Buddy The Great Dane Rescue Dog

When Buddy lived with his first owner and family he was unfortunately not treated very well. The children were not taught to be considerate and gentle with him. At one time he was pushed down some stairs and his leg was seriously hurt, possibly broken. He was not taken to the veterinarian for treatment and it healed crookedly.

After spending about six months with this family they wanted to get rid of him. They blamed the dog for the bad behavior they had trained him to have. He was either going to be placed in a new home or be euthanized. Good fortune came into the life of Buddy in the person of the guy who adopted him. But oh what a series of trials and tribulations the new owner went through with this maladjusted dog.

Buddy is a Great Dane. If you are going to go through problematic situations with a dog it is much easier to deal with if the dog is small. As the name implies, the Great Dane is not anywhere near being small.

Often referred to as a gentle giant the Great Dane is one of the tallest breeds. In fact they are noted in the Guinness World Records as tallest dog. On the American Kennel Club website it states that the male is required to be 32 inches tall and not less than 30 inches tall. He is well-proportioned to his height with a somewhat square body. He must weigh at least 120 pounds to be qualified as a show dog.

The female must be 28 to 32 inches tall with at least 30 inches being preferable. She should be well proportioned with a slightly longer body than her male counterpart. There are six colors that are acceptable in a show quality Great Dane. They are:

* fawn - yellow gold with a blue mask
* brindle - fawn and black with chevron shaped stripes
* blue - pure steel blue
* black - glossy black
* harlequin - white with black patches irregularly placed
* mantle - black and white with a solid black blanket

Dogs similar to Great Danes appear in ancient Egyptian literature as well as that of Greece and Rome. It has been theorized that the breed was developed from the Medieval Boarhound. Others posit development from a line of Mastiffs bred in Germany. The modern Great Danes are about 400 years old as a breed. Their history remains debatable. One expert on the subject, Barbara Stein said, 'The breed originated in Germany, probably from a cross between the English Mastiff and the Irish Wolfhound.'

The debate regarding origin is likely to continue indefinitely.

As for Buddy, he is a brindle measuring 31 inches at the withers and weighing about 95 pounds which is slightly underweight for the male of the species. He is a survivor of neutering as an adult dog and several serious illnesses which required veterinary care. Although most dog aficionados would consider him unsuccessfully socialized, he is very devoted, almost worshipful towards his current owner. Since he cannot understand what expenses and problems he's presented, this exemplifies the fact that a dog loves his human unconditionally.


He's now relatively calm and well behaved although he continues to require muzzling around children. Much of his unacceptable behavior has been alleviated if not eradicated and he has overcome more than any dog should have to deal with. The rescue and rehabilitation of Buddy the Great Dane should be considered a huge success...

Tom Chapman This article is written by the authors of www.petstuffgalore.co.uk Pet products - Pet Supermarket For All Your Pets Needs.