Great Golden Dane Basics
If you want a gentle giant with a soul of a puppy, Great Golden Dane will be your furry soulmate. These designer dogs are mixes between Golden Retriever and the Great Dane. The combination of these purebreds created a dog that is smart, friendly dog with a kind temperament. Not unlike its parents, this hybrid can be energetic and lively, which means that a home with a big fenced yard is a better choice for them than a studio apartment in the city.
Both the Dane and the Golden tend to get along with respectful, older children, but due to their imposing size and rambunctious behavior, they should be supervised during play. All that jumping around could end up in a few bruises! The Great Golden Dane is a perfect companion for singles who want a devoted, cuddly pooch by their side. If socialized on time, this designer dog breed is a good match for multi pet household, too. They tend to get along cats and dogs both.
A Great Golden Dane is a good choice for active families and singles who live in a house with a big yard.
Origin
It is rare to come upon a designer dog breed whose origin is under a veil of mystery. In all honesty, the main reason is that it’s still hard to determine when these hybrid dogs ceased to be just a product of “accidents” and became a result of intentional breeding efforts. The Great Golden Dane is the same. While it’s highly likely that this breed came to be somewhere in the United States in the period of last two decades, there is no way to know it for sure.
On the other hand, the purebred parents boast a long history. The Golden Retriever originated in 18th century Scotland- it was created to be a hunting dog. Similarly, the Great Dane was developed by Germans for boar hunting. Today, though, both of these dog breeds have evolved to be true companion dogs, and the same role suits their offspring.
Pedigree
To obtain pedigree papers for your puppy, you need to be able to document its lineage, proving the purity of the breed several generations prior. Additionally, their breed has to be recognized by the American Kennel Club. Unfortunately, none of the hybrid dogs are recognized by this prestigious canine organizations. The Great Golden Dane is no different, which means these puppies won’t have official pedigree papers. In fact, considering how rare these dogs are, it’s more likely that you’ll find one in a shelter, than with a breeder.
Nevertheless, there are Great Golden Dane breeders out there, and those who are responsible and reputable will know the family tree of their puppies. Just because designer dogs can’t get that piece of paper doesn’t mean that you can’t know more about their ancestry. After all, both of the parental breeds are in good standing with the AKC and will have their own pedigrees.
Food/Diet
Dogs are omnivores, and as such, they require a diverse, well-balanced diet. Their meals should contain proteins, carbs, as well as essential vitamins and minerals. A good diet is crucial for their proper development in early stages of life, and to support their overall health as they age. For your Great Golden Dane pet, choose a high-quality dry food for large dogs. Additionally, opt for a kibble blend that’s appropriate for their current age (puppy, adult, senior) and activity level.
Some pet owners prefer to keep their dogs on a raw diet or prepare them home-cooked meals. While these are legitimate choices. in both of these cases, it’s essential to consult a veterinary nutritionist before you make the switch. It will ensure that you’re meeting your pet’s dietary needs.
The Great Golden Dane is among extra large dog breeds, which means they’ll need larger quantities of food than your average pooch. However- don’t let this be an excuse to go overboard with delicacies. Overfeeding your pet will quickly lead to weight gain. In turn, this will cause health issues such as diabetes or joint inflammation.
For your Great Golden Dane pet, choose a high-quality dry food for large dogs.
Training
This Great Dane and Golden Retriever mix is quite easy to train. Owing to its unusual heritage, these designer dogs boast an easy-going attitude, impressive intelligence, and a people-pleasing mentality. This combination ensures they pick up new commands and tricks with ease! Granted, if your approach is wrong, you might just steer their stubborn streak and deter them from wanting to learn. To make sure your Great Golden Dane learns its manners, use positive reinforcement training methods. Once treats and praise are mixed in the training process, the results come much faster. Go figure, huh?
While these hybrid dogs are usually friendly and laid-back, they can become a bit bossy, especially towards other dogs. To prevent that, make sure they get timely socialization, nurture their obedience and encourage them to play fair with other canines.
Weight
In case you haven’t already realized, the word ‘Great’ in this breed’s name doesn’t stand just for their personality. These mixed breed dogs are quite large! Of course, all designer dogs can be quite unpredictable when it comes to their appearance, and the Great Golden Dane is no different. On average, these dogs weigh between 75 to 140 pounds. Whether your pooch is closer to the smaller or larger size will depend on which parent they favor, and their sex- females weigh less than males.
