When someone talks about a huge creature that can easily weigh 200 pounds, grows to around 32 inches tall while standing on all fours, and has been bred explicitly forhunting, it’s easy to imagine a terrifying beast that they’d rather never encounter face to face. Fortunately, in this case, such an assumption couldn’t be more wrong.Dubbed the “Gentle Giant,” the animal described above is the wonderfully adorable Great Dane, who, despite its intimidating appearance, is one of the goofiest fur balls you’ll ever meet. These days, instead of hunting, this dog can more often be found lazing on a couch with humans, which often results in a ton ofhilariouspics that we then bring to you. Scroll down to see them!This post may includeaffiliate links.
When someone talks about a huge creature that can easily weigh 200 pounds, grows to around 32 inches tall while standing on all fours, and has been bred explicitly forhunting, it’s easy to imagine a terrifying beast that they’d rather never encounter face to face. Fortunately, in this case, such an assumption couldn’t be more wrong.
Dubbed the “Gentle Giant,” the animal described above is the wonderfully adorable Great Dane, who, despite its intimidating appearance, is one of the goofiest fur balls you’ll ever meet. These days, instead of hunting, this dog can more often be found lazing on a couch with humans, which often results in a ton ofhilariouspics that we then bring to you. Scroll down to see them!
This post may includeaffiliate links.
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Being one of the world’s biggestdog breeds, Great Danes are truly mesmerizing and quite unique animals. One of the biggest factors that makes them stand out so much is their elegant appearance, as there are 10officially recognizedcoat hues and/or patterns: black, black and white, blue, brindle, fawn, harlequin, mantle, merle, white, and silver.And yet, despite theirhumongoussize, these Gentle Giants are exactly as their nickname suggests—gentle. One of their best-known traits is their ignorance of their size; they almost always neglect the fact that they’re too big to be lap dogs.
Being one of the world’s biggestdog breeds, Great Danes are truly mesmerizing and quite unique animals. One of the biggest factors that makes them stand out so much is their elegant appearance, as there are 10officially recognizedcoat hues and/or patterns: black, black and white, blue, brindle, fawn, harlequin, mantle, merle, white, and silver.
And yet, despite theirhumongoussize, these Gentle Giants are exactly as their nickname suggests—gentle. One of their best-known traits is their ignorance of their size; they almost always neglect the fact that they’re too big to be lap dogs.
A 135lbs Great Dane and a 10lbs ginger kitty = true love!Wish I was the proud owner of these two bffs, but these cuties belong to my older sister. I just get the honor of witnessing their heart melting cuddle sessions for the next few days. I hope they bring some smiles to you all, especially if you are finding yourself in need of some warmth.
Animal behavioristJulie BondtoldBored Pandathat, in her experience, their size understanding appears to be practically nonexistent when it comes to these huge but nonetheless cuddly canines that will rarely miss out on an opportunity to climb into your lap.However, since the Great Danes are quite easily spooked dogs, their size can become a problem if they’re not properly socialized early and they don’t get adjusted to various things, like loud noises. “A fearful Great Dane is frightening in that their size can make managing a fearful one nearly impossible for the average owner.”Fortunately, these Gentle Giants are intelligent and can be trained, given that you start doing that while they’re young enough since out-muscling a grown dog like that is a tough task. In addition, these canines love kids and can most often safely live with other animals just as well.
Animal behavioristJulie BondtoldBored Pandathat, in her experience, their size understanding appears to be practically nonexistent when it comes to these huge but nonetheless cuddly canines that will rarely miss out on an opportunity to climb into your lap.
However, since the Great Danes are quite easily spooked dogs, their size can become a problem if they’re not properly socialized early and they don’t get adjusted to various things, like loud noises. “A fearful Great Dane is frightening in that their size can make managing a fearful one nearly impossible for the average owner.”
Fortunately, these Gentle Giants are intelligent and can be trained, given that you start doing that while they’re young enough since out-muscling a grown dog like that is a tough task. In addition, these canines love kids and can most often safely live with other animals just as well.
