Great Dane Dog Care Guide
From Puppy to Adult

by Ken Alden

If you've decided on the regal Great Dane (also lesser known as German mastiffs) as your next dog breed, then you'll need to plan for their major growth. From puppyhood to adulthood, your Dane will need specific nutrition, exercise, and supplemental care.

Great Dane Dog Care Includes...

• Proper puppy feeding to protect bones during their explosive growth
• Knowing the proper vaccinations and at what age they should be given
• Daily exercise but not too much so as to protect hips and joints
• Understanding common health issues and what to do to protect them
• Knowing which supplements that can benefit them

In the following article, we will explore the specific needs of the Great Dane. This includes their diet from youth to adults, their vaccination schedule, the exercise needs, and some common health issues that these dogs can encounter. Read on to learn everything you need to know about turning a Great Dane puppy into a healthy adult dog. Read More Below...

Pro-tip: Ever try lifting a Great Dane? Their weight can hurt not only your back but their joints when they hop down from cars, sofas or even your bed. To protect your back and theirs check out the best Mastiff ramps on Amazon.com now.

Caring for Your Great Dane Puppy

To skip down this page for Great Dane Adult Care click here

As with any puppy, Great Danes are a lot of work. They require near-constant supervision, consistent training, and routine. While there are many guides about how to train puppies, we will focus on Great Danes specifically, and their unique needs for growth.

To begin, let's discuss the diet of your puppy. This often changes as they switch between their mother's milk and soft food, adding in larger quantities, and perhaps moving to dry food altogether. great dane dog care guide

Feeding Your Great Dane Puppy

As a giant breed, you can expect your Great Dane puppy to eat a lot of food. Their diet is extremely important to the proper growth and the development of muscles and bones. As you can imagine, the needs of a one-month-old puppy are much different than that of a 6-month-old.

We'll explore all of these needs, but first, we should understand the nutritional needs of the young dog. 

It's important to understand the basic components of dog foods so we can see which type of food is best for this breed.

Dog food has six main components:

• Water
• Protein
• Carbohydrates
• Fats
• Minerals
• Vitamins

The recommended ratio of these ingredients changes depending on your dogs age.

Keep in mind that these percentages are the minimum that your dog should be getting. A growing Great Dane, in particular, needs higher percentages of fat and protein in the beginning, but once they are nearing full size, the fat should be lowered. Aim for a range between 25%-35% for protein, and 12%-18% for fat for about the first nine months. great dane dog care guide

Avoid feeding your puppy food with levels of protein and calcium that are higher than the recommended amounts. This can cause your dog to grow too fast and can cause bone complications. Large breed puppy food is great at including just the right amounts of ingredients suitable for a Great Dane. 

Pro-tip: Great Dane anxiety, aggression, destructive chewing, jumping up, fearfulness, and other behaviors can be controlled with the right training program.

Here’s a great course that addresses these issues along with many other dog training basics: Check it out now!

Great Dane Puppy Feeding Guide…Their First Year

As your puppy grows, the types of food and amount of food they need changes. Let's review the specific quantities and kinds of meals that are needed throughout the first year of their life. great dane dog care guide

Less Than 4 Weeks

When your puppy is born, they will feed with their brothers and sisters, using their mother's milk as a source of all of their nutrients. This includes hydration as well. These young pups will nurse every two hours for the first week of their life, slowing down as they grow.

4-8 Weeks

At around four weeks of age, your puppy will begin to eat solid food. The breeder will begin to introduce soft food into your pup's diet. Some breeders use dry kibble that is softened with water, and some use wet food only. It's important to use softened food, as the dogs are still developing their teeth at this time. Their gums are sensitive and can be damaged easily by hard kibble.

8-10 Weeks

During this time, it is likely that your new best friend will come home with you. This is when your pup will be fully switched over to solid food. Your breeder and vet will likely recommend a specific food or diet for you to follow, but generally, it will consist of softened dry food or dry food mixed with wet food.

A Great Dane puppy should be fed between two to four cups of food a day, and the food should be separated into three equal-sized meals.

