Did you know that Great Danes can make great service dogs? In this blog post, we'll discuss how these dogs are helping people in need. From health and physical disabilities, guiding the visually impaired to providing emotional support to those with anxiety or depression, Great Danes are making a big difference in the world!

I had the privilege of chatting with Shannon, whom I met on IG @gentlegiantservicedog, about Great Danes as service dogs and how her Great Dane Mercy is making a difference in Shannon's life. You can follow Shannon and Mercy on Instagram to see their journey together. You can follow Shannon and Mercy on Instagram here

I’m in the middle of leading a class discussion about gender identity in my ninth grade health class. It’s warm, the students are awake and engaged, and I’m feeling great. Suddenly, I notice a presence at my side and a cold wet nose on the palm of my hand.  It’s my service dog, Mercy.  Although I feel fine, Mercy has noticed that something is up and is alerting me to a possible medical issue. I pass the class off to my co-teacher and go take a seat and get some water.  Mercy gets to work smelling my breath for any scent markers of a medical emergency and goes into “DPT” - also known as Deep Pressure Therapy. She presses against my body to provide firm but gentle pressure that will calm my nervous system down.  

This is a typical scene in the life of a service dog handler. The only difference between me and the other 200 educators at my job is that I’m always accompanied with my 128lb Great Dane service dog.  I’ve gotten used to the stares and the comments “hey, you could ride that thing!”, “who’s walking who?” (while my dog is in a perfect heel), and even worse “what’s wrong with you anyways?”. Mercy is my best friend, my partner, and most importantly, my life saving medical device.

I decided I wanted to explore the possibility of a service dog after a third round of new medicine had failed for my rare neurological disorder. I was tired, beaten down, and borderline hopeless.  A service dog would be incredibly expensive, some spend upwards of $40,000 for training & handling expenses. And most things are more expensive than you expect! After doing thoughtful research, talking with my medical team, and asking friends & family, I decided to take the plunge.  I knew that a service dog could potentially be trained to do the following tasks to help with my disability:

1. Counterbalance support and forward momentum pulling for mobility challenges
2. Detect and alert to a medical episode through scent 
3. Interrupt behavioral symptoms 
4. Create space and block from other humans during a medical episode
5. Retrieval of items (water, medicine, another person, etc)
6. Turn lights on and off, assist with laundry, press handicap buttons, etc
7. Many many more!

My first task as a human was finding a dog breed. This was an incredibly challenging undertaking.  I knew I needed a larger dog since the dog would need to assist me with some light mobility, including counterbalance support. After thinking about several breeds, including labs and Bernese Mountain Dogs, I settled on a Great Dane. The size of a Dane was incredibly important, as was their confident yet gentle temperament. As a working dog, Dane’s are bred to have jobs and have a good amount of stamina, another important aspect of a service dog. Great Danes also are relatively low maintenance dogs for grooming, which was important to me.  

With this in mind, I found a reputable breeder, one with a history of service dogs in their lineage, who health tested their dog through the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, and who had success showing their dogs in conformation. After several interviews we were selected to be owners of a Great Dane puppy born in May of 2020. I was absolutely ecstatic but equally as nervous. Mercy was born on May 21, 2020, temperament tested in June, and came home with us in July. She has been in a vigorous training program for almost two years and is expected to graduate from her service dog program in June of 2022.  

I am grateful in my decision to have a Great Dane as a service dog.  However, the decision did come with some challenges.  For example, Great Danes mature slower than other dogs and therefore the training period takes a bit longer.  Additionally, their large bodies make it difficult to fit in small spaces (like in an airplane or under a table at a packed restaurant).  

However, Mercy and I make it work and she continues to save my life on a daily basis. Mercy has eight working tasks for me, including being scent trained to detect and alert to a medical episode.  She is an incredibly gentle yet goofy dog who loves to work and enjoys being out and about in the world with me.  The AKC lists Danes as being “eager to please” which I have found to be true in Mercy. My favorite thing about her is her authentic and enthusiastic desire to be a good working dog.

If you’re interested in seeking out a Great Dane as a service dog, I highly recommend the following action steps:

1. Invest in a reputable trainer who has had success training service dogs for several years.
2. Locate an ethical and responsible breeder
3. Find a veterinarian who has experience with giant breed dogs 
4. Work with your medical team to come up with a list of expected tasks 
5. Read about the service dog laws in your country (The US has the ADA)
6. Remember that your dog doesn’t have to be perfect in order to be perfect for you.

Please check out the following resources about Service Dogs:

• ADA for information about Service Dogs: https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html
• Great Dane Club of America for Breeder Recommendations: https://gdca.org/
• Supplies for any Service Dog: Harnesses/Patches/Leashes