Great Dane: Size, Lifespan and Care Basics

The American Kennel Club (AKC) gives the Great Dane a life expectancy of 7 to 10 years. The Royal Kennel Club (RKC) in the UK puts the breed in its “under 10 years” band.

Both figures describe the breed as a whole. They are ranges for typical dogs of the breed, not a forecast for any one dog.

Of the 30 breeds profiled on Pettify, 26 have a longer upper estimate than the Great Dane and 0 a shorter one.

The RKC suggests grooming a Great Dane once a week and describes the coat as short; it lists the breed as one that sheds. On the AKC’s scales the breed rates 3 out of 5 for shedding and 1 out of 5 for how often the coat needs care.

Size is what makes the grooming add up. The short, smooth coat drops little hair for most of the year, yet on a dog this big the AKC still expects a fair amount, and one or two seasons a year bring heavier shedding, when it suggests a daily brush. Otherwise a weekly session is enough, with a medium-bristle brush, a hound glove or a rubber grooming tool.

Baths are occasional. The bigger cleanup is drool: the AKC rates it 4 out of 5.

The RKC puts the exercise a Great Dane needs at more than 2 hours a day. The AKC rates the breed 4 out of 5 for energy and 4 out of 5 for mental stimulation needs.

Two or three brisk walks a day can be enough for a Great Dane, in the AKC’s view, as long as the exercise is daily and suits the dog’s age. Between walks the breed can come across as sedate.

Off-leash time needs a tall fence. The AKC notes that Danes will follow a scent wherever it goes, and the RKC says the old hunting instinct is still there, so a leash is the rule outside secure ground. For sport, the AKC’s list runs from obedience and agility to tracking, flyball and weight pulls.

The AKC gives the adult weight of the Great Dane as “140–175 pounds (male), 110–140 pounds (female)”, which is 63.5–79.4 kg for males and 49.9–63.5 kg for females. The height at the shoulder is 30–32 inches (male), 28–30 inches (female).

The Great Dane is a German breed, developed as a boar hound in the AKC’s account; German nobles hunted wild boar with its heavier ancestors, which worked in packs. Today’s Dane is taller and finer than those dogs, its noble bearing earned it the nickname the Apollo of dogs, and the RKC notes that some enthusiasts still class it with the sighthounds. In time its best-known job became protecting home and family.

The guarding is still there. Watchdog nature rates 5 out of 5 and openness to strangers a middle 3 out of 5, and the AKC suggests that most would-be intruders are put off simply by seeing one. Its friendliness, the AKC adds, does not make a Dane soft when its family is threatened.

Inside the house the AKC describes a friendly, patient and dependable dog, eager to please and quick to make friends, and affection for family rates 5 out of 5. The RKC sees the same mix, a dog with dash and daring that is kind and loyal at home. Other dogs rate 3 out of 5, and trainability is a middle 3 out of 5, so manners need early, steady work. A dog that can stand taller than most people on its hind legs has to learn not to jump up long before it reaches full size.

The AKC is frank that a dog of this size, weight and strength is a serious commitment. Beyond the RKC’s large house and garden, plan for the space a giant dog takes up in the car and on the sofa. Pettify’s care plan counts a Dane as a puppy until 15 months. The AKC recognized the breed in 1887, and in 2025 it ranked 22nd in the club’s registrations.