12 Weeks (3 Months)

A three-month-old Great Dane will be very energetic and probably happy to chow down on their food. You should be giving your pet somewhere between three to five cups of food a day, split into three meals. At some point during this month, you can switch your dog over to two meals a day instead of three, just be sure that your pup isn't eating too quickly. great dane dog care guide

16 Weeks (4 Months)

A Great Dane at this age should be eating between four to six cups of food per day. You will be breaking their food up into two equal meals at this point and following this for most of their life. If your pet was eating five cups at the end of three months, don't lower the amount back to four cups at the beginning of the fourth month.

20 Weeks (5 Months)

At this point, your dog will be eating five to seven cups of food per day. It's a good idea to teach your dog to take breaks during their meal, so they don't eat too quickly. Interrupt their eating by taking the food away, asking the pup to sit, and then rewarding them with a treat. The rest of their food will teach them not to be food aggressive, and it will slow down their eating.

6-8 Months

For these three months, your Great Dane will increase from six cups to nine cups of food a day. At this time, your pup will likely have all of their adult teeth in, and you can begin to feed them solid food only—if you wish.

9-12 Months

For the remainder of the first year of your Dane's life, you will be feeding them somewhere between seven to ten cups of food per day. When your pup has an extremely active day, you should feed them on the higher end of this range. If your pup has been inactive for a few days or seems to be putting on weight, then you should lower the food a little bit. 

Over One Year

Great Danes continue to grow far past the age of other dogs. They usually reach their full height by 18 months old, but continue to fill out and mature until they are three or even four years old. You should expect to feed your male Dane 8-10 cups of food a day for the next few years, while a female will eat 6-9 cups a day on average.

How Long Should I Feed My Great Dane Puppy Food?

Since Great Danes take so long to mature, the time that you feed them puppy food is longer than the average dog. Great Danes should eat giant breed specific puppy food until they are at least 15 months old. Confirm with your breeder and vet about the exact time to switch from puppy to adult food. 

Some vets may even recommend keeping your dog on puppy food until they are two years old because the breed takes so long to fully mature.

Best Great Dane Puppy Food

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Best Kibble For Great Dane Puppy

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Vaccination Shot Schedule for Great Dane Puppies

There are five main shots that puppies need to get as they grow. You probably know that you shouldn't take your pup to trails or dog parks as soon as they come home, and that's because their immune system is still developing. These shots give them the required protection from dangerous illnesses in the world.

How Much Exercise Do Great Dane Puppies Need?

Great Danes are commonly thought of as good apartment dogs because they don't actually need too much exercise. While it's true that they don't need to run around as much as a border collie (who needs at least two hours of exercise a day), Great Dane's still need to stretch their legs.

Young puppies up to five months of age shouldn't have too much vigorous exercise in a day. 20-30 minute walks around the neighborhood twice a day are plenty, with lots of gentle play and mental stimulation at home throughout the day. 

At six months of age, your puppy will be able to walk a little longer and can visit dog parks for short times. It's important to avoid rough play or jumping and agility exercises for the first year and a half of your Great Dane's life. Because the breed grows quickly but matures slowly, their joints are at high risk of damage from repeated jumping. Don't take your dog on any steep hikes or for jogs at this time, either.

It's important to balance listening to your puppy and regulating their exercise. Young dogs may want to play and play, so you may have to step in and stop at the 30-minute mark, so your dog doesn't overexert themselves. On the other hand, your pup may seem to want to stay in bed all day, and it's important to let them do so. Some days growing takes all the energy that they have! Great Dane dog care guide

How to Socialize a Great Dane Puppy

As the American Kennel Club standard temperament for Great Danes is a "spirited, courageous, always friendly, dependable and never timid or aggressive" companion, you can expect socializing your Great Dane to be a joyful experience.

The key to socializing puppies is to start early. Dogs that meet 100 people within their first month of coming home tend to grow into confident dogs. The best way to socialize a Dane pup is to invite over many friends and colleagues and get each of them to greet your pup and give them a treat. Socializing isn't simply about meeting new people; it's about liking and making connections with them as well.

