Can Great Danes Live in Apartments? A Complete Guide

Great Danes are awesome dogs that make great pets, so lots of people want to know if their Great Dane can live in an apartment with them. I did some research and found the answer to this great question and have it listed with a complete guide.

Can Great Danes live in apartments? Great Danes are big dogs and require a lot of space, so living with one in an apartment could be uncomfortable. That being said, because these dogs are low energy and don’t require as much exercise as most big dogs do, they can be great for apartment living.

Great Danes are beautiful dogs and really do make great pets, no pun intended, but their size and personalities could cause some concern when you are living in an apartment.

Luckily we have learned all that there is to know about Great Danes in apartments and we are excited to share it with you.

A Complete Guide for Living in an Apartment with a Great Dane

Measuring in around two and a half to three feet tall and weighing in at 150-200 pounds, Great Danes are not considered to be little dogs. The massive dogs are beautiful and its not a surprise that everyone want to own one.

Great Danes seem like the kind of dog that has to live in a huge house with lots of room indoors and outdoors, but that isn’t the case. Because Great Danes are considerably low maintenance compared to other large breeds, they actually do quite well in apartments.

These giant dogs seem like one of the least likely candidates to be on a “Best dog for apartment living” list, and yet they are almost always on those lists at number 2 or 3. Why? Because of their gentle natures and calm personalities.

These gentle giants are relaxed and low energy which makes them pros for apartment living. Of course there are always downsides to every fairy-tale and so there is with Great Dane apartment living.

We have to remember that with every pro there is a con waiting on the other side of the line. That’s why we are going to explore all of the aspects of the Great Dane and apartment living. Good and Bad.

Size, Size, Size

Size is a sticky subject. How do you know if something is too big or just right? How can you know if something will fit into your apartment or not? Size is important and tricky.

When it comes to Great Danes their size is both a blessing and a curse. Owning a Great Dane is perfect for scaring off unwanted predators and also for feeling secure.

Because of their massive size you don’t feel like you have to babysit them or worry about them getting hurt. All of these things make for very happy owners and very happy Great Danes.

But there are a few downsides to the size of Great Danes, and those are apartment complexs, damage, and space. All of these things work together to make it difficult to own a Great Dane in an apartment.

Starting with apartment complexes, there are quite a few apartment complexes that do not allow for large dogs to live there, and/or they have a banned dog list.

In both of these cases, it is very unlikely that a Great Dane will be allowed to live in that complex. Not only are they considered big dogs, but they are also on most banned dog lists just for their size.

Damages can be expensive when ther is a large dog that is living there, so it makes sense that some apartments make these rules and regulations. Even though Great Danes are known for being good apartment dogs.

The second reason that it might be unwise to live with a Great Dane in an apartment complex, is because of their tails. These dogs have enormous bodies which make for large and powerful tails and when they are swished side to side they can go form knocking everything off of your shelves, to knocking over valuable items.

Lots of Great Danes have been known for damaging apartments and the things inside apartments, not because of chewing or of purposeful distruction, but because of accidents.

These dogs are large and if a hallway is too narrow their tail could easily cause some damage. If there are too many things lying around the house they can become victim to an accidental tail swipe that causes damages.

Because of this, it is smart to have an apartment that is large enough for a Great Dane to move around freely and un-destructively before bringing these animals into that situation. Once they are brought in they cannot be blamed for the damage they inflict because of their size.

But for most people who love Great Danes, the good outweighs the bad when it comes to the size and build of these dogs that can cause great damage throughout the house.

But their is more to Great Danes than just their size. These beautiful dogs have personalities that also make for an interesting battle between good a good fit for apartment living and a complicated fit for apartment living.

Great Dane Personalities Effect Apartment Living

Great Danes are not know for being gentle giants for no reason. These animals are sweet, mellow, and lazy enough to be perfect pets to have while living in an apartment.

Because of their large size, these dogs love to have lazy days pretty much every day. A walk around the block or neighborhood normally hits the daily exercise levels that Great Danes require.

This low energy lifestyle bleeds into the personalities of Great Danes. They are commonly described as being sweet and gentle dogs who are extremely loving.

Those qualities make them perfect for apartments. Especially because their sweet and lazy personalities bleed into their barking and in quite a positive way. Most Great Danes are slow to bark and when they do bark they rarely bark for long periods of time.

This is perfect for apartment living with close neighbors and thin walls, floors, and ceilings. Your neighbors will appreciate you not having a noisy dog who barks a lot.

There can be a downside to living with a Great Dane and its personality in an apartment. One of those is that because you don’t have a backyard these dogs really do need to be walked every day, even though it is for a short period of time.

Also, if your Great Dane is getting older they can run the risk of becoming overweight and having health issues if they are too lazy, even though you still feed them the same amount of food.

Sometimes living in an apartment can make this worse for aging Great Danes just because they can sometimes get less exercise. This is easy to avoid though if you make your Great Dane exercise even when they want to be lazy.

Great Danes though do make good apartment pets, and they have a few tricks up their paws that make them masters at apartment living and that bump them onto “Best Apartment Dogs” lists.

