Category — Great Dane Puppy

The Great Dane breed is thought to be around 400 years old but dogs resembling the Great Dane were depicted in drawings in Egyptian tombs dating back to 2200BC. These were Mastiff type dogs and shorter of leg than the modern day Great Danes. It was the Germans who further developed the breed into the dog we recognize today. Sources suggest that the breed was made up of the Mastiff, boarhound, Irish wolfhound and the Greyhound. At first they were used as bull baiters, and then they became popular with nobility and were used for hunting wild boar and deer. By the 1800’s these were commonly used for large game hunting. The UK Great Dane club was started in 1885 and the American version in 1889.

The Great Dane has a short, thick, glossy coat which doesn’t require much maintenance. It is a relatively clean dog which is handy because bathing one can prove difficult. There are six acceptable show colours for the breed which are:

* Fawn – Yellow gold with a black mask
* Brindle – Fawn and black chevron stripes
* Blue – Pure steel blue without any white markings
* Black – Pure glossy black
* Harlequin – White base with irregular black patches
* Mantle – Black and white with a solid black blanket and head and white muzzle, chest and collar

Others colours do exist but are not allowed in the show ring and therefore not encouraged by breeders.

Despite the Great Dane’s imposing appearance the breed has a friendly nature; they mix well with other dogs and household pets as well as children. They become very close and loyal to there owners, family members and frequent visitors. They are active dogs and need to be exercised regularly. These dogs are quick to alert the family of any approaching strangers which make them excellent guard dogs although they don’t bark much. It is important to start training and socialising at an early age as they grow very quickly into large dogs and can become dominant and aggressive to others animals if not trained.

As with all deep chested dogs the Great Dane is prone to gastric torsion or bloat, this can be prevented by taking precautions with feeding regimes. Some suggest an elevated feeding bowl reduces the risk of bloat but other studies claim that this increases the chances of the disease. Refraining from exercise immediately before of after eating will reduce the risk. The breed can also have problems with hip dysplasia which can be controlled with exercise and nutrition. X-rays of the parents can usually certify whether the hips of their offspring are healthy. Like all large dogs these have a slow metabolism and therefore have less energy and eat less per pound of dog than smaller breeds. As with all pure white dogs, many white ones are deaf. The breed’s average lifespan is between 8 and 12 years.

Great Danes have appeared in several movies including The Patriot, Batman Beyond, Swiss family Robinson, Good Boy. Other famous Great Danes include:

# The Hanna-Barbera character Scooby Do

# Comic strip character Marmaduke

# Captain Kirk’s dog in Star Trek

# Astro in the Jetsons

# Schmiechel in the British TV soap Coronation Street

# World’s tallest dog ‘Gibson’ who measured 42.2 inches at the withers

Steve Batchelor is a dog lover and the webmaster at http://www.dogbreedguides.com [http://www.dogbreedguides.com] where you can find some great information on many different dog breeds. He also recommends petinfogoldmine for more info on dog training, obedience, health care and many other subjects.

The Simon’s Town Museum may house many artifacts of life in Simon’s Town throughout the ages, but the building has more than enough history of its own. In the past it has been used as a school, post office, jail and magistrates court amongst others. On your Cape Town holiday make sure that you take a photograph of the oil painting in the Old Residency which when photographed always fails to develop. If the very idea of this frightens you then you may not want to visit the basement of the museum during your tailor made holiday to Cape Town. The basement used to be the old punishment cell where slaves and prisoners were dealt with. Even today whiplash marks can still be spotted on the ceiling and it is said that if you walk the museum at night then you can hear the echoes of their cries.

If you want a break from the horrors and the hauntings of Simon’s Town then there are a number of different activities that you can enjoy in this region. Whale watching trips are especially popular with tourists on their Cape Town holidays and the nearby Boulder’s Beach is also the best place to spot penguins, with over 2500 birds.