There are plenty of other ways in which these adorable dogs seem to reject the idea that they’re supposed to be elegant and intimidating. For example, Zeus who, back in 2022, received the Guinness World Record for being the world’s tallest living dog at just over 41 inches, wasafraid of rain, which says a lot about his character.Incidentally, the tallest dog ever recorded in human history is another Great Dane with the same name. Receiving his record way back in 2008, 155-pound Zeus measured 44 inches, reaching a whopping 7 feet 4 inches when standing on his hind legs. For reference, this would’ve made him as tall as Serbian basketball player Boban Marjanović, who can almost dunkwithout jumping.
There are plenty of other ways in which these adorable dogs seem to reject the idea that they’re supposed to be elegant and intimidating. For example, Zeus who, back in 2022, received the Guinness World Record for being the world’s tallest living dog at just over 41 inches, wasafraid of rain, which says a lot about his character.
Incidentally, the tallest dog ever recorded in human history is another Great Dane with the same name. Receiving his record way back in 2008, 155-pound Zeus measured 44 inches, reaching a whopping 7 feet 4 inches when standing on his hind legs. For reference, this would’ve made him as tall as Serbian basketball player Boban Marjanović, who can almost dunkwithout jumping.
However, aside from their impressive size, Great Danes have plenty of otherinteresting facts. Descending from theMolossian dogsof Ancient Greece, they’re actually neither Greek nor Danish, despite what their name or origins might suggest. Instead, they come from Germany, and are even its national dog breed.
Or perhaps you’d like to know that Chinese writings dating as far back as 1121 B.C., as well as ancient Egyptian drawings, depicted dogs exactly like the Gentle Giants? And if you found that interesting, you might also like to know that in theMiddle Ages, these mesmerizing dogs were thought to protect people from nightmares and ward off ghosts and evil spirits.
Whether it’s for fighting the supernatural or just their wholesomely warm companionship, before getting such a dog, Julie Bond explained that you have to be prepared. There are plenty of things that apply to the Gentle Giants that apply to all other dogs, like the need for mental and physical exercise, training, a good environment, and similar.At the same time, there are some breed-specific things you should know. One such thing is that giant dogs with narrow/deep chests like these canines are at high risk forbloat, which is a condition that can lead to serious consequences.To prevent this, the expert recommended encouraging your dog to eat slowly, feeding them in a raised bowl, and not exercising or playing with them 1-2 hours before and after eating. “And remember, an adult Great Dane eats 8-10 cups of food a day! You need to budget for that expense.”
Whether it’s for fighting the supernatural or just their wholesomely warm companionship, before getting such a dog, Julie Bond explained that you have to be prepared. There are plenty of things that apply to the Gentle Giants that apply to all other dogs, like the need for mental and physical exercise, training, a good environment, and similar.
At the same time, there are some breed-specific things you should know. One such thing is that giant dogs with narrow/deep chests like these canines are at high risk forbloat, which is a condition that can lead to serious consequences.
To prevent this, the expert recommended encouraging your dog to eat slowly, feeding them in a raised bowl, and not exercising or playing with them 1-2 hours before and after eating. “And remember, an adult Great Dane eats 8-10 cups of food a day! You need to budget for that expense.”
But hey, who knows? No one can say for sure that there aren’t any super serious and fearless Not-So-Gentle Giants out there, fighting nightmares and ghosts, protecting the world from evil spirits. After all, mostmyths and legendscarry at least a grain of truth.
Hey guys! I would love to know how big (or small) your pups are! This is my goofy girl, Ivy🥰. She is 16 months old. At her last vet visit she only weighed 104lb, but her weight is perfect for her frame currently. I’m thinking she just might be on the “tiny” side. What do you guys think?
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Had to run outside in a hurry because SOMEONE decided to wait until it was pouring to have to pee. She takes forever to dry off if she gets wet, but I couldn’t find her rain jacket in a hurry. I used a Velcro-fastening bath towel and her dearly departed (and much smaller) lab sister’s raincoat to protect her from the downpour.
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Indrė Lukošiūtė
Justinas Keturka
Animals
