My husband and I have a great dane named Stevie.
She (yes, Stevie - after Stevie Nicks) is 2 years old. Clint and I have had so much fun, and so many laughs raising her so far.
The smartest decision we've made regarding Stevie was to have her stomach tacked.
Here's some great info from the Great Dane Club of America:
GDV: Bloat - is the number one killer of Great Danes & Great Danes are the #1 breed at risk for bloat. For reasons not fully understood, in certain deep-chested breeds in particular, the stomach distends, then has a tendency to rotate, which cuts off the blood supply to various parts of the body, as well as effectively shutting down digestion. This condition is extremely painful as well as a true emergency that is rapidly life threatening. A dog with a bloated, twisted stomach (technically called "Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus") will die in great pain in a matter of hours unless drastic steps are taken: surgery is normally necessary. The reasons for GDV are currently not understood, however most would agree that multiple small meals per day and preventing vigorous exercise around mealtimes can help reduce the chances of bloat. Many breeders and owners of Great Danes consider a surgery called a prophylactic gastropexy ("preventative tack") which can help prevent some of the more serious aspects of GDV.
We had Stevie's gastropexy done by our wonderful veterinarian Dr. Rocky at the time we had her spayed. Her recovery was pretty easy, and her scar is no longer visible. It makes me rest easy knowing that Stevie is highly unlikely to bloat while Clint and I are at work.
We don't have a traditional coffee table. Stevie's tail clears a table (or shelf for that matter) in 2 seconds flat. Here's our "coffee table" and we keep nothing on it.
Hard to tell from this picture, but it's a leather ottomon with storage.
Here's our kitchen table. It's extra tall - mainly because our dining area is small, but it's also too tall for Stevie's nose. Clint started training Stevie at a very early age, so she knows to stay out of the kitchen.
Counter tops are NOT safe for food. Although Stevie is well trained, she does have her moments. She has snuck pizza from the counter before. No food can be left out on the counter.
Great danes are so fun... she thinks she's so small.. she would sit on my lap if I let her. She is allowed on the couch, and occasionally sleeps in bed with me and the hubs. We have a king size bed or this would not be possible.
Start training on day 1. We got Stevie at 6 weeks old, and put her on a leash immediately. We took her as many places as we could, she is big and powerful, and the last thing we wanted was a big, powerful aggressive or skiddish dog.
Just for fun, here are a few Stevie pictures:
1st Bath
TuTu Stevie - First visit to our friend (and vet's house)
Scrunched up in the car :o)
Stevie loves to be outside - especially in the rain or snow. Here she's catching a snowball that Clint threw to her.
Sweet girl
I am by no means a Great Dane expert, but feel free to email or comment if you have questions - I'll do my best to answer or direct you to the right spot.
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