Great Dane Pitbull Mix Breed – Discover the Pitbull Dane Dog

Great Dane Pitbull Mix FAQs

Our readers’ most popular and frequently asked questions about the Great Dane Pitbull mix.

• How big do Great Dane Pitbull mixes get?
• Are Great Dane Pitbull mixes good family dogs?
• Where can I find a Great Dane Pit mix?
• Do Great Dane Pitbull mixes have health problems?

Great Dane Pitbull Mix: Breed At A Glance

• Popularity: Great Danes are 16th on the AKC’s popularity ranking. Pitbulls vary depending on type, but the American Staffordshire Terrier is 81st
• Purpose: Companion
• Weight: Between 50 and over 100 pounds depending on which parent it takes after
• Temperament: Intelligent, trainable, protective, people-oriented

Great Dane Pitbull Mix Breed Review: Contents

• History and original purpose
• Fun facts about the Great Dane Pit mix
• Pitbull Dane mix appearance
• Great Dane and Pitbull mix temperament
• Training and exercising
• Health and care
• Do Great Dane Pitbull mixes make good family pets?
• Rescuing a Great Dane and Pitbull mix
• Finding a Pitbull Great Dane mix puppy
• Raising a Pitbull Great Dane mix puppy
• Pitbull Dane mix products and accessories

History And Original Purpose Of The Great Dane Pitbull Mix

Although both the Great Dane and the Pitbull are quite well-known and popular, the Great Dane Pitbull mix is rarely seen. It may become more popular as the number of mixed breed dogs increases.

We don’t know a lot of specifics on the origin of this particular mix. But we can pinpoint the origins of the parent breeds, which helps us to know more about the ancestry of the mix.

Origins Of The Great Dane

Ancestors of the Great Dane may have first appeared in China around 1100 B.C.

Great Danes were first brought to Europe by a tribe from modern-day Siberia. These dogs were then crossed with greyhounds, producing the breed seen today.

The modern form of the Great Dane first appeared in Germany, where it was originally used to hunt wild boar. This breed is thought to be at least 400 years old.

The Great Dane is now the 16th most popular breed out of the 193 breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club.

Origins Of The Pitbull

It should be noted that the Pitbull is not a recognized breed under the American Kennel Club. In this article, the American Staffordshire Terrier will be referred to as the Pitbull.

The ancestors of the Pitbull were from the United Kingdom, where they were used as fighting and bait dogs. Extinct breeds such as the White English Terrier and the Black-and-Tan Terrier may also have contributed to the Pitbull breed.

The Pitbull arrived in America before the mid-1800s.

Nowadays, the Pitbull is listed as America’s 81st most popular breed by the American Kennel Club.

Fun Facts About The Great Dane Pitbull Mix

Famous Great Dane owners have included Amy Winehouse and Jim Carrey. The dog in the comic Marmaduke is a Great Dane. In the Harry Potter books, Fang is a Great Dane.

The Great Dane is the state dog of Pennsylvania. And a Great Dane called Just Nuisance was the only dog enlisted in the Royal Navy.

Famous owners of Pitbulls include Theodore Roosevelt, the actress Kayley Cuoco and Jennifer Aniston.

Pitbulls have often appeared on recruitment posters for the American Army. They have also appeared on the cover of Life Magazine more times than any other breed of dog.

The Great Dane Pit Mix is known as the Great Danebull.

Great Dane Pitbull Mix Appearance

Male Great Danes are at least 30 inches tall, whereas females are at least 28 inches tall.

Male Pitbulls are 18 to 19 inches tall. Females are 17 to 18 inches tall.

Male Great Danes should be between 140 and 175 pounds, while females should be between 110 and 140 pounds.

According to the AKC, male Pitbulls weigh 55 to 70 pounds. Females should weigh between 40 and 55 pounds.

Due to how tall and heavy both parent breeds are, this mix is likely to be large, heavy, and broad.

Coat And Colors

Both parent breeds have a short coat, so it’s a given that the mixed breed will inherit this as well. However, it’s more difficult to say what colors the mixed offspring will have, as this depends on what he inherits from the parents.

