Choosing a Great Dane Mix Breed: Which is Best for Your Home?
Mixed breed dogs have grown extremely popular around the world within the last 50 years. The Great Dane, one of the largest breeds, has become a family favorite! Mixing the Great Dane with other breeds has provided thousands of families with the best friend they know and love.
Five of the most common Great Dane mixes include:
- Great Dane Labrador Retriever Mix
- Great Dane Siberian Husky Mix
- Great Dane Mastiff Mix
- Great Dane German Shepherd Mix
- Great Dane Boxer Mix
Choosing the right mixed breed will require some research! Lucky for you, I’ve compiled a list of Great Dane mixes that may be right for you and your household
Ways to Decide The Mix Best for You
Choosing the right dog for your home is a tough decision!
When researching mixed breeds and determining which is right for your household or family, there is a list of questions you must ask yourself.
- Where do you live?
- How big is your family? Kids?
- Are you looking for security or companionship?
- How large is your house or apartment?
- What is your budget?
- What kind of temperament do you want? (Active, gentle, energetic, etc.)
- Do you want a rescue or newborn?
Each of these questions will help determine which Great Dane mix is right for you. Every dog varies when it comes to size, temperament, and energy. If you’re having a hard time choosing a breed, this article should help narrow down your choice!
For this article, I chose to write about the Labradane, Husky Dane, Daneiff, Dane Shepherd, and the Boxer Dane.
1. Great Dane Labrador Retriever Mix
The Great Dane, when mixed with a Labrador Retriever, will result in a large, playful dog that will love to swim and explore with you!
The Great Dane was originally bred and used for hunting the European Wild Boar, while the Labrador was originally bred as a hunting companion who would retrieve bird or fish after taken down by hunters.
Your Labradane will most likely enjoy hunting or adventuring with you, especially if it involves water!
| Size | Weight | Temperament | Shedding | Security (1-5) | Life Expectancy | |
| Labradane | 28″ – 30″ | 100 – 130 lbs | Playful, active | Light | 3 | 10 – 12 years |
Labradanes are truly the best of both worlds.
Your Labradane will protect and love you will still have a playful and active personality. If you are looking for a workout partner or hunting companion, this could be the one for you!
Great Danes and Labradors are both known to be very good with children and families.
Taking care of such an active, large dog will cost a bit more than a simple chihuahua. Great Danes can be somewhat fragile when it comes to what kinds of foods they eat. Therefore, a Labradane will need organic foods high in proteins and fats.
Labradane puppies can usually cost anywhere between $250-$550, not including yearly check-ups and medical expenses.
This is a large, energetic dog! He will need some extra space.
If you live in an apartment or if you don’t have the time to take your pup to an area where he can expend his energy, do not get this dog.
If you want to know more about this mix, read my full article on them here.
2. Great Dane Siberian Husky Mix
The Husky Dane is the incredible combination of the energetic Siberian Husky and the fierce Great Dane.
Predicting the temperament of a mixed breed dog can be difficult at times. Although, both the Great Dane and the Siberian Husky have loyal, caring, and social personalities.
Your Husky Dane may not be the best guard dog, but will still have your back whenever you need him.
| Size | Weight | Temperament | Shedding | Security (1-5) | Life Expectancy | |
| Husky Dane | 22″ – 33″ | 100 – 130 lbs | energetic, social | Medium | 3 | 8-12 years |
Siberian Huskies and Great Danes come in various sizes, making the combination of the two quite unpredictable.
In addition, the two have very different coats of fur.
The result of the two often has many features of the husky. If your Husky Dane has heavy, thick fur similar to its Husky parent, shedding may be a bit more common. Although, a Husky Dane with thin, light fur like that of its Great Dane parent will shed much less.
Husky Danes can be pretty rare. Because of this, the cost is uncertain, but will likely be a bit higher than most.
Because of its Husky blood, the Husky Dane can be extremely energetic and playful at times!
If you plan on getting a Husky Dane, be sure to set aside time to let him expend his energy at a park or in a yard.
This dog may be okay for smaller houses or an apartment depending on the unpredictable size, just as long as you provide lots of walks and times for him to expend his energy at parks or a yard!
3. Great Dane Mastiff Mix
Breeding the Great Dane and Mastiff will result in possibly the biggest, baddest, guard dog you can think of!
The Great Dane and the Mastiff are actually pretty similar breeds when it comes down to it!
While the Mastiff was originally bred for fighting and hunting hundreds of years ago, it is now much more of a gentle giant, similar to the Great Dane.
Sometimes, these gentle giants don’t seem to realize just how big and strong they are!
| Size | Weight | Temperament | Shedding | Security (1-5) | Life expectancy | |
| Daneiff | 28″ – 30″ | 130 – 280 lbs | Calm, loving, protective | Light | 5 | 6 – 10 years |
Like many dogs, the personality of the Daneiff depends largely on how you raise it.
The Daneiff has the potential to be a large, vicious guard dog. Although, if you socialize your Daneiff and raise him to love and care for others, you truly will have a gentle giant in the family.
Because of the massive size of the Mastiff and the Great Dane, both have a somewhat short life expectancy, making that of the Daneiff quite short.
Both of these dogs are quite expensive, often costing as much as $1,200. A Daneiff will likely cost around the same but may vary depending on the breeder.
Is the Daneiff right for you? It might be! If you are willing to keep up with a huge dog and take him or her in for regular vet check-ups, that is a good sign.
