It’s a dog. It’s a Pit Bull. It’s a Great Dane. It’s a Great Danebull!

This loveable and loyal mix is adored by many and when you learn more about him, you will understand exactly why. In order to understand this mixed breed dog, it helps to thoroughly understand his parentage.

Many mixes of dogs exist that have traits of both parents. Let us explore both the Pit Bull and the Great Dane individually before we talk about the offspring of both dogs, the Great Danebull.

The Loveable Great Dane

The Great Dane is considered one of the giant dog breeds. When he stands on his hind legs, he can easily place his front paws on the shoulders of a six-foot-tall person.

For the most part, this is a friendly dog that bond with humans, He’s a long-legged, fast-running dog that is built for speed even though he is large.

He has a great attitude, being patient and kind, provided he has been well-socialized and trained. He ranks 16th of 191 breeds in popularity, according to the American Kennel Club.

Great Danes range in height from 28 inches to 32 inches at the shoulders. Females will be approximately 2 inches shorter than the males and on the smaller end of the weight range which can be 110 pounds to 175 pounds. Males will rarely be less than 140 pounds when fully-grown.

One of the saddest things about owning a Great Dane is that they don’t live very long compared to other breeds. This is a sad fact about giant breeds — they don’t tend to live very many years.

The Great Dane will live between 7 and 10 years. Many other breeds will live twice as long as a Great Dane but it hasn’t made them any less popular. Those who love Danes remain loyal breed enthusiasts.

They are part of the Working Dog group. Originally, this German breed (yes, they are German and not Dutch) was born to hunt wild boar.

 

 

They are avid hunters and due to these genetics, they can also be great watchdogs, protective of their home.

Their sheer size alone tends to put most would-be burglars into retreat mode. Who wants to take on a 150+ pound growling dog that at’s as big as a small pony? No many people.

While they are generally a very healthy breed, you should be aware that they are very susceptible to an avoidable condition called bloat.

Feed them from a raised dish so that they don’t intake as much air with their meal. Do not allow them to run directly following a meal.

Don’t over-feed your Dane and steer clear of high-fat foods. They’re not good for any dog but especially bad for your Great Dane.

You may also opt to have his stomach tacked to the inside of his body cavity when you have your Great Dane spayed or neutered. You can also do it as a separate elective surgery.

It is a relatively simple procedure in which the veterinarian staples or stitches the stomach to the body cavity in such a way that it cannot flip over, which is the cause of bloat.

It is a life-threatening condition and well worth the cost of having the surgical procedure to prevent it from happening.

The breed characteristics as described by the AKC uses adjectives such as courageous and spirited. It goes on to say he should be a well-balanced dog, never clumsy in appearance.

Indeed, he is powerful and looks like an athlete who is ready to take on any task.

Don’t let this fool you though. Indoors, he’s a lazy dog that enjoys comfort. He’ll completely take over your sofa and your bed, choosing the fluffiest pillows to lay his head upon.

He likes to cuddle and is notorious for backing up to the sofa and sitting his behind in your lap while his front paws remain on the floor.

It is essential to work with your Great Dane from his early weeks and months so that he is well aware of house rules as early as possible.

Having him running amok in your home is no fun once he is the height of a shetland pony and weighs more than you do.

He will knock over people, children, and chase other household pets if he is not taught very early on how to have house manners. Signing up for a group training class is highly desirable.

Make sure that you feed your Great Dane puppy food that has been formulated for a large breed puppy.

This is very important. Large breed puppy food is formulated to control his growth so that his bones don’t grow faster than his muscles and tendons. If he grows too fast, he’ll have joint problems as he ages.

A proper diet will ensure that this doesn’t happen. How can you tell if he’s growing too fast? If he is getting tall and skinny, rather than staying a healthy size and growing uniformly, he is getting the wrong food.

The Dane has been around for at least 400 years and is known widely by people all over the world. His size and shape give him away.

His massive head is easy to spot. He’s born with floppy ears but some have the ears surgically altered to stand erect. More people are moving away from this practice, considering it to be cruel.

His tail is long and whip-like, reminiscent of that of a greyhound and his coloring can be varied. Coat colors you may see in a Great Dane include:

• Fawn

• Brindle

• Blue

• Black

• Harlequin

• Mantle

• Merle

These are the official colors that are recognized by the AKC but there are some variations that are sometimes seen.

The Loyal Pitbull

One of the most popular breeds in the world, the Pit Bull is the most common mix of dog that is seen all across America, and sadly in pounds and rescues as well. America has a love-hate relationship with Pit Bulls.

