Great Dane

Nearly a metre at the shoulder, only 7–10 years, with heart and bloat risks hanging over it.

About the Great Dane

The Great Dane is a large German dog breed of the mastiff-sighthound types which is descended from hunting dogs of the Middle Ages that were used to hunt bear, boar and deer. They were also used as guard dogs of German nobility. Along with the Irish Wolfhound, it is among the tallest dog breeds in the world.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)

Key facts

Origin: Germany
Weight: 45–80 kg
Height: 71–86 cm
Lifespan: 7–10 years
Est. monthly cost: $113 (≈ $1356 per year)
Purchase price: $2,900–$5,100 from a breeder

Where the monthly cost comes from

Routine care for a Great Dane averages about $113 a month, or roughly $1,356 a year. That figure is summed from the measured US line items below — food is scaled to this breed's body weight and grooming to its coat — not quoted from any single clinic or breeder.

Estimated monthly breakdown for a Great Dane
Category	Per month
Food (scaled to 63 kg)	$641.15
Treats	$60.00
Routine veterinary care (adjusted for this breed's known issues)	$347.55
Medications (flea, tick, heartworm)	$101.85
Grooming (2/5 coat requirement)	$150.00
Toys	$37.00
Licence	$15.00
Total	$113

Pet insurance is not in that total. The average US accident-and-illness premium is $676 a year for a dog, but most pets are not insured, so adding it to every breed would overstate what a typical owner pays.

If you insure, board and budget for emergencies

Owners who carry insurance, leave the pet boarded when travelling and set money aside for emergencies land near $215 a month — about $2,579 a year. This is a modelled budget, not a survey result:

Item	Per year
Routine care, as itemised above	$1,356
Pet insurance (NAPHIA average premium)	$676
Boarding (10 days at $25/day)	$250
Emergency fund (one ~$900 event every 3 years)	$300
Fully-loaded total	$2,579

Boarding rate from MarketWatch ($25/day). Emergency allowance modelled on Rover's finding that a typical emergency visit starts near $300 and reaches $4,000 with diagnostics and an overnight stay. The number of boarded days and the once-in-three-years emergency frequency are our own planning assumptions, stated here so you can substitute your own.

Includes routine vet visits, food, grooming and supplies. Excludes emergencies, training, boarding and the purchase price above. Method and sources: data sources.

Temperament and care profile

Grooming needed 2/5how much brushing and trimming

Shedding 3/5how much hair ends up in your home

Energy 2/5how much daily exercise

Trainability 3/5

Apartment fit 1/5

Good with kids 4/5

Vocalisation 2/5

Health issues to watch

Dilated cardiomyopathy
Gastric dilatation-volvulus
Hip problems

The FDA's animal adverse-event database holds 5,696 reported events filed under this breed name (data current to 2026-10-05). Reports are not proof of causation and are not adjusted for how many animals of the breed exist.

How it compares

Pick a second breed to see a side-by-side breakdown of cost, size, shedding and lifestyle fit.