Great Dane

The towering ‘Apollo of dogs’, our one-line entry calls it — a gentle giant among companion breeds — and most of the Great Dane’s sheet reads as gently as the nickname.

The temperament sheet

Energy is moderate: real daily exercise, yes, but not the perpetual motion of the sporting pages. Tolerance for time alone is moderate as well — a few hours is workable; long, regular absences are not what the sheet describes. With children the rating is good.

On first-dog fit this page deliberately prints no answer; the section below explains why. Space is needs-garden, and with a giant-rated breed we suggest reading that line generously.

The practical side

Size is giant — the largest rating we print, and the single fact that should shape every other decision, from the car to the doorways to who holds the lead. Grooming is low and shedding moderate: the coat itself is easy company. Barking is moderate.

Where our references disagree

Our references could not settle whether a Great Dane suits a first-time owner. Both recorded the same giant size; on first-dog fit, one declined to commit either way and the other said no. We publish the split rather than an answer of our own. Treat the question as open, and weigh the sheer scale of the animal honestly in your own reckoning.

The dog in front of you

Whatever the references agree or dispute, individual dogs outrank their breed sheet, and meeting the actual dog outranks everything — that rule has no exceptions, giant or otherwise.