General Information & Contract

This information has been compiled from questions I have been asked and is meant to be helpful to prepare for your new puppy. You may already know this information, especially if you’re not a first time Dane owner. Please always feel free to ask me questions about your puppy. I will try to have a helpful answer, but I am not a replacement for veterinarIan or professional training advice.
The following goes home with your new puppy: food, toy that your puppy has been playing with here, a blanket that has been part of his/her bedding (it will be clean and have a familiar laundered smell and I will rub it on their mother), AKC papers, vet records, contract, chew treat, harness, and leash.
INFORMATIVE WEBSITES: Two helpful websites with lots of information: http://www.greatdanelady.com and http://www.all-about-great-danes.com
FEEDING: Your pup will be sent home with the food that he/she has been eating here. We buy the Victor dog food at our local Co-Op and it can be ordered online as well. Chewy.com is a great online source for food and other items. https://www.chewy.com/victor-select-beef-meal-brown-rice/dp/120668
If you would prefer to use a different food, it is best to transition SLOWLY to the new food over the period of at least 7 to 10 days. Replace 25% of the Victor food with the new food you want to switch to at first feeding, and gradually increase the percentage of new food each day. The pup may experience loose stool or diarrhea from a change in food. If you notice diarrhea, SLOW DOWN the switch over process. REMEMBER to consult me BEFORE changing their food to make sure it is acceptable.
It is best NOT to feed LAMB based food for their main diet. Lamb has a taurine blocker which affects muscle growth - the heart is a muscle.
***It is suggested that the Dog Food have levels around the following percentages for best results: calcium 1%, phosphorus .8%.Not all PUPPY food will fit into these guidelines!
It can be tempting to RUSH your puppy’s growth, but PLEASE RESIST that temptation! We determine how much to feed our Danes based on their body condition as pictured on this chart in the following link: https://www.library.tufts.edu/vet/images/bcs_dog.pdf
This link will provide information on suggested amounts to feed: http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/amount_to_feed_large_and_giant_breeds.htm
An improper diet will result in malformation of their joints and other growth disorders, knuckling for example.
Just keep in mind to grow your puppy slowly and keep them lean.
Probiotics help to firm up their stool, and canned pumpkin (not pie filling) can too. Nzymes or Probios are the probiotics we use. Here is a link to Nzymes and they have many health products for pets. We use their probioti products: https://www.nzymes.com/product-category/digestive-probiotics/
Our adult Danes never get plain Victor food. I make bone broth in an Instant Pot and this is a main staple that I add in their diet. The bone broth is bone (almost always with meat) and apple cider vinegar. I often add vegetables, so this is more of a hearty soup. Various vegetables I use: celery, carrots, green beans, broccoli, squash, cauliflower, kale, spinach, and beets. I do not skim off the fat from the bone broth I make. The fat may cause loose stool for your Dane, so you may need to skim off the fat. There are recipes for bone broth for humans and dogs on the internet. You can find lots of information on the health benefits of bone broth for joints and healthy digestion.
I use the probiotics and the bone broth to maintain overall good health and a healthy digestive system in hopes of warding off bloat and other possible ailments.
Other food items added on occasion: coconut oil, canned plain pumpkin, and fish (Mackerel or Salmon).
The puppies we raise only get a very small amount of these “extra goodies”. For my own dogs, they were also allotted small amounts added to their food and this was gradually increased to 2 to 3 cups of goodies added to their Victor.
Stainless steel bowls are the best, not plastic or ceramic. However, I do make it a point to introduce the puppies we raise to eating and drinking from a variety of types of bowls and containers as a means of training. Introducing various new items is important to a developing pup and you should practice this training with your puppy too.
TRAINING: Make your puppy sit and wait a few seconds BEFORE placing their food down in order to “earn” the food from you. TRAINING is extremely important with a Great Dane, and the earlier you start the better. They will grow to be huge within 3 years and it is best for them to understand that YOU are in control and have boundaries. Making them “earn” their food is beneficial.
I highly recommend puppy classes and professional training. You have a huge responsibility to help shape the temperament of your puppy through training and proper socializing. Misbehavior or rude manners in a smaller dog is easily looked over because the results are not nearly as dangerous as when a 100 to 200 pound dog exhibits the same behavior. Training and socialization should NEVER stop, it is a lifelong ordeal. “Nothing In Life Is Free” is a good training method to consider. I have your pup for a short few weeks and try to introduce new noises, textures, environments, and experiences as much as possible. It is very important that you continue introducing new places, people, and things for your puppy for LIFE.
I begin an introduction to training for your pup while here with me. Learning to sit, come when called, name recognition, and to stop an unwanted behavior with a NO is some of the training I begin. Your puppy is raised with household sounds: vacuum cleaner, food processor, TV, music, and the clanking and goings on of a kitchen. They will spend time outside exploring within my fenced yard. I introduce your puppy to a variety of experiences individually and together with littermates.
I recommend a harness for walking until your Dane is trained to not pull. Your puppy will come with a harness from us. Damage to their necks can occur if they pull while on a leash and neck collar (injury induced wobblers can happen). Also, I would not recommend tying your Dane out on a leash for the same reason. A “gentle leader” harness is fantastic!
NEVER use a tie out cable or chain with a stake as this can damage their spine if they jerk against a stationary chain or cable. A fenced in yard or exercise area is best for outdoor time. I feel like lots of time outside is vital and healthy for your Dane.
Never allow a child or infant to crawl or ride on your Dane at any stage of life. This can be potentially dangerous for the child if the Dane ever decides it does not like this behavior. Children should ALWAYS be monitored around your Dane. A toy dog can lunge and snap at a child and the result is obviously much different than when a Dane has the same reaction to undesirable behavior from a child. Never allow a child to ride a Dane like a horse because this is dangerous and can cause damage to the spine.
