ongoing AAFCO food trials to test and substantiate their formulas -Does not participate in or contribute to veterinary-level research and nutrition science -Does not support ongoing veterinary health efforts (WSAVA, for example)
Boutique food brands often:
-Use marketing to make you ‘feel good’ about the food
-Rely on generic, unregulated terms such as ‘holistic’, ‘farm fresh’, ‘family-owned’ and ‘human grade’ to guide you so that you look past deficiencies in their scientific practices
-Will intentionally misrepresent science-backed and heavily-researched foods as ‘trash’, ‘garbage’, ‘fast food’ or ‘horrible’ so that you feel emotional or worried about food and buy their brand instead
I don’t see a popular food recommended here, why not?
Popular foods seen in the Great Dane community include Victor, 4Health, Diamond Naturals, Costco, Fromm, Zignature, Nulo, Nutro, Solid Gold, Orijen, Acana, The Farmer’s Dog, Honest Kitchen, Canine Caviar, Liberty, and Holistic Select (among others).
These are all ’boutique’ foods. We will not recommend them.
They do not employ DACVN Board-Certified veterinary nutritionists to formulate their foods. They do not participate in well-run nutrition research and food trials for their brand or for the greater good of dogs.
For example, Fromm foods are formulated by a chemical engineer. Victor foods are formulated by a guy with an online certificate in dairy cattle feeding.
Contrary to popular belief, boutique food brands are not inherently ‘higher-quality’.
Many dogs that suffer from nutritional DCM have healthy coats and good stools! They die suddenly, often without warning because their heart enlarges and eventually gives out.
It is believed that a majority of nutritional DCM cases go undiagnosed, because of this.
We recommend sticking with science at this time and feeding only the highest quality, heavily researched diets that were substantiated in actual feeding trials, not just looked over by a ‘nutritionist’ on paper.
Don’t vets get a kickback on food?
Many people believe that the only reason their veterinarian recommends Purina, Hill’s or Royal Canin is because their vet is receiving kickbacks and took all of their nutrition education from those companies.
Considering that those companies are the ones spearheading and funding most, if not all of our existing canine nutrition research, those are the companies that should be educating veterinarians!
Veterinarians that sell foods in their lobby mostly offer the prescription formulas to pets who need them and yes, they do receive a nominal amount of money for this, which covers the costs associated with stocking the food.
Keep in mind that the pet store who is trying to sell you the pricier boutique food brand with the higher margin is ALSO receiving a ‘kickback’ to promote the foods they sell. As a matter of fact, these kickbacks can be both high-pressure and HUGE. Influencers, bloggers (yes, even us here at Hello Danes), and brand reps all make money selling food brands to you.
No matter what food you buy, somebody somewhere stands to make money on the deal. Veterinarians are approached by ’boutique’ food brands OFTEN and absolutely could sell those options in their lobbies.
But they don’t, because veterinarians believe in science and research. Not marketing and woo.
My trainer/breeder/nutritionist recommended something else
Your trainer and breeder are not nutritionists. They are subject to the same marketing as you, which was created to make you feel nervous and guilty about choosing food for your dog. Follow the money here!
‘Nutritionist’ is an unregulated term. Anybody can take an online course and obtain that as a ‘title’. There are many ‘nutritionists’ out there, many of whom charge money for their services.
The only legitimate nutritionists are veterinarians who have obtained additional credentials, study, degrees, and board certifications in the field of animal nutrition. Read more about DACVN at https://acvn.org/
We recommend supplementing a healthy, well-formulated science-backed kibble with up to 10% raw or fresh foods. Purina One or Pro Plan Canned, balanced raw, Olewo Carrots, fresh fruits and vegetables, or Dr. Harvey’s are some of our favorites.
What about raw feeding?
Raw feeding can be done right!
We recommend working with a board-certified Veterinary Nutritionist and learning a lot about raw feeding before getting started. www.perfectlyrawsome.com is a great resource.
