When it comes to service dogs, almost every dog breed can become one. While some dog breeds are better than others, some breeds you don\u2019t expect, like a King Charles Cavalier, can make a great companion for someone with a disability. That said, it\u2019s important to know what strengths and weaknesses a service dog may have depending on their breed. Thankfully, many breeds have well-documented behavior, and the Great Dane is no exception.<\/p>\n
The Great Dane makes a great service dog, depending on what your needs look like. While they\u2019re not the best with mental disabilities, they\u2019re large dogs that know how to be gentle. This makes them ideal for people with physical disabilities. For example, they can pull wheelchairs, help people remain balanced, and much more.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re considering a service dog and want a Great Dane, read on to learn everything you need to know. We cover their strengths, weaknesses, and some general information about the breed.<\/p>\n
Service dogs may vary based on a state\u2019s definition of a service animal. However, the ADA and the United States Department of Justice generally define what a service dog should be.<\/p>\n
According to these organizations, a service dog gets training for a specific task that helps people with mental health or physical disabilities. These dogs must be able to perform complex tasks on behalf of their owner, and most service dogs can enter public spaces like schools, work, and leisurely locations.<\/p>\n
Yes, Great Danes can become service dogs. In fact, most dogs can become service dogs with the proper training. You can either adopt a service dog or have your Great Dane trained by a professional if they\u2019re young enough.<\/p>\n
Service dog training has to occur at a young age, and the dog must be proficient at the task they\u2019re trained for. That said, Great Danes make great service dogs for physical disabilities. They\u2019re also suitable for mental health issues that require touch for comfort.<\/p>\n
Yes, Great Danes can become emotional support animals (ESAs). Great Danes and most other dog breeds can become ESA. While ESAs and service dogs are similar, ESAs are a much looser category. In fact, just about any animal can become an ESA as long their behavior is calm and they don\u2019t lash out at people (and yes, we mean any animal, there\u2019s someone in Florida with an alligator ESA).<\/p>\n
ESAs also don\u2019t have the same rules as service dogs. Therefore, they can\u2019t come with you on a plane or into some public spaces. You may need a note from your doctor.<\/p>\n
You can train your Great Dane to become a service dog, but it\u2019s not always the best route to take, especially if they\u2019re older. Training your Great Dane yourself may result in a service dog that doesn\u2019t master its task well enough. We always recommend having a professional train your service dog for the best results. Without professional help, your dog may fail, and you may have wasted a lot of time and money.<\/p>\n
Several disabilities qualify you for a Great Dane service dog. We list these disabilities below, and most disabilities have to do with physical conditions.<\/p>\n
Depending on your condition, Great Dane service dogs may qualify for other disabilities. Ultimately, it depends on your unique situation.<\/p>\n
Great Danes are a great breed for service dogs. While they\u2019re not known for their ability to deal with mental health disorders, their large size makes them perfect for physical disabilities. Examples include moving wheelchairs, assisting with balance or coordination, and much more. While these are tasks that the dog can complete, we\u2019ll cover some breed-specific traits that stand out for Great Danes.<\/p>\n
These include:<\/p>\n
Learn about each trait below.<\/p>\n
The best part of a Great Dane service dog is its size. They\u2019re much bigger than most dog breeds, which helps them reach higher shelves, open doors, and move things around. With great size also comes great strength. It\u2019s no problem when they need to grab an item, wheelchair, or open a door.<\/p>\n
Their large size also makes it easy for them to handle their owner\u2019s body weight, which service dogs should handle 65% of. For heavier people, a Great Dane service dog is perfect.<\/p>\n
Great Danes are short-hair dogs, so they\u2019re easy to maintain. You don\u2019t have to worry about frequent trips to the vet or for grooming. They don\u2019t need baths often, and a rinse with a hose or a showerhead is often enough. Great Danes also don\u2019t have a lot of energy for playing, so you don\u2019t have to worry about playing with them or taking them for long walks. Their service dog duties are more than enough to keep them happy and healthy.<\/p>\n
Great Danes are known as \u201cgentle giants.\u201d While they\u2019re one of the biggest dog breeds around, they\u2019re gentle with their weight and don\u2019t get aggressive often. Most Great Danes are just happy to see people. As a result, Great Danes are also easy to train. This applies to normal training and service dog training. Great Danes also rank high on the overall adaptability scale for training.<\/p>\n
Great Danes perform a lot of tasks for people with disabilities. The most common tasks that Great Danes help with are physical. Still, they can also provide comfort for people who need touch to calm down.<\/p>\n
Below we list the common tasks that Great Dane service dogs can offer.<\/p>\n
One of the most common use cases for a Great Dane service dog is providing balance or physical guidance. They can guide someone who is blind or someone who lacks vision. What\u2019s more, they can keep someone on two feet without falling over. Great Dane service dogs can also pull and move wheelchairs into place for people. This helps people get around airports and other places.<\/p>\n
The height of a Great Dane service dog is perfect for opening doors. They don\u2019t have to jump or expend a bunch of energy to open the doors because most Great Danes are at least 40 inches on all fours. Plus, Great Danes are strong enough to open most types of doors.<\/p>\n
Great Danes are huge service animals, so it\u2019s easy for them to reach almost anything. For this reason, one of the most common uses of a Great Dane service dog is grabbing items for their owners. These items can range from medications to personal items like a smartphone.<\/p>\n
