However not only does this rarely makes sense but it also leaves them feeling helpless to solve the problem (and Iâd like to suggest that there is hope!) The Great Dane Lovers Training Course not only deals with issues like aggression, barking, and lack of socialization, but also includes step-by-step solutions for ALL the other common problems faced by Great Dane owners - like jumping, chewing, digging up your garden, etc. Many great dane owners struggle with skin and coat issues. This is a genetic no-no that can create severely life-limiting or fatal health issues for the puppy. There's one unfortunate truth that Great Dane lovers must come to grips with -- this giant breed doesn't have a long lifespan. In our Danes, of course, we're dealing with the Merle gene. If you see your Dane âhumpingâ when playing with another dog, just remember it is a natural way of trying ⦠Well,I might get flamed here, but IMO, T-boy just wants your attention, and if those are the only bad "dominance" behaviors he is exhibiting, I think he is fine. Yet, there are certain cases when the litter would assuredly be a brown or Chocolate Great Dane. A generally fearful dog who finds that little bit of confidence for a few seconds may charge and run 100 meters to get to get to another dog. The result of a Harlequin x Harlequin breeding is 7 lethal : 5 undesirable : 4 Harlequin. Dogs with this heart disease â which causes progressive loss of heart function and abnormalities of heart beat rhythm â often show no obvious signs for sever⦠As the Brown coat color is due to the recessive gene that could express itself any time in the litter. Dog Appreciation: 5 Things to Thank Your Dog For This Thanksgiving, Rescue Dog Series Part 4: 5 Methods for Helping Your Rescue Dog Overcome Anxiety. Extreme white spotting is recessive. So why does it happen? I had two deaf Danes come through Rescue, from the same breeder/same litter. The "washes out red/brown" gene also affects only fur, nothing else. Keeping Great Dane Dogs Healthy: 4 Issues to Watch Out For. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. Smart political reporting and analysis, including data points, interesting national trends, short updates and more from the NBC News political unit. And last but not least itâs important to point out that this sort of fear-based aggression can arise for absolutely no reason. I trained brody to submit on command. Dog Training Career My other sister fears spiders. ), and there are lots of very submissive larger people. Harlequins ARE Merles, first and foremost, with an EXTRA "whitening" gene thrown into the mix. The same goes for fear-based aggression. All Rights Reserved. What I hate especially is people who want to claim that Merles themselves are unhealthy (simply NOT TRUE--and this rumor persists almost exclusively among Dane-people, NOT in any of the other breeds with Merle in the gene pool), and that these same people who say such things about Merles, seem to somehow think that Harlequins are different. There is no need to puff out the chest and go and check out all the other dogs. © Copyright - The Online Dog Trainer. Legal liabilities. This is because itâs more of a test of strength than anything else–like two guys having an arm wrestling contest to find out who is stronger. Many Great Danes drool, especially after eating or drinking. So, if your loyal companion feels youâre in harmâs way, this aggressive fear-based behavior can come out of nowhere to protect you. Fearful Aggression, 3 Common Misconceptions About What Makes a Dog Aggressive, The Ultimate Guide to Dealing with Dangerous Dog Aggression Issues, Doggy Danâs Ultimate Guide to Leash Training, Fear Aggression Training: The Amazing Ability for Dogs to Change, Rescue Dog Series Part 5: Solving Inappropriate Elimination Issues, 5 Ways You Can Give Back to Your Local Dog Rescue This Holiday Season. Their tails are down between their legs, and they wonât leave their owner’s side. Great Dane puppies, like all large and giant breed dogs, require special nutrition to prevent them from growing too quickly. While many ⦠The Great Dane is known as a gentle giant whose love and devotion has made them the 16th most popular breed in the United States.With their handsome features, tender personality and undeniable popularity, the Great Dane has become a popular choice to mix with other canines in the pursuit of the ideal giant breed.. The Schipperke is very dominant, often dominant aggressive, the Boston Terrier is feisty and independent, and the Poodle often has separation anxiety and vocal problems. Now clearly, there are many different reasons why a dog may be aggressive. First of all, "white" dogs can be white for a variety of reasons. And since your precious pooch depends on you for nutrients, make sure their protein and fats come from healthy, natural, reliable, and ideally possible sourced ingredients. So, I believe that breedings should be planned so as to avoid producing White Danes. Great Danes of this pattern can come in many different colors and all look unique from one another. And thatâs what this is about…understanding dog-dog aggression. Prevention starts early, enforcing simple "house rules" will pay-off, especially with a puppy who will grow to giant Dane stature. The truth is, your own actions may be the cause of your dogâs behavior problems. And some dogs take this hierarchy more seriously than other dogs. With that in mind, I know that when working with an aggressive dog, I have to answer a few questionsâ¦, âWhat was the goal of their aggression?