Rescue Spotlight: Great Dane Rescue & Sanctuary of Minnesota & Wisconsin

What Makes Great Danes Great: From the Great Dane Rescue & Sanctuary of Minnesota and Wisconsin
Karla Greb is well-qualified to tell you what’s so great about Great Danes. “Great Danes are one-of-a-kind,” she says. “I’m sure everyone says that about their dog or breed of choice, but having a 100-plus-pound dog that never leaves your side is something special.”

​Karla is the owner of a Great Dane named Cash, and she serves as President of the Great Dane Rescue & Sanctuary of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Her journey with the organization began in 2015 when she joined as a volunteer. The rescue is devoted to rehoming Great Danes in Minnesota and Wisconsin, with an on-site sanctuary where unadoptable Danes can live out their lives with comfort, loving attention, and dignity.

Great Danes don’t have a tendency to be more aggressive than other breeds. However, their considerable size can be intimidating. In the minds of many people, the Great Dane’s size magnifies the commonplace challenges faced by owners of all types of dogs.

“What smaller dogs get away with, a Great Dane just won't,” says Karla. “The little chihuahua down the road can act ferocious and even bite at ankles and it will be brushed off as annoying, whereas a barking Dane is perceived as aggressive without a lunge or an attempted bite.”

Adult male Great Danes are typically 30-34 inches tall and weigh 120-200 pounds. Adult females grow to about 28-32 inches tall and weigh in around 100-130 pounds.

The Great Dane’s unfair reputation often means that they’re passed up by dog lovers who might actually be a great match for the breed, and vice-versa.

​“They are total lap dogs that need nothing but your love. They are sensitive as all get out, and really long for human connection,” says Karla. “They aren’t called ‘Velcro dogs’ for nothing. They stick by your side, follow you around, and just want to be with their people. Once they make that connection with you, they are truly the sweetest and biggest babies.”

Karla also says that Great Danes are “typically calm, cool and collected” and are capable of providing comfort.

“I remember the first time my Great Dane heard me cry,” Karla says. “I was sobbing and he came over and sat on top of me. He started howling and crying out my bedroom window, as if he was trying to call for help.”

When asked what kind of person would make the best pet parent for a Dane, Karla said, “Someone who is patient, gentle, kind, and loving, with a calm lifestyle. These giants need so much patience as they may work through different behavioral challenges.”

Karla also points out that despite those long, strong legs, Danes don’t require an athletic owner. “I always joke that they don't need room to run, they need laps to sit on and couches to sleep on. They enjoy a calm walk through a park, and often don't need more activity than that.”

Danes are often the victims of clumsy and even cruel handling by humans, including breeders. This can be the source of behavioral problems that contribute to an unwarranted bad reputation. “The rescue was started specifically for helping Great Danes, because they are often misunderstood,” Karla explained. “New owners of Danes often need education and mentorship on the breed. So many dogs are surrendered to our rescue with bite histories, but the biting is often provoked by a kiddo or a family member pushing boundaries. That’s not the dog’s fault, and they deserve a second chance, and not to be put down because of human error.”

When Danes are surrendered to the Great Dane Rescue & Sanctuary, the organization matches them with experienced foster homes that work diligently on overcoming the stress and anxieties that come with being abandoned.

“The type of people we like to see as fosters for our rescue dogs are patient, calm, kind, and willing to take advice. We have a lot of knowledgeable people within our rescue, and taking their feedback and instruction is important.”

In some cases, the dogs may stay with the rescue for many months before the right home is found. The rescue’s goal is for their Great Danes to succeed in their forever homes, so they’re placed with families that are willing to continue working on the challenges that may come with each Dane.

In speaking about a Dane’s introduction into a new home, Karla says, “There will always be a decompression period that is needed. Muzzle training is important to ensure everyone is safe throughout the transition.”

​She advises new Dane parents that, “Patience is key. Listen to the advice of the previous foster and the rescue. Ask questions ahead of time so that you are fully prepared for what might come. Our rescue is transparent with issues the dogs might have.”

One common challenge Karla sees is a Dane’s trepidation around strangers, due to abuse or a lack of socialization. “While it’s hard to work through, the reward of is one-of-a-kind. Nothing compares to the connection you make with a Dane, and their love is something else,” Karla says. “I have the conversation with so many people that Danes are just ‘different’. You can have dogs all your life, but something about a Dane is just unexplainable. My Dane and I are so connected, we can be miles apart, and if I’m stressed out, he gets sick every single time.”

The Great Dane Rescue & Sanctuary of Minnesota and Wisconsin accepts purebred Great Danes from all of Minnesota and Wisconsin, from individuals, shelters and animal control facilities. They occasionally accept Great Danes from other states on a case-by-case basis. They educate the public about the temperament, nutritional recommendations, and health concerns of Great Danes, and provide the best veterinary care available.

​If you’d like to support the noble efforts of the Great Dane Rescue & Sanctuary of Minnesota and Wisconsin, you can make a donation, sponsor a Dane, or contribute much-needed supplies from their wish list.

CONTENT WRITER, BARKTIQUE + MEOW

Kim Brittingham

Kim Brittingham is a content writer for Barktique + Meow, animal lover, and history buff residing at the Jersey Shore. She is the author of Read My Hips (Three Rivers Press/Random House, 2011) and Write That Memoir Right Now (Blackstone, 2013). She's a willing servant to a rescued miniature poodle named Clarice.