75-100 lbs
25-27"
Unknown
The Great Golden Dane is a large, intelligent, and loyal animal, a cross between two extremely popular breeds of dog, the Great Dane and the Golden Retriever. The resulting hybrid is typically quite tolerant of other people and pets, both children and adult. They can be overenthusiastic during their playtime, however, particularly when they are young, and interactions between an immature Great Golden and very young children could result in a few bumps and bruises. Although they appear to be an intimidating guard dog due to their size, they are generally too good-natured to exhibit protective behaviors, although there are exceptions.
The Great Golden Dane is a designer dog, an intentional crossbreed between the friendly and dependable giant known as the Great Dane and the Golden Retriever, a devoted and active gun dog. The Great Dane, as we know the breed, has been selectively bred for at least 400 years and are widely believed to be the descendants of crosses between English Mastiffs and Irish Wolfhounds, developed for the purpose of hunting wild European boar, a savage and dangerous prey. They became extremely popular in Germany as early as the 1500s and in 1876 it was declared the National Dog of Germany where it is known as the Deutsche Dogge. This breed became popular in the United States in the late 1800’s, and the American Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1887. The Golden Retriever, as popular as it is, is a relative newcomer on the scene, developed by a Scottish politician by the name of Dudley Marjoribanks during the mid to late 1800’s. In 1865 Marjoribanks acquired the only yellow dog in a litter of black Wavy-Coated Retrievers from a cobbler in England. Once back home in Scotland, Nous was bred to a Tweed Water Spaniel named Belle; the Tweed Water Spaniel, now extinct, was an athletic, liver-colored water dog with very retriever-like traits. The four resulting pups were all golden, and are now considered to be the foundation of the Golden Retriever breed. Other possible breeds that were used later in the refinement of the breed include Wavy and Flat-coated Retrievers, Red Setters, and Bloodhound.
The Great Golden Dane is a large canine, typically more than two feet high at the shoulder with long legs and a square silhouette, although they may occasionally be a little longer than they are tall. This tendency is more common in females than males and the males will tend to be both taller and more substantial than the females of this hybrid. They have a broad, somewhat rectangular head with a long, deep muzzle and brown, almond-shaped eyes and ears that are attached fairly high on the skull and hang down the sides of the face. The Great Golden Dane can have coats that are quite variable, however, ranging from the short, single layer coat that the Great Dane wears to the short dense undercoat, covered by a firm, weather resistant layer of medium-length glossy hair with feathering on the legs, the feet, on the front of the neck, and the underside of the tail that the Golden Retriever sports.
This hybrid is not quite the wash and wear dog that it may appear at first glance. Although Great Danes only require occasionally bathing the Golden Retriever has a distinct doggy odor if they are not bathed on a regular basis, usually at least once a month, and this is likely to be true of the Great Golden as well. Daily brushing of some sort is also a must as even the shorter coat of the Great Dane tends to shed heavily and the undercoat of the Golden Retriever is prone to tangles and matting. Their ears should be checked and cleaned regularly as the long, hanging ears of this dog also make it more prone to developing ear infections which can be both uncomfortable for the dog and smelly for anyone in the vicinity.
This crossbreed is typically a friendly and social breed, although some protective instincts may be passed down from certain Great Dane lines. Interactions with dogs and young children should always be supervised to ensure the safety of the dog and child, however, both the Great Dane and the Golden Retriever are generally quite good with children. Golden Retrievers can occasionally be a little too boisterous for the very young while they are still maturing, as can the Great Golden Dane. In most situations, the overall friendliness of the dog is extended to other pets as well but they can sometimes develop pushy and dominant behaviors towards other animals. This crossbreed should be a very trainable dog in most cases, but its best to start obedience training early to avoid undisciplined bossiness as they grow and pleasant training methods should be used as much as possible as harsh training methods may make this canine distrustful.
Although not as hyperactive as some retriever breeds, the Golden Retriever still requires a great deal of exercise. Great Dane breed dogs don’t generally need a great deal of exercise, however, and this can reduce the exercise requirements of this particular crossbreed. Great Danes tend to be particularly playful when they are young, but overly strenuous activity and activities that involve jumping or leaping can cause stress and damage to their joints, so walks should be kept relatively short and overenthusiastic roughhousing should be avoided. The Great Golden Dane needs a great deal of both human companionship and a great deal of room to roam in to be comfortable, this dog does not do well if left alone for too long and they are too large and playful for apartment living.
Written by Kathleen Egger
Published: 10/22/2017, edited: 02/24/2021
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