Formulating your own raw dog food at home is rewarding, but you have to do it correctly. There are many misconceptions and myths about raw feeding and the truth is that most owners are not educated or equipped enough to do it correctly. Each meal must be perfectly balanced, and care must be taken to ensure food safety.
We do not recommend raw-feeding giant breed puppies during their extreme growth phase (birth to 9 months) without professional veterinary nutritionist support. https://acvn.org/
What about home-cooked diets?
Meat, veggies, and rice is NOT a balanced diet and may be extremely dangerous, despite the fact that it makes you feel like you are doing something ‘healthy’ for your pet.
If you do make a home-cooked stew, use it as a topper for an already balanced, science-backed commercial food.
Crate training is not cruel, and we believe that you should crate train your Great Dane puppy! Many dogs find their crate to be a safe place to relax! They make potty training easier and give your puppy an ‘off switch’ for those times when both you and your puppy really just need a break.
This article is all about how to crate train a puppy without crying. We’ve included information on what crates to buy and how to make sure that the process is stress-free and effective!
In this post you’ll find:
How to make the crate a safe space for your new puppy
How to keep your puppy from crying in the crate
Why crate training is important
The best crates for Great Danes
Why You Should Crate Train a Great Dane Puppy
When you crate train your Great Dane puppy, you also make things much easier on them should they ever visit a veterinarian (we certainly hope you’ll be seeing a vet!), the groomer, or have to be transported.
Crate trained dogs have a safe space to go that is all theirs. This is fantastic for times when you don’t want your puppy underfoot or getting around your guests!
It’s important to note that over use of dog crates can be hard on their growth and can lead to rear-end weakness and developmental problems. Puppies should never be crated longer than they can realistically be expected to hold their bladder (1 hour for every month of life is a good rule of thumb), and never longer than 8 hours in a day (especially if under 7-8 months of age and/or crated overnight).
If you are raising a puppy while working long hours away from home, it will be best to pay somebody to check on your puppy often. An x-pen is a good alternative to crating for very young Great Dane puppies.
It is best to start small when choosing a Great Dane sized crate. Your puppy needs to be able to comfortably stand up and turn around in the crate, however if the crate is too large it increases the likelihood that they will pee or poop in there.
Many crates come with dividers for this purpose. As your pup outgrows the divider, you remove it.
You can always shop marketplace or ask friends if you can borrow a crate for a short time, if you prefer to just use a small crate! Fair warning though, Great Dane puppies grow FAST and adult sized crates are huge.
By 6-9 months your puppy will be ready for the big-daddy of all crates; the Midwest Homes or Frisco 54″ giant breed crate. This crate is HUGE. You’ve been warned.
8-12 week old Great Dane puppies are exceptionally immature, need to pee a lot, and are learning rapidly about the world. Be patient, it will pay off!
The Best Dog Crate Setup for Puppies
At first the crate should be in a cozy location with no drafts or excess heat. It’s best if you can sleep next to the crate for at least the first few nights. It can always be moved to a different location once the puppy is sleeping well at night.
Provide the puppy with a proper orthopedic crate mat that has a nice sturdy cover and is washable. We recommend this one for the puppy crate then move up to a Big Barker bed when your puppy is older.
Sleep and puppies don’t mix. Kind of like sleep and human babies! Establishing a solid routine and sleeping through the night comes with bladder control and emotional maturity.
How to Introduce the Crate to your Great Dane Puppy
An ethical breeder will likely have already introduced your puppy to a crate!
Give your puppy a few high value treats. Scatter some on the floor around the crate and make this experience fun and positive. We love Dr. Harvey’s single ingredient treats.
When your puppy is engaged with you, toss a few treats inside of the crate and say ‘CRATE’. Then say ‘FREE’ and toss some treats outside of the crate.
Make a super fun game of going into the crate (CRATE) and out of the crate (FREE). Most puppies pick this game up very quickly and enjoy playing it.
