Adopt a Great Dane Picture: Kent and Donna Dannen Original function:guardian, hunting large game Average size of male:Ht: 30-32, Wt: 100-120 Average size of female:Ht: 28-30, Wt: 100-120 Other names:Deutsche dogge, German mastiff Friendliness towards other pets Great Dane Dogs Available on Petfinder Right Now See more available on Petfinder Watch Video About Great Dane Dogs Dogs 101: Great Dane Great Dane Dog Temperament The Great Dane is gentle, loving, easygoing and sensitive. She is generally good with children (although her friendly overtures may overwhelm a small child) and usually friendly toward other dogs and pets. She is powerful but sensitive and responsive to training. She makes a pleasant, well-mannered family companion. Great Dane Dog Care The Great Dane needs daily moderate exercise. Her needs can be met with a good walk or romp. Despite her sturdy appearance, she is not suited to living outdoors and is best suited to dividing her time between indoors and out.

Inside, she needs soft bedding and sufficient room to stretch out when sleeping. Some tend to drool. Coat care is minimal. Great Dane Dog Health Major concerns: gastric torsion, CHD, cardiomyopathy Minor concerns: CVI (wobbler's syndrome), cataract, elbow dysplasia, osteosarcoma, OCD, HOD Occasionally seen: glaucoma, vWD Suggested tests: cardiac, elbow, hip, eye, blood Life span: 6-8 years Dogs Related to the Great Dane Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Interested in the history of the Great Dane dog breed? Dubbed the "Apollo of Dogs," the Great Dane is probably the product of two other magnificent breeds, the old English mastiff and the Irish wolfhound. Her ancestors were used as war dogs and hunting dogs; thus, her ability as a fearless big-game hunter seemed only natural. By the 14th century, these dogs were proving themselves as able hunters in Germany, combining speed, stamina, strength and courage in order to bring down the tough wild boar.

The noble dogs became popular with the landed gentry not only because of their hunting ability but also because of their imposing yet graceful appearance. They made gracious additions to any estate. British people familiar with the breed first referred to Great Danes as German boarhounds. Exactly when and why the breed was later dubbed the Great Dane is a mystery because, although undeniably great, she is not Danish. She is a German breed, and in 1880 German authorities declared that the dog should only be referred to as the Deutsche dogge, the name by which she still goes in Germany. The English paid no heed, and the old name stuck for the English-speaking world. By the late 1800s, the Great Dane had come to America. She quickly attracted attention, as she does to this very day. The breed has since achieved great popularity in spite of some of the difficulties that owning a giant dog entails. Shelters with Great Dane Dogs Some animal welfare organizations with Great Danes ready for adoption:

The top of the page are the dogs that have been waiting the longest. Scroll down to see all dogs available, or jump to the bottom to see the newest rescues. Looking for someone in particular? Try the search box below.The Beast will Soon Emerge; About six months and 100 pounds ago.  Photo by Mike Fiddleman/ (all rights reserved).photo by by Nick Cavanagh (NJClicks) on Flickr (use permitted with attribution).Auto Dimming Rear View Mirror Fixphoto by Jon Hurd (Laertes) on Flickr (use permitted with attribution).Next Purple Butterfly Curtains Great dane with fawn coat; Harbour Outdoor Furniture Sale: (GNU Free Documentation license Version 1.2 or later). Great Dane in motion; photo by Nemo's Great Uncle on Flickr (noncommercial use permitted with attribution / share alike).

South African filmmaker Dave Meinert wasn't sure how long Pegasus the Great Dane would have when he took her home. She had some bad prospects, due to her breed, compounded by her specific provenance -- people Meinert describes as irresponsible breeders, who'd produced pups especially prone to health problems, including deafness and blindness. "Most of her siblings died," he told The Huffington Post. Being a filmmaker, Meinert documented his and Pegasus' early time together in this time-lapse video showing her shoot up with an astonishing rapidity during those first five months of life. It's gorgeous and melancholic, and without knowing Pegasus was still alive -- put away the tissues; she is -- you'd be a blubbering mess at the end. What you can't see is what happened once the camera stopped rolling. Which is even more powerful. Pegasus got an even bigger love, with a new best friend who's a fellow Great Dane. She got a new home, with a person who adores her, while being too aware that their time together may be brief and hard.

A person who wants to show the world how heartbreaking careless dog breeding can be. Pegasus and her best friend Luna. Meinert took Pegasus home about a year and a half ago. Pegasus was sick at the time, with diarrhea and skin allergies, among other conditions. Meinert bought her anyway. It was "a way for me to be sure she'd be looked after," he said to Fast Company, one of dozens of news outlets to report on the time-lapse video in the last week. "For me, she had already been born -- nothing was going to change that. By rescuing her, at least I could be certain that she wouldn't be discarded." He made that incredibly moving film -- called The Pegasus Project -- to document their time together. For it, Meinert took the same photo of Pegasus nearly every day for five months. They're tied together in the video as a way of "recording and celebrating all her healthy days left," he says. But Pegasus wasn't totally healthy, even after surviving the puppyhood you've seen.

Meinert worried his erratic work schedule was making her digestive problems, in particular, worse. So he let it be known in the Great Dane rescue community that he needed someone to care for Pegasus while he got into a more stable situation. Monique Burrows, a teacher who's active with dog rescue, offered to take her in, first as a foster, and soon after that on a permanent basis. Having fostered many dogs with medical issues, Burrows felt comfortable handling whatever might arise. "The very first moment she arrived she was comfortable and happy," says Burrows. She was especially thrilled to see Pegasus and her other Dane, Luna, quickly become inseparable. "It's like their souls had met in a previous life and they were merely catching up," she says. But all isn't easy. Pegasus is a big, charming dog with a big, charming personality. But there's still the issue of her health. Burrows says Pegasus is now partially blind, and her vision may get worse.

She's also lost some of her hearing, and has low-functioning kidneys. Her back legs have been collapsing when she runs. The vet is looking into all of it. "She really is such a sweet dog, though. Her new trick is to attempt to sit on my lap when I am on the loo," says Burrows. Pegasus doesn't mind waking up to a face full of kisses. Meinert misses Pegasus, but thinks he did right by the dog. "It’s hard when you can’t look after a dog anymore. At the same time, she suffered no stress," Meinert says. He's also happy, that Pegasus has found a home where she is stable, and taken care of -- and that he has this video of their time together. "I didn’t know how long it was going to last. I still don’t," he says. "Rather than dwell on the negatives about her life, I decided to make a record of the healthy days, as a way to celebrate them." Burrows herself feels conflicted about the video. On the one hand, she likes watching Pegasus grow, and hopes Pegasus' popularity will bring awareness about Great Dane rescue in South Africa.