Convincing the Parents

[bridget]

Hi there,

Great Danes are my passion. I go crazy everytime I see one and I have wanted my own since I saw my very first Dane. The only problem is that my parents don't think it's a good idea. MY dad is a huge dog person and he could really care less if i get one or not but my mom is hard. She thinks that this will become her resposiblility even though I have proved that i can handle it.
I have researched these dogs until my brains fried. They know that this is what I really want but I really need somebody's help with something.
I need to know anything (good or bad) about Great Danes that i may not find on the internet. If anybody has any inside secrets, tips...anythin g! Please let me know soon before the dog of my dreams is adopted.

Thank you so much,
Bridget

[dober_gurl]

maybe you can tell us a bit more about yourself first? Such as how old you are? Do you do any after school stuff? Have a job? Maybe a good idea that will help is showing your mom that you are responsible? Like doing dishes, laundry, keeping your room clean, stuff like that.

[bridget]

Thanks for the Reply,

Im 15 years old and a freshman in high school. I do one sport a year so i have plenty of time at home after school. I do not have a job yet. My parents think that is best that i wait until i can get a decent job for decent pay. I do my own laundry, I help with the dishes every night, I am obssessive about keeping my room clean and my parents are always surprised that a teenager has a room that you can see the floor in! I am very committed to anything i take on and a dog will absolutely be no exception. I do enjoy hanging out with friends but i make sure that they come second to my responsibiliti es.
I hope that answers some questions 

[Anakalia]

Hi and welcome to BPO!!  I'm Andi mom to Koby (great dane).  Owning a great dane is AWESOME!  Koby is so gentle and a huge cuddle bug!  BUT, and there's always a but....  I have to vacuum daily because they shed like crazy!  Not like furballs floating everywhere but little eyelash like hairs that get into everything, clothes (itchy), drawers, walls, furniture.  There's even times I get silverware and plates out to eat and I'm brushing fur off them!  They also drool when they drink or eat so there will be lots of kitchen floor cleaning, I swear after Koby walks away from his water dish a gallon of water comes out of his mouth.  I also frequently have to use that Magic Eraser to get dried goobers off the walls, windows and doors because they do fling nastys when they shake their heads.  They can also be destructive.  A 150+ lbs. dog chewing on furniture or walls can cause a ton of damage.  I've seen pictures of sofas that have been destroyed, not just a corner, but the whole thing! Koby once came in from outside, slipped on our kitchen floor and his paw went through the wall, we had a big hole in our wall for awhile before we patched it up!  We also no longer have grass in our backyard, from Koby playing and tearing up chunks of grass/dirt when he's running around.

I'm not trying to scare you from getting a great dane, because they are a great breed.  After getting Koby I knew I would never be without a great dane, they are truly gentle giants!  I just wanted to let you know that whenever you bring a giant breed into your home, your life will change, and there will be certain things you'll have to deal with.  Since your still living with your parents this is something they would have to be willing to deal with, the fur, goobers, drool, dirt yard, and maybe even some household damage.  Also like Julie said the Vet bills are higher and the food will also cost more.  

Good luck, you're doing a great thing by researching the breed and getting to know them a bit better before bring one into your home!  Once again welcome to BPO!

[bridget]

Hey thanks for the advice,

I totally understand what you are saying about waiting for after college but that may be a really long time. Am i wrong on that?

I have job experience from working at the local pool as a volunteer and i have been offered a job there this summer but i want to keep my attention on my dog if it works out. Once i know that she is comfotable with her surroundings and feels good around everyone i will defintiely look into getting a job.

I also have had dogs in the past but they were around when i was younger. I took care of them the best to my 7 year old abilities and i absolutely loved them! So my parents know that i am resposible with dogs and now that i am older they expect more of me to take care of a dog. I have given them so much information of everything you ever want to know about Great Danes and they know that i know the facts!

The dog in the picture is actually not the dog i want to adopt but a look-alike. My dog is absolutely beautiful!! She is a 2 year old mantel colored female and her name is Victoria. She is at a shelter farely close to my house. I also did not want to pay an extremely high price tag for a dog so i decded that adopting from a shelter might be the go. It is defintely less expensive and i wouldn't have to teach housetraining and basic commands.


I really appreciate all the advice and it is great to know issues that i need to think over first, especially with my parents!

[schelmischekitty]

the draw back to danes is they need a LOT of attention, in more than one way.  this means a lot their person around to teach them, a lot of things to keep them busy, etc.  when they get bored BOY can they cause a lot of damage ($$$), not to mention they need a good bit of time put towards training because of their size.  they're great dogs, but if the main caretaker doesn't have the time or want to to put towards them they will have a big mess on their hands (behaviorally and literally!).  i've noticed with mine he is very clingy, to the point where i have to be careful what i do with him when i leave, or i come back to a disaster area.  i agree with everyone on the part about college, and also on vet care and regular upkeep.  if you intend on leaving for college, it can be very hard to do with a big dog, not to mention the dog may not get the attention it needs from you.  a lot of places won't take big dogs if you're renting, esp a lot of the apartments have weight limits nowadays.  would your parents be willing to take the dog when you went to college?  if not, you have to think about the dog.  if your parents won't keep him / her, is it really fair to get a puppy, knowing you'll probably have to rehome it in a few years as compared to if you waited a few years and were able to keep it it's entire lifetime?  one more thing to consider is where would the dog stay while you're in school during the day (now and if you brought it to college)?  are one of your parent's home all day, or would he have to be crated?  i'm sure you've read that danes don't do well outside at all, but then crating constantly has it's own downfalls that go from behavioral problems and in extreme cases where they're crated constantly, it can sometimes cause growth problems.