As a seaside resort, Simon’s Town offers some of the best luxury accommodation in the Cape Town area. But one house that you probably won’t want to spend the night at is the Admiralty House which has been standing since 1740. The house was famously visited by Rudyard Kipling who noted that the then Admiral kept turtles tied up to the jetty, so that they could swim around in the sea until the soup ingredients were ready for them. The Royal family have since visited the house and various members of aristocracy reported the strange instances that had happened to them whilst visiting the house on their Cape Town holidays. Lady Campbell spotted men in naval uniform on the stairs, whilst the wife of a Vice-admiral reported an invisible man opening a door for her. The same woman in grey is regularly seen at Admiralty House, Ibeka and The Residency and these three buildings are said to be linked together by a network of tunnels.

With a prominent naval history Simon’s Town is home to a number of maritime heroes, but the best known of these was Able Seaman, Just Nuisance, RN, the only dog to serve in the Royal Navy. A commemorative statue of the Great Dane stands in Jubilee Square and has become the symbol of the town, with vendors selling Just Nuisance key-chains and fridge-magnets for you to purchase as souvenirs on your Cape Town holidays.

Simon’s Town is also an important pilgrimage site for Muslim visitors. During the 18th Century a Muslim grave was uncovered under trees and whilst it is unknown exactly who was buried there, the site is said to have a strange physical aura surrounding it.

Simon’s Town is the perfect place to spend a few days whilst on your tailor-made holiday to Cape Town and, like many of the former residents, who still haunt the city, you’ll be so taken with the destination that you won’t want to leave.

Rachel Hill is a Southern Africa Travel specialist, a company specialising in tailor-made holiday to Cape Town as well as holidays to other destinations in Southern Africa. Our experienced consultants will help you design your very own luxury holiday, and will be happy to provide you with a free quote.

Some of us may not notice but a lot of Great Danes are included in various films and television shows. Do you know that the famous cartoon character Scooby-Doo is a Great Dane? This animal character of the popular television series was created based on a Great Dane. But, Scooby-Doo is not the only popular Dane. In fact, Great Danes have been in various films and television series even during the 19th century. So what makes this breed so popular to be sought after by various film makers?

This domestic dog is known for its giant size and gentle personality and is often referred to as the “Gentle Giant and the “Apollo of all breed”. Along with the Irish Wolfhound, Great Danes are considered the tallest dog breed with the height ranges from 30-40 inches (76-100 cm.). The males typically weigh 54-90 kg. (120-200 lbs.) and 45-68 kg. (100-150 lbs.) for females. This breed’s giant and powerful body is covered with short, soft, thick and shiny close fitting hair in six show-acceptable colors. The colors are fawn, brindle, blue, black, harlequin and mantle. Other colors such as white, fawnequin, merle, merlequin and fawn mantle may occur occasionally but are not acceptable in the show ring.

The head is long and narrow with an accentuated frontal stop and a rather large nasal canal. The neck is strong and muscular, a pure white neck is preferred in a harlequin. The usually dark and deep set eyes with lively intelligent expression are medium in size. The ears are either cropped rather long, pointed and carried erect or left natural. Cropping of the ears is more common in the United States but is prohibited in some European countries such as UK, Denmark, Germany and in some parts of Australia and New Zealand. The tail reaching to the point of the hock is medium-length.

Referred to as the “Gentle Giant”, this large and powerful appearance conceals a kind, sweet and affectionate temperament. They are good towards humans, even children, also towards other dogs and other animals. Dominance issues and aggression may occur rarely but can be addressed with thorough obedience training starting from an early age.

The average life span of Great Danes is ten years but can live for 12- 13 years as long as they are kept in good shape. Since large breed with fairly slow metabolism, they are more prone to a deadly disease called bloat. This may result to immediate death if not addressed quickly. Hip dysplasia is another problem common to this breed as well as to other large breeds. Breeding stocks or parents should be tested to make sure that they do not carry faulty genes and are likely to have healthy pups. Other health problems include dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and other congenital heart diseases, yeast infection and deafness especially among pure white Danes.

To make sure none of these diseases will affect your dog, check your dog’s ancestral history. Making sure that your dog’s ancestors aren’t carrying any of these diseases will guarantee you of a sweet, kind and giant dog with less or no health problem.