Of course, socializing a dog includes meeting other four-legged friends. This can be tricky when your pet doesn't have their vaccinations yet. The best way to meet new pups safely is by signing up for a puppy class. The dogs in these courses are required to have certain shots, and it's a great way to meet other canines at the same age and play level. great dane dog care guide

Great Dane Puppy Essentials Your Pal Will Need

Pro-tip: Great Dane's (and their owners) love dog crates…and for good reasons. Crates keep dogs from mischief while you're away, are perfect for house training, for traveling by car, and provide the dog a place to de-stress. Check out the best Mastiff crates on Amazon.com now.

Best Way To Care For A Great Dane Adult

Once your puppy is 18 months old, they will nearly be fully mature. With a full-grown dog of this breed, the needs are different than those of a young dog. Let's discuss the proper ways to care for an adult Great Dane. 

Great Dane Nutritional Requirements

If we refer back to the chart of nutritional requirements from above, we can see how some key components are different for adult Danes.

Adult dogs of this breed need less protein, fewer fats, and lower quantities of minerals, especially calcium. Most large breed dog food will take these needs into account, but it's still important to be a conscious consumer and check the ingredients list.

How Much Should I Feed My Great Dane?

The amount of food that an adult Great Dane needs will vary depending on your dog's size and the amount of exercise they get a day. The following is a general guideline for feeding your pet with different options for wet, dry, or mixed food. Always be sure to check with your vet when deciding on a new diet for your dog.

The Best Food for a Great Dane

Best Wet...

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Best Kibble...

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How Much Exercise Does a Great Dane Need Everyday?

An adult Great Dane only needs about 30-60 minutes of exercise a day. Keep in mind that on-leash exercise is much different than off-leash exercise. While a brisk walk may get your dog's heart pumping a little bit, they need a proper run to really get the benefits of being outside. 

Plan to give your Great Dane short walks in the morning and evening, and about 45 minutes at a dog park or on a hike at some point in the day.
Great Dane dog care guid

Great Dane Grooming Needs

The breed falls into the short-hair category, but that by no means discounts shedding. The breed is known to shed a lot, and the little hairs can stick in your furniture and cause you to feel itchy. Counteract this by grooming your Dane regularly. A shampoo a few times a year is usually enough for a Great Dane, but regular brushing is imperative to combat the shedding.

If you can brush your dog once a week, you'll find the amount of hair in your home is lowered greatly. Their fur responds best to firm bristled brushes, and you should groom your pup early to get them used to the feeling.

Great Danes with their floppy ears will be more prone to ear infections, and you should keep a special eye on their inner ears. Dark or smelly discharge is one of the first signs of an ear infection. Cotton balls and a simple saline solution are often all that's needed to clean your dog's ears. great dane dog care guide

All dogs should have their teeth cleaned regularly as well. Brush your puppy's teeth early, and with a dog-specific toothpaste, and you'll be glad when you don't have to fight a fully grown Great Dane to brush their teeth.

Great Dane Common Health Issues and the Best Way to Address Them

The number one cause of death for Great Danes is Gastric Torsion. This is caused by the stomach flipping and cutting off circulation to vital organs. Gastric Torsion, also known as "bloat," is most easily prevented by ensuring your dog eats slowly. It's the reason why we break the young dog's food up into separate meals. If you like to ensure your dog eats slowly, you can invest in a slow feeder like this Freefa Slow Feeding Dog Bowl. 

Hip dysplasia is another major health issue for Great Danes. All giant breeds are at risk of this hereditary condition. You can help prevent hip dysplasia by ensuring your puppy gets the proper diet without too much protein and doesn't partake in intense exercise until they are fully grown. Great Dane dog care guide

Supplements for Great Danes

Because hip dysplasia is such a risk for this breed, bone supplements can help combat the effects. great dane dog care guideGreat Dane dog care guide

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Great Dane Dog Care Guide...Final Thoughts

Great Danes are a noble breed, often called the "Apollo of Dogs." These large beasts will be your best friend for the length of their lifetime, but to make sure that best friend is healthy and well-behaved, you need to invest the time and energy into them. Training and nutrition are top priorities for this breed, as the training will allow you to control the 150-pound dog, and the nutrition will ensure they are healthy for a long time. 

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I’m Ken Alden. This website
is a labor of love from years of research and personal experiences with Mastiffs.

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