Resist introducing your new puppy to all the people you know at once. Use your friends, family, and neighbors as a method to socialize your pup. Try to spread introductions out so that your pup has a positive experience with a new person each day or every couple of days. I also suggest using your own home as training ground. Resist allowing your pup to explore your entire home upon arrival. Show them a new room each day so that you can take advantage of this safe environment for conditioning and training your pup. Some other safe ideas for socializing and conditioning your pup: homes of your family or friends, car rides, drive thru, and a blanket lined shopping cart at Lowe’s or Home Depot.
Once your pup completes the series of vaccines, then you can begin exploring more because the “world” will be a bit safer from the dangers of viruses like Parvo. At this stage, make it a point to continue to safely introduce your pup to new items, people, environments, and situations. Now you can walk your pup on a leash at Lowe’s or Home Depot, allow your pup to “people watch“ at a playground of children, puppy play dates, pet stores, and anywhere a dog is welcomed.
If you do not make it a point to be active in dog outings, your Dane may not be very welcoming to visitors or be difficult to manage if you do attempt an outing.
EXERCISE: It is best to NOT introduce forced exercise such as running and long walks until they are close to 1-1/2 years old. Allow your puppy to play, run, and romp around at will, but do not take your puppy on long walks, runs, or hiking until it is older. They grow rapidly and it is better on their hips and joints to not be over exerted until their growth plates are closed (around 18 months old).
If you plan to crate train, please be advised that a crate that is too small or too much time spent in a crate can negatively affect their growth and cause joint issues and behavioral issues.
If you plan to walk your puppy, no more than 5 minutes per month of age at a slow walking pace is suggested.
Please make sure your Dane enjoys ample time outside. Most will gladly reside as a couch potato, but I think it is important for their physical and mental development that they soak up the sun’s rays and romp around freely outside.
POTTY TRAINING: Crate training is especially helpful to speed up potty training. Generally, for every month of age a puppy can hold their bladder one hour.
Designate one small area of the yard to take your puppy potty while training, ideally as close to the door as possible at first. This will help them to know what you want from them at that time and the familiar scent of their potty will stimulate them to go in this area. Leaving one poop in this designated area as a scent reminder is helpful too. Use a command like “go potty” when in this area. Give excited praise when your puppy goes potty in the designated area like “good boy”.
Attaching a leash to you inside the house while trying to potty train is helpful. The puppy is always by your side and accidents can be caught “in the act”. Catching mistakes “in the act” will help your puppy to understand that praise is given for going in the designated area and a form NO is received when going potty in the wrong areas.
Only allow limited space at first until potty training is established. It is best to NOT open your whole house up to your new puppy until potty training is complete.
***DANGERS OF DOG PARK AND PET STORES***: Please do not take your puppy to dog parks, pet stores, or any place where there is a significant number of dogs until the ENTIRE SET of vaccinations have been administered. Even WITH complete and timely vaccines, puppies are very susceptible to parasites & viruses. Please, just WAIT until all vaccines are given because this LESSENS the chance of your puppy contracting something nasty like Parvovirus. Take your pup to safe places to socialize and wait until later for the dog park, pet store, or any place where it is common to find lots of other dogs.
Take your puppy to the vet if you notice the following: diarrhea, blood in their stool, yellowish stool, vomiting, and lethargy.
Even scary Parvovirus is successfully treated when caught early enough. The incubation period for Parvovirus from exposure can be up to 7 days. Your puppy is NOT protected until the complete series of shots is completed, AND EVEN THEN, there is a small chance to STILL CONTRACT Parvovirus. You can bring parvovirus into your home on your shoes and clothing. Other animals, even rodents, can bring parasites and viruses into your environment!
Coccidia is VERY common. Sometimes it is already in your pup’s intestines, but “under control” until the puppy becomes stressed. It causes diarrhea and often shows up from the stress of weaning off nursing, adjusting to a new home without litter mates, and adjisting to a new environment and routine.
SPAY AND NEUTER: Personally, I would not spay or neuter until close to 2 years old. A Great Dane just does NOT fit neatly into the typical expectations held for most dogs. I would rather not accept the risk associated with spaying or neutering a Great Dane any younger than 18 to 24 months old. I understand that prolonging spay/neuter is not always able to happen. At the very least, allow a female to have one heat cycle and a male to be at least one year old. If you spay or neuter early, the Dane does not reach the full potential of their growth due to the lack of hormones. Females may suffer from incontinence and males will be gangly in appearance. Early spay and neuter is not good for their hips and joints. http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/spay_and_neuter_information.htm and http://www.akcchf.org/canine-health/your-dogs-health/determining-the-best-age-at.html
BLOAT: You can do many things to TRY and avoid this, but it can still happen despite all efforts. There is so much information to read for prevention, and some is conflicting. The causes of bloat are still not completely understood. Some suggestions: feeding small meals instead of one large meal, feed in a bowl that doesn't allow for gulping and fast eating, give probiotics often, no large amounts of water at once, and require resting before and after meals. I’m certain there are other measures to try and prevent bloat that I have not listed. I have read information for AND against raised bowls. Stomach tacking does NOT prevent bloat, it only prevents the twisting of the stomach in order to buy time for you to get to a veterinaria. Some warning signs: trying to vomit but nothing comes up, vomiting a white foam, drooling excessively, hanging their head down, hunched body, clearly uncomfortable, pacing, tightly distended abdomen, ……
Use this link for more warning signs and what to do:
http://www.thatmutt.com/2010/03/04/what-is-bloat-in-dogs/
RE-HOME OR SURRENDER: I should hope that it never becomes a decision you have to make, but if you need to re-home your Great Dane, PLEASE contact me first - that is part of the contract! Sometimes life changes in ways that would make another home more suitable. I do NOT want to have the Dane placed in a shelter or loose contact. Involve me so I can help with placement or possibly even take the Dane back.