By: Richard Cussons

What some people failed to realize is that potty training is an important part in the life of a Great Dane or any other dog regardless of breed. While agility or obedience training prepares your Great Dane for dog shows, potty training is important in order for them to establish regular urinating and defecating and to minimize accidents that often times cause you to punish your adorable Great Dane.

There may be some owners who are excited in having their pets star in dog shows that they sometimes overlook the importance of potty training. Potty training or housetraining as some may call it is a process wherein dogs are being trained to urinate or defecate regularly at the place specified by the owner. The goal of this training is to prevent accident from happening rather than waiting for it to happen. Naturally you do not want to see piles of feces in your living room or urine stains in your new carpet, don’t you? By training your dog at the right time, accidents will be minimized if not totally prevented.

Probably you already knew but if in case you are wondering when is the right time to housetrain your dog, the right time is when your Great Dane hasn’t turned into a giant dog yet. If you do not want to see huge pile of feces scattering around the house, better start training when your dog is still a puppy. Puppies are easier to train given the fact that they haven’t learned undesirable habits yet. But if you have an adult dog with housetraining problems, do not assume that correcting the problem is impossible. You can train an adult dog as you would train a puppy. Just be patient, determined and believe that there is nothing you and your dog can’t do as long as you can communicate with each other.

A dog need not talk (since they could not talk) in order for you to grasp his urge to eliminate. However, there are signs to watch out when there is a need to eliminate. When a dog exhibits behaviors such as pacing, sniffing the ground, turning in circle or scratching the floor, no doubt he is trying to tell you something. Those behaviors are his ways of saying something like, “Take me out! I’m gonna pee!”. That is why dog owners should learn to understand their dog’s body language. It is their only way to communicate.

Getting a dog master what is being taught to him may take time. Perhaps even days or weeks depending on how the animal respond to the training procedures. You have to identify what training procedure works best for your pet. The best and commonly used so far is positive reinforcement training wherein you are using something, a treat or his favorite toy, to increase the chance of the behavior being exhibited again. A gentle stroke, loving praise or a treat or a toy may be given to your dog to let him know that you like what he did and you are expecting him to do it again.

Not all dogs respond well to positive reinforcement training. But regardless of the training procedures used, you should always remember that training based on punishment is not an ideal one to use. Rubbing his nose on the area where the accident happened will not help you achieve the things that you desire for your dog to do.

Potty training can be a daunting task but remember that your dog depends on you in order to become successful. Just be patient for you and your dog will reap your reward in due time.

By: Richard Cussons

Locating financing for Semi Trucks, over the road trucks, and big rig trucks can be a major job. Todays economy is all over the place and conventional semi truck financing has dried up at many banks and/or lending institutions. Semi Truck owner operators can seek and find special financing in the secondary markets where there are repos and off lease trucks to be secured for acquisition.

Due to a contracting economy, many lenders have excess inventories on their books that they need to put back on the street. These in-house inventories are non income producing, therefore putting pressure on the lender to make a deal with the consumer. These deals can be found in the price, the financing or a combination of both.

An off lease commercial vehicle and/or construction equipment has been returned to the lender as the lease has expired. The lessee has made a decision to return the item in lieu of excercising the buyout option. A repo has arisen due to a default of the lessee for non payment terms or a violation of the terms of the lease. Either way, the lender has taken these trucks and/or equipment back and now must recondition the items and either sell these items or re-lease them.

Some lenders offering repos and off semi trucks in the repo market offer these trucks with a minimum credit score of 525. This gives the startup and/or seasoned business an opportunity to start and/or expand their fleet with bad credit. This opportunity would have never existed in the past. Other lenders offer no credit check but are reference and income driven to make sure they have qualified a good candidate to take over one of their over the road trucks. The semi truck financing in this paragraph doesnt stop here, others lenders with good credit and time in business offer no down payments and up to 60 months to repay. This obviously gives the over the road truck owner operator an unique opportunity to acquire semi truck financing. Other over the road truck financing programs start at 575 and the down payments can be anywhere from 6-10% down based upon the applicant and the specific semi truck. In addition, if you are a cash buyer, there is large opportunity to acquire a semi truck at a substantial discount.

