Great Dane puppies

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Great Dane puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A giant breed puppy at eight weeks is already heavy and will keep growing for up to two years. Controlled growth matters more here than in any other size class, so a large breed specific puppy food and no overfeeding. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and it will need a job to do long before it needs long walks. Grooming is straightforward, but start handling the coat, feet and ears in week one anyway so it is never a fight later. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Bloat and gastric torsion, a risk shared by deep chested breeds
• Hip dysplasia
• Cardiac disease and autoimmune thyroiditis
• Panosteitis and other growth related bone problems in fast growing puppies

From Great Dane breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/great-dane/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Your Great Dane puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Giant for a Great Dane.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 49.9 to 79.4 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

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