How Smart Are Great Danes?

The Great Dane is a giant breed of dog. This powerful animal has a pleasant disposition and is often referred to as a "gentle giant." Great Danes are affectionate and charming dogs, and are patient and playful around children. These loyal canines enjoy being part of the family and are most happy when around people. The Great Dane is a dependable and courageous companion, which does not bark a great deal, but is suitably aggressive when required to be. These trustworthy dogs are highly intelligent and lend themselves well to training.

  1. Multipurpose Dogs

    • The Great Dane is an ancient breed, sometimes referred to as the "Apollo" of the dog world. An Asiatic people, called the Alans, came with strong mastiff-like dogs when they invaded parts of Spain, Italy and German Gaul in A.D. 407. These huge canines, which originated from the old English mastiff, were highly prized for their ability to hunt wild boar and bear. Selective breeding with these dogs eventually produced the Great Dane, which is used as a watchdog and for both tracking and carting.

    Companion Dogs

    • Great Dane owners purchase them principally as companion dogs, because they are loyal and loving animals. These intelligent canines are exceptionally gently around children, yet are excellent watch dogs as well. Great Danes are very affectionate, but also exuberant dogs. Great Danes must be trained from an early age, due to their strength and size, but once the owner establishes dominance, these friendly canines take readily to training.

    Become Educated

    • According to Stanley Coren's dog intelligence tanking, Great Danes are of average intelligence when compared to other dog breeds. After testing, Great Danes ranked 48th, which is an average score, regarding their obedience as well as working ability. The Great Dane will typically grasp a new command after 25 up until 40 repetitions, and is likely to obey any familiar command immediately about 50 percent of the time or better. Young and adolescent individuals are often rambunctious, but with some training, can become very good companions. New owners do not always understand Great Dane behavior and believe that their puppy is not trainable, which is far from the truth. Great Dane breeders must inform prospective owners about the characteristics of this ancient breed of dog. Puppies, which are correctly treated and trained, grow into well-behaved, healthy and smart companion dogs.

    Socialization

    • Great Danes that are correctly socialized are stable and intelligent dogs. Both obedience training and socializing should begin between 3 and 6 months of age. Although Great Danes reared in the same house as children are typically gentle, these dogs are much heavier than a child. Even well-mannered and smart dogs can injure a tiny child by accident and it is best to not leave children and young Great Danes unsupervised. Great Danes should neither be chained, nor allowed to roam free outside the owner's property.