Randomly leave treats inside of the crate for your puppy to find in there.
Feed Your Puppy in the Crate
From the very first meal, feed your puppy inside of the crate!
Yes your puppy will likely make a mess (hence our recommendation for an inexpensive, washable orthopedic bed to start) and that is ok.
Depending on how comfortable your pup seems with going into the crate, it’s very likely that you’ll be able to shut the door during a meal time. Be calm and return when your puppy is finished.
Give lots of praise, open the door and say ‘FREE!’ then toss some treats outside of the crate.
HINT: Every time you release your puppy from the crate, take her out to potty!
Have Your Puppy Nap in the Crate
Contrary to popular belief, you will NOT ruin your puppy if you allow snuggles at nap time. Enjoy this time! We also know that Great Dane puppies sleep a LOT and you cannot always let them lay on you.
When puppy is ready for a nap (they need much more sleep than you think! Do not let your puppy become overtired and inconsolable), make sure they have had a potty break, then toss treats into the crate and say ‘CRATE!’.
Before you shut the door, give the puppy something appropriate to chew on; you can smear a small amount of safe (no xylitol) peanut butter inside of a Kong and freeze it.
Cover the crate and let your puppy rest.
Some puppies will be calm and comfortable in the crate, others may begin to fuss.
Some fussing is ok, but we discourage the practice of allowing this to escalate to inconsolable and panicked crying, pawing and barking. That kind of behavior inside of a crate breeds anxiety and stress. This is incorrect and the puppy should not be practicing that state of mind.
Unwavering ‘cry it out’ methods can lead to puppies that escape their crate and suffer from separation anxiety in the future, so be thoughtful here.
Many times puppies are crying in their crates because they are scared, lonely, cold, or have to pee.
To avoid creating a behavior chain where puppy learns that crying is how you’ll let them out, reassure your puppy so they know you are there. Wait for calm behavior, then reward the calm behavior by opening the door. They will learn with a few repetitions that crying is not how they get out, but being calm is.
Be boring, take the puppy out to pee, then try again. Repetition and consistency is key here. As above, it’s ok to ignore easy fussing and whining. Do not however let it escalate to panic.
How to Make Crate Training Fun for Puppies
Keep the door to the crate open during the day.
Make sure to routinely hide a goodie in the crate for the puppy to find.
Play with the puppy near the crate and continue to practice the ‘CRATE/FREE’ game. However, now when you say CRATE you’ll close the door for a moment, then open it and say FREE.
Gradually add time to the CRATE part of the game so that your puppy learns and is practicing calm awake behavior in the crate. Work up to 30 seconds, a minute, then several minutes.
If you do this correctly, your puppy will very quickly learn how to be calm in the crate while awake through the consistent practice of doing exactly that. Before you know it you’ll be able to put your wound up and awake puppy inside of the crate.
Because they have been taught to associate the crate with calm behavior and not crying or stress, they will immediately settle and eventually fall asleep. This is the goal here.
How to Crate Train Your Puppy at Night
The first few nights you may need to sleep on the floor with your puppy. You can reassure your puppy with your hand.
Be patient! Multiple potty breaks are normal but will quickly become a thing of the past.
The more mature your puppy becomes, the longer they can hold their pee, and the more confident and secure they are in the crate the easier this will become! Done properly, crate training shouldn’t take long at all, and you’ll love having it as an option for your dog to ‘turn off’ when needed.
Crate Training Troubleshooting
MY PUPPY IS SCARED OF THE CRATE
If your puppy is terrified of the crate, consider using an x-pen temporarily while you work on crate skills. Keep a crate inside of the x-pen and hide treats inside of it.
Make sure the crate itself is not in a cold or drafty area, and make sure it’s not situated in a location where a buzzing sound or some other irritant may be present.
Many people have success with the addition of Adaptil plugins which mimic the pheromones put out by the nursing mother dog.
