A Great Dane puppy―not only fun to look at, but also a noble and loyal companion―may easily be the choice of a family from Spokane with a big yard and a desire for a lifelong friend with a heart as large as his stature. However, the decision to buy a Great Dane puppy should not be made without careful research. There are three important steps to consider when deciding on a breed. The first is to find out whether the family is willing and able to commit to keeping their new member for life, no matter what difficulties arise. The second is whether the chosen breed will fit in with the family's lifestyle. The third is how to find a reliable local breeder who will sell a healthy puppy that is not going to come down with a genetic defect.
The first consideration is whether the family can invest their time and energy in the puppy, and later, the grown companion, who will need training, exercise, health care, and lots of food. A cute puppy, no matter how big and sweet those eyes get or how soft and velvety its ears are to pet, will end up doing things that annoy its family. Great Danes are no exception, and being a larger dog than almost any other breed, they will get into larger problems. Although they are not clumsy by nature, they do have large feet, a huge body, and a long tail, so they can easily knock over a favorite lamp, a ceramic vase filled with water and flowers, or even a small child. The puppy will need room to romp and a committed trainer to teach it to behave like the noble creature it was born to be. It will also need to be taken to the vet for check ups, shots, and more, if it ends up having health issues. Besides costs for health care, the nutrient requirements of a Dane will be higher than a medium-sized breed. The family intending to own one should be prepared to spend what it takes to keep the dog a permanent part of their family.
Another consideration is whether the Great Dane will be compatible with the family who wants to own it. Great Danes are people lovers. The Dane who leans in love on people is normal. This breed thrives on attention and will follow an owner anywhere. On the other hand, if a family doesn’t have much time to devote to their dog, a Dane will not be happy. Sulking, tipping water dishes, and even destructive chewing may result if the dog feels alone. Danes are, for the most part, gentle giants. Though they look dangerous and imposing, their gentle hearts make them better friends than guard dogs. On the other hand, an adult Dane could easily intimidate a stranger, causing problems for its owners if the stranger interprets the dog’s actions as threatening. Being with children thrills the Dane, yet sometimes in exuberance, the Dane may accidentally knock a younger child over. An older, well-trained Great Dane can be an excellent therapy animal, yet a Dane from a back yard breeder can end up being temperamentally unsound and not at all the norm of good temper like the breed standard.
That brings up the third point with adopting this breed--choose wisely! If the family still knows for sure the Great Dane is for them, they should find a reputable breeder who does genetic health screening. Though the price may sound higher than that of a puppy from the local paper (puppy mills), in long run, the family will find heartache and a dog with health problems or personality problems galore with the cheaper pup. The new puppy should have parents that are health checked so it will not have such common defects as hip dysplasia or problem thyroid function. The breeder should give the buyer a chip number that can be looked up on the Internet to show proof of health, or another written document to prove parental health. If not, the breeder is probably not on the level. Another thing that should cause the buyer to stop and think carefully is if the breeder makes unsubstantiated claims. One such claim might be that the puppy is a “rare color,” which unscrupulous breeders sometimes claim about colors that actually appear often in litters but are not considered standard for showing. The price of such a puppy should never be higher than a standard price for the breed. Another way back-yard breeders try to fool the novice puppy buyer is by saying they have “both parents on site” but neither has ever had a health problem, so they don’t need testing. If the parents have not been tested, there is a high likelihood of genetic defect. Insist on parental health check proof or find a different breeder.
When these three steps have been followed, a family can begin their lifetime of joy with a Great Dane puppy.
Some breeders near Spokane include Laurado Great Danes in Colville at (http://www.lauradogreatdanes.com/) and Equity Harlequin Great Danes in Spokane at (http://www.equitydanes.com/). These breeders are not endorsed by Great Dane Examiner, but for those looking for a Great Dane breeder, they are a place to start.
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