http://www.mydog8it.com/puppy_care.htm1. Feeding:
Large breed puppies require a special diet. Your puppy should only be fed a high quality ADULT DOG FOOD or a GIANT BREED PUPPY FOOD. Do NOT feed your puppy a regular puppy food. Doing so can cause serious bone, joint and hip problems which can be very costly and painful for your dog. These foods are also lower in fat and protein, which allow your puppy to grow at a slower rate, lessening the likelihood that he will develop hip, bone and joint problems. (Don’t worry, your dog will still grow to be the same size!) I like the following foods:
Nutro Natural Choice or Holistic
Costco's Kirkland brand Lamb & Rice or Chicken & Rice
Click below to find out why I no longer recommend IAMS/Eukanuba brand foods:
IAMS and Animal Testing
IAMS Testing Lab Undercover Report
When searching for an adult food for your dog, avoid foods with high amounts of corn, salt and any meat by-products. These foods are not very digestible nor are they good for your dog’s health. It’s OK to give your dog small amounts of healthy table-food, such as cooked chicken breast, hamburger, rice, and raw vegetables and fruits.
Puppies need to eat at least 3 times a day for the first 4 months. It’s OK to switch to twice a day at around 5-6 months. Some people recommend free-feeding; leaving a bowl of food out for your puppy all the time. Recent studies are suggesting that free feeding may help to avoid bloat. (Bloat is a condition in which the belly fills up with air causing the stomach to turn upside down, killing the dog if he is not treated immediately. Recent studies may link certain ingredients in dog foods to bloat - Follow this link to read more.) Or follow the links below for additional information:
Purdue University Bloat Study Information
Bloat Analysis and Risk Prevention
2. Environment:
Great Danes overheat and chill easily. Do not leave your puppy outside for more than ½ hour at a time during the hot summer months or he may get heatstroke. Do not leave him outside in the winter for more than a few minutes at a time – since they have no undercoat, they freeze easily. Provide your dog with a soft place to lay: blankets, dog beds and crib mattresses work well.
3. Growth:
Since your puppy will grow quickly, some precautions must be taken to ensure proper bone development:
Do not allow your puppy to run for long periods of time as this can cause hairline fractures in their developing bones. Wait to run or play long games of fetch until your dog is at least 18 months old.
Do not allow your puppy to play on slippery surfaces. This is a possible environmental cause of hip dysplasia.
Some studies have shown that vitamin C helps to ease “growing pains” associated with rapid bone growth. Talk to your vet about supplements.
4. Vaccinations:
Vaccinations are very important! There are many deadly diseases such as Parvo that can spread rapidly. These diseases can be easily prevented by simply vaccinating your dog. Vaccinations typically cost around $10.00 each, while treating your dog once he has a preventable disease will cost hundreds, even thousands, and many dogs will still die. Other diseases such as distemper are almost always deadly, but can be prevented with a vaccine. Feel free to use the following vaccination schedule as a guide unless otherwise recommended by your vet:
Puppies between the ages of 6 weeks and 4 months typically receive a parvo/distemper/parainfluenza shot every 3 weeks with the final one given at 4 months. The reason for this is that puppies will loose the disease immunity they receive from their mother some time between 6 & 16 weeks of age. Since there's not an easy way to tell when the shots take over the natural immunity, they need to be given often in order to protect your puppy. After age 4 months, the shot is typically given every one to three years, although some vets recommend an additional shot at 6 months. This shot protects against Parvo, Distemper, and parainfluenza, and can be obtained through your vet or at vaccination clinics, and usually runs anywhere from $10-$25. Consult your vet for more information on this.
General vaccination guidelines include a rabies shot at 4 months and 1 year, and then every 3 years after that. This shot is required by law. If your dog has not had this shot and bites someone, he may automatically be killed or quarantined by rabies/animal control. This shot can be obtained at your vet, at vaccination clinics, or at the rabies/animal control pound. It's usually around $10-$20.
Kennel cough (bordetella) is an extremely contagious respiratory disease that can cause death if not properly treated or prevented. Most vets will start this vaccination at around 4 months and is usually repeated every 6 months to 1 year.
Heartworm/worm prevention can usually begin at 4 months. This can be obtained from your vet. Heartworm prevention is easy (a chewable tablet given once a month), and treatment is extremely expensive and not very reliable.
If you plan to do a lot of hiking or camping with your dog, you should also consider a lyme disease vaccination as this disease is transmitted by ticks.
5. Obedience Training:
Your dog will be very large and powerful, and will be very strong willed! Large dogs without manners tend to be exiled from the house and family which causes them to be lonely, and since they’re lonely, the make more trouble, which makes you more angry…It’s a vicious cycle! I recommend obedience training to prevent this from happening. Many obedience schools offer a course on puppy training that can be started at 4 months - 6 months. The classes help with potty training, chew training, sit, stay, come, heel, etc.
