🦴 Updated on July 14th, 2023
Individually, the Great Dane and the Pitbull breed are loved and cherished by millions. Some families fall so in love with these breeds that they refuse to own or adopt any canine friend without these breeds in their bloodlines.
A Great Dane Pitbull mix, or Great Danebull, combines the best traits of both breeds to create one of the most loyal and lovable goofy friends you’ll ever have. These dogs are often more significant than they realize and can be a bit clumsy, but they’ll love their family unconditionally.
A Brief History of the Great Dane Pitbull Mix
Great Danes are gentle giants because of their kind and loving temperament, and they’re less than graceful excited movements. The ever so lovable Scooby-Doo is portrayed as a Great Dane with a scaredy cat’s temperament, not helped by his family always taking him on spooky adventures.
They originated as a German dog bred for their size. In ancient Greece, a similar dog can be seen in frescos and documented in storytelling. It is believed the Boarhounds of Greece were bred with the German Danes to create a larger and stronger statured hunting dog, and these are widely considered to be the modern Great Dane.
Due to their vast stature, German people used this breed’s strength, muscular bodies, and long legs for hunting big game.
In the mid to late nineteenth century, these dogs were revered for their personality and capability and began being marketed as luxury pets rather than hunting animals. People had fallen in love with their size and loyalty.
An attempt to call the breed the “German Mastiff” was made, but political tension made Great Dane a better solution.
Characteristics of the Great Dane
However, American Kennel Club describes the Great Dane as elegant, full of regal strength and dignity. Owners of these dogs as family pets know that they have another side.
While they can perform with an air of confidence and elegance with their long stride and intelligence, the side the family often sees is more laugh-worthy.
These dogs are incredibly expressive and love to play. They don’t always realize their size and can create physical dangers for smaller statured people, children, or those unsteady on their feet.
A well-trained Great Dane can act as a very competent service animal. The loyalty and unconditional love a Great Dane shows to their chosen person adds to their success as a service animal.
Great Danes are tall and robust. Adult Great Danes average between 28-30 inches tall, and less than this doesn’t qualify for AKC standards. The interactions between Great Danes and other dogs contradict their frightening appearance.
The gentle demeanor and amiable personality make for a great companion, family pet, or service animal. Officially, they’re considered a non-sporting terrier.
A Brief History of the Pitbull
Pitty’s have a tragic and misleading history, and the media has painted them as villainous beasts full of hate and rage. However, most American Pitbull Terriers are sweet as sugar, intelligent and trainable, respecting their pack leader, and incredibly loyal. They are stubborn and often have playfully defiant behaviors when young or untrained.
Using appropriate reward-based training methods works well with Pitbulls and helps them gain the confidence and security to be fantastic family dogs. Many people choose the pitbull as a therapy, service, or companion dog because of their strength and dedication.
Pitbulls are muscular, stocky, and energetic and require significant exercise to prevent hyperactivity and poor behavior.
While they are typically mild-mannered, they’ve been used as fighting dogs in the past, adding to their bad reputation and general fear from the public. They can behave terrifyingly and aggressively if they feel someone is invading your home or endangering their chosen family.
Pitbulls can be territorial and protective. As such, they’re often used or portrayed as guard dogs.
Pitty’s are relatively low-shed and low maintenance dogs when it comes to grooming. If they’re kept active, their nails don’t need trimming very often either. Maintaining a well-balanced diet is crucial to keeping Pitbulls healthy and easy to maintain. They require a very high protein diet because the breed has such high muscle density.
The Perfect Blend
A Pitbull Great Dane mix pulls the best from both breeds and lessens the impact of the deficits in each breed. The Great Danebull is loyal and loving to their family, more so than either breed on their own.
Temperament and Training
The temperament of a dog refers to the dog’s nature and personality regarding attitude and behavior. Despite their media portrayal, both parent breeds in this hybrid are very sweet and loving.
The temperament of the resulting pup is typically very gentle and affectionate, with a strong dash of stubbornness and attention-seeking. They tend to be people-pleasers who want to do well and enjoy playing and socializing with other dogs.
Like their parent breeds, they often don’t realize their size or strength when they play and need to be reminded.
These giant teddy bears have a common tendency to be anxious when their people are gone for long periods. Separation anxiety often manifests in the form of barking, digging, chewing, and being overly clingy when you return.
They love to cuddle and appreciate any dedicated time you give them, and this is one reason they’re often trained as emotional support animals.
Size and Appearance
When a planned litter of Great Dane Pittbull mixes is bred, the Dane is the mother because of the difference in size. When accidental litters occur, the Pitty may be the one to carry and welp the litter. However, the significant size difference between the parents can cause health issues during the pregnancy and birth if the Dane isn’t the one to welp the pups.
An adult female Danebull is generally around 25-30 inches tall and weighs 60-100 lbs when healthy and active. Great Dane Pitbull mixes eat a lot because they have a lot of body to keep moving, so they grow very quickly when they’re young. It’s essential to begin training and socializing early because of their size and strength.