The types of semi trucks, over the road trucks, and big rigs we are talking for financing are :

Peterbilt, Kenworth, Freightliner, Mack, International, Volvo

Dont forget the financing deals on reefer trailers, flatbed trailers, drop deck trailers and gooseneck trailersThis could include manufacturers such as Wabash, Doonan, Utility, Wilson, Fontaine, Innovative, Great Dane and Vanguard

In conclusion, this is a buyers market for owner operator trucks, and trailers, . Check out all the deals in the market and make sure that you have a stable income base to assume whatever debt that you may occur.

Happy hunting for your acquisition and related semi truck, over the road truck, and big rig fiancing.

By: J.M Luna

The For Sale sign is in the front yard. The house is clean and the lawn is mowed. Everything seems ready for prospective buyers to walk in and fall in love with your home. An offer for your asking price is imminent. That is the way it is supposed to work, but many sellers will attest to the fact that it’s not always that easy. In this current market it is important to “stage” your home, showing it in the best way possible.

The local real estate market fortunately has not been impacted by the current economic downturn to the devastating extent of other cities. But that doesn’t mean buyers aren’t being picky. With more long-term intentions and less money available for home improvement loans, buyers are taking a closer look at potential homes. It has been said that a home shopper forms an opinion in the first two minutes, which means a seller has to have their house ready from the second someone pulls up to the curb.

Do you need an expert to stage your home? Not necessarily. In fact, you already have an expert on hand. Your real estate agent has been in and out of many homes and he or she knows what buyers like and what they react to negatively. It is a good idea, however, to ask a friend or relative whose opinion you value to walk through and give you an objective point of view. What may look like the perfect room to one family is a deal breaker to another.

Inside the Home

Walk room-to-room and look carefully with a checklist in hand:

* Paint/Wallpaper condition

* Personal items (like photos, books, knick-knacks, etc)

* Condition of furniture and fixtures

* Placement of furniture

* Lighting

* Best feature of the room

* Worst feature of the room

* Repairs needed

After noting the specific condition of each room, first make a list of simple changes that can be made. A fresh coat of paint in a soft neutral color can make a huge difference in a room, particularly a focal room like the living room or kitchen. Removing old wallpaper and repainting is always worth the effort.

Simplify and depersonalize by removing family pictures and sentimental objects. Store the old shabby chair and extra television set. Keep personal items like cosmetics, bathroom supplies, or toys in containers that are easy to take in out of a cabinet. Keep a few cleaning supplies in a tub under the sink, so a quick clean up is easy to accomplish when someone calls to come see the house.

Emphasize the assets of a room, such as big windows or beautiful hardwood floors. Arrange the furniture to give the house and open feel and make it easy for people to walk through a room. Flowers belong in the garden not on the drapes or bed coverings, so choose neutral curtains and bedspreads to draw attention to the room not the decorating.

Stow away and de-clutter, but don’t cram it in. You don’t want to make it look like storage is an issue. It may be worth the money to rent a small storage unit. While your home may not feel as cozy to you, be assured that you will soon by settling into a new house with all your favorite possessions.

Outside the Home

A few flowers or healthy plants in attractive containers at the entrance are always a good idea. Curb appeal really does matter, so take the time to keep the lawn mowed, hedges trimmed and front walk clear of debris. A little effort on your part to stage your home inside and out, can bring big returns in a quicker sale.

Escapeso Realty operates in the austin real estate market. Their site provides a interactive search of the Austin MLS along with general information about Austin real estate. Their site also has a page where webmasters can download a mortgage rates widget.

The Simons Town Museum may house many artefacts of life in Simons Town throughout the ages, but the building has more than enough history of its own. In the past it has been used as a school, post office, jail and magistrates court amongst others. On your Cape Town holiday make sure that you take a photograph of the oil painting in the Old Residency which when photographed always fails to develop. If the very idea of this frightens you then you may not want to visit the basement of the museum during your tailor made holiday to Cape Town. The basement used to be the old punishment cell where slaves and prisoners were dealt with. Even today whiplash marks can still be spotted on the ceiling and it is said that if you walk the museum at night then you can hear the echoes of their cries.

