size question....

[loriand dane]

hello all.i have finally talked my husband into another dane in the next 8 months or so.my question is what would i look for in a breeder since i want my next dane to be really large,as well as healthy.i just love the huge danes.i thought of an adult but i have kids so im not to sure about this.my current pup,tigger is 6 months,95 pounds and 30 inches tall.i have never had a dane before so by compairison to alot of members on this board their danes at this age were larger so im thinking tigger may not be really big.i love him as he is anyways but what would i look for to get a probable huge dane.as i said by no means do i want to get any dane as long as its huge,i want one very healthy too.

[Mommy to Zeus]

Being that your Tigger is only 6 months old, he will still grow a few more inches taller. Zeus was also 30 inches tall at 6 months old. Now, he is 19 months old and 35 inches at the wither. Not huge, but normal for a male dane.

How big a dane are you looking for? If you want a larger dane, go with the harl family or fawn/brindle. Typically, blues and blacks are slightly smaller (the very reputable breeder I plan on acquiring my next black dane from told me this).

The biggest dane I have personally ever seen was at a show...he was a brindle from Temira Danes. He was 38 inches at the withers...and absolutely gorgeous. If I were you, I would first set my sights on finding good breeders...then let them tell you about how big the danes they produce grow to be. A good breeder will know all of that stuff as they keep track of their pups throughout their lives.

[caila]

I don't know how everyone has a dane that is so big at such a young age.
My little girl will be one year on Thursday, April 10th.
Just last month she was at the vet and weighed no more than 80lbs.
She is lean and very active, she would rather play than eat.
I tried a couple of different foods and she'll eat anything.
I just wonder if some of the dogs with such large amounts of weight might be a little overweight.
I would love to have a huge dane but a healthy one is more important.
My girl did come from a very large litter(13)and for all we know she cold have been the runt, I just don't see anyone posting numbers that relate to the size of my dane. A lot of people will ask if she's a greyhound.

[anne]

My Emma is almost 11 months and is 95 pounds, 31" at the shoulder. She's also considered rather small, but will probably get a bit taller and fill out to maybe 120 pounds. Not very big, but quite healthy!

[Gunners Mom]

Gunner isn't quite 10 months old and weighs in at 118 pounds, not at all over weight either ... last time we measured he was 31 inches.

I think it's important to remember that since Danes are a cross between a mastif and a greyhound, they can go either way. I've seen one that I would have sworn was a mastif and not a Dane, but the line just leaned that way.

Of course this is all JMO ... I'm not an expert by any means!;-)

Janet
Gunner's Mom

[Zoeys Mom]

>My little girl will be one year on Thursday, April 10th.
>Just last month she was at the vet and weighed no more than
>80lbs.

How tall is she?

Zoey is 32" and only 105lbs on a good day. She did not hit 100 lbs until well after a year old. On the other hand my Diesel is already over 60 lbs, only 4 months old, and looks thin!

[caila]

I can't really say how tall Macaila is, we haven't measured her.
I think I will do that.
Your replys do make me feel better, for the longest time I thought she'd never grow. But as we all know they are individuals just like us.
Thanks.

[Sharky]

Lori, JoJo (Tigger's brother) is about 120 pounds but only 27" at the withers. He is a stocky little man!!! Tyla who is 17 months old weighs in at only 105 pounds and is 33" at the the withers. Tyla has always been ALL leg and thin.

I would suggest that you contact breeders and look at their danes and their lines and that will give you a better idea of what size dane you will end up with in the long run. Good luck in your search for a playmate for Tigger!! I know that when our two are separated they get really depressed and lonely. They have become such great friends.

[Eileen]

Gypsy will be 1 on 4/17. She is somewhere between 31" and 32" and weighs 110 pounds. She is solid muscle. (DAMN! I once could say that about my weight, but that was many moons ago... x( )

[Tracytj]

Justice is 145 pounds and 32 inches at the shoulder. He's a five year old black male and very thick and muscular. He has the thicker build of the european danes.

He's the biggest dog most people have ever seen and they gape when I say that he is actually pretty small for a male dane.