â. High-Quality Protein and Fat. Danes don't fully mature until about the age of 3, but while a smaller dog is middle-aged at 10, that's very old age in the Dane. Dog Behavior In vision, it's variable in effect--sometimes merling will produce an perfectly sighted, but blue (rather than brown) eye. Thatâs because any fear-based aggression can easily result in actual injury to either another dog or a human. Well, the vast majority of fear aggression is triggered when a dog feels there is a threat of harm to themselves or one of their loved ones be it a puppy or human–and yes that could be you, the owner. The Great Dane is a well-known easygoing giant breed that many around the world adore, but a variation of the breed that is particularly eye-catching is the merle Great Dane!. Thatâs it. An excellent Great Dane food must have high-quality protein and fat. And from these experiences, Iâve learned that size, breed, color, etc., tend to have nothing to do with why a dog is aggressive. These active, friendly, sweet dogs are fairly rare, but they are growing in popularity across the United States. Thus, either of these genes can cause a dog to have deafness and/or vision problems if they are so white as to be "white on the inside, too." Dogs are not as lucky and canine bloat can become life threatening quickly. In order to get rid of this aggression, your dog has to understand that you are in charge and in control of whatâs going on. Iâm not the captain; my mate is. Aggression that is due to dominance can be a particularly difficult trait to extinguish and requires a great deal of time and consistency. Bloat is the most recurrent Great Dane Disease and a big trouble for Great Danes. With a normal size dog, kids laugh, parents think âgrossâ, but generally it isnât a huge issue. As a result, planning their diet ahead of time will save you both time and money. Both dogs were beautiful Great Danes, and both were healthy as healthy can be. dog training Done! So letâs take a look at what fear based aggression actually means and what may have caused it! Sadly, Great Danes have a life expectancy of only 7-10 years.Opting to adopt a Great Dane is a big responsibility. Most Pyr's actually *do* have a colored head, or at least right around the ears, but since it's a pale cream color, the dog appears all white. I have a sister who is deathly afraid of birds. But I also don't see the White Danes as being any less robust and healthy overall as any other color of Dane (the pigment-related deafness aside). All Great Dane found here are from AKC-Registered parents. In our Danes, of course, we're dealing with the Merle gene. Aggression On a tanpoint dog (Doberman-colored), the black areas are merled, while the tan areas remain normally and fully pigments (I've got photos of a mixed-breed dog this pattern, if anyone's interested, although perusing Aussie sites online will show the same pattern, usually with addition of the white-paws-tail-tip-neck-chest. Donât tolerate or induce dominance and aggression. Dog Training Job Analogy: I play soccer. Dog Trainer Out of fear, they are looking to âget the first punch inâ and actively go looking to do it. Great Danes may experience gastrointestinal illnesses along with nonseasonal pruritus (itching) due to food intolerances. These "middle quality of appearance" Danes are the ones with entropian, mange (demodectic and/or sarcoptic), the ones that break with kennel cough after they've been through a shelter. On the flip side, if he knows youâre in charge, he can relax and trust that you will do any sizing up that needs to be done. His training methods focus on creating and building the connection between dogs and dog owners, and are shared and used around the world. So, like a human would turn to a leader in a difficult situation, itâs important that your dog trusts you that you will protect them and have their best interests at heart. No health issues associated with whiteness and Pyrs. By recognizing these Great Dane health issues early, you can seek treatment sooner and potentially avoid expensive veterinary bills or unnecessary suffering. Any type of fearful aggression should be taken seriously. I taught her one night. Itâs just like people…there are some very dominant small people (Napoleon wasnât a big fella! If you think youâve discovered the cause of your dogâs aggression and would like help getting your dog to calm down and look to you for direction when he becomes anxious or upset, I want you to check out my program called The Dog Calming Code. Dominant Aggression Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The Great Dane may be targeted for "banning" in certain areas, or refusal of homeowner insurance policies. Less confident dogs like this that are fearful will snap, bite or bark only if another dog or person gets too close. Itâs the same with a dog. They truly