Pitbulls have a variety of coat colors, whereas Great Danes’ colors range from light gray to dark gray merle. Therefore, offspring of these breeds may have a wide range of coat colors.

More information about Great Dane coat colors, including rarer varieties and color inheritance, can be found in our guide.

Great Dane Pitbull Mix Temperament

The American Kennel Club describes the Pitbull as “smart, confident and good-natured” and the Great Dane as “friendly, dependent and dependable.”

According to their breed standard, Great Danes should also be spirited and courageous.

Papers have claimed that the Pitbull has a bite strength of 1800 psi, although there is little evidence to back this up. No research has been carried out on the bite strength of Great Danes.

It should be noted that both breeds have been involved in fatal attacks on people.

It is therefore vitally important that your mix be trained and socialized from a very young age. If a prospective owner is not able to guarantee this type of care and caution, they should definitely not even consider getting this mix.

Training And Exercising Your Great Dane Pitbull Mix

All dogs need training and socialization. But this is even more important with this mix, as Pitbulls may exhibit tendencies to aggression and Great Danes are very large dogs.

Your Pitbull Great Dane mix will respond well to positive reinforcement training.

As this will be a large dog, he will need plenty of room to run around, so we suggest a fenced-in yard. In addition to that, expect to take him on walks for an hour each day.

Introducing him to other animals and new people and environments is a great way to socialize him. But make sure to keep him on a leash and keep a close eye on him as well.

For other guides to training, check out our article on crate training and potty training.

Great Dane Pitbull Mix Health And Care

The Great Dane’s expected lifespan is 7-10 years and the Pitbull’s is 10-12 years. Therefore, we can expect this mix to live somewhere within that range, most likely around 11 years.

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Each parent breed has its own health issues, any of which could be passed down to a Great Dane Pitbull mix puppy.

Pitbull Health

Pitbulls are generally healthy, although they can get cataracts and hip dysplasia. It is recommended that they are tested for the following conditions:

• hip problems
• heart problems
• thyroid problems
• lysosome storage disease (NCL)
• eye problems.

Great Dane Health

A major killer of Great Danes is bloat.

The following health issues can also be seen in Great Danes:

• eye diseases
• heart diseases, including enlarged heart
• thyroid problems
• hip and elbow dysplasia
• eye problems
• wobbler syndrome, causing spinal problems and hind leg weakness.

Health Tests

The recommended health tests for Great Danes are the same as those for Pitbulls.

The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals is a good resource for health information on Great Danes and Pitbulls.

Grooming And Feeding

Both breeds should be fed high quality feed. We have written a guide on feeding Great Dane puppies, including which food to choose and how much to feed.

This guide could be followed when deciding how to feed this mix.

The AKC recommends different coat care for the Great Dane and the Pitbull.

It is easy to take care of the Pitbull’s coat. You should brush it once a week with a soft bristle brush.

Great Danes should also be brushed weekly. Unlike Pitbulls, they should be brushed with a rubber grooming mitt or hound glove. Therefore, we would expect this mix’s coat to be fairly low-maintenance.

Do Great Dane Pitbull Mixes Make Good Family Pets?

According to Dr. Bruce Fogle, Great Danes are usually good with small children. And with the right training and socialization, Pitbulls can be good with children.

So, with the proper training and socialization, the Pitbull Great Dane mix has the potential to be a good family dog.

However, you should consider the potential large size of this mix before buying it as a family dog. It may not be a good idea to have a dog this size around small children.

And again, we only recommend this dog if it is properly trained and socialized!

Rescuing A Great Dane Pitbull Mix

What about rescuing a Pitbull Great Dane mix? There’s always the chance that you will be able to find this mix at a shelter or a rescue society. And it’s a heartwarming chance to give a dog in need a second shot at life.

However, make sure to exercise caution if bringing home this mix, especially if you do have children or other animals. As you will have no true idea of the temperament or training of the dog, it is best to play it safe.

Even calm dogs may get carried away in a new or stressful situation.

