New to danes new to DOL have questions

[bemind]

Hi I am a new dane owner I have a 3mo. old harlequin dane named scooby. I did not do any research about what to look for when purchasing a dane and I am very worried about his joints. Are their joints extremely sensitive, should I not play tug with him or am I just an over protective mommy? :'( If any one has any comments or advice I would love to hear about your danes and experiences.:)

[margie1105]

Hi and welcome! You will learn a TON here. I am sure that many other more experienced Dane owners will respond to you...I've only had my girls for 6 months. Yes, their joints are suseptible (sp?) to injury, however, they still need to play. I supplement with glucosamine MSM with chondroitin for joint support.

[Douja1009]

As a dane puppy owner, the first thing to do is not feed puppy food. DO NOT FEED PUPPY FOOD. Get an adult food with 23% protein levels or lower. NO calcium supplements. Vitamin C is also a good supplement to get the pup on as well as the other things mentioned in the reply posted before mine. All these things will help prevent him from growing to fast (lower protein = slower growth rate and less stress on the bones and joints) and ensure healthier bones as he/she grows. Good Luck with your new dane baby!

[ClassyTassy]

Hello and welcome!!!

Yes, their joints are sensitive due to the extreme rate of growth they go through, and their size. Please review the DIET and HEALTH AND WELFARE forums. If you have any specific questions, post them there for immediate help.

You will likely want to spend a lot of time in the TRAINING AND BEHAVIOR forum as you will surely have many training issues. Everytime you blink, you baby will grow ~ or so it seems! 2-5 pounds per week and 1 inch every 2 weeks is what my Tassy did, it's amazing! :)

[Victoria]

Just wanted to add my welcome!

Lots of super great advice/info in the archives here... have helped me a LOT!!!

Bree's Photo Gallery
http://www.gdohosting.com/dolforum/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=19

[Pauline301]

Hi and Welcome to DOL. Besides learning a great deal of information here,another good place to learn about joint problems and feeding is www.greatdanelady.com.

"Acquiring a dog may be the only opportunity a human ever has to choose a relative." – Mordecai Siegal

Linda, Dave, Jesse, and Kitties, Cassie, Pekoe and Emma

http://sites.centralpets.com/mammals/yuccabean/personal.html

[tcleary]

I too, wanted to say WELCOME!
And to warn you that this place is very addicting! :+


~Tracy

http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4287867579