Why Great Danes are Simply Great Apartment Dogs

Great Danes seem to be bred for living indoors and close to humans. Both of which make them very good apartment dwellers and add to their popularity among not only apartment folk but all kinds of dog lovers.

One of their bred in superpowers is their short hair. One of the hardest things about having a dog inside most of the day is that their fur and hair gets everywhere.

Well, because Great Danes have really short hair it is easy to maintain and clean up after. They will spend a lot of time lounging around so having a designated blanket where they lay makes for a quick clean up.

All you have to do is pick up their blanket and throw it in the wash, spend some time vacuuming, and then do a quick dusting and you might forget you live with a dog. Well, that is if you don’t trip over your massive friend while you’re at it.

Another hidden treasure about Great Danes is their heritage. These wonderful dogs are believed to originate from Germany and are said to be a mix between the English Mastiff and the Irish wolfhound.

This allowed the Great Dane to become as docile and even-tempered as it is today. So because these dogs were bred to remain seated next to royals as guard dogs and companions, we get to enjoy mellow Netflix partners.

One of the greatest things about Great Danes is the fact that they are super easy to train. Because of their heritage and mellow natures they are easily trained and remember their training well.

Positive feedback works really well with Great Danes because they are breed to please humans, so they love the positive attention. They will do almost anything to make their humans happy so starting to train young is wise and easy.

When training in an apartment it is smart to start your little Great Danes with some crate training. While puppies these dogs don’t do much damage while roaming the halls, but the older they get the bigger they get, and the more dangerous that roaming can be.

If you get a crate big enough for your growing dog and make it into “their room” filling it with a nice bed and blanket they will soon find their crate to be one of their favorite places.

You can start by putting them in their crates at night and when you leave for short periods of time. Then as they become accustomed to it you can leave the door open and trust that they will stay content while they are alone. Talk about great dogs.

When it comes to training, all dogs need to be potty-trained. You can use puppy pee pads when training your dog, but with Great Danes it works really well to door train them.

If you train them to sit by the front door or jingle some bells that are on the door when they need to go to the bathroom it gives you the clue that they need to go out.

That way you don’t have to worry about cleaning up their mess and you don’t have to worry about accidents because they will always let you know when they need to relieve themselves.

Things You Need to Know about Owning a Great Dane

Other than why Great Danes make awesome apartment companions, there are a few things about owning a Great Dane that all future or current owners should know. Whether or not you’re planning on living in an apartment.

Great Danes are big dogs and any future owner needs to know what to feed their Great Dane and how much. Great Danes are not known for over-eating and so keeping them in shape is relatively easy.

For adult Great Danes, feeding is pretty simple. Adult males should get about 8 to 10 cups of food spread out over two or three meals while females should get about 6-8 cups spread out over 2 or 3 meals.

Great Dane puppies, on the other hand, are harder to feed because of all of the growth they will be going through. First of all, their dog food needs to be the proper kind so that they can grow properly.

Most vets will be able to recommend a dog food that has the right amount of proteins, nutrients, and carbs without exceeding that amount that they need.

Feeding schedules change a lot as Great Dane puppies are growing because their growth schedule changes so much the first couple of years of their lives.

Male Great Danes will always eat more than female Great Danes because they are slightly bigger and need more nutrients. When feeding Great Dane puppies all of their food should be split up into three servings throughout the day. This helps them grow and maintain their weight.

Graph information comes from Dane Care

It is important that you spread your feedings for your Great Dane to 2-3 separate times a day. preferably 3 times a day because Great Danes are known for getting bloat. Because of this it is also wise not to feed your Great Dane right before or after they exercise.

Formally known as gastric torsion, bloat occurs when the stomach becomes distended with gas and then twists. The dog goes into shock and will die quickly without immediate veterinary treatment, which generally consists of surgery. 

Jane Meggitt

If you are worried about your Great Dane and want to take preventative measures to help ensure that they don’t get bloat there is a preventative surgery where the vet will go in and staple the stomach to the abdominal wall.

This surgery can help your Great Dane safely eat and help you with a peace of mind. Even after the surgery though eating routines are important to follow.

Another need-to-know thing about Great Danes is that they love their toys. Some people think that because Great Danes are so chill and calm that they don’t really like to play.

Wrong. Great Danes can actually be quite playful whether that is with you or by themselves. That is why it is nice and wise to provide your Great Dane with some toys. That way they can get out their playful energy.

It is important to remember though the size of your Great Dane puppy, and it will only continue to grow. So bigger the dog toy the better. You have no idea how quickly a Great Dane can tear up a teddy bear toy made for a lab or something smaller.

Related Questions:

How long do Great Danes live? Usually, this massive breed is known to live between 7 to 10 years. Though they can have significant health issues that can influence their quality and length of life as well.

Can Great Danes stay outside during the winter? Great Danes are bred to be inside dogs and not outside dogs. They do not have the proper fur and fat to be able to stay warm and comfortable outside in the cold. They also are bred for human interaction, so staying outside during any time of the year is bad for their emotional health.

Do Great Danes make good family pets? Great Danes have very mellow and sweet personalities that make them great to have around children and other pets. They can be playful and have fun with the kids and then lay down and take a nap while the kids lounge around or on them.