The Chihuaha Dane

This is a little off track of our main subject, but it shows the diversity and fellowship the great dane has to offer.
Twinkle is a little white Chihuahua. When we first got her she was 5 weeks old and not much bigger than little white mouse. She was a Christmas gift for my 6 year-old-son. She quickly took control of the house. She lived in the house with us, with a Great Dane as her best friend. They made quite a pair! She would sit between Sandy's front legs, what a picture! I don't think Twinkle realized she was not as big as Sandy, who weighed 160 pounds. Twinkle full adult weight topped out at 11 pounds!

Twinkle was a great pet for a family. She loved the kids dearly and would take turns sleeping with them. Her main place was with Zak - her boy, but she made the rounds to all 4 of them, and to Grandma! She protected her family with as much courage as any big dog. I've seen her jump way up in the air trying to reach bigger dogs when they came in our yard. She would bark like crazy if any car came up. She scared the mail man and the meter readers worse than any bigger dogs ever did. She runs out to challenge them - no one would ever get in our house without a welcome (warm or otherwise) from Twinkle.

She would walk around our yard with Sandy - they were a team. They were both good dogs who didn't run off or bother neighbors. They were seen together patrolling the yard. After several years together, Sandy died. Twinkle was so lonely! But a neighbor told me he watched her walk around as they had done together, and he said he could just tell that she now knew she was in charge - she was protecting her family! He said she never knew she wasn't as big as her Great Dane sister.

Twinkle is a dearly loved and loving little dog. She's a great watchdog and a playful companion all wrapped up in a little white package!

My dog "Lady"

Great Danes

Since I was a small child my family has been raising Great Danes. When trained properly, these dogs are perfect companions. They demand, and usually receive everyone's attention. Take this dog to the park and not a head will be left unturned. Some will turn and run, but for no reason except for perhaps their lack of knowledge of the breed. My best friend ever was a dane, and being a teenager at the time she was always the life of the party. As a lot of teenagers do, I drove an old beat up car and her favorite spot to sit was on the hood. She went more places with me than my girlfriend and looking back that was probably a good thing. She held her beer better than myself, and I think she actually drove me home a time or two. Now, I don't condone giving a dog beer or letting her drive home, but this was far more than a decede ago, and I wasn't the brightest of teenagers. Well, back to the breed, if you are considering this breed for a pet you must live in the country or have a very large yard. They require a lot of exercise and have a lot of energy to burn. I, personally, don't believe that walking this dog once a day would ever be enough exercise, so apartment dwellers should really reconsider. They are usually considered clumsy, but if you compare their size to their agility they are really quite graceful. With their extremely long legs they sometimes resemble a deer standing for the first time{I'm sure you have all seen the movie "Bambi"]. However, running in an open field they come closer to resembling a full grown buck with great speed and grace. The breed is usually good with children, however, anything with such great size can be "accidentally dangerous. Most are loyal and gentle, but the ones who are not can generally be traced back to an irresponsible owner. They grow to be at least thirty inches high at the shoulder, aand at least 110 lbs. The males grow much larger and can be a bit harder to train.