The Great Dane is one of the world’s tallest dogs. Great Danes look big and hardy – and they can be. However, due to their huge size their bones and joints are often slower to develop than smaller dog breeds. So when developing an dog fitness routine for your Great Dane, it’s important to keep your dog’s development level in mind.

Great Dane Exercise Requirements

Great Danes need a moderate amount of exercise. Unlike herding breeds such as German Shepherds, Border Collies, or Australian Kelpies, Great Danes don’t need intense amounts of exercise. A long walk each day, balanced with a proper diet, should be enough. This lack of intensive exercise may come as a surprise for a dog as large as the Great Dane and they could certainly handle more exercise than the required amount.

Great Dane Exercise Issues to Watch Out For

You must remember to not put any great deal of strain on your Great Dane’s bones and joints during exercise, especially when your Great Dane is young. In fact, I wouldn’t suggest doing any sort of jump training or long distance running until your Great Dane is at least two years old and is fully grown.

Not being able to put strain on your young Great Dane may mean that you’ll end up with quite a rambunctious puppy in your dog’s first year or two of life. Make sure that you’re able to spend time with your Great Dane and provide companionship. Here are some exercise ideas for Great Danes which don’t cause too much impact on their bones and joints:

Young Great Dane Exercise Ideas

• Play Catch – toss the ball up lightly so that your Great Dane doesn’t have to perform a huge leap to catch it.
• Play Fetch
• Jog – Take light jogs when your Great Dane reaches 1 or 1 and a half years of age (it’s always recommended to consult with a vet first, however).
• Take your Great Dane to the beach – Take your Great Dane to the beach to play in the water, or a dog beach where he/she can interact with other dogs. Just try not to allow your young Great Dane to leap in and out of your car if you do take it on many car trips. This repeated strain can damage your Great Dane’s growing bones and joints.

If you hope to participate in Agility with your Great Dane when he/she has reached adulthood, you can set up ‘mock’ obstacle courses to train. For example, place straight wooden bars for your Great Dane to walk across, have it step (not jump) through a tire, and place some upright poles at a comfortable distance apart for your Great Dane to “weave” through. These mock obstacle courses can get you and your Great Dane started on the course of learning Agility commands. Competition-sized courses should not be set up until your Great Dane is at least two years old and has been checked up by the vet.

Adult Great Dane Exercise

When your Great Dane is at least two years old, has reached adulthood, and its body is fully developed, you can take up some more intensive workouts and start participating in dog sports like Agility. Get your Great Dane checked up by the vet before competing in sports like Agility, paying close attention to hips and elbows.

Check out this video of a Great Dane running an Agility course:

Great Danes can very much enjoy an active lifestyle – it’s simply important to be mindful of their rapidly growing bodies, which grow faster but develop slower than many other breeds.