The fact is that Pit Bull is not even a breed. It is a generic term that is used to describe all dogs with similar characteristics.

This can include a lot of breeds and mixes thereof, such as the American Pit Bull Terrier, The American Staffordshire Terrier, and any other type of mix that resembles these breeds.

It’s very important that people realize that Pit Bulls are capable of more than most other breeds.

When it comes to strength, few can surpass a Pit Bull. They can be very competitive, challenging, protective, and hard to handle because they are just so ‘much’ dog.

Because they are a mix, in most cases, of many other types of breeds, it’s impossible to truly know the background of the dog in question unless there is a paper with their pedigree available. That’s unlikely with most Pit Bulls.

They have become so popular that they are, frankly, overpopulating the country and sadly, many of them find their way into pounds, shelters, and living on the streets.

They are strong, intelligent, and cunning. These things make them survivors. Those living on the street tend to fare pretty well.

Another sad fact is that they’ve been exploited for the purposes of dog-fighting, which is illegal but still happening in many places in America and around the world.

These dogs have earned a poor reputation as being aggressive and out of control, fighting animals. This isn’t exactly true and is an unfair summarization of the Pit Bull.

Those who have been fought will likely never make good pets. Many rescues put them down. Those that have not been fought will have characteristics that can be sometimes referred to as stubbornness.

They may have natural guarding instincts and can be hard to handle for a first-time dog owner.

This doesn’t automatically make them aggressive. They need a human who is a strong personality that can handle their antics.

They need very good training and strict discipline. They do not need to be unfairly labeled.

The actual rates of dog bites show that many other breeds are more likely to bite. The problem is that Pit Bulls can do so much more damage when they bite. They can

also become aggressive with other dogs, mainly if they are bred from fighting bloodlines.

Bully breeds of all sorts also differ from some other breeds in that the females are the more territorial and will fight with other females This doesn’t make them aggressive dogs, it makes them territorial dogs that sometimes need to be only dogs or only in a home with a dog of the opposite sex.

Many Pit Bull rescues exist for the sole purpose of trying to save these dogs from being bred for fighting and from being unfairly euthanized for being good at what they are bred for.

The sad fact is that these dogs were once referred to as ‘nanny dogs’ and were left to keep watch over children playing in the yard. Most Pit Bulls love children and will protect them with their own life.

This is the loyal Pit Bull. They protect, they guard, and they love you fiercely. These very things that people love them for are the reasons that some people have exploited them.

They can make excellent pets and fantastic animals to keep your children company. They simply require rules, boundaries, and proper training.

Due to the many different breeds that have come together to create the Pit Bull of today, they can come in any color imaginable.

They may also vary a great deal in size, being anywhere between 35 and 65 pounds. Some breeders are breeding gigantic Pit Bulls, one of which is aptly named Hulk.

There is a lot of controversy over the kennel that is breeding these giant Pit Bulls. The kennel states that they are helping to create a better personality in their dogs and better the breed in that way.

Hulk weighs approximately 175 pounds, more than double the size of an average Pit Bull.

Pit Bulls are extremely athletic and intelligent. Only recently, a Pit Bull has passed police dog training and been placed with a police department in New York. Her name is Kiah, and she was rescued from a kennel in Texas, where she was recovering from a traumatic injury.

She is the epitome of the Pit Bull, known to be difficult to keep down for long. She recovered from her wound and went on to pass all her training and be fully accredited as a police dog.

She is proving to be a very stable and highly intelligent partner to her human on the force. Why shouldn’t she be? Contrary to popular belief, Pit Bulls pass temperament testing with over an 85% success rate, according to the Villalobos Pit Bull Rescue in Louisianna.

They claim that Pit Bulls can make loving, stable, members of the family. The key is knowing as much as you can about the Pitties and then being the type of leader that they need.

The Great Danebull

The Great Danebull is the product of an American Pit Bull Terrier and a Great Dane breeding. As you’ve read much about both types of dogs already, you may have a pretty good idea about the type of dog a Great Danebull may be. Let’s take a closer look at the breed.

First of all, they should be bred from a true American Pit Bull Terrier with papers. This is the best way to ensure that your dog hasn’t come from a fighting line of dogs. His personality should be very stable and more predictable.

Your Great Danebull will be large to giant-sized, depending on whose genes he inherits for size. He will more than likely live to be at least ten years old and could live as long as 15 years.

This is because Pit Bulls have much longer life spans than the Great Dane.