It is nearly impossible to identify what the pups will look like before they’re born or even in their puppyhood. Some puppies will take on the long lankiness of the Great Dane genetics, while others are stockier with the solid athletic build of the Pitbull. Colors can vary depending on the parents, and even the stature and shape of their bodies are variable.
Behaviors and Entertainment
The lovable and loyal behavior of the Great Dane Pitbull mix is primarily attributed to their firm, nearly unbreakable, bond to their family. These dogs are very protective and helpful to their people and protect their loved ones fiercely. Their separation anxiety is a testament to this dedication, though a destructive one.
Thereat Dane and the Pitbull are brilliant and proud dogs who like to perform. As such, it’s no surprise that the hybrid formed from this pairing is curious and mischievous. This breed is fun to work with and train; they can perform tricks and perform services for their handlers.
Make sure your furbaby has plenty of engaging entertainment to prevent destructive behaviors. Puppy puzzles, snuffle mats, playing fetch, and similar activities are some of the most beneficial ways to curb restless behaviors.
If you need to leave your gentle titan for any length of time more than a typical workday, hiring a dog walker or boarding them with a local doggy daycare is recommended.
With recent changes in workplaces adopting remote work, many dogs, Great Danebulls among the top, are spending so much time with their people in hog heaven.
Lifespan and Medical Concerns
Large dogs have their list of medical concerns that you need to be aware of and prevent or treat. Ownership of a Great Dane Pitbull mix is less than ideal if you’re not very comfortable with dogs that might have genetic, medical, or mental distress.
The Pitbull Great Dane mix, like other large dogs, suffers from bloat often, which is the twisting of the stomach after a full meal through running and play. Bloat can lead to death if it’s not addressed immediately as it obstructs the digestion tract.
The size of this dog contributes to their tendency of hip dysplasia and back pain. The dog’s weight overbears the dog’s skeletal strength and endurance, resulting in back and hip pain when your dog is climbing or descending stairs, hopping in the back of the car, and more. Cold weather is likely to worsen this pain, and pain can contribute to destructive behaviors.
With proper care and a healthy lifestyle, the Great Danebull can easily live 10-15 years old. As they get older, it may come to be that your most humane way of moving forward is to relieve their pain and ease them over the rainbow bridge.
Old age is an onerous burden to carry for a loved fur child. Adding in vitamin supplements will increase the natural vigor of this breed mix.
Sharing Family Space with a Pitbull Great Dane Mix
Even as a puppy, Pitty Dane mixes are large animals. They are cuddly and oh, so cute and retain that throughout their lives, but they grow faster and larger than nearly any other mix breed.
Hunting and bear fighting is centuries past, but the instinct can still kick in, so it is of the utmost importance to socialize your fluffy horse dog with other pets and children to train the prey drive out of their behaviors.
They should never be left unsupervised with dogs if you have children, regardless of size. Learning to read body language and teaching your child to be gentle and not antagonize the dog will help keep them safe.
Animal etiquette is just as important with a family dog as with a trained workhorse, and there are safety considerations to teach them before they interact.
Even the most gentle-natured Danebull will get irritable with little hands pestering their ears, pulling their fur, or playing with their feet and tail. These dogs are so large they don’t realize their strength and size and can knock kids over or push them around, causing injury.
Watch the dog’s posture, ear position, tail movement, and listen for chittering barks or nervous growling. Give space when the dog is overwhelmed, and keep slow and calm movements.
Great Danebull: Your New Loyal and Loving Friend
A Great Dane Pitbull mix is a gorgeous and loving addition to your family, but with that affection comes a lot of responsibility and potential expense. They will require a lot of dedicated training, engaging entertainment, exercise, and firm discipline.
They can live in a small apartment if you and your family are very active and willing to take your furry friend on walks and adventures daily, at a minimum.
When you stay up to date on medical treatments, feed them a fulfilling and beneficial high protein diet, and commit to their fitness and entertainment needs, Great Danebulls are easy to train and teach. They’re a great family dog, and most hold a natural talent for service or emotional support roles.
The Final Milkbone
Keep an eye on potential health issues that can arise, and ensure your pet’s vet is aware of any special diets, unusual behaviors, or changes in routine you experience. These things can all contribute to altered behaviors and heightened anxiety.
Give your full consideration for the needs of this dog breed before bringing one home to love and cuddle. They can quickly outgrow their space if you’re unprepared for a dog of this size and energy.
An intentionally bred Great Dane Pitbull mix can be expensive, and several hundred for adoption or rehoming fees are not unusual.
Adopting from a shelter or sanctuary will be less expensive but frequently comes with the additional responsibility of rehabilitating your new furry friend and regaining their trust and confidence after their previous owners relinquished them.
These dogs bond so entirely with their family that when they are no longer wanted by that family daily, it can cause emotional trauma that will take time and patience to amend.
