Does anyone have a great dane? are they good pets?

They are fun goofy dogs but get hip problems when they get old so vet bills get expensive.

I’ve never had one, but 2 friends have and they are very sweet and loving.

I have many friends that own Great Danes. They are wonderful, gentle giants.

Most everyone who owns one would agree with me about the biggest problem (and the reason why I would not have one). Their average lifespan is only 8 or 9 years.

@Marina This is true. One of the ones my friend had, had a stomach turn over, much like what happened in Marley & Me. The vet told my friend that it is common in Great Danes. She was around 7 or 8 at the time she died.

My paternal grandfather, who loved animals, had two Great Danes as pets when I was about three. We have old, yellowed photos of me riding on one. They were sweet and gentle but not around for long. i was too young to understand.

My best friend’s family has had Great Danes the whole time I’ve known her, and they haven’t always been nice. The first of her’s that I met was extremely territorial and was hostile towards anyone who didn’t live in the house. He had to be kept in another room whenever anyone was visiting. The one that she had after that was aggressive until the visitor was inside the house, then he mellowed out. They did all die relatively young as well.

The Great Danes I have known have all been goofy, sweet and gentle, and horrendously expensive to feed. My parents used to use a dishpan as a food bowl. They also take over the entire couch or the entire bed if you let them and can easily remove dinner from the table with one swipe of the tongue.

As others have said, they tend to have hip problems due to size and poor breeding practices, and like other large dogs, they are not known to live terribly long. Because of their size it is very, very important that you train them to not be aggressive and to regard you as the leader of the pack.

Good pets, yes, but then most dogs are good pets if you are a good owner.

My little brother has one and it is easily one of the sweetest dogs on the planet. She is supper gentle when playing with my Shi tsu, and she never loses her cool when our lab starts playing a little too rough. All in all Great Danes are lovely animals, as long as you can afford to feed and care for them.