Here are some guidelines on the various growth stages to expect from your Great Dane. It's a good idea to know more about the various stages and what to expect from them as they move from stage to stage.
Great Danes usually take a long time to grow or mature especially during their first eight months. At the same time, the first stage of a Great Dane, or being a puppy, will last until the dog is two years of age. During this period, your Great Dane will be very rambunctious as compared to the adults. Thus it is very important that you keep them supervised at all times. They can do a lot of damage to your household. They will scratch and chew just like any other dog will do during its puppy stage. If you leave your Great Dane puppies unsupervised, expect that they have already done some damage in your home when you get back.
Training is very important in Great Danes and should be started as early as six months of age. In fact as early as three months, you can begin training your Great Danes by socializing with other humans and other dogs. At six months, you should start training them with the common commands and train them around the house. Note that when your Great Dane reaches the age of six months, their weight can come close to sixty pounds and their height will allow them to easily check out the counter tops and some tables whether in your kitchen or in you dining room. Do you know that there are kindergarten puppy classes for dogs three to six months old? Owners of Great Danes are highly recommended to enroll their Great Danes in such classes followed by an obedience class. A basic class will do especially if you don't have any plan of showing your Great Dane.
During its first year, your Great Dane will continuously grow rapidly until it reaches its full size. It is recommended that you provide it a consistent and structured type of training as early as its puppy years. In fact, you should consider Great Dane puppies like human babies. During this time, Great Dane puppies eat, sleep and do their business a lot of times a day. You should provide your Great Dane around 3 to 4 meals a day. Afterwards, gradually reduce the dog food to 2 meals per day during the six to 14 months of age. At the same time, expect that after its adolescent stages, your dog will rapidly increase its weight to six times more than when it was two or three months old.
When a Great Dane reaches its adulthood, usually after two years, expect a weight of 65 pounds or more. At the same time, it will easily finish four to six pounds of meat or meals each day. Bitches will require three to five pounds of food depending on the exact age.
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