german shepherd/great dane mix

[WarahGirl1995]

I dont think you should breed them together. I dont think its right to make designer breeds,please alter them. They could mate whether you like it or not .If you breed them together there babies might have health problems.

[pitc9]

Welcome to Pet Talk!
I agree with everyone....
There is no need to make more when the world already has too many.

Both breeds are perfect as they are.

PLEASE don't breed them!!

[Husky15]

Although I agree with everyone here, I do not think they should assume that these dogs are gonna go to a shelter. They could be kept by you or given to loving homes. It's your choice, not the Pet Talk member's choice, but they give good advice that in most situations you should heed. But is there a good reason why you want to breed your dogs?

[Flatcoatluver]

Although I agree with everyone here, I do not think they should assume that these dogs are gonna go to a shelter. They could be kept by you or given to loving homes.

Yes, she may find all loving homes and they may not end up in a shelter. But every dog born, is another dog in a shelter that is put to sleep.

There are plenty of mixed breed puppies needing a home, it's a really depressing thing.

Good luck and if money is ever a problem with spaying and neutering, there is shelters that will help pay for them.

[Husky15]

Yes, she may find all loving homes and they may not end up in a shelter. But every dog born, is another dog in a shelter that is put to sleep.

There are plenty of mixed breed puppies needing a home, it's a really depressing thing.

Good luck and if money is ever a problem with spaying and neutering, there is shelters that will help pay for them.

True. But some people don't think of the shelter animals first. We may, but some don't. And if a person truly wants to breed their own dog or buy from a place either then a shelter then that is their personal decision. I will voice my opinion but I would not make them buy from a shelter.

[buttercup132]

True. But some people don't think of the shelter animals first. We may, but some don't. And if a person truly wants to breed their own dog or buy from a place either then a shelter then that is their personal decision. I will voice my opinion but I would not make them buy from a shelter.

So your saying your support breeding mixed dogs..?

[BC_MoM]

Husky15,

Please keep in mind the health problems these dogs could have - hip and joint. I don't see why ANYONE would see it as okay to mix breeds, when they are thousands of mix breeds dieing in shelters EVERY DAY. Either buy from a REPUTABLE BREEDER who breeds for the best of the breed, or adopt from a shelter.

[Husky15]

So your saying your support breeding mixed dogs..?

Husky15,

Please keep in mind the health problems these dogs could have - hip and joint. I don't see why ANYONE would see it as okay to mix breeds, when they are thousands of mix breeds dieing in shelters EVERY DAY. Either buy from a REPUTABLE BREEDER who breeds for the best of the breed, or adopt from a shelter.

Just forget what I said. I don't know much about this stuff. Not nearly as much as you guys. But I will say I do not support breeding mixed dogs, but we cannot make someone not do it, we can just try our best to stop them. And BC_MoM I agree with you fully. But unfortunately we cannot make people buy from shelters or reputable breeders.

You are correct. Great danes are the number one breed afflicted with bloat, 42% of danes will bloat in their lives.

Shepherds are definitely high on the list as well.

To the OP, one of my foster dogs was a dane/shepherd mix. Cute dog but high strung and neurotic because he was never trained as a young puppy. So at 6 months of age, he was a 90 lb wrecking ball.

The two breeds have entirely different energy needs, growth needs, and temperaments/personalities. I can't see any benefit in breeding the two breeds together...but I can see problems. While hip dysplasia is not terribly common in danes, they are often affected by another, severe skelatal condition - wobblers. Bringing both of these conditions into the same genepool would be devestating, as if one alone is not bad enough.

Please don't breed the dogs. Alter them an enjoy them as they were meant to be - as companions.

I agree with you as well. You know what you're talking about.

[Sighthounds4me]

I have not read all the replies, but I want to say this: Breeding is not, i repeat, NOT to be undertaken lightly. So much needs to be considered.

DH and I have been discussing things with our boys' breeder(They are Borzoi). Cooper is neutered, and has never been shown. He is a beautiful, typey example of his breed, and has fantastic health and temperament. Many, many attributes about him are something that many lesser breeders would have chosen to showcase, and breed. He has a fantastic head, beautiful front assembly, and his temperament is among the best I have encountered. Yet, his rear is too straight, which affects his movement. He is sound, but not correct. Because movement is so very important in this breed, his breeder neutered him, and placed him with us as a companion.

His litter-brother, Manero, is also very typey and beautiful. He has a pretty head (though there are faults), a VERY nice front, and when well-muscled, a nice rear. His coat is to die for. He has a very nice temperament, as well. He is also an AKC champion, and will soon be a UKC champion (just needs two competition wins!). Hopefully, we can get to Canada, and show him to a Canadian championship as well, but that depends on money.

Right now, we are weighing our options, debating on *if* he will be bred, and to whom.

But evaluating all that is to evaluate is not easy. There are so many things to consider, such as how the male's physical attributes will complement the bitch's and vice versa. And it's not just them to consider, but those further back in their pedigree, as well. But then you have to consider temperament, health, etc.

THEN, the breeder really should be experienced, so he/she can assist, if necessary. This is especially true if you have two inexperienced individuals.

Wait, what, you say? Won't instinct guide them?! NOT ALWAYS! Same is true of whelping. Would you know what to do if a pup were presented breech? Or if the dam's labor slowed or stopped? What if she wants to hide under the basement stairs?

And, worse yet, what would you do if the dam did not produce enough milk to feed her puppies? Or if she developed mastitis? Or worse, if she died in whelp? Would you have the wherewithall to care for a litter of 6 or more puppies, feeding them every hour, cleaning them, etc?

