Great Dane problems often stem due to the fact that Great Danes are large dogs. Great danes are large indeed and in fact the tallest dog in the world happens to be a Great Dane called Giant George. Great Danes are related to mastiffs and the breed has origins in Germany. The Germans bred these as working dogs and their large and powerful form is their outstanding trait. Great Danes can grow to be as much 1 meter tall at the shoulder and 2 meters long from nose to tail. But despite their imposing size, these dogs are very docile and well behaved. They have a very intimidating bark as well, their large vocal chords make for a very loud and deep bark.  There are not many Great Dane problems when it comes to behavior, but there are a few health problems that they face.

Regarding health, Great Dane problems are mostly orthopedic. Great Danes have slow metabolism. All large animals have slow metabolism. Lifespan is often considered as a function (mathematical) of heart beats. Large animals with slow heart rate like elephants and crocodiles can live to be very long, as much as 70-80 years old. And smaller faster animals die faster as they “use up” their heartbeats faster. But despite this, Great Danes are known to have short life spans. The maximum a Great Dane can expect to live is 7 years. Due to slow metabolism, the dogs are less energetic and appear slow and docile. This also means they eat a lot less food for their size. Great Danes suffer from some health issues that usually affect large dogs. One of these is gastric dilatation-volvulus. This affects large-chested dogs and can be fatal if not treated in time. There are some things that can trigger this in Great Danes, like the act of drinking a large amount of fluid very quickly.

Among Great Dane problems, heart disease is also very common. And there are several genetic problems that are unique to the Great Dane. Like for instance if the Great Dane is white near the ears or eyes, then that is an indication that those organs have not developed and the dog might be blind or deaf. And these dogs have quite some weight to carry around. There are some Great Dane problems due to the bulk of these dogs. They can weight as much as 150 lbs and this can cause orthopedic problems for them. Great Dane puppies grow rapidly and care is taken to see that they do not over exert themselves when it comes to exercise. Activity level should be kept to a minimum, otherwise they will develop joint problems.

And other Great Dane problems include drooling. Drooling is not something that can be stopped in dogs. But given a Great Dane’s size, that can be a lot of drool. Great Danes are best suited for suburban houses as they are mostly kept outside. They might no be the best dog to keep in an apartment with limited space.