6. Potty and Chew Training:
Puppies need to potty every 4 hours until they are 4 months old, at which time they can usually hold it for about 6 hours. They should be able to hold it for about 8 hours by the time they’re 6-7 months old. Puppies will need to potty approx. 5-30 minutes after eating or drinking, and always after a nap. Keeping this in mind, the best way I've found to train puppies is by combining kennel training with doggie door training. Dogs have a natural denning instinct, so they will naturally make a kennel their bed, or den. Dogs will not potty in their bed, (unless there are extreme circumstances, such as being locked in there for too long) so by keeping your dog in a kennel when you are not home and then taking them directly outside when you let them out, they will learn where to go. If you are able to install a doggie door, the kennel can be bumped up against the doggie door when you are not home so your pup only has access to the outside and his bed. This is by far the fastest way to potty train. When you are home, your dog will always have access to the yard when he has to go, so there will be no accidents. If you do catch your puppy in the act of piddling in the house, say NO and take your puppy outside. When he piddles outside, praise him excessively and give him treats. He will then associate piddling outside with getting yummy food and love and will do it more often. DO NOT HIT YOUR PUPPY. This will only make him fear and dislike you, and will make him more prone to biting in the future. Positive reinforcement works the best with dogs. If your puppy leaves you a puddle or a pile and you find it after the fact, don’t bother punishing the dog. He won’t remember why he’s bad, only that you’re mad and he has no idea why. The most effective training is watching your pup constantly when he is in the house so you can catch him before he goes and take him outside.
Puppies explore and learn by chewing on things and digging in things. Give your pup chew toys in his kennel. By providing your pup with plenty of toys to chew on and by taking him to the park to dig in the sand, he will be less likely to dig in your yard and chew up your stuff. Keep all shoes, candles, and other tempting objects out of the reach of your pup or he WILL eat them. If you catch your pup chewing on something he shouldn’t, take it away, say NO, and replace the item with a proper chew toy. When he starts chewing on his toys, make sure to tell him he's good, and maybe even throw in a treat. Again, positive reinforcement works best with dogs. In time, your dog will learn what’s OK to chew. Do not give your dog stuffed animals or stuffed quilts as the stuffing can choke your dog. Also, your pup can’t tell the difference between a stuffed toy and a stuffed couch cushion… that’s just asking for trouble!
Speaking from experience, though it can be so cute to watch a dane puppy destroy a newspaper or a stuffed toy, you will regret allowing him to do this later. Bad habits are hard to break, and when that 175 pound dog decides to destroy all your household paper products or your couch cushions while you are asleep, it is not so amusing that next morning. Be firm. Allow him to play with TOYS ONLY!
7. Grooming:
Great danes require relatively little grooming. They should be bathed regularly (every week or two). Nails should be trimmed weekly. Ears should be cleaned after each bath or weekly if they are dirty. After bathing your dog, inspect for ticks, fleas, cuts, and ear mites. Your dog’s teeth should be brushed at least twice a week with an enzyme toothpaste for dogs. Danes tend to collect food particles in the back of their cheeks, and if it isn’t cleaned out regularly, you will have expensive tooth decay problems within a few years. You can also consider giving treats designed to assist with cleaning teeth between brushings.
8. Spay/Neuter:
Un-neutered male dogs WILL mark or spray (urinate on any and everything they can, including you) to mark territory. Plan on shampooing your furniture and carpet often. To prevent this habit from forming, neuter your dog before he reaches 6 months.
Females will go into heat at around 6 months. This is a messy thing, and if she gets pregnant, plan on spending AT LEAST $1000.00 and hours upon hours a week to raise a healthy litter puppies. If you do not intend to breed your dog, the least expensive way to go is to HAVE YOUR DOG SPAYED OR NEUTERED! Spaying before her first heat cycle also reduces her chances of getting breast cancer by up to 80%! Some vets offer discount programs for people who have their pet fixed and get vaccinations done there. If you're starting to feel like your dane is a money pit, (they are...) check with your local humane society to find out if they offer a low cost spay/neuter clinic.
9. Common Illnesses:
The following are signs of common illnesses you should be aware of:
When the skin on the back of the neck is pulled up, it should snap back into place quickly. If it doesn’t, your dog may be dehydrated. Dehydration can be a sign of serious illness, so if your dog doesn’t become hydrated quickly, take him to your vet.
Great Danes and all deep-chested dogs are susceptible to bloat. Bloat is a condition in which the belly fills up with gas causing the stomach to turn upside down, killing the dog if he is not treated immediately. The main signs of bloat are a bloated looking belly, restlessness, and possible vomiting. If your dog is rushed to the vet, he may be treated and saved. The main causes of bloat appear to be exercising heavily right before or after eating, gulping water after eating, eating food rapidly, stress, and genetics. Follow this link for more in depth articles on bloat.
Ear infections and ear mites are fairly common. Check your dog’s ears often, and if any brown waxy gunk is present in the ear, he has one of the two. See your vet for medication.
Kennel Cough is very easily transmitted between dogs. If your dog starts coughing and sneezing, see your vet for medication before it becomes extremely bad and costly.
Live in the Southwest US or Mexico? Valley Fever is a nasty fungus that lives in the dirt and is inhaled by practically every living being. It can be deadly in dogs if not treated. Signs are typically weight loss, loss of appetite, cough, growths on skin, or no symptoms at all. Click Here for more info on Canine Valley Fever.
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