Justice is big enough--he already creaks and cracks in the morning and we work hard at keeping him active, fit, and at a correct weight. He thinks he's starving, of course. :7

Tracy

[Brindle baby]

Well, here is the good old height and weight chart to refer too. Your dane does seem to be on the small side. http://www.flash.net/~dby/ht&wt.htm I also want to add that (not anything specifically directed towards anyone)if bred correctly danes will look like danes not mastiffs or greyhounds. Good breeding is the key to getting a dane that looks like a dane. I have seen quite a few "danes" that we from the infamous BYBs that looked like one extreme or the other.

http://groups.msn.com/DedicatedtoDanes/brindlebabyhavoc.msnw?Page=1

[Mira]

Mira is going to be 7mths old on April 9 and is 30" at the withers and is 70#'s. And she is not skinny by any means. She is going to be more leggy and petite than other Danes. Her dam is 34" and 140# and her sire is 37" and 170#. So you never know how big they will be. I dont care how big Mira gets as long as she is healthy.

Apollo on the other hand is 5yrs old and is 34" and is 130# (he is also about 20# underweight.)I measured his chest the other day and it is 38"!!! He is more of the european Dane. He has the huge head, huge chest, and looks more mastiff type.

[danesR_us]

I think different lines grow at different paces,like mine who grow up first and then out,it is a constant battle to keep them from looking too thin,all the boys were 33"by 7 months and still growing,their mother had reached maturity by 1 yr,always in great confirmation,but the father took a full 2 yrs, my other male from european lines has filled out and I'm still waiting for his height to catch up.Just keep in mind,it takes a dane 2 years to reach maturity and then some.I just got an update on the only female from that litter,10 months old,33" and 127 pds,I want her back!;8

[danesR_us]

The biggest dane I ever saw(only in a pic) was BMW's Lepprechaun.41 1/4 inches,234 pds and a 54" chest.I hear he was a real sweetheart.I have a pic of him and he is huge!

[Dandidane]

When we met our now year old Dane Tundra he was five weeks old.
Just for a visit he came home at eight weeks. His last weight
was 145.5 and he ia 34 plus. Tundra was from a litter of four,
it was a first litter and he was The Runt.
Tundra's build I would describe as massive.
He doesn't overeat and gets plenty of exercise and is still growing. His feet are twice the size of Quinn's.

Compared to Quinn who looks fragile in comparison at 122lbs.
Quinn is 4 the same height and only weighed 118 lbs the day we
brought him home. Quinn has much more the look of a sleek
greyhound Tundra's size was right in the middle of the average
size on the Dane growth chart. At around nine months he jumped to the year old average. Tundra may be closer to the 155 mark by now.

Tundra came from a Harl background. He is about 50% white the other half is merle with large black patches.

Diana and Tundra and Quinn

[Cujasky]

Your current dane still has plenty of time to grow, as he's only 6 months and they grow for at least 2 years, if not more.
The thing about getting a "huge" dane(not like they are tiny to begin with) is that being overly huge can cause stress on the animal, leading to health problems, bone and joint problems, heart problems, etc. You should probaby look for a breeder who has danes that are of the standard with health testing, rather than worrying about size.

[jaykimsue]

When you measure a dogs chest,?
What is the correct procedure, ?
Where exactly would you place the tape measure,?

I dont mean to sound stupid,
I would presume you would place it snuggly around the chest in a similar fashion to what we do,

I have never measured a dogs chest before, so are there any tips,

I have to know this as I always try and cheat when I measure my own chest ;-)
Susan and Jonah :)

[Carolyn]

I understand how size can be a motivating factor in purchasing a Dane, but remember with that comes other issues that be fall them more so than the average or smaller danes.
Issues such as HOD and Pano, plus the fact that they "age" faster. A 38" 200lb dane will be "old" by 6yrs old. For the companion owner these are pretty important things to consider.
If your looking for a bigger than average dane, look to a reputable breeder known for producing this, but even these breeders will not guarantee the full height/weight of what a puppy will be as an adult.
One other thing I have found thru the years is how "breeders" exagerate the size of their dogs. Time and time again, I have seen dogs that are no where close to be their "advertised" size.
Carolyn
Divine Acres Great Danes

[jlr07]

We measured Morgan last night. I was amazed that she was 32 1/2 inches. She has had a growth spurt over the past several months, she is now 10 months. Last time I measure her she was 28 1/2 inches. She has not been weighed recently, but was last 105 lbs. Since her spay, she is starting to fill out a little bit, but is still thin and her some of her ribs are showing.