[bridget]

Hahaha Belive me...our previous dogs have done some serious damage to the backyard and a few pieces of furniture!
We have so many great people near us and in our neighborhood that have so many great tips about keeping the dogs under control and not letting them ruin everything.

We also have a large house and backyard so my dog will have lots of space. My mom is at home all day and she agreed to keep an eye on the dog but she made it very clear that this dog was my resposibility so she isn't going to be doing the work.

Believe it or not, my schedule as a teen isn't crazy. I spend alot of time at home with my family and we always mak time for each other. One more member of the family would be nice to have. I do go to the dog park alot because i often find alot of Great Danes there and i love playing with them and being around them.

 

[mama23+pyrs2]

Hahaha Belive me...our previous dogs have done some serious damage to the backyard and a few pieces of furniture!

Can I ask what happened to your previous dogs?  Eventhough I don't have Great Dane experience, just dog ownership experience in general I would say to definitely wait it out. For the reasons already mentioned and reasons you will realize once you have a dog and ones you won't even realize until you're older. I had a small dog around your age (a tad bit older) and that was responsiblity enough, let alone something SO large that is going to be a larger responsibility in EVERY area. You have to understand where your parents are coming from too, because essentially it will be their dog, not yours..you're too young to legally adopt a pet. Also, as you know not having a source of income, that will all fall on your parents for as long as the dog is theirs. Vet bills, a good quality food is not going to be cheap let alone the amount the dog will consume, grooming supplies, a crate large enough for him/her, toys, bones, monthly heartworm meds, any other medication or medical expenses that may come up, etc etc. It's very hard to comprehend it all at your age, simply because you lack experience in those things, no fault of your own. You will get there and if you still feel you're ready then, I'd say go for it. You'd be MUCH more prepared and educated to wait, but that's just my opinion.

Being twice your age, I can tell you it's still a huge responsibility and it ties you down in ways you don't think of. I would that think being so young and just starting your life, it would have a much bigger impact.

But I echo the others who said you seem very mature, you do! That's really good thing to see. I wish you luck in your families decision!

[Nicole]

Hey Bridget!

I'm chiming in as a mom, here. I've got a 13 year old daughter that I know could handle ANY dog! She rides horses, and I've seen her make a 1500 pound animal do whatever she wants. I have no doubts that she would be the most responsible dog owner EVER!

She wants a Neo. BAD. But, I know that even though she would take awesome care of the dog, it will still be my responsibility if the dog gets sick, or bites someone, etc. They won't hold a child accountable if something like that happens.

I also do not EVER want her to feel hindered by a dog when she decides to live her life. Such as go to college, backpack through Europe, visit her Auntie Holly in Florida, etc. Being a young person is all about learning who you are and what you want.

You definitely seem like a passionate, intelligent young woman, and I admire you for coming here to ask questions. But, listen to your parents on this one, Bridget. A Dane should wait until you have your own life. You might think that we're being dumb ol' adults now, but in the future, looking back, you'll agree!

Oh, and as far as college being a long way away, believe me...it only seems like that now!

[schelmischekitty]

i can honestly say that since i've moved out at 18 (i got axle 3 weeks after i moved out!) i have:

1-  NEVER been on vacation because of boarding, etc.
2-  NEVER taken a road trip of any sort unless i took the dogs, which translates into...
3-  i have NEVER gotten to do "special" things when i'm driving, like go to a new zoo, or mall, etc, because of the dogs being with me.
4-  i can NEVER do anything spontaneous because i have to plan ahead for what i'll do with my kids and dogs and
5-  i have NEVER been able to be a "regular" person who just moved out of the house because of all the responsibiliti es, not to mention we had to BUY a house because nobody would rent to me in this area b/c of the breeds of dogs we choose to keep.

[mama23+pyrs2]

yep, just like having kids really.  except in my opinion babies are easier than puppies. In fact I have a birthday coming up next month (eww) one I am NOT looking forward to and hubby and I wanted to get away for a night, because well, we haven't done that since having children. I thought, oh yay our kids are just at the age we can go overnight than I remembered we had 2 dogs now lol. That thought quickly went out the window.   But I've had several bad experiences with dogs and not being able to keep them for a variety of reasons, even being older and having my own place etc.  There's just so much to consider and really things come up after the fact that you couldn't have anticipated.

Like others said, you are really on the verge of a whole new world at your age. Driving, normal going out with friend stuff, school events, dating, etc. When I had my first dog, I adopted her from a shelter and my mom went with me to pick her out and everything, it was an agreed upon decision that we both wanted. I was homeschooled so I was always at home and I had no friends, didn't go anywhere so it worked out. But she came with all sorts of health problems and things cropped up, housetraining issues..which was hard enough to manage with even a little dog of maneagable size.

[Anakalia]

Holly you might want to make that total $3200, you forgot the gigantic sized crate! 

[mama23+pyrs2]

Yeah, that definitely puts things in perspective!

[schelmischekitty]

Holly you might want to make that total $3200, you forgot the gigantic sized crate! 

don't forget obedience classes

[Nicole]

They're in there! (Holly thinks of everything!)