Temperament/Behavior
Most of the time, the Great Golden Dane is not aware of its size. These giant dogs will try to get in your lap, get the zoomies, or insist on snuggling next to you: like they weigh 10 pounds and not a few times that. Nevertheless, this is just one of the many traits that make these hybrids so lovely! Great Golden Dane is a real gentle giant, with a big heart and sweet nature. They’re also very smart and curious, and you’ll be surprised by their playful personality!
These canines might look like dangerous watchdogs, but in reality, they’re just gigantic doofuses who will wag their tail for anyone who wants to pet them. The mix of Great Dane and Golden Retriever is naturally quite good with children, but due to their imposing size, it’s better if the kids are older.
Extremely loyal and devoted to their owners, the Great Golden Dane is the epitome of canine commitment. These pooches will always be by your side, whether it’s to go on a hike or have a Netflix marathon in your bed.
Common Health Problems
In the world of designer dogs, one of the things you’ll hear frequently is the term hybrid vigor. This relates to the belief that crossbreeding different purebred dogs leads to fewer hereditary health issues and improves the overall health of the mixed breed offspring. Although it’s impossible to claim this without a large-scale study to back it, there are some cases where it happened to be true.
For the Great Golden Dane, a lot will depend on the parent they take up after. Some of the common health issues that can be expected for this mixed breed dog are dog bloat (much more dangerous than it sounds), congenital heart issues and illnesses, and hip dysplasia.
As a large breed dog, Great Golden Dane can develop joint and bone issues with age. To counter this, include suitable supplements and vitamins that will help postpone or prevent issues such as osteoarthritis.
Life Expectancy
For most designer dog breeds, especially those that are rare like the Great Golden Dane is, most of the information we have is based on what their parents are like. The same is true for the lifespan. Sadly for the Great Golden Dane, this means that their life expectancy is not that impressive- owing to the Dane’s short lifespan. You can expect this designer dog to live anywhere between 8 to 10 years. Everything above that is a big blessing!
Exercise Requirements
In general, large dogs require more exercise than their petite relatives. While the same can be said for the Great Golden Dane, these designer dogs are far from being high-maintenance. Yes, your new pet will love to play and go on walks, but they’ll be perfectly happy to snuggle with you afterward. In general, you could say that Great Golden Dane has moderate activity requirements. Even so, these large canines are not the best fit for apartments. They need space and would benefit from having a secure backyard to play in. Circa 45 minutes of daily activity will make sure they are happy and healthy.
There’s one important thing to note about this Retriever and Dane mix, too. Not unlike most dogs, they have high energy levels while they’re young, but you shouldn’t let them overly exert themselves. Putting too much stress on the joints could exacerbate their tendency for arthritis issues and make them more vulnerable.
In general, you could say that Great Golden Dane has moderate activity requirements.
Recognized Clubs
As we already have mentioned, American Kennel Club and other official canine clubs do not recognize designer dog breeds. However, there are other, less known clubs and organizations that realize the popularity of designer dog breeds. In an effort to maintain certain breeding standards and help hybrid dogs become established, these groups offer recognition. One of those groups is The American Canine Hybrid Club, who recognizes the Great Golden Dane.
Coat
Due to significant differences in the coats of its parents, there are variations in the Great Golden Dane hair length and appearance. If your pet favors the Great Dane parent, the coat will be short. In case the genes of the Golden Retriever prevail, you can expect them to have medium length hair, sometimes wavy as well. Either way, you can expect your new pet to shed quite a bit, as both of his parents are prone to it as well. To minimize the amount of hair on your furniture and clothes, brush your Great Golden Dane every day. These hybrids don’t need frequents baths- use your nose to determine when to give them a scrubbing down.
The most common coat colors for this Golden Retriever and Great Dane mix are cream, white, black, blue, and brindle.
Puppies
Same as all dogs, Great Golden Dane puppies will be full of energy and mischief in their puppyhood. These large dogs will want nothing more than to run around, jump and play all the time! However, due to their fast-growing bones and large frame, it’s best to restrain your Great Golden Dane puppy and make sure they don’t overexert themselves. Additionally, you should make sure that they’re trained and socialized at an early age- you don’t want to have a dog who will misbehave later in life!
With its regal appearance and affectionate personality, the Great Golden Dane will have no problem charming you. However, you shouldn’t get one of these designer dogs purely because you think they’re beautiful. They do have a few requirements and needs you’ll need to meet, so don’t make a rash decision. A Great Golden Dane is a good choice for active families and singles who live in a house with a big yard.
Photo credit: Anna Hoychuk/Shutterstock; April Turner/Shutterstock