Before rescuing any dog, you should go and see it in either the shelter or foster’s home. Rescue shelters will usually carry out home checks, where they look at how suitable your house is for the dog you want to adopt.

Our guide on adopting a puppy from a shelter can be found here. If you’re interested in further looking into adoption, take a look at our list of rescues here.

Finding A Great Dane Pitbull Mix Puppy

For extensive information on finding a puppy, this step by step puppy search guide is a great place to start.

Before buying a puppy, you should see it with its mother and siblings. This will allow you to see important things such as the litter’s health and how the puppy behaves.

   

Remember to avoid puppy mills and pet stores, as they often have bad animal welfare.

We have been unable to find breeders that specifically breed the Great Dane and Pitbull mix. However, as this mix is part of the rising popularity of mixed breeds, more may be bred in the future.

Raising A Great Dane Pitbull Mix Puppy

A Pitbull Great Dane mix will inevitably grow into a large, strong dog — but while they are still puppies, they need lots of care and keeping! Taking on any puppy is a big responsibility.

There are some great guides to help you with all aspects of puppy care and training. You’ll find them listed on our Great Dane Pit mix puppy page.

Great Dane Pitbull Mix Products And Accessories

Getting ready to bring your dog home?

Here are a few suggestions of products which will make the transition easier.

• Great Dane food
• Great Dane crates
• Pitbull toys
• Best Dog Food For Pitbulls

Pros And Cons Of Getting A Great Dane Pitbull Mix

Cons:

• Potential for aggression unless properly socialized
• Likely to be very large and strong
• May not be a good choice for families with small children

Pros:

• Likely to be very smart and trainable
• Low maintenance grooming needs
• Reasonably healthy

Comparing The Great Dane Pitbull Mix With Other Breeds

If you’re interested in looking at a breed which compares well with this mix, there are several which are worthy of investigation. One of them is the Great Dane German Shepherd mix.

This dog gets intelligence from both sides, and is likely to have more variety in coat type and color than the Pitbull Dane mix.

Similar Breeds

The Great Dane has also been crossed with the Labrador.

Pitbulls have also been crossed with Labradors and with the Black Mouth Cur.

Great Dane Pitbull Mix Rescues

Although no rescues exist for this specific mix, there are many for its parent breeds.

We’ve included several here, but if you come across any for the mix, please leave us a comment and let us know!

• The Great Dane Club of America has a list of Great Dane rescues in the USA.
• The United Kingdom’s Kennel club has a list of Great Dane rescues in the UK.
• PitBull Rescue Central has an extensive list of rescues in the USA.

Individual Rescues

• Adopt A Dane
• Great Dane Rescue Rehoming (NSW)
• All Bullie Rescue
• Bullies in Need Australia
• Staffy Rescue
• Pitbull Saviors
• Prairie Pit Bull Rescue
• Bullies in Need Canada
• Loveabull Rescue Society
• It’s the Pits

References And Resources

• Gough A, Thomas A, O’Neill D. 2018 Breed Predispositions to Disease In Dogs and Cats. Wiley Blackwell
• O’Neill et al. 2013. Longevity and Mortality of Owned Dogs In England. The Veterinary Journal
• Adams VJ, et al. 2010. Results of a Survey of UK Purebred Dogs. Journal of Small Animal Practice.
• Schalamon et al. 2006. Analysis of Dog Bites In Children Who Are Younger Than 17 Years. Pediatrics
• Duffy D et al. Breed differences in canine aggression. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 2008
• Strain G. Deafness prevalence and pigmentation and gender associations in dog breeds at risk. The Veterinary Journal 2004
• Packer et al. 2015. Impact of Facial Conformation On Canine Health. PlosOne
• Bradley, J. and Cleary, D., 2016. Who’s minding the bibliography? Daisy chaining, dropped leads, and other bad behavior using examples from the dog bite literature, Journal of Veterinary Behavior
• Fogle, B., 2002, Dogalog
• PDSA. Great Dane
• PDSA. Staffordshire Bull Terrier
• Sacks, J.J., Sinclair, L., Gilchrist, J., Golab, G.C. and Lockwood, R., 2000. Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.