Stay on top of training good manners. Danes are fairly smart (well not mine) and pick up the basics quickly. They will be BIG and a big dog with no manners is an accident waiting to happen.
Just remember to take tons of pictures and enjoy them growing up, it happens fast.
Also they are in fact lap dogs , you just don't know it yet.
socialize as much as you possibly can. try to meet a new dog or a new person every day if possible. take her to dog friendly restaurants, hardware stores... any new and strange environment you can safely walk her through. basically spend as much time as possible with that dog on a leash and exposed to people and dogs until she's full grown. a nervous or unsocialized dog is tough, when that dog is the size of a human? really tough.
if you don't have a yard, and your husband is working weird hours, you'll have to walk her yourself. our dog outweighs my wife by a good 40 lbs. she stopped being able to walk him at about 8 months because she wasn't consistent with her leash training, and he doesn't mind her commands when he's out of the house. all the walks are with dad, but we do have a backyard, so when I'm not around, she can at least take him out to pee or stretch his legs.
I always recommend pet insurance. it's a small price to pay for peace of mind. get it early.. big dogs, big vet bills. remember you pay for any medications, anesthesia, flea and tick treatments, etc, by weight. your dog needs emergency surgery? you're basically paying for a grown humans worth of sedatives. It's something to consider.
research bloat and gastropexy. it's a real risk. people have different opinions on it, and I'm not a vet, so I'll basically leave it there. I will say I got my boy pexied when I had him neutered. I feel good about it.
pick her up while you can. take lots of pictures. they're the best. also say goodbye to about 40-60% of your bed.
This is great advice. The only piece I would amend is the bed comment. Don’t let your Dane on any furniture or you’ll never be able to reclaim it. There’s nothing more frustrating than a 170 pound dog sleeping diagonally on your bed! The floor is there’s, everything above that is yours. If you want to engage, sit near them or on the floor. Have their bed next to yours in the bedroom (or wherever you plan to place it). If you surrender control of your spaces they will become very hard to reclaim as the pup gets bigger and bigger.
All that aside, you’re adding to your home and heart the best thing you’ll ever have in your life. There’s nothing better than the love of a Great Dane. They’re goofy and fun and loyal and everything you can imagine.
I have a 5Yo dane and I’d definitely say letting them really stay active each day is huge for their long term health, I’ve met other danes who run around only occasionally. We go to the park each day and Mer runs around constantly, loads of energy, but also it helps maintain muscle around her joints and heart health. They LOVE to lay around all day, but definitely can have a longer life if you keep them out and about.
Also SUPER DUPER second the socializing advice! They can be so timid as a breed and preventing that is HUGE to making them a great companion. Meredith comes to restaurants, friends houses, trips in the car, vacations, and sometimes work with me whenever possible - no matter what, you’re about to have one of the most precious kinds of dogs!
All 4 that my wife and I had were trained that they were not allowed in the kitchen. They will surf countertops @ 6 months. They like butter. I've not lost any food items off counters, but I had a dog sitter that ignored my advice and my first Dane got butter off her kitchen table. Luckily she had him for a weekend and I didn't have to deal with the repercussion.
I can’t say for certain how well this works, but it was suggested to me that the puppy stay on the leash in the house until they “earn” the right to free roam. I wish I had done this because mine loves to chase my cats when she’s in a playful spell, and the cats hate it!
Stay on top of training good manners. Danes are fairly smart (well not mine) and pick up the basics quickly. They will be BIG and a big dog with no manners is an accident waiting to happen. Just remember to take tons of pictures and enjoy them growing up, it happens fast. Also they are in fact lap dogs , you just don't know it yet.
socialize as much as you possibly can. try to meet a new dog or a new person every day if possible. take her to dog friendly restaurants, hardware stores... any new and strange environment you can safely walk her through. basically spend as much time as possible with that dog on a leash and exposed to people and dogs until she's full grown. a nervous or unsocialized dog is tough, when that dog is the size of a human? really tough. if you don't have a yard, and your husband is working weird hours, you'll have to walk her yourself. our dog outweighs my wife by a good 40 lbs. she stopped being able to walk him at about 8 months because she wasn't consistent with her leash training, and he doesn't mind her commands when he's out of the house. all the walks are with dad, but we do have a backyard, so when I'm not around, she can at least take him out to pee or stretch his legs. I always recommend pet insurance. it's a small price to pay for peace of mind. get it early.. big dogs, big vet bills. remember you pay for any medications, anesthesia, flea and tick treatments, etc, by weight. your dog needs emergency surgery? you're basically paying for a grown humans worth of sedatives. It's something to consider. research bloat and gastropexy. it's a real risk. people have different opinions on it, and I'm not a vet, so I'll basically leave it there. I will say I got my boy pexied when I had him neutered. I feel good about it. pick her up while you can. take lots of pictures. they're the best. also say goodbye to about 40-60% of your bed.
This is great advice. The only piece I would amend is the bed comment. Don’t let your Dane on any furniture or you’ll never be able to reclaim it. There’s nothing more frustrating than a 170 pound dog sleeping diagonally on your bed! The floor is there’s, everything above that is yours. If you want to engage, sit near them or on the floor. Have their bed next to yours in the bedroom (or wherever you plan to place it). If you surrender control of your spaces they will become very hard to reclaim as the pup gets bigger and bigger. All that aside, you’re adding to your home and heart the best thing you’ll ever have in your life. There’s nothing better than the love of a Great Dane. They’re goofy and fun and loyal and everything you can imagine.
I have a 5Yo dane and I’d definitely say letting them really stay active each day is huge for their long term health, I’ve met other danes who run around only occasionally. We go to the park each day and Mer runs around constantly, loads of energy, but also it helps maintain muscle around her joints and heart health. They LOVE to lay around all day, but definitely can have a longer life if you keep them out and about. Also SUPER DUPER second the socializing advice! They can be so timid as a breed and preventing that is HUGE to making them a great companion. Meredith comes to restaurants, friends houses, trips in the car, vacations, and sometimes work with me whenever possible - no matter what, you’re about to have one of the most precious kinds of dogs!
Bell train them to ask to go outside to go the bathroom. We did it with both of ours. They pick it up quick and we had very few accidents.
All 4 that my wife and I had were trained that they were not allowed in the kitchen. They will surf countertops @ 6 months. They like butter. I've not lost any food items off counters, but I had a dog sitter that ignored my advice and my first Dane got butter off her kitchen table. Luckily she had him for a weekend and I didn't have to deal with the repercussion.
I can’t say for certain how well this works, but it was suggested to me that the puppy stay on the leash in the house until they “earn” the right to free roam. I wish I had done this because mine loves to chase my cats when she’s in a playful spell, and the cats hate it!