CONTRACT

MUSIC CITY GREAT DANES CONTRACT
On _________, ______________________________ (seller), enters into a contract with ________________________________(buyer), for the purpose of setting forth the following terms and conditions regarding the purchase of the AKC purebred Great Dane puppy described as: ______ (sex), ____________________ (color), ___________________________ (AKC Registration)

1) Seller has had said puppy examined and vaccinated by a licensed veterinarian and will provide these health records to the buyer.

2) Buyer agrees to have said puppy examined by a licensed veterinarian within three business days of receipt of puppy. Failure of buyer to provide copies of veterinarian records of this initial exam to the seller within the first 5 days of ownership of the puppy voids the health guarantee. email records to musiccitygreatdanes@gmail.com

3) Said puppy has a health guarantee for the first year of life covering life threatening hereditary diseases verified by a licensed veterinarian. The disease must not be caused by injury, accident, neglect, improper diet, breeding (nothing related to breeding or the ability to breed is guaranteed), preventable in nature, due to lack of proper vet care, or resulting from surgery or anesthesia. If the puppy has passed away during the first year of life, a necropsy must be performed at the buyer’s expense, to indicate that the puppy died of a life threatening hereditary disease. The seller may elect to obtain a second opinion from a veterinarian of the seller’s choice to verify the findings. The buyer shall elect to either keep the ill puppy or return it to the seller at buyer’s expense.

4) Replacement puppy guidelines due to life threatening disease:

The seller will choose a puppy as close to comparable as nature provides within Music City Great Danes’ breeding program. The seller reserves the right to a waiting period to provide a replacement puppy, understanding that puppies are not always readily available. No refunds.

5) If, for any reason and at any time, the buyer can no longer keep the puppy, the puppy is to be returned to the seller or arrangements made with the seller for proper placement of the puppy. The puppy is not to be sold, transferred, or given away without written consent and cooperation of the seller.

6) All veterinary expenses and expenses to maintain proper care for the puppy are the financial responsibility of the buyer once the buyer takes possession of said puppy.

7) All deposits and money paid to seller are NON-REFUNDABLE.

______________________________________________________________________________________ (Buyer) (Buyers)

______________________________________________________________________________________ (Address)

__________________________________________(email) ______________________________ (Phone)

_____________________________________________________________________________________ (Seller)