New puppy info/FAQS

You will also need to decide if you will crate train your puppy. Crate training allows you to feel safe about what your puppy is doing at night and when you are not there. Keep time in the crate to a minimum but it is a useful tool. It also gets your puppy used to smaller spaces. You will need a crate with a minimum height of 32 inches for females and about 34-36 inches for males. It is better if you can find one that is larger just in case they outgrow it, you won’t have to re-purchase one.

Great Danes are not “outside dogs”. They will never do well for continuous amounts of time outside, away from their family, no matter how nice the weather is.  Make sure you have a space for your dog in the house that you want them to use. Break habits like sleeping on the couch or bed (unless you want them up there!) early and really think ahead to when they are 150 lbs.  For us, it works to have our dogs inside the house every night. During the summer, they can spend a good portion of the day outside unless it is too hot. During the winter they are inside almost all day with only short exercise and potty breaks outside. You will also need to feed them more in the winter most likely as they begin using more calories to keep warm.

Danes are very good with children for the most part but no dog will do well with a child that is allowed to pull on them or hit them. Watch children and Danes very carefully together. Break habits like wrestling, tag, tug-of-war and jumping up as quickly as you can. Puppies do not know how large they are and how much they weigh and will try to play with a child like they would a littermate. Break this behavior early by giving a sharp “NO!” or “OUCH!” and offering another toy to play with. Provide your puppy with a variety of toys to play with so they do not chew on furniture or people.

Your puppy has been well socialized up to this point. We make every effort to have them around people of the large and small variety. Once you get them home and allow them to settle in for a few days, begin taking them with you to “safe” places. I usually start with friends and family where I know their dogs are healthy and it will be a fun, positive experience with lots of affection. After a few more weeks, when puppies are about 16 weeks old, I start taking them into stores and larger places that have more people and dogs. Petsmart and Petco can wait until your puppy is older. They have so many dogs in and out. I strongly suggest taking your puppy around small children if you do not have any to keep them accustomed to the movements and sounds of children.

A few notes about training:

We have found Danes to be fairly easy to train, especially with food but also with affection.

If you want your dog to ride in a smaller car, I suggest starting out with a car early on or crate training in order to get them used to tighter spaces. If you expect to take them on longer trips also start this early on. Teach them to get in and out of the car as early as you can so that you do not have to pick up an adult Dane and put them in your car!

Potty training and basic commands are generally very easily taught to Great Danes, perhaps because most are so food motivated and really want to please. We have been clipping your puppy’s nails on a weekly basis. You should continue to clip them often in order to get them used to it. We will give you some basic instruction on how to clip nails. As they get older, this will be very beneficial and will make your life much easier. We have given them a few baths, cleaned ears and checked teeth. Continue to do these things as your puppy grows and establish a routine for general grooming. Reward puppies with treats and affection each time you do any of these activities with them. Trust me, you don’t want to have to wrestle a full grown Dane to the ground each time you want to clean their ears or clip their nails. We have also been working on some basic commands like sit and “no”.  We have spent a few days walking on a leash.

A few notes about health issues:

Hips/other joints: Please be aware that Great Danes cannot be given very much forced exercise (like going for a jog) until they are past their first birthday. After that time, limit exercise until they reach about 2 years. When your puppy looks or acts tired, stop exercise immediately. Allow your puppy to play as they will. You do not need to restrict all exercise. Do not let your puppy run up and down stairs. Every once in a while isn’t a big deal but multiple times a day could cause issues. Try not to allow your puppy to run only on tile or wood floors. They need to have something they can grip. We have done our best to ensure your puppy will have a healthy life by checking hips and bloodlines for possible health issues. Probably the best things you can do to prevent hip and joint problems is to:         

1: Feed a super premium dog food to your puppy or raw feed

2. Keep your puppy at a healthy weight. They are already big dogs and a few extra pounds puts much more pressure on their joints.