You can also try cozy soft blankets and the Snuggle Puppy, a warm stuffed toy with a heat pack and a heartbeat.
MY PUPPY PEES AND POOPS IN THE CRATE
This can be a common problem with puppies from puppy mills or breeders that didn’t keep the whelping place clean and teach puppies early potty skills, but it can happen to any puppy. By nature, puppies should NOT want to soil their crate.
If this is happening, it may be that the crate is too big. Make the crate smaller with a divider or by choosing a smaller crate.
This can also be a sign of distress. As above, practicing anxious behavior is not appropriate crate training. Back up several steps and focus on associating the crate with calm behavior.
Make sure to thoroughly clean bedding, and make sure that the puppy has had adequete opportunity to eliminate outdoors. It’s entirely possible that your puppy really just needed to pee or poop and had no other choice!
Diet changes, stress and too many rich training treats can muck up gut health and cause gastrointestinal problems.
The last thing to check is medical problems. Puppies that have a UTI, kidney problems, or issues with their gut health will struggle to keep their crate clean. Chat with your veterinarian.
I HAVE TO BE AWAY FROM HOME ALL DAY
Puppies really do require that a human is home to guide, teach, feed, play with, and let them out. If you must be gone this much, hire a dog walker to let your puppy out or consider letting your puppy hang out with a friend during the day.
There is no answer where we say ‘oh bummer. Just put the puppy in a crate for 8 hours, he’ll be fine‘. That’s never going to be an appropriate or easy solution for this. Older puppies can be left longer, but expect to need help until the puppy is at least 5 months of age.
I’VE TRIED ALL OF THIS AND MY PUPPY STILL CRIES
Your puppy could probably benefit from additional confidence building and time learning how to be independent. Timid puppies are especially prone to developing separation anxiety, so be patient here.
Reward mature, calm behavior by giving your puppy a high value chew (antler, bull stick, stuffed Kong) with supervision, but while you aren’t focused on the puppy.sf
Do several short basic obedience with positive reinforcement training sessions each day. 1-2 minutes at a time on early basics such as sit, down and leave it.
I’M FRUSTRATED! HOW CAN I STOP MY PUPPY FROM CRYING?
It’s likely your puppy IS going to cry or fuss at first while learning. Even I have been known to shout ‘HEY. Knock it OFF’ to a puppy that I know is totally fine in there and hoping I’ll let him out.
This does NOT mean put a bark collar on your puppy, hit your puppy, shake pennies, or spray water at it.
Those things are the fast track to teaching the puppy to associate the crate with being trapped and punished, and with that you greatly risk creating an agitated and confused dog that cannot be safely crated or left home alone. Great Danes are too prone to separation anxiety to take a chance like this on punitive training methods.
Be patient, be consistent, and think about what the end goal is.
If you are frustrated, remember the ‘don’t shake a baby‘ campaigns from the 90’s? (Talk about a throwback!). Anyways, WALK AWAY.
Ask a friend for help. Let your puppy out, go for a boring potty break and try again.
If you are still having trouble or have a particularly timid puppy, seek out the help of a highly qualified professional dog trainer. Let your breeder know that you are having trouble crate training as well!
If your puppy is from a rescue situation, additional time, confidence building, help with medical issues and patience may be needed.
Great Dane breed characteristics. Here it is. The no holds barred, honest-to-goodness truth about Great Danes!
What is it like to live with a Great Dane? What is a Great Dane like? Are Great Danes aggressive? How much do they really eat? Can you tell me about the POOP? It’s a lot, right?
GREAT DANE BREED CHARACTERISTICS
From energetic to lazy, drooly to lap dogs, Great Dane’s characteristics can vary so greatly. The important things you need to know about a Great Dane are its energy levels, size, temperament, trainability, and all about food/poop.
Let’s dive in!
GREAT DANE ENERGY
Great Danes are not active in the way that many working, herding or terrier breeds are. However, that doesn’t mean that they are happy to lounge and do nothing 7 days a week!