Jennifer and Morgan

[Tracytj]

At the vet on Tuesday, Justice weighed in at 138 pounds (he's only 32 inches tall) and the vet agrees with my opinion that he is in tiptop shape. He's five and can still run like the wind, sproing around waiting for dinner, jump onto the bed, jump higher than my head for a ball, and easily navigate our steep steps.

The vet made my day when he said that Justice is very healthy and, barring anything awful popping up, he should be around for a good long time yet. :o :7

...and he's still huge to everyone else...

Tracy

[kahluadanes]

LOL, I have to agree with Tess, I wish my height and weight matched and that I had that "lean", "leggy" look. Ah at one time...... but like she said that was many moons ago, BK (before kids):(

Cheyanne is 4 and she was always leggy and lean until she hit 3 years old. (at 2 she was 132lbs and 36") now she is 152lbs and of course still 36". She looks real good, neither too fat nor too thin. Her size matches her bone structure.
Hailey is 11 months. She just had another growth spurt and is now 33" and weighs 100lbs. She is very leggy and she is lean, but not ultra skinny. She is built more petite bone structure wise then Cheyanne.
Cheyanne's dad is 38" and 185 -190lbs and her mom is 36" and 160lbs.
Hailey's dad is 39" and 200lbs and her mom is 37" and 165 -170lbs.Both of Cheyannes parents had the bigger bone structure, Hailey's dad has the bigger structure while her mom is a bit more petite.

Dale

[Carolyn]

<<Cheyanne's dad is 38" and 185 -190lbs and her mom is 36" and 160lbs.
Hailey's dad is 39" and 200lbs and her mom is 37" and 165 -170lbs.Both of Cheyannes parents had the bigger bone structure, Hailey's dad has the bigger structure while her mom is a bit more petite.>>

YIKES Dale. Those are huge danes (especially the bitches). I hardly would consider Haileys mom (37" tall 165lbs) anything close to petite <LOL>!!
Seriously though, I would enjoy seeing pictures of these danes. Do you own the parents? Are the parents European? Is a website available?
I have a bitch that is 34" tall, and 160.5 <G> pounds (I just weighed her at the vet) and she is by far, at almost every show I enter, the biggest bitch in the ring. If fact some (all breeder) judges dont quite know what to do with her, but the breeder judges love her. I cant imagine the dogs your describing.
Carolyn
Divine Acres Great Danes

[Zoeys Mom]

Everyone loves her! At least I do.;-)

[EdgeWater]

My boy, who turned 10 mos on Sunday the 6th, is weighing in at over 140 pounds and is 35 1/2 in tall.
He is STILL a very slender and lanky pup and will fill out MUCH more before he his done.
He is well bred and has a Large(tall) daddy.

My Harle, who came from a BYB, in comparison, is larger BONED, but at almost two, is 32 inches tall and about 135.........

They all grow differently, and honestly , size is the LAST thing that crossed my mind when looking for a nice dane.

My girl, a deaf white, at almost 2, is a petite 28 in and 95 pounds.
ALL dane, but in a smaller package....


EdgeWater Great Danes
Melissa & The Kritters
Petey,Maverick,Morrigan,Dewey
Others.......~~ :)

[kahluadanes]

Yes they are big Danes. I had met Cheyannes Uncle and Dad before she was ever conceived and I even owned Danes at the time and I was awestruck. They were big Danes!! I didn't see her mom until I bought Chey other then a picture. Her height didn't throw me for the same loop as her dads did. As far as weight she was a big girl, but then Chey just got weighed at the vets and she's 152 so not a big difference.
Haileys dad when I heard his height and weight i was sceptical because there just aren't alot of Danes that tall, but I was a believer when I saw him.Chey is 36" and he was definately taller then her!! He is a big boy bone structure wise too. Her mom isn't petite in her size/weight but in bone she is slighter boned.
Hailey is Calico Rock, Deer Run, Gentle Giant lines and Chey is Calico Rock.
I don't own either of my girls parents but wish I did. They are sweet dogs and nice looking dogs as well.
Dale

[PC CHIC 1]

