Great Dane Puppies for Sale

Parents of Pawrade Great Danes typically weigh 130–181 lb (fathers) and 110–155 lb (mothers).

The Great Dane comes in one giant size, and the AKC standard sets minimum heights rather than describing a smaller variety.

A harlequin is white with torn black patches, while a merle is pale to dark gray with torn black patches. A mantle, by contrast, is black with white on the muzzle, collar, chest, legs and tail tip.

Both are accepted in the US, because the AKC and UKC standards allow natural ears folded forward or cropped ears. The international (FCI) and UK standards describe natural ears only.

A good Great Dane is spirited, courageous, friendly and dependable, and never timid or aggressive. At home, most are easygoing, like to lounge near their people and bond strongly with their family.

Great Danes are watchful companions and guardians, but the breed is meant to be friendly and dependable, never aggressive. Wide early socialization helps a sensitive young Dane grow up confident with people and other animals.

Great Danes make good family dogs, but their size means young children need supervision. Many suit homes with older children best. Great Dane breeders on Pawrade report socializing 87% of their litters with young children before the puppies go home.

It depends on the dog and on early socialization. Danes are sensitive dogs, and a puppy that meets new people, animals and experiences from a young age has the best start.

An adult Dane needs exercise every day, such as two brisk walks, and many do best with 2 hours or more spread across the day. Puppies need gentle, limited exercise, and vigorous exercise should never come right before or after a meal.

Wait until your Dane is at least 2 years old before running together regularly, because earlier hard exercise can damage growing bones. Until then, keep walks easy and skip jogging, agility and hard hikes.

A Dane can be raised in an apartment if it gets exercise every day, although a large house and yard suit a dog this size best. Most Great Dane buyers on Pawrade live in a single-family home, and 96% have a yard.

Only for short stretches, because Danes bond strongly with their people and some become destructive when left alone. A crate in the living area gives a puppy a den of its own.

A fenced yard is a big help, because a scent-following streak from the breed's boar-hunting past can make a Dane wander. Keep your Dane on a leash on walks.

Great Danes shed and drool, and no dog is truly hypoallergenic. The short coat sheds lightly, a little more in spring and autumn.

Very little, since the short coat has no undercoat and needs a brush about once a week.

Danes are eager to please and respond well to consistent, reward-based training. Some have a stubborn streak, so keep the rules the same every day. Teach good manners, such as not jumping up, while the puppy is still small.

Start right away, because the first 3 months are the most important time for socialization. Puppy classes can begin as early as 7–8 weeks, with healthy classmates and clean floors, as your vet advises. Follow puppy kindergarten with a basic obedience class.

A common rule of thumb is that a puppy can hold its bladder for about as many hours as its age in months. A 3-month-old, for example, can usually wait about 3 hours. The rule works up to about 9 months to 1 year, and every puppy is different. Take your puppy out first thing in the morning, after naps and last thing at night.

Your Dane is most likely in adolescence, a normal phase when dogs test boundaries and may seem to forget their training. Adolescence runs from about 6 to 8 months to about 2 years. Keep training consistent and patient, with plenty of exercise for body and mind that suits a growing Dane. Danes are sensitive dogs, so calm, reward-based training works better than harsh corrections.

Many enjoy scent games and tracking, which suit the breed's boar-hunting nose. Danes can also compete in AKC agility, obedience and rally once they are fully grown.

Puppies travel only once they are at least 8 weeks old and weigh at least 2 lb. Most Great Dane puppies go home at about 11 weeks, usually between 9 and 17 weeks.

Great Dane breeders on Pawrade report a typical litter of 7 puppies, usually between 3 and 12.

Most Great Dane litters on Pawrade meet large-breed dogs and children before the puppies go home. Breeders report socializing 94% of litters with large-breed dogs and 92% with older children. They also report getting 56% of litters used to loud music or TV. These figures come from what breeders reported for 191 litters.

Set up a crate in your living area, stock the breeder's large-breed puppy food, and check that your fence is secure. Plan a feeding routine of several small meals at set times, and limit stairs and rough play from the first day.

Feed a large-breed puppy food in amounts that keep your puppy lean, with no calcium or vitamin supplements. Split the food into three or four meals a day, cut back to two by 6 to 9 months, and keep two meals a day for life. Overfeeding, fast growth and too much calcium are the real risks for a growing Dane, not protein.

Most puppies finish teething by about 6 months, when the adult teeth are in. Baby teeth start to fall out from about 12 weeks, and chewing is strongest in between. Offer a few safe chew toys at a time and rotate them, and supervise chewing.

Most puppies finish their core vaccine series at about 16 weeks, as your vet advises. A puppy class with healthy classmates and clean floors is fine before then, as long as your puppy stays away from sick dogs.

Most Danes are full grown at about 12 to 18 months, although they can look grown-up much sooner. A Dane puppy grows as much in its first year as a child does in 14 years.

The breeder's licensed veterinarian examines every puppy before it goes home, to PetPay's exam standards. The results are recorded in the puppy's Veterinary Health Report, and a copy travels with your puppy for your records.

The breeder's vet examines the whole puppy and pays close attention to a few things that matter in Danes. The vet listens to the heart for a murmur or an irregular rhythm, and checks both eyes, including for cherry eye. The vet also weighs the puppy and scores its body condition, and in harlequin and merle puppies checks how the puppy responds to sound.

Before travel, every puppy follows PetPay's vaccination and deworming schedule as far as its age allows: deworming at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks, and the distemper, parvo, adenovirus and parainfluenza combination shot at 6–8, 9–11 and 12–14 weeks. Bordetella and corona are given at the vet's discretion, and no vaccine is given within 3 days of travel. Rabies is given by a licensed vet on the schedule your state requires. Your own vet completes the series. Your puppy's vaccination and deworming records are separate documents that travel with your puppy. Bring them, with the Veterinary Health Report, to your first visit so your vet starts from the same record.

If the vet finds something that could put your puppy at risk during travel, your puppy stays with the breeder until it's resolved. Problems that can be treated before travel are treated by the breeder's licensed vet first. Anything else the vet notes is shared with you.

Puppies grow and change quickly, and their immune systems are still developing, so no single exam can find everything. Heart muscle disease in Danes, for example, usually starts in adulthood. The report is a strong early look at your puppy, and your own vet builds on it at every checkup.

Every puppy comes with a health guarantee administered by PetPay, independent of the seller. The terms are on the health guarantee page.

Great Dane buyers rate their Pawrade experience 4.7 out of 5 on average, from 131 reviews, and about 81% of those reviews give 5 stars.