Great Danes and Kids: Partners in Crime

I’m a dog lover, and I’ve known many, many breeds on a first name basis. Like most canine aficionados, I have my favorite breeds. Ranking right up there as numero uno on my list is the Great Dane – hands down. I became partial to the Dane after owning my first one years ago. After more experience with these giants, I’ve become an even bigger fan, especially after adding grandchildren to my family. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a breed that loves kids as much as a typical Great Dane does! Great Danes and kids go together like peanut butter and jelly.

I think one reason Danes love kids is because they taste good. No, I don’t mean to imply that the dogs eat the kids! I mean that children are usually pretty messy, and their hands and faces are often sticky with the remains of candy, chocolate, peanut butter and jelly, or other bits of recent snacks and meals. The big dogs love “cleaning up” the kids. Heck, you may never have to bathe the tikes again with a Dane or two around!

I have two neutered male Danes, and they adore my seven grandchildren. It’s amusing to watch them “team up” with the children. For example, when one of my grandsons, Tristan was two years old, he was fascinated with the stash of DVDs and VHS tapes I keep in the cabinet under the television. One day as he was rifling through the movies, I stood watching him from the hallway where he couldn’t see me. Hamlet, my fawn Dane, was standing behind Tristan, with his big head hung over the boy’s shoulder. Tristan would pick up a movie and hand it to Hamlet. Hammie would take the item to the corner of the living, drop it, and return for another. This went on for several minutes, and Hamlet had acquired a nice pile of DVDs and tapes before my uncontrollable laughter interrupted the mischief of the partners in crime.

Hamlet and my other Dane, Grendel, are always ready to help the kids out with cleaning their plates, too. The kids learned that if they didn’t want to eat some particular food on their plate, they could sneak it under the table to a waiting canine mouth. Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, peas, carrots – anything the kids don’t want, the dogs will get rid of. The Danes are always careful about eating from the hands of their tiny humans, even when the kids share their Skittles with them.

The furkids are great at entertaining the human kids. One of my granddaughters, Lexi, loves leading the dogs around. Sometimes the kids ride the dogs. Another favorite pastime with the group is “Dane skiing.” The kids grab Hamlet’s tail, and he pulls them around in their sock feet across the hard wood floors. I should note that Grendel doesn’t particularly like this game.

The dogs are also very protective of their little charges. They follow them around constantly when the kids visit, as if it’s their personal responsibility to make sure no harm comes to the children. One day Lexi had misbehaved, and her mom, Shannon, was fussing at her. Hamlet suddenly became very interested in the conversation and stood right by the little girl. When Shannon attempted to pop Lexi’s backside, Hamlet gently took Shannon’s offending arm in his great jaws and led her away from his girl. He didn’t hurt or threaten Shannon, but he sure didn’t want anyone hurting one of his kids!

When the kids are here, my husband and I play second fiddle. The dogs had much rather spend time with the little ones than with us. And of course, we never have to worry about the dogs’ jumping on the kids because they tower over the kids! The kids have also discovered that Hamlet and Grendel make great chairs for viewing their favorite cartoons. Not only are these living “perches” comfy, they’re also nice and warm.

This article has no ulterior motive. I’m not trying to sell Great Danes to my readers. As I’ve stated already, both my dogs are incapable of breeding. Actually, I don’t even know any Great Dane breeders personally! I just want everyone to share the wonderful, humorous experience of owning one of these gentle giants and to understand the magic of Great Danes and kids!