My Hemi was about 90lbs at 1 year old. Being a female we knew she would be small and really expected her to put on a few more pounds before reaching 18 months. So far at 17 months she is a whopping 98 pounds. She is tall, lean and healthy. She chased down a greyhound at the dogpark, so she is DEFINITELY healthy.
On Belle's second visit to the vet at 3 months old, I had the vet pull out Hemi's records to see how Belle was matching up. Not surprisingly, Belle was twice as big as Hemi at that age. She continued to be much bigger month to month as what Hemi was. Right now at 7 monts old Belle is about 1 inch shorter than Hemi, but weighs about 5 pounds more. Needless to say we expect that Belle will be much, much bigger than Hemi. I am guessing around 130-140+ pounds when all is said and done.
Was just commenting to the hubby the other day about their great difference in size/weight.

Shannon
With one dane, my friends THOUGHT I was crazy, with two they KNOW

[Moosedog]

My black pup Velvet is about 5 1/2 months old, 26" at the shoulder and 60 pounds at her last weigh-in. She looks thin but not unhealthy and has a good appetite. I saw both her nother and father at the breeder's place. The mother was a tall and narrow fawn/ black mask. The father was an incredibly large harlequin. I don't know their exact measurments.

Oh I forgot to mention that she was one of 11 pups in the litter and seemed similar in size to her three sisters that were still there.

[Whinnys_Mommy]

Whinny will be 11mo. on May 2nd and she is 29.5-30in. and 95lbs. I hope she gets bigger, but I love her to death and it doesn't really matter as long as she's healthy. I hope these posts give you an idea on different sizes.



Whinny's Mommy
(Jamie)
http://www.PictureTrail.com/jneveaux

[SixstarDanes]

Phoenix [i[(who is a full sister to Whinny)[/i]
will be turning 2 this weekend and she's 33" tall.
I'd guess she weighs in around 120-130lbs...

Her litter brother, Eagle, is 35" and
I'm guessing weighs 150-160lbs.

Mom is 32" and normally weighs around 130lbs
Dad is 35 1/2" and weighs 145-150lbs

[rock_girl]

My harl girl is 1.8 yrs old, 34" at the withers, and 110#. She is not at all overweight. In fact, for a while I struggled to put some weight on her. She is very healthy and active, a regular little luna-tic. ;-)

Regarding dane size, the largest dane I ever saw was at our specialty show over easter weekend. He is a black, 3yrs, 40" at the withers, and 227#. Absolutely huge, he came up to my hip bones (I am 5'8") and was by far the clamest dane I have ever seen. Just so peaceful and ready to sit on your lap. LOL!! I really wish I could remember his name, as I spent about 20 min talking with his handler/owner. :-)

I totally agree with Carolyn. The larger the dane, the greater the risk for developing conditions related to that added size/bulk (this is true with any species). It would be very important while researching the breeder to check and double check the pedigree. See if any size related conditions developed at all (whether early or late in life). It might be worth while to get a handle for the life span. Is it reduced at all/much/not all for the particular line you are looking at. Finding a reputable breeder (runs appropriate tests, follows family genetics, keeps tabs on family, proves dogs among peers, etc...) whom you can communicate with is absolutely essential.

Good Luck!

[MuchAdo]

>How big a dane are you looking for? If you want a larger
>dane, go with the harl family or fawn/brindle. Typically,
>blues and blacks are slightly smaller (the very reputable
>breeder I plan on acquiring my next black dane from told me
>this).

Size depends on genetics, not color. Right now there are some VERY tall blues and blacks out there, dogs that easily outstrip the f/br in the ring. Louis (Ch Longo's Endless Gossip) has been used heavily for the last few years, and he makes tall, tall Danes. My Lucy's dad (black from black/blue, similar lines to Louis) is a true 38", close to 39", and is the biggest dog I have come in contact with.

What I think may be true is that your breeder might be in an area where one or two blue/black breeders have bred everything in the ring. Some breeders do have a reputation for more moderate dogs in terms of height and weight. But that's the breeder's preference and it would be the same if there were only one or two fawn breeders in a particular area--it's not that blues and blacks are normally smaller than the other colors.

On the east coast (can't say about the others) the harls are typically going to be a little heavier boned and more substantial than the fawns and brindles, but height is about the same.

Joanna Kimball
Much Ado Danes
muchadodanes@direcway.com