They are giant dogs that still require exercise and mental enrichment. Lacking an appropriate outlet for their energy, they can quickly destroy a couch and drive you nuts with bouncing, whining, jumping and escaping.
Trick training, basic obedience training, scent work, free play/exploration, and dog sports are great ways to make sure a Great Dane is living the best life possible.
GREAT DANE SIZE
It’s no secret that Great Danes are HUGE dogs! Those of us who live with them are so used to their size that we forget how ridiculous it must look to ‘outsiders’.
Great Danes can be anywhere from 100-200lbs. If you measure from the floor to their shoulder, they will be anywhere from 30-38″ in height.
This does make them large and powerful dogs, however they can be incredibly gentle and fit into some surprisingly small spaces (including RV’s and yes, your LAP!).
It is extremely important that they be kept lean and fit; when a Great Dane is allowed to become heavy, or is bred incorrectly to be ‘oversized’ or ‘exaggerated’, it is extremely hard on their joints and overall health.
GREAT DANE TEMPERAMENT
A well-tempered Great Dane is an absolute joy.
They are playful and can be very silly.
It seems as though they understand English and many of them love to ‘talk’ back in full sentences.
As a general rule Great Danes are friendly, loving and should be courageous, steadfast and gentle.
Most are exceptionally wonderful with children and are fine being around other dogs.
They do require training to become the best dog they can be.
As with any dog: bored, neglected, untrained, under-socialized, unhealthy (painful or having another disorder), and/or poorly bred Great Danes may have faults in their temperament.
We highly recommend consulting with a veterinarian and highly qualified behaviorist if your Great Dane is exhibiting extreme fear or any kind of aggression. Great Danes may be protective, but they should never be nippy, or dangerous.
GREAT DANE TRAINABILITY
Great Danes are very trainable and many absolutely love to work for food.
A well socialized and properly bred Great Dane will be easy to train, but this doesn’t negate the need for consistency, boundaries and lots of teaching.
An untrained, under-socialized Great Dane can be pushy, rude, jumpy, and may steal food, bark too much, run out of doors and pull on a leash.
It is important to start early and work on the basics often! We recommend thoroughly teaching leash skills, come, sit, down, stand, stay, leave it, drop it, off, wait, shhhh, touch and place (go to mat/settle).
GREAT DANE FOOD & POOP
Yes, Great Danes eat more than most dogs.
More food = more poop. But seriously, is that really so bad? It’s bigger piles, not more piles.
Danes are prone to a condition called bloat where the stomach fills up with gas, fluid, food or air and may twist on itself. This is a life threatening emergency that is notably correlated to anxiety, genetics and gut health.
Ethical breeding practices, robust gut health and the correct diet may be the key towards greatly minimizing bloat risk.
Are you interested in welcoming a Great Dane to your family? There are a few more key things to be aware of before you commit!
Great Danes come with bigger vet bills.
Great Danes must be highly trained. They require owners that are willing to teach. An untrained Dane is a dangerous Dane; they can pull hard or become rude, jumpy and destructive.
Many homeowners insurance companies will not insure a home with a Great Dane in it. Check your policy.
A lot of people are afraid of giant breed dogs. A friendly Great Dane may be seen as a threat by some people. It is important that your Great Dane is able to quickly and confidently change course when approaching somebody who may not be receptive.
Great Dane puppies have no clue that they have four legs or that their tail is attached. They are CLUMSY and may be more prone to accidentally hurting children or other dogs.
Heart, blood, thyroid, and joint disorders are common.
YES, GREAT DANES…
Counter surf (steal food from counters)
Fart (though, excess gas should be addressed)
Take up a LOT of room on the couch, the bed, and in the car.
Have NO clue how big they are!
We are clearly biased over here and think Great Danes are the best! We’d love to hear from you! Do you have a Great Dane? Do you want one? Leave a friendly comment below.
