White Great Danes are gentle in disposition and giant in appearance. The “White” is a result of breeding between Merles or Harlequins. The royal white coat is charming and versatile in looks, and their coats boast cynosure wherever they go. They are well known as “Apollo of dogs.” Great Danes had their origin in Germany. They were initially bred by the German nobles to guard the estates, hunt wild boars, and were popular among the upper class for sports.
White results from the genes produced when one of the dogs has two copies of the Merle gene – double Merle. The merle gene is responsible for some health issues like blindness or deafness in the dog. Not only does it give white coat color, but also the lack of pigmentation in the inner part of eyes and ears.
Males: 120 to 200 pounds Females: 100 to 130 pounds
Males: 120 to 200 pounds Females: 100 to 130 pounds
Size
Giant
Giant
Group
Working dogs
Working dogs
Children-friendly
High
High
Family-friendly
High
High
Pet-friendly
High
High
Barking level
Medium to High
Medium to High
Shedding level
High
High
Hypoallergenic
No
No
Grooming needs
Low
Low
Overall health
Medium to High
Medium to High
Energy
High
High
Exercise
High
High
Trainability
High
High
Activities
Watchdogs, companion dogs
Watchdogs, companion dogs
Complication in Breeding
No
No
Litter size
6 – 8 puppies
6 – 8 puppies
Life span
8 – 10 years
8 – 10 years
Other names
German Mastiff, Deutsche Dogge
German Mastiff or Deutsche Dogge
White Great Dane Personality
Great Dane is a powerful, elegant and colossal dog that stands up to 32 inches tall and weighs 100 – 120 pounds. Their head is narrow, massive, and flat. Their eyebrows are prominent, and their ears are floppy and cropped to erect. White Great Dane has a long, muscular neck with an equally long and muscular body, forequarters, and hindquarters. Their tails are medium in length, tapered down the hocks, and thick at the base. They are moderate shedders; however, they can be heavy shedders during the shedding season. Their coats are short, smooth, silky, and occasionally white with some markings. Their life span is generally short.
Friendliness Overview
Affection level
High
Family-friendly
High
Kid-friendly
High
Pet-friendly
High
Stranger -friendly
High
Adaptability Overview
Good for apartment living
Low
Good to new owners
Low
Sensitivity level
High
Tolerates being alone
Low
Cold-tolerance
Low to medium
Heat-tolerance
Medium
White Great Dane Temperament
White Great Danes are gentle, affectionate, and playful in disposition. They are sweet, people-pleasers, and make good guard dogs. They get along well with children and other animals. However, they thrive for people and can’t tolerate being alone. They are highly trainable but can be stubborn learners sometimes.
White Great Dane Training
Early socialization and training are recommended for White Great Danes. White Great Danes require training on obedience as well. They need to be gently trained as they are susceptible. However, they are easy to house train, and respond well to positive reinforcements. They can be vocal, and training should be given to bark only when necessary.
Trainability Overview
Easy to train
High
Intelligence
Medium
Mouthiness tendencies
Low to medium
Barking and Howling tendencies
Medium to high
Prey drive
Medium
Wanderlust tendencies
Medium
White Great Dane Exercise Needs
White Great Danes are active, energetic dogs that may need daily exercise. A brisk walk twice or thrice a day would be sufficient for these dog breeds. They can be great companions for jogging and hiking. Pet owners should bear two things in mind during their exercise sessions – Firstly, White Great Danes should not be allowed to exercise before two years of age to avoid destruction of joints. Secondly, they should not do vigorous exercise during mealtime as this can cause a risk of bloating. They are scent hounds, and so they should be kept on a leash and should be let free only in tall, secured fenced areas. Few White Great Danes enjoy taking part in obedience, agility, tracking, pulling weight events, and dog sports like Flyball.
Exercise Needs Overview
Energy level
High
Exercise needs
High
Intensity
High
Playfulness
High
White Great Dane Grooming
White Great Dane bears a thin coat that doesn’t shed heavily. So the pet owners would need to brush them occasionally to remove the dead hair. Though they have a short, smooth, and silky coat, they may shed heavily during the shedding season, and brushing is mandatory during those times of the year with a slicker brush. Also, since they have a moderately high drooling tendency, pet owners need to keep a hand towel to wipe the Great Dane’s mouth damp-free.
Pet parents regularly should carry out other grooming needs like bathing once in two months or when they get dirty, cleaning their ears, checking their eyes, dental care, trimming, and filing the nails..
Grooming Overview
Easy to groom
High
Drooling tendency
Medium to high
Amount of shedding
High
White Great Dane Health
White Great Dane doesn’t have innate health issues from birth. However, he may be deaf and have some eye anomalies. The merle gene subdues the production of pigment in the cells called melanocytes. The pigment produced by melanocytes is essential for normal vision and hearing.
Atopic Dermatitis: Double Merle Danes may have inherited skin issues due to allergic reactions. The cause for a high rate of allergic reactions is the change in the genetic makeup when two merles are bred together.
Skin Cancer: When two merle-coated Danes are bred, they give birth to pups lacking pigment. This, in turn, can lead to sunburns, skin cancer, and skin irritation. Therefore, double merle pups should be exposed limitedly to the sun due to the lack of melanin pigment in the pup’s skin.
Follicular Dysplasia: This condition has to do with the hair of the White Great Danes. They are characterized by broken hair follicles that are dull and paired with a pimple-like skin infection. The lesser the pigment in the dog’s coat, the higher is the rate of this occurrence.
Congenital Defects: Double Merle Great Dane bears multiple organ issues inherent in the body. They may have slower development, slower growth and may not make up with other dogs of their age.
Congenital Cataracts: This is one of the two conditions in which Great Danes with double merles end up in blindness.
Microphthalmia: Another issue that contributes to blindness in White Great Danes. This is a disorder in which dogs have tiny eyeballs. This can also lead to blindness since vets may remove the eyeballs due to this issue.
Merle Deafness: This happens during the early stages of Double Merle Dane’s life. This condition cannot be brought to normalcy if the dog gets affected. This also suppresses the dog’s growth. Some extra and special training can resolve hearing impairment though it is arduous.
Health Overview
Overall health
Medium to high
Weight gain tendencies
Low to medium
Size
High
White Great Dane Diet and Nutrition
White Great Danes should be fed high-quality dog food appropriate to their age, activity, weight, and height. Pet owners should bear one thing as vital when Great Danes are concerned – bloating. The causes of bloat may vary. According to vets, you can avoid this condition by feeding multiple small meals to your dogs per day. Also, avoid giving vigorous exercise after or before their mealtime.
Some suggestions on how to feed White Great Danes are as follows:
Time
Male
Female
3 to 6 months
4 – 8 cups
3 – 6 cups
8 months to 1 year
6 – 10 cups
5 – 8 cups
Adolescents
9 – 15 cups
8 cups
Adults
8 – 10 cups
6 – 8 cups
The quantity should be divided into three meals for puppies and adults, into two meals per day.
White Great Dane Living Condition
White Great Danes can moderately tolerate cold weather conditions and hot weather conditions.
They are unsuitable for new owners and apartment living.
Adding a White Great Dane to Your Family
Things to Remember Before AddingWhite Great Dane
Since White Great Danes are large, they are suitable for families with a vast space dedicated to dogs.
Great Danes may require large amounts of food compared to other dog breeds due to their size and stamina, which may cost more.
They have significant exercise requirements. So one must be ready to take them for daily walks.
White Great Danes must be trained to obey to ensure that they are manageable when they grow up.
Cost of a White Great Dane Puppy
The cost of a White Great Dane puppy is $600 – $2000