Someone with a mental health disorder may need a barrier from other people. These barriers help someone remain calm when in crowded sessions. Barriers are also useful for people who have PTSD. Great Dane service dogs create a barrier by getting in front of their owner and blocking others from contacting them. They learn how to do this by picking up on their owner\u2019s panic, distress, or overall discomfort cues.<\/p>\n
Great Danes are smarter than many pet owners give them credit for. They can lean up against their owners to provide a sense of comfort. This works great for people who struggle with mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder. In this sense, Great Danes also work well for people who struggle with PTSD. In fact, some veterans who are used to serving with dogs do exceptionally well with service animals.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not difficult to get a Great Dane service dog when you know where to look. In fact, we have a quick and efficient way to help you get a Great Dane service dog. Plus, you can register your dog when you choose USSA. Below we take you through the steps to get a Great Dane service dog.<\/p>\n
The first step is to complete our online assessment. You\u2019ll need to follow this step if you have a service dog, plan on training one, or want to adopt one. Our assessment requires the following information about you and your dog:<\/p>\n
Aside from this information, you may get extra products like a vest once you fill in all of this information\u2014while this helps with identification, it is not a legal requirement.<\/p>\n
Once you enter your dog\u2019s information and your personal information, you must have a phone or video consult with a licensed mental health professional, usually a therapist. The therapist will have a virtual session with you to determine if you need a service dog. Depending on your mental health condition, you may or may not be approved in this state.<\/p>\n
The last step is to pay the small fee and get your service letter. The service letter allows you to live with your dog at an apartment complex, travel on airlines, and much more. Getting these service letters ensures that you can bring your service dog where you need to. Keep in mind, you may need to train your service dog before you can get a service letter for physical conditions.<\/p>\n
Keep in mind that you can also register your Great Dane as an ESA if you have no luck with the psychiatric service letter. ESAs are cheap to register, and just about any animal can be one.<\/p>\n
Have questions about Great Danes as service dogs? Find the answers below.<\/p>\n
No, service dogs aren\u2019t allowed everywhere. While service dogs can follow you to most places, places of worship and public\/hotel pools don\u2019t have to allow your service dog. Still, most of these places will provide accommodations when necessary.<\/p>\n
Service dogs are trained to help their owners with a task, while ESAs are just there to provide comfort. The difference comes down to training and their legal status. For example, ESAs aren\u2019t required to accompany people into every location. ESAs can only help with mental health issues, whereas service dogs can help with physical and mental health issues; this is another major difference.<\/p>\n
Additionally, ESAs can be any type of animal, while service animals are exclusively dogs or miniature horses.<\/p>\n
Service dogs can accompany you almost anywhere, even on airlines. Most airlines do have some leeway to make their own rules about service dogs, which is important to know. For example, many airliners won\u2019t allow short-nose dog breeds to stay in the cargo section of the plane because of their breathing impairments. While Great Danes may accompany you on the plane, you might have to pay extra for their size and weight because they\u2019re big dogs.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also important to keep the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) in mind. These are rules and regulations airlines have to follow that don\u2019t allow them to discriminate against someone based on a disability. This does not apply to people with ESAs because ESAs are no longer required to be on planes by law\u2014though depending on the airline, you may find some exceptions.<\/p>\n
Service dogs vary in price, but when you register with US Service Animals, the certificate costs about $90. That said, training is what becomes expensive. To train a Great Dane to become a service dog, you\u2019re looking at prices between $15,000 and $30,000, depending on the trainer. Often, service dog training costs about $250 an hour.<\/p>\n
However, training can also be free if you choose to train your dog yourself\u2014though this takes considerable time and patience, which may be hard to come by if you\u2019re already suffering from difficulties due to your disability. So you may want to supplement with some online training courses or consult a professional to ensure you\u2019re on the right track.<\/p>\n
There is no required age for a service dog. However, it\u2019s best to start the training process early (less than one year old). This is when dogs are typically most receptive to training. For Great Danes, lifespan also becomes a factor; unfortunately, they aren\u2019t known to have long life expectancies.<\/p>\n
The biggest disqualifier for a service dog is aggressive behavior. Great Danes that display aggressive behaviors or tendencies are likely to get disqualified. What\u2019s more, business owners and airlines may ask you to leave if your dog is being aggressive or misbehaving. To avoid these problems, Great Danes with behavioral problems are usually disqualified before becoming one.<\/p>\n
Service dogs can change the life of you or a loved one. Not only is it nice to have some company, but service dogs will help you complete tasks, remain calm, and even bring you things like your medicine. Without service dogs, many people wouldn\u2019t be able to travel or leave their homes, which makes them important members of society.<\/p>\n
Not everyone will qualify for a service dog, but if you think you need one, you can always fill out our assessment. All you need is to know some information about your dog. Then, speak with a therapist to learn if you qualify.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Curious about Great Dane as service dogs? We cover everything you need to know about Great Danes and if they\u2019re a good fit for a service dog. […]<\/p>\n