If you want a break from the horrors and the hauntings of Simons Town then there are a number of different activities that you can enjoy in this region. Whale watching trips are especially popular with tourists on their Cape Town holidays and the nearby Boulders Beach is also the best place to spot penguins, with over 2500 birds.

As a seaside resort, Simons Town offers some of the best luxury accommodation in the Cape Town area. But one house that you probably wont want to spend the night at is the Admiralty House which has been standing since 1740. The house was famously visited by Rudyard Kipling who noted that the then Admiral kept turtles tied up to the jetty, so that they could swim around in the sea until the soup ingredients were ready for them. The Royal family have since visited the house and various members of aristocracy reported the strange instances that had happened to them whilst visiting the house on their Cape Town holidays. Lady Campbell spotted men in naval uniform on the stairs, whilst the wife of a Vice-admiral reported an invisible man opening a door for her. The same woman in grey is regularly seen at Admiralty House, Ibeka and The Residency and these three buildings are said to be linked together by a network of tunnels.

With a prominent naval history Simons Town is home to a number of maritime heroes, but the best known of these was Able Seaman, Just Nuisance, RN, the only dog to serve in the Royal Navy. A commemorative statue of the Great Dane stands in Jubilee Square and has become the symbol of the town, with vendors selling Just Nuisance key-chains and fridge-magnets for you to purchase as souvenirs on your Cape Town holidays.

Simons Town is also an important pilgrimage site for Muslim visitors. During the 18th Century a Muslim grave was uncovered under trees and whilst it is unknown exactly who was buried there, the site is said to have a strange physical aura surrounding it.

Simons Town is the perfect place to spend a few days whilst on your tailor-made holiday to Cape Town and, like many of the former residents, who still haunt the city, youll be so taken with the destination that you wont want to leave.

By: Rachel Hill

Now that you have decided to get a Great Dane, the next thing for you to do is to train him. Training a dog such as a Great Dane is not an easy thing to handle considering this breed’s size and personality. If the dog owner is equipped with the right training tips, training objectives will possibly be achieved. Below are some things to remember when training your Great Dane.

- A Great Dane is a large dog but has gentle temperament and friendly nature. Dominance issues and aggression occur in rare cases.

- Walking and running exercise is good for them.

- Despite their size, you do not have to own a house with a wide fenced yard to accommodate this breed. They can manage life in an apartment quite well.

- This breed should be feed with foods that contain the right balance of protein, carbohydrates, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. Too much protein may cause health issues such as bloat.

- Start socializing your dog at an early age. Well-trained dogs are friendly and properly socialized.

- Use positive reinforcement training techniques. Great Danes are gentle dogs and may not respond quite well to cruelty or harsh training techniques.

- Correct behavior problems as soon as it occurs. Behavior problems are difficult to correct if not addressed immediately.

- Even if you do not have children, perhaps you will have in the near future. So better get your puppy used to the loud behaviors of children. Take him in the park to meet other people’s kids.

- Make sure that the puppy is protected with up to date immunization especially when taking him to areas where he might contract a disease.

- Make training periods short but enjoyable. Dogs have short attention span and are easily distracted. Training should be enjoyable and interactive to prevent them from getting bored and to keep their minds working.

- Use training tools such as crate, leash and collar. There are various types of training tools for you to choose from, choose the one that suits your dog’s needs and personality. Just remember to use these tools properly. Misuse of any of these tools may mean danger to your dog.

- Reward your dog. The purpose of the reward is to let your dog realize that what he did is correct and you are expecting him to do it again. Giving him his favorite treat or toy will do.

These tips may seem so simple and insignificant but if followed, will surely help you in training your dog.

By: Richard Cussons

Locating financing for Semi Trucks, over the road trucks, and big rig trucks can be a major job. Todays economy is all over the place and conventional semi truck financing has dried up at many banks and/or lending institutions. Semi Truck owner operators can seek and find special financing in the secondary markets where there are repos and off lease trucks to be secured for acquisition.