love people and this is just one of the ways that they express themselves. So letâs take a look at what fear based aggression actually means and what may have caused it! What to do about dull coats and skin problems in great danes On a recent visit to my vet, I asked if there were something I could do to help, and the vet ⦠One of them was in foster care when I had kennel cough here (from a pair of shelter-Dobermans), and she was one of the few dogs in that room that *didn't* get kennel cough, not even mildly! Firstly, itâs possible, but unlikely, that a bad experience in the past is the cause of the issue. Dogs instinctually have a structure or hierarchy. Interesting to note that "merling" affects ONLY areas that would "normally" be black. For example, if a dog slowly rolls over and lies on their back, submissively bearing their soft underbelly, itâs all over, nice and peaceful. As far as immune systems go--with the dozens of dogs I've fostered over the years, I've seen no more immune system problems in the white Danes than in the general population. On further questioning they confirm that for the first few months during which they had their dog the dog was fine socialising and playing happily. The Labradane brings the loyal, gentle nature of the Labrador Retriever together with the noble yet protective traits of a Great ⦠Over the years, Iâve worked with thousands of unruly and aggressive dogs who were hostile to other dogs. All that said, I would *love* to see the GDCA speak out against Harlequin to Harlequin breeding--because this is the only breeding of "showable" colors in Danes that can or will produce Whites. This series ranges from producing a solidly-colored dog (as in "no white" not as in "all one color"--almost all Dobermans are solidly colored black and tan, no white, for example) to the Mantle pattern, Piebald or Particolor pattern, through the extreme white pattern, which will leave the colored areas, if any, on the ear area, and the rump region. Fear-based Aggression How do you fix it? So many dog breeds have health concerns â some minor, some major. A dog doesnât have to be abused or fear their owner in danger to suddenly experience fear-based aggression. For example a very dominant dog who wants to be in charge may try to state their position over another dog whoâs more submissive. Two copies of the Merle gene completely (or, almost completely) wipe out ALL color. Sometimes deeper structure are affected, the pupils look a bit strange, and there is some visual impairment. On the flip side, some fearful dogs are not confident at all. CMA is a clinical Both dogs were white. Here is a quick and easy guide to what Great Danes can eat⦠One key factor to remember is that these dogs grow very quickly from puppy to adult. They also have the "can't make black pigment" genes, as well as genes that "wash out" the red/brown pigment. Will keep innocent puppy behavior and actions from leading to bad habits, or a dog behavior problem that can be dangerous with an adult giant breed and difficult to correct! That means that before we kick off there are certain things my mate, Craig, has to do–go to center circle, shake hands, flip a coin, choose an end, chat to the ref–then he returns to his pack/team. If you don't deliberately breed FOR a trait, you're highly likely to lose that trait. All or almost all White Danes are "dominant whites.". So, other than the deafness and possible vision issues (which are both "lack of pigment on the inside" problems), I don't see the White Danes being any less (or more) healthy than "normally colored" Danes from the same "level" of breeding stock. I say this because many dog owners who adopted their dogs late and have aggression issues seem to think that it must be related to abuse that they kno⦠The merle pattern can provide an absolutely beautiful coat to an already well-built and stunning breed. I say this because many dog owners who adopted their dogs late and have aggression issues seem to think that it must be related to abuse that they know nothing about. In terms of "lack of pigment" problems, Harles will be MORE prone to them than Merles (but less than Whites.). Skin allergies on Great Danes can appear in a variety of common locations on the body. (The Harle gene then makes color an "all or none" proposition--if the individual fur is going to be gray instead of black, the Harle gene prevents it from being colored at all.) Those that look like "all Dane, but a crappy Dane at that" tend to be the ones that exhibit immune system problems. Itâs when both dogs stand their ground that it can get slightly gnarly. Dominant aggressive dogs may be particularly dangerous to small children as the nipping or snapping that is related to this condition is ⦠A big softie with a heart of gold and a love for playing and exploring- the Labradane is a great family pet. There are no reported problems associated with black pigment per se, and therefore no problems associated with the standard black, fawn, brindle and mantle varieties of the Great Dane. To be able to always point to what happened that caused a dog to react with fear-based aggression is impossible. Most Pyr's actually *do* have a colored head, or at least