Great Dane: A Comprehensive Guide to Owning and Caring for Your Dog (Kennel Club Dog Breed Series) (Hardcover)

by S. William Haas (Author) "The mighty and powerful Great Dane was not always the "gentle giant" that it is often depicted and described as today..." (more)
Key Phrases: roundworm eggs, ear cropping, established breeder, Great Dane, American Kennel Club, Best of Breed (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The majestic Great Dane is indeed the giant of the dog world, although his physical size is not the only asset he offers the right owner. The Great Dane excels as a companion for the family and children, providing protection and convincing deterrence; as a personal friend, always responding with outgoing kindness; and as a performance animal, competing in obedience trials and the show ring alike. The Great Dane, of course, comes with his considerable demands as well, requiring an owner with a sizeable yard and pocketbook, plus the confidence to handle 120 lbs. of canine power. This book provides the much-needed information about the Great Dane’s remarkable history, an insightful look at the breed’s characteristics and standard, as well as puppy selection, feeding, training, and preventative health care.

In addition to an extremely authoritative text, this book presents over 135 photographs in full color, which prove to be as informative as they are attractive. Helpful hints and important information are highlighted to provide easy access to everything the reader needs to know about life with a Great Dane from puppyhood to the senior years.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 158 pages
• Publisher: Kennel Club Books; Revised edition (September 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159378273X
• ISBN-13: 978-1593782733
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 6.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #181,553 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the Great Dane book you need, September 29, 2005

By	K. J. Fisher (Milton-Freewater, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This is the best Great Dane book that I have read and I've read four recently. We are planning on breeding and possibly showing Great Danes and I have been reading everything I can get my hands on. Not only is this book easy to read, but also the most comprehensive. I also feel that it is the most balanced. Some books are written by dog fanatics and are a little extreme. This book seemed to be very centered with an understanding of reality. It gives good information on conformation (much more than the other books), breeding, training a dog (nice section on housebreaking), and even a little on showing your dog. If you are only going to buy one book on Great Danes, I would buy this one.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Nice Guide, February 5, 2007

By	John A Lee III "jal3" (San Antonio, TX) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

My family recently decided to add a dog to our house. All, except the cat, were in agreement. I argued for a Great Dane. I had some friends who raised them when I was a kid and a professor who had one when I was in seminary. I remembered them as being impressing, friendly and faithful. Just to be sure, though, I bought this book to learn a little bit more. I'm glad I did.

The book does a fair job of covering the basics that any dog owner would need to know and does them from the point of view of having a dog that may well be the second largest member of the family. It is common sense to know that a Great Dane can steal food off your counter top a lot more effectively than a Chihuahua but there are other factors that are not so obvious. The book also does a reasonable job of going through the early training process and getting the dog house broken. This turned out to be of less use to us because the dog we obtained was already an adult and had been trained. Still, it might come in handy in the future.

For me, information about the breed was of the most use. This included discussion of temperament, differing varieties and such. After reading it, I felt able to make an informed decision about getting the dog. Clyde is now a loved member of the family and the cat is still hacked off.

4.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive, but not specifically for Danes, June 14, 2009

By	Layne - See all my reviews

This book was helpful with some tips on owning a Great Dane, but most of what it had to say was general and not exactly specific to the Dane. The majority of the advice was about dog ownership in general. In fact, in the section "Is the Great Dane right for you?" it basically said, "if you are ready for the responsibility of owning a dog and have the room for it to live and the money to buy its food, then the Great Dane is right for you." I was hoping for a little more that applied to getting a Great Dane. All-in-all the book did have some good tips for anyone who is looking to own a large or giant breed dog.