Facts About Great Dane Dogs

Lots of people love dogs, and are interested in finding out about all different breeds of dogs. One such breed is the Great Dane. Among many people they're a popular breed of dog, but they do come with their share of problems!

It's a well-known fact that great dane dogs are among the largest dogs on the planet. They come in a variety of colors, ranging from a light tan to white with spots to the deepest black. Although great dane dogs are very big and have a foreboding bark to match their size, those who know them, realize that these dogs are big babies. In fact, great dane dogs have been said to be an ideal pet for those living in apartment building complexes because they require very little exercise and actually prefer to remain sedate for most of the day. Mind you, I'm not sure about this personally, having a large dog in a small space isn't something that I consider ideal, but if you love great dane dogs then maybe it wouldn't be a problem for you!

My mother did a lot of research on great dane dogs and she decided to get one called a Harlequin Dane. These dogs are mostly white, but much of their coat is covered with black spots. Their ears and muzzles also tend to be mostly black. This unique appearance is most similar to the markings of a dalmation, and this variety is not as common as the fawn colored great dane dogs, made popular by the cartoon strip, Marmaduke.

My mother purchased a beautiful puppy from a local breeder and named her Babe. Babe quickly became the focus of our family life. With one blue eye and her ears all taped up (a common practice after ear-cropping - incidentally NOT a practice I'd recommend, but one which was done routinely on many dogs at the time) Babe looked like and acted like a clown. My mother purchased an old Lazy Boy rocker so that Babe could sit in the living room and watch television with the family. She was spoiled rotten and treated like a princess - she would certainly be the envy of any other great dane dogs typically sent to their doghouses for the night, that's for sure!

Sadly, Babe wasn't a member of our family for very long. My parents had to go away one weekend. They decided to leave Babe with a local dog boarder. This particular kennel loved pets. Unfortunately they had very little experience with great dane dogs. During her stay, Babe became increasingly distraught, feeling that she had been abandoned by her family. The kennel did little to calm her down and Babe ended up going from worried to frantic, jumping against the bars of the cage and crying. When my parents finally got home and went to pick her up they were heartbroken to find Babe in a very sorry state. After an emergency trip to the vet they found that in her angst Babe had twisted her stomach. Surgery would be unable to correct the problem. Babe was going to die! The vet told my parents that this is a very common problem with great dane dogs. They have very delicate stomachs, and due to over breeding they need to be kept very calm to avoid this twisting of the stomach. My mother was completely heartbroken, but they had no choice. They had to put poor old Babe out of her misery. My mother held Babe's big old head and she left this world. It was a truly tragic end and a very sad lesson to learn.

My mother mourned the loss of Babe for six long months. She felt terrible for that beautiful creature to face such a sad end. My parents have thought about great dane dogs since then, but haven't purchased another one. Their last dog they've had for many years, and they picked her up from a dog shelter. They adore their little Tessie, but I don't think they'll ever forget Babe!