A Daneiff is pretty calm and relaxed, but will still need a decent-sized area to exercise. Apartment living is possible but not recommended. Wherever you may live, be sure to maintain a healthy schedule of daily walks and exercise!
4. Great Dane German Shepherd Mix
The Great Dane German Shepherd Mix is really one of a kind!
Great Danes and German Shepherds are both known very well for their people skills. Both of these dogs love the companionship of a human being, and thrive in an environment with lots of people!
The Dane Shepherd will likely turn out to be a medium-sized dog that will love to go on adventures with you and the whole family!
| Size | Weight | Temperament | Shedding | Security (1-5) | Life expectancy | |
| Dane Shepherd | 23″ – 30″ | 100 – 175 lbs | Protective, energetic | medium | 4 | 7-10 years |
German Shepherds and Great Danes are both well known for being great family dogs!
When crossbred, the Dane Shepherd, like all dogs, should be raised properly and socialized in preparation to socialize with children, other pets or animals, and strangers when going on walks!
This breed will be protective of you, but will still love to run around and have fun!
Dane Shepherds in the United States can cost anywhere between $300-$800 depending on the breeder, not including the cost of routine medical costs.
The Dane Shepherd will likely be more of a medium/large dog, and would ideally fit in a medium-sized home. Although, apartment living is not recommended, but can be done just as long as your Dane Shepherd is given plenty of room to run around and exercise!
5. Great Dane Boxer Mix
The Great Dane Boxer mix is often referred to as the Boxane.
The Boxane is known as a lovable, but naughty, pet! Your Boxane will likely be very sociable and energetic, with a little bit of trouble maker mixed in from its Boxer parent.
| Size | Weight | Temperament | Shedding | Security (1-5) | Life expectancy | |
| Boxane | 25″ – 30″ | 60 – 150 lbs | Energetic, mischievous, protective | Light | 4 | 8 – 12 years |
The Boxane is wonderful for families, but be prepared to train and discipline!
Obedience school is recommended for Boxers due to their mischievous character. For the Boxane, crate training or obedience school is recommended.
Temperament is unpredictable a lot of times with mixed breeds. It is possible for your Boxane to turn out just as well behaved as can be, but be prepared.
Boxanes are more likely to be medium-sized dogs but will have a lot of energy.
Because of this, apartment living is possible, just as long as you commit time to train your Boxane to conserve his energy until the time calls for it.
Which is Right for You?
Now that we’ve gone over a few options of Great Dane mixes, let’s talk about which one might be right for you.
When buying a dog, there is a list of things you must consider. For starters, there is size. If you are considering a Great Dane mix, be prepared to have a big dog!
Great Danes are often at least 30 inches tall. Because of this, any mix with a Great Dane parent could end up just as big!
With size also comes a higher cost. The cost of a dog can be incredibly high not only due to the cost of the dog itself, but the cost of owning the dog. Food and medical expenses will increase the cost of your canine immensely with size.
The Great Dane Mastiff, for example, will likely cost around $1000 in the beginning but will require mass amounts of dog food each week as well as yearly checkups due to any health risks as a result of its large size.
The area in which you live also plays a large role in your choice of a dog.
The Great Dane has a very thin and short fur coat, and unfortunately lacks a subcutaneous layer of fat that many other dogs do have. This makes them very sensitive to extreme hot or cold weather.
Mixed breeds of the Great Dane are at risk for the same sensitivity to extreme weather.
When making your choice, be sure to consider what kinds of weather you will experience in your areas such as snow, ice, intense heat or humidity.
You must also consider what temperament you want from your dog and how that dog will fit into your household.
Are you looking for a dog with high amounts of energy or one that will sit and relax on the couch watching TV?
If you want a dog with high amounts of energy but you live in an apartment, then you must prepare to take your new dog out on walks or runs every day.
If you want a giant dog, such as a Daneiff, remember that you will need plenty of room for him to walk around and exercise.
Labradanes are going to be best for families that have children who are willing to play with such a big ball of energy.
Husky Danes are going to best for families who don’t mind shedding or putting up with a sometimes stubborn dog. If you do want to get a Husky Dane, make sure you have a yard that can help burn out some of that constant energy.
Daneiffs are best for those who are prepared to have a huge dog. That means that you’ll need to have space and the budget to buy a lot of dog food. Daneiffs will need check-ups often as well.
Dane Shepherds are going fit a family that wants a protective dog. Dane Shepherds love to be around people as well, so they are best suited for families that are home often or are willing to take him (or her) with them.
Even though Boxer Danes can be stubborn, they can the most loveable and cuddly pets out there. If you are up for a bit of a challenge and want a dog who is silly and fun, a Boxer Dane will be right up your alley.
Apartment living with such a large dog is not recommended, but can be possible if you’re willing to commit!
There are lots of things to consider when shopping around for a new dog. There may be one last thing that you haven’t considered.
The Final Decision
If you’ve looked over all this information, you may have made a decision!
If you choose to get a purebred dog, I recommend a Great Dane! I’ve been writing about Great Danes for a while now and have had lots of experience with them, and I love them!
Great Danes are wonderful for families in houses or apartments when given proper training.
If you choose to find a Great Dane mix, I recommend strongly that you look into any and all breeders you are considering. Contacting previous customers as well as ensuring they have all the proper health tests done will ensure that your new best friend will be healthy and well!
I hope you find your new best friend!