I don't own a Great Dane, but I do have about 30 years experience training all types of dogs and horses. Pretty much without exception, ALL of the GIANT breeds are very CALM dogs. Of course they go though a silly puppy stage, but they tend to be much, much more mellow over all than just about any other sized dog. There is always the possible exception to the rule but I honestly have not see it happen with regards to YOUR question! lmao Most Giants, if given reasonable play time, a good walk, a bit of a run and romp...are very content to just flop down and watch tv with you when evening falls. Gray Hounds, who are considered LARGE not Giant, but, who are known for their excessive speed...are about the most quiet and LAZY dogs on the planet...yes they will run like fury when playing, but when you go in, all the ones I've known were most likely to head for the nearest COUCH or chair large enough to lay comfortably on and just plop with a bit of a wag (well, THAT was jolly good fun) and a "look" at their owners, (lets just take a little nap now, shall we...3 or 4 hours would do nicely don'tcha think?) The draw back with the Giants is not likely to ever be Hyperactivity...its that they do not live as long as smaller breeds....I LOVE Irish Wolfhounds and would love to have one, but I know they are OLD at 7 to 8 years of age. Once in a great while I'll meet one that is 10 and once one that was 12...but usually they do not live so long...9 years is common for them, and that is simply NOT LONG ENOUGH for me. Even my Vet warned me off of the idea when I was considering it..."I don't think you should do this, you can't cope with the life span. It will tear you apart!" and since I knew he knew me pretty darned well after 20 years of helping me keep my animals healthy and helping me to "set them free" when they could no longer enjoy life...I had to defer to HIS WISDOM! Dane's especially seem to have very good Stable temperaments, their breeding has been fairly well controlled and they have NOT been popularized enough for the puppy mills to get a strong influence on breeding them. Back yard breeders don't gravitate to this breed as much as some others, because they can be more expensive to feed (!) and require more space than other, smaller breeds! Be SURE that your folks know to ask a lot of questions and to insist on seeing HIP CERTIFICATION PAPERS on the Dam and Sire (Mother and Father) of the puppies they are looking to consider buying from! THIS is important, you don't want a puppy where there have been a lot or any hip problems in the bloodline!

they are lovely dogs, always loyal!

I do have a a 4 month old Great Dane (AKA the German Mastiff) and she is just a joy. I have a good relationship with her breeder and have met my pup's parents and the other 2 adult Danes she has out on her farm and all the adults are very laid back dogs (we go out to visit often, so it wasn't just a fluke that I happened to catch mom and dad at a mellow moment). I agree with all the comments I have read here, but have another point I would like to say (I see these are older postings, but for future reference...) I highly recommend taking any puppy thru some training classes and it is especially important in the large or the extra large breeds. Find a program that will address your concerns as well. Sit/down/stay/come/leave it/take it, etc...are all very important and possibly life saving commands to learn, but when you have a breed that may very well out weigh you as an adult (as my pup will) it is important that you learn how to communicate with your dog in a way the dog can understand and vice versa. A good training program will address individual situations as well because what may work for one dog, may not work yours and there are always other things to try. Also, keep in mind that a puppy is a puppy, no matter what the breed and along with a puppy comes much much love that outweighs everything else, but there are always frustrations. And my 4 month old puppy is 62 lbs so when she has her silly hyper puppy spurts, it is a lot more obnoxious then a 4 lbs puppy. But she has just been a very sweet girl who really tries her best to be a good girl. One more interesting thing with my pup: I have a brother who has Down's Syndrome and it is amazing how mellow my pup is with him where she wants to play harder with me. She knows and responds accordingly and I have so much respect for my pup because of that! ENJOY!!!

I have a great dane and yes, she is very calm. she does burn her energy when i take her on walks and let her have her playdates. But she is an inside dog and is very calm. I have a 2 year old she is great with. Very loving dogs!!! And she is now expecting...yay!

What really big hyper-active dogs are you referring to? I'm pretty sure all of the giant breeds are calm. Regardless, Danes are especially so. I have a half Dane, half Mastiff and she is the greatest, most gentle animal I have ever had the privilege of owning.

mine are crazy bundles of joy, I just like to say they have a good time when momma comes home to play = )

my friend had one and she was pretty friendly