Must Dos
Do feed and water him at shoulder height as this stops strain on his long legs and joints and helps stop him from gulping air, it is also important for adult dogs.

Do give him a bed off the ground. Danes not only prefer to sleep off the ground due to their giant breeding, but it will take pressure off their bones and help to prevent calluses at the elbows of the dog.

Do ensure that your fencing is secure and that your Dane is secure when you put him outside.

Do take your puppy to Puppy Pre-School and then onto a professional dog training school. It is very important that a dog that will grow as large as a Dane will learn from an early age to walk socially on lead and the other basic obedience commands such as sit, drop and come.

Do remember that as part of his training he must learn quickly to become a socially accepted member of the family and the dog and human community at large.

Do remember to start as you mean to finish. If you don't want a 75 kg dog sleeping on you couch don't let him do it as a puppy!

Must Nots

Don't allow you puppy or any dogs for that matter to left alone with children. Children are NOT seen as leaders in the dog world and therefore as children tend to look dogs straight in the eye (dogs use this as a sign of aggression) and tend to pat dogs on the head (seen by the dog as an attempt for the child to be dominant) they also pull ears, poke dogs in the eyes and run around and squeal when they laugh (these are signs to the dog that can induce the Prey drive)

Don't allow you puppy on slippery floors, up or down stairs, jump on or off furniture etc.

Don't allow your pup to run unsupervised with another rough dog, as he could end up with injuries that will affect the soft, developing growing bones of the Dane pup.

Don't over exercise him. The Dane pup is still growing up until about 10-12 months of age, so no forced walking on hard surfaces. Keep it to quiet strolls in the park or, safe off leads runs.

Your new Dane puppy has been checked an immunised by our Vet, and found to be fit and well. You will need to take him and have him weighed in two weeks so as he can be wormed. The vet will advise you what type of worming preparation he thinks are best and he will give you information in regard to his next immunisation.

He will also need to be protected against Heart worm, your Vet will have several products for you to choose from. He cannot have a yearly heart worm injection until he has fulfilled his intended weight which would be approximately 14 months of age.
It is important that the Vet you select has a sound understanding of the Giant Breeds. Do not be frightened to question you vet on this subject. I have found that Vets who have a lot of experience with Greyhounds usually have a better understanding of the Giant Breeds. Ensure that you Vet has knowledge of treat Bloat.
Some Vets will disagree with the diet that a Breeder has suggested to new Dane owners and try to have them feed the puppy on expensive dog food. Although for some Danes this can be acceptable, BUT NOT FOR EMBLAZZON DANES!!

Emblazzon Great Danes are a heavy bone dog and therefore it is with experience that dictates what they should eat to ensure that they get everything that they need to grow into the majestic solid dog that is a Great Dane. It is very important that they are not fed too much protein and that their calcium level and other trace elements are correct. You need to remember that no two dogs are alike and therefore the diet may need to vary accordingly. Breeders are not Vets but Vets are not breeders either.
Please feel free to ring me with any query that you may have in relation to your Danes diet or growth pattern.

You may find that you puppy has a few pimples on his face which may reoccur a bit later in his first year. These are not something to be concerned about as they are very common. You can if you wish, once the pimple has come to a head, gently squeeze out the muck and dab on some Betadine. I find that they tend to heal themselves in most cases. Antibiotics will clear them up but they usually come back once the antibiotic ceases.
Dry eyes can occur in puppies particularly when the weather is hot and dry. Sometimes one or both of the third eye lids can appear and it may stick to the eyeball. Usually Saline or one of the chemist brands of eye drops will help the moisture in the pup's eyes. If the eyes have a yellowish discharge then it has become infected and will require antibiotic cream from your Vet.

Please ring me if you have any concerns in regards to the growth or any health or diet problems, I am more than happy to advise you and perhaps save you from expensive vet charges. Please do not leave it for months at a time, as if some problems are left too long you may end up with a permanent problem that may have been fixable if you had called when you were first concerned.

Important: Remember you pup has only had one immunisation and therefore he is still open to some very dangerous diseases. Please ensure that you do not place you pup in a situation that he may come in contact with these diseases. Some such as Parvo can live in the ground for up to 2 years given the right weather conditions. As we have had such a dry few years the land has not had a chance to flush and disease or even dilutes them.