Your Danebull will most likely fall somewhere in the middle on lifespan, which makes them right within the average for most breeds, approximately 12 years.

Both parent breeds have short, straight hair that is very easy to take care of and doesn’t shed a great deal, though they will shed.

If you are concerned about keeping your sofa pet hair-free, you may wish to put a blanket over it because this is a dog that will snooze on the sofa and it will be hard to keep them off.

Most people consider this desire for comfortable places to be an endearing quality. They can make the most uncomfortable sofa look like a featherbed in the way they’ll snuggle up in it and fall asleep in positions that make them look broken.

You will never be able to keep a blanket straight either, it will find its way to be wrapped up in a pile of Danebull, probably snoring.

They really don’t like to be cold. If you live in a cold climate, you should consider getting them warm sweaters made for dogs to help keep them warm. They are very heat tolerant and if you live in Miami, they’ll love taking a jump into the pool if you introduce them to it gradually.

He’ll be a very intelligent dog, having been born from two parents that are highly intelligent and noble breeds. He’ll likely have a tenacity that can be very good if channeled into positive things.

Teach him how to do tricks, be obedient and give him a job to do. The Pit Bull in him will thrive if he has a job to do.

If he gets bored, he could become destructive. He’ll be big, powerful, and smart enough to really get into some serious trouble if he’s left to his own devices for too long.

He will likely mature more slowly than other breeds of dogs, mentally. In other words, he’ll be puppyish until he is closer to three years old.

Most other breeds will mature between one and two but Pit Bulls mature more slowly and it is likely that this will slow your Danebull down in this department.

If you have children or other pets, you can expect that your Danebull will be fine with them provided that you’ve done your job in socialization and training. They need training.

This is a must. You cannot allow this dog to determine what is okay on his own. He’ll be too big and too puppyish to let go unchecked. This cannot be overstated. Train, train, train. Then train some more. It is good for them to have a lot of structure. They thrive on that.

He could be prone to chasing animals if you live in the countryside where there are deer or rabbits.

The Great Dane in him bred to hunt wild boar so it might be in his genes to give chase. A good recall is essential and should be the first thing your new pup should learn.

Caring for Your Great Danebull

He’ll need very little brushing. Using a damp cloth to wipe him off when he’s dirty will be good enough unless he dives into a mud puddle, something that is entirely possible if he’s a typical Pit Bull mix. Otherwise, a bath every couple of months is generally enough.

Feed your Danebull a good, high-quality dog food that is formulated for large breed dogs. Don’t allow him to run after eating. Elevate his food dish so that he doesn’t suck in a lot of air when he eats.

This will lower his odds of getting gastric bloat. Bloat can be dangerous and you do all that you can to learn about it and guard against it. It can be fatal, so avoiding the condition is important.

Clean his ears and clip his nails from the time he is small. Teach him to accept you touching him all over, examine his ears, his nails, in between his toes and the pads of his paw for thorns and debris.

Massage him all over so that you know when he has a lump or cut that he cannot tell you about. He must learn to allow your touch. This helps to desensitize him to his feet, tail, ears, and backside being touched.

Make sure that he gets adequate exercise. He will be an athletic dog, a trait of both parents. He needs to burn his energy and if you don’t find a way for him to do this, he’ll become destructive.

Involve him in some sporting events like frisbee, agility, or exercise with him by taking him for a jog with you. He needs this to maintain his mental health too. Dogs that are bored and full of energy can develop forms of anxiety and very bad habits.

You do not want a very big to develop habits like chewing on furniture, clawing at doors, digging holes in the yard, or destroying things in the house.

That’s what happens. He may even become vocal and bark at every car that goes by or person on the sidewalk. Exercise solves the vast majority of these issues.

As you can see, this is actually a great breed and a very nice looking dog too. They are intelligent and while they have potential problem areas, they also have many great traits that make them awesome pets.

They simply need a lot of guidance and structure so if you are that sort of person, you shouldn’t hesitate to have a Great Danebull. They’re active and they’ll love going with you and meeting new people.

They tend to be really healthy and full of vigor well into their senior years. They barely slow down until it happens rather suddenly when they are over ten, most of the time. When you get a Great Danebull, it’s for life.

Be prepared. He’s going to be in your life for as long as 15 years and requires attention and exercise for most of those years.

If you are single and get married, don’t worry. A well-socialized Danebull will love your new spouse and they’ll love any children who come along later. They’ll be a loyal, loving member of the family for their entire life.

“You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog.” – Harry S Truman