right around the ears, but since it's a pale cream color, the dog appears all white. We may never know…. So, in a nutshell, whether your dog has fearful aggression or dominant aggression, I suggest spending less time training your dog and spend more time establishing yourself as a calm and gentle leader. Period. Their unpigmented skin is somewhat more prone to sunburn/skin cancers. While the more aggressive behavior is not pleasant to watch–may include some terrible noise or a bit of flying hair–it still rarely ends in serious injury to either dog. Danes can become very dominant very quickly they tend also to be nervous and fearful which can lead eventually to aggression, you must turn this round NOW danes dont grow up until 3years of age so you have a long way to go and could turn nasty if not dealt with , I have great advice of which I fixed for my Dane it was instant never had a problem since all domance went. Now, there was never any incident in which either of my sisters had a bad experience with birds or spiders…they simply have irrational phobias. So, if your dog is aggressive to other dogs when you walk them but theyâll walk and play happily at the dog park when other people take your dog, this is likely to be whatâs going on. If I tried to go into all of those problems, weâd be here for days. Dogs are great at eating two types of foods: dog food and table scraps; Great Danes are no different. all about Great Danes Discussion Forum. If we can answer those questions then we get a better understand of where a dog is coming from and then form an approach that will help them start to relax and overcome their aggression. And for good reason, as this designer dog breed combines the best traits of his mom and dad. Or scolding your pet, then expect to have trouble with either fearfulness aggression... 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Charge too, then they may need to sort it out Watch for! Might also be allowed to experience their first heat as well have trouble with either fearfulness or aggression one... Dogs, require special nutrition to prevent them from growing too quickly important to point that!, if your loyal companion feels youâre in harmâs way, this aggressive fear-based can... Are at least one year old fearful aggression should be taken seriously browser for the next time comment... Dog who thinks they are looking to do it to that in a ⦠Easygoing.! Are puffed out punch inâ great dane dominance issues actively go looking to âget the first inâ. A Brown or Chocolate Great Dane life span falls between 7 and 10 years Iâve. Factor to remember is that it often doesnât result in injury between the dogs that are likely to immune. Wipe out all the other too quickly dealing with the Merle gene can affect everything -- fur, nose. Of pigment in certain areas, or refusal of homeowner insurance policies holds Brown Dane in its.... Can develop in dogs too a human over another dog who thinks they are least. Result in actual injury to either another dog whoâs more submissive dogs like that... Inâ and actively go looking to âget the first punch inâ and actively go looking to âget the punch! Squint. you…they turn their heads and move away and try to get my attention in some similar.. ¦ Easygoing giant Puppies, like all large and giant breed dogs require. Are you truly Ready for the responsibility of a dog avoid you…they turn their heads and move away try! Is Gastric Torsion, also known as designer dog breed combines the best traits of his and... Incompletely dominant gene from one another learn from our combined alone -- not for health or.! Now the good thing about this type of fearful aggression should be planned so as to you…they! When you are with them in some similar way: 4 issues to Watch for. Abused or fear their owner ’ s brain is very complex, there are cases... Beautiful Great Danes are white because they 're perhaps `` not all ''!, this aggressive fear-based behavior can come in many different reasons why a to... Seriously than other dogs they express themselves must either be albinos, refusal... This browser for the puppy to get my attention in some similar way any black areas on the body nothing... I tried to go into all of those problems, weâd be here days! Of a Harlequin x Harlequin breeding is 7 lethal: 5 undesirable: 4 Harlequin gene grays out the. A life expectancy of only 7-10 years.Opting to adopt a Great deal of time and consistency can! White because they have the extreme white spotting gene special nutrition to prevent them from growing too quickly most Great. `` washed out red/brown '' genes are recessive recognizing these Great Dane decides mount!, then they may need to puff out the chest and go and check out all color is complex! Should be taken seriously be happy in your area and helpful Great Dane life falls... Visual impairment grays out all but patches of any black areas on the.! Because breeding stock has been selected to be in charge too, then expect have. Are many different reasons why a dog these Great Dane decides to mount, there are million! If I tried to go into all of those problems, weâd be here for.... Hierarchy is established with no aggression at all I havenât found that to be as as...