3. Do not switch brands or types of foods on your puppy. Stick with one unless it’s impossible.

Bloat:  Restriction of exercise for about an hour before and after eating may be helpful. Feeding a raw diet also reduces the risk of bloat.  If your puppy or dog does bloat, it is an emergency! They need to be taken in to the veterinarian as quickly as possible as they can die in a very short time frame. Bloat symptoms include anxiety, restlessness, panting, pacing, standing and refusing to sit or lying and refusing to get up and your dog not acting like themselves. You may also notice distention in the stomach. Listen for stomach sounds by placing your ear against their stomach; if you do not hear any then you are most likely dealing with symptoms of bloat. As a preventive measure you may want to consider a surgery called “prophylactic gastropexy” which will tack the dog’s stomach to prevent the stomach from twisting. This surgery can be done in conjunction with spaying or neutering your puppy.

Yes, your puppy will be de-wormed once with fecals checked at about 7 weeks in case they need another round. Puppies will also receive thier Parvo innoculation. We follow a limited vaccination schedule and do not give combination vaccines. These vaccines have been linked to too many health issues. We also do not recommend yearly vaccines either.

Will my puppy have it's dewclaws removed?

Yep!

What will my puppy come with?

Puppies go to thier new homes with a toy, a blankie, at least a week's worth of food, and the above mentioned items.

What do I feed my new puppy?

Well that's a good question. I recommend a raw diet as it is what your puppy was started on and it's what they were meant to eat. I'm working on a page for that as well! If you must feed kibble, Precise Plus is a decent brand.

How big will my puppy get?

I can't really tell you. Height is based on multiple genes just like it is for humans. They will most likely be at least the hieght of thier parents but probably larger.

What do I need for my puppy?

You need a bed, food , a collar and leash, some toys. You may also choose to crate train. Whatever you do, make sure your puppy has a safe place to be while you are not home so they don't eat things you don't want them to.

My puppy is not eating very well, what do I need to do differently?

If you are feeding them raw food, keep at it. You may have to offer a different type of meat for a while. If you are feeding kibble, try switching to raw food. Please, so not switch kibbles on puppies unless you absolutely have to . This causes growth problems that may not be repareable. If your puppy is acting lethargic as well as not eating, they need to see a vet to be sure there is not another issue going on. Some puppies go through stages, just as children do where they aren't growing very much and they simply don't want as much food. For puppies though, no food in 16 hours is no good.

My dog keeps taking food off the counter, what do I do?

When you figure it out, let me know!  I keep anything I don't want them to eat off the counter or I risk losing it. Seriously though, make sure that you don't leave items like pill bottles, yeast doughs, and anything else that could really harm your puppy on the counter. Or anywhere else they can get it for that matter.

What toys are appropriate for my puppy?

No rawhide! Do not give rawhide or rawhide like toys. Not only are they treated with chemicals , they are also a choking and obstruction hazard. http://www.doglogic.com/rawhide.htm Suitable toys are well, meaty bones. Not large wieght bearing bones but things like ribs work well. Most dogs won't eat them but will nibble the ends. Always be sure you supervise your dogs with toys of any kind. They just may eat them. Stuffed animals are okay but when the seams start to go, they need to be thrown away. Same with almost any other toy. Long rope toys, giant balls too big to be swallowed and giant Kong toys are also good choices.

Where in the world do you find all the raw food?

By searching for deals. I buy some at the grocery store, some from my family when we butcher cattle, from meat distrubors and from a co-op.

Can you give me more information on how to feed a raw diet?

How I feed a Raw food diet

Another Raw Diet link

Why feed a raw food diet?

There are many reasons but to name a few...

• Reduced stools. Trust me, you'll like this one.
• No stinky dog breath because their teeth are nice and clean. Clean teeth also means that thier bodies aren't constantly combating bacteria from their tooth buildup. It also means no vet trips for teeth cleanings. Dogs don't produce the necessary enzyme, amylase in order  to break down starches on thier teeth. So it sits.
• Brighter coats, better muscle tone.
• Almost no gas. You'll like this one too!
• It's what they were made to eat. Domesticated dogs are in the same species as wolves, Lupus. They vary only on thier looks. The Dingo, which looks almost identical to a Heeler eats a raw diet as well.
• If you still want more info please visit http://www.rawlearning.com/rawfaq.html where all this info is already written down along with a lot of other stuff!

Can you tell me more about the limited vaccine schedule?

I sure can but here is a site that explains it very well and fits with my belief...If you still have questions, don't hesitate to ask me.

Limited Vaccine Protocol