Breeding is not something to be undertaken lightly. There are so many things to consider, and I have barely scratched the surface. But if you are not prepared to do extensive testing to rule out certain hereditary conditions, screen applicants thoroughly, to ensure your pups going into a good home, keep puppies you can't place, etc, you ARE NOT ready to breed a litter. And, you must also be prepared to lose the bitch in whelp. It CAN and DOES happen!

Here is a good link for you to check out. It really illustrates the realities of breeding a litter: http://www.geocities.com/virtualbreeding/

And here's another one, with many links illustrating the realities of breeding: http://learntobreed.com/

Oh, yeah, in addition, people who intentionally breed mixed breed puppies are thorns in my side. But even though I have not read all the replies, I won't go there, because I am quite sure others have...

**ETA: I just saw how old this thread is. Well, whatever. I thought about removing the text of my post, but I will leave it, in hopes that someone else will see it at some point, and learn from it.

[lute]

I am glad I didn't see this when it was originally a thread. This is so stupid! It just shows that there are people out there that just want cute little puppies no matter what may happen to the puppies or what happens to all the other THOUSANDS of dogs of this exact mix that are killed every day! How sad. I really hope this person didn't go though with the breeding. I wish you could take people's dogs away for even thinking like this.

It's like a stab in the back to REPUTABLE breeders! They work so hard to produce the best quality of purebred dog. Spend hours upon hours researching pedigrees and genetics. Spend thousands on dollars a year just to produce the best puppies.

[jonsidneyb]

I love extra large dogs that you can play with in the yard. In spite of me being fasinated with extra large dogs I don't want to see more born when so many are homeless.

If there where no homeless dogs I would say go for it as long as we knew the puppies would be cared for but it is just not the case.

I however would sure like to see a photo of an existing Shep Dane mix.

[oakleydane]

Her name is Oakley. She is one year old and the best dog in the world. I would not trade her for anything. she has big ears that stand straight up like a german shep. they arent cropped. and she has a snout that slightly droops like that dane. a beautiful dog. Her color is merle and she is about 100 lbs now..still growing.She is very affectionate and loves giving kisses! The awesome thing about her is she is protective of me and my siblings and parents. Just yesterday she ran 2 bears off that were outside walking in the backyard. She jumped in front of me kicking her feet back and growling. You never see her aggressive unless she feels that i am threatened or she is scared. She plays well with other dogs and loves babies. She is very gentle. She has a huge personality and carries around stuffed animals like they are her babies. You tell her "oakley bring me your baby" and she brings a stuffed animal to you. She is very intelligent and literally opens doors with her mouth or paws by turning the door nob. she was potty trained by 2 months old and has never had an accident. she loves being outside. she was never big on chewing things up. its like she knew better! she hates being alone and loves car rides. her only flaw is she sheds a lot! i dont believe breeding them is a bad idea at all considering there are so many good traits that come out of the two breeds to form such a great dog. could go on for days about her. wish i knew how to put a pic up.

[Cowgirl in the Sand]

Ditto, could not have said it better!

Yes, she may find all loving homes and they may not end up in a shelter. But every dog born, is another dog in a shelter that is put to sleep.

There are plenty of mixed breed puppies needing a home, it's a really depressing thing.

Good luck and if money is ever a problem with spaying and neutering, there is shelters that will help pay for them.

[BBel]

Please don't breed or buy while shelter pets die.
Besides you'll never really know who or where the puppies will end up, if their being mistreated, abused, neglected, tied out, the list goes on.
People will tell you anything you want to hear in order to get what they want be aware!
My Deja was just DOTD and she's a Aussie Dane rescue, that may give you some idea of what the puppies may look like. But the responsible thing to do is S/N.
Good luck to you.

[Tybo'sMomma]

I know this post is super old, but I could not help but join when I saw it to comment. I have a 2 year old Dane/Shepherd mix named Tyberious. The Mom was a Dane, in heat, and the Dad, the Shepherd, jumped the fence to get to her while the owner was in the shower. She had 14 puppies, all of who made it. One boy, whom is now mine. He is Brindle with the body of a Dane and the head, tail, and coat of a Shepherd. He does shed! A LOT! Riding in the car with him the other day on the way to the dog park, his fur was literally flying out the window off of him. With that being said, he is one of the best dogs I have ever owned. He loves to be up in everyones business, which can put some people off. He has a really annoying habit of taking my arm in his mouth. He is not biting down when he does it, he just kind of sucks on it and slobbers up my whole arm. He only does this to me, I don't mind so it is a problem I did not care to work on. Extremely intelligent and sometimes a bit ADD, but he is the most eager to please. If In the car, the windows can be down in every seat other than mine with 5 open seats and he still wants in my lap. I know everybody has touched on the topic of shelters and ignorant breeders, with that being said, I think they make a wonderful breed in their own. I would love to see them one day professionally bred out. We have the luxury of knowing 6 of his sisters and their families and they all have had wonderful experiences with their dogs also. He has some of the best traits from both breeds. Although, I have never seen his agressive side until the other day at the park. He normally wants to be friends with every dog he meets. In fact, when he was younger, he would whine to go play with the small dogs in the other section of the park. Unfortunetely, it made me the laughing stock of the dog park. With that being said, after making about 7 new friends at the park the other day, we saw two Mastiffs coming towards us. As we were walking along the path I could already see the owners struggling to contain their beasts and their growls were audible from a way aways. Tybo stood on his haunches and barked at them after taking his stance in front of me and my boyfriend, much like I have seen Shepherds doing. He has never had a reason to be protective over us before, but now we know he really is since we witnessed that. It kind of scared me to see my baby behaving so aggressively. With that being said, they should not have had their extremely agressive dogs at the park... but that is a whole other rant. If you want to know more about my experience, ask!