Due to a contracting economy, many lenders have excess inventories on their books that they need to put back on the street. These in-house inventories are non income producing, therefore putting pressure on the lender to make a deal with the consumer. These deals can be found in the price, the financing or a combination of both.

An off lease commercial vehicle and/or construction equipment has been returned to the lender as the lease has expired. The lessee has made a decision to return the item in lieu of excercising the buyout option. A repo has arisen due to a default of the lessee for non payment terms or a violation of the terms of the lease. Either way, the lender has taken these trucks and/or equipment back and now must recondition the items and either sell these items or re-lease them.

Some lenders offering repos and off semi trucks in the repo market offer these trucks with a minimum credit score of 525. This gives the startup and/or seasoned business an opportunity to start and/or expand their fleet with bad credit. This opportunity would have never existed in the past. Other lenders offer no credit check but are reference and income driven to make sure they have qualified a good candidate to take over one of their over the road trucks. The semi truck financing in this paragraph doesnt stop here, others lenders with good credit and time in business offer no down payments and up to 60 months to repay. This obviously gives the over the road truck owner operator an unique opportunity to acquire semi truck financing. Other over the road truck financing programs start at 575 and the down payments can be anywhere from 6-10% down based upon the applicant and the specific semi truck. In addition, if you are a cash buyer, there is large opportunity to acquire a semi truck at a substantial discount.

The types of semi trucks, over the road trucks, and big rigs we are talking for financing are :

Peterbilt, Kenworth, Freightliner, Mack, International, Volvo

Dont forget the financing deals on reefer trailers, flatbed trailers, drop deck trailers and gooseneck trailersThis could include manufacturers such as Wabash, Doonan, Utility, Wilson, Fontaine, Innovative, Great Dane and Vanguard

In conclusion, this is a buyers market for owner operator trucks, and trailers, . Check out all the deals in the market and make sure that you have a stable income base to assume whatever debt that you may occur.

Happy hunting for your acquisition and related semi truck, over the road truck, and big rig fiancing.

By: J.M Luna

Spring is here, which means the warm weather months will be upon us. For most Great Dane owners, were relieved. Our Great Danes can run loose in the yard while we air-out our homes from the long winter months. Hibernation is over and we can take our furry friends to the park, the beach, and on trips. But we want to have a safe summer! In order to do that, we should glance over a few tips and rules for the safety of our Great Danes. For most of you, these are just reminders. For new pet owners, these should be used as a guideline:

Traveling by Car

On very hot days in particular, try not to take long car rides with your Great Dane. While youre behind the wheel, consider your Great Danes feelings. YOU may not be warm enough to have the air conditioning on. What if you were wearing a down jacket? Your Great Danes coat is just like a down jacket. Consider his comfort. Always provide plenty of water to prevent dehydration.

Stopping at the Store real quick

Forget it. It doesnt matter how quick it is. Do not leave your dog in the car while youre shopping in the summer. Its cruel. Its inhumane. If someone wants to report youthey can, they will, and they should. You decided to take your Great Dane with you. If you plan to go shopping or window-browsing, leave your dog at home. While this may sound harsh, were very aware of the repercussions of leaving your dog in a locked car: death. On a hot summer dayyour dog can succumb to fatality in less than five minutes in a hot car. Pease be responsible.

Poisonous Foliage

If you see mushrooms growing in your yard, remove them immediately. Your Great Dane can become seriously ill from eating them. Some plants and berries are hazardous to your Great Danes health as well. If youre not sure which plants pose a threat, research the shrubs and plant-life in your yard to see if theyre pet-friendly.

Mowing Your Lawn

Some Great Danes may be petrified of your lawn mower, others may think of it as a game or a noisy thing they wish to attack. Regardless of how funny it is, accidents easily happen this way each summer. Your Great Dane should not be in the vicinity when youre cutting grass. Most vital veins are located in your pets limbs. Should they get cut by your mower, they may die from their injury.

Jen Carter is staff writer for Dynamite Great Danes – owned by professional qualified Great Dane Breeder Gale Renz. You may publish this article only if you do modify it in any way.