Hi,I am thinking of getting a Great Dane.I have read books on them and know about the health issues but i thought it was time to ask those of you who have Danes to let me know what they are actually like in real life.Are they a popular dog ??and how much would i expect to pay for one,Would a dog or a bitch be best??Why do Harlies seem to be more expensive??I contacted one breeder about a pup but one of the parents colour is not a colour accepted in the breed standard (i dont think),is this ok..Please excuse my ignorence but is a blue merl and Boston excepted colours??..Thankyou for your time..

Hi

OK, click on my profile and go to my site for pics of my danes and links to my breeders. There is lots of info there on Danes.

They are quite an unusual dog, everyone knows what they are but not many people have them.

You can expect to pay £600 upwards to £3K plus for a harlie. Not sure why harlies are so expensive, probably because breeding them is fraught with problems and they are rare...

A Blue Merle is a breed fault (I believe - I'm not that into showing), but, I am actually very fond of the colour and it wouldn't stop me getting one if I was looking for a pet. A boston black (or Mantle) is black with a white chest and paws.

HTH a bit :)

PS - you need a big house, lots of patience, a big wallet for the food and you should prepare yourself for a dog that loves luxury, could knock you off your feet with one swipe of the paw, but makes you the centre of their universe. I love em :)

Hi Koi,
I'm getting a blue Dane puppy in a fortnight :) :) I have always wanted one, but never felt the time was right until this year. It took me basically all of this year to gather as much info as possible, contact breeders, attend shows etc. Finally after visiting some breeders decided on the mating that we hoped to have a puppy from.... and the rest as they say is history :D We go to bring Diesel home 2wks tomorrow and I can't wait :)
I was originally interested in a harlie, but was advised for a first Dane, that they are most boisterous and last to mature of all the colours, so perhaps not the wisest choice for a first timer
Anyway, good luck with your search and let us all know how you get on and I agree with Chloe - I think the blue merles are gorgeous too - but then again, they all are :)
Sharon
X

I have 8 Danes, 3 are puppies. They are a lovely kind breed but can be a bit stubborn and will take advantage of things like the furniture and beds. When adult they will need 2 meals a day consisting of 1lb of meat and mixer per meal. When young care has to be taken with their legs because they grow so quickly, so always listen to your breeder regarding diet. They are a generally happy breed but can be prone to sulking when they don't get their own way.

Harlies are expensive as there is no guarantee that a litter will produce one. Merles and bostons (USA call them mantles) are not allowed to be shown (there is a rumour that the KC will allow bostons to be shown in the future) but can be used for breeding.

Their life span is getting longer I have lost our three oldies at 9 1/2 and 10 and a quarter, this is a good average age and some do reach 13.

There are Dane groups to join on m.s.n.com.