# What sport would be good for us?



## PyrettaBlaze (Nov 2, 2012)

I have a 1 year-old Great Dane, Harley. Harley is very high energy (unlike any other Dane I've had), and it takes a lot to tire him out. He's also very fast and stops/turns on a dime. 

I've been thinking that perhaps participating in a sport would be good for him. He trains easily and I think that with a little work we could get some real enjoyment out of it. I don't care if he's ever a champion winner at it. We're just looking for fun and excitement.

The question is what sport to choose? He's 33 1/2 inches tall at the moment, and weighs over 100 pounds. Could he do agility? Does anyone know what a Dane can participate in? Frisbee is probably not a good idea as he has zero interest in catching things in the air. Anything high energy would be good though.


----------



## zeronightfarm (Jun 15, 2011)

You could do agility, or maybe frestyle dancing (tire out his brain as well as body)


----------



## PyrettaBlaze (Nov 2, 2012)

zeronightfarm said:


> You could do agility, or maybe frestyle dancing (tire out his brain as well as body)


Oh neat! I never thought of dancing! I will have to look into that. He likes activities where he has to think as well as move, especially if it nets a reward at the end. 

I know that at one time in history Danes were used for hunting. I wonder if he would do tracking type things. They have these competitions around here where a person on your team hides and has to be found and "rescued". I've seen a lot of Bloodhounds, Saints, and even Coonhounds up there but never a Dane.


----------



## zeronightfarm (Jun 15, 2011)

PyrettaBlaze said:


> Oh neat! I never thought of dancing! I will have to look into that. He likes activities where he has to think as well as move, especially if it nets a reward at the end.
> 
> I know that at one time in history Danes were used for hunting. I wonder if he would do tracking type things. They have these competitions around here where a person on your team hides and has to be found and "rescued". I've seen a lot of Bloodhounds, Saints, and even Coonhounds up there but never a Dane.


You could always give it a try!

Here is a freestyle video for you to check out! It is of a dane, so maybe you can relate to it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2f3UeJTUko


----------



## PyrettaBlaze (Nov 2, 2012)

zeronightfarm said:


> You could always give it a try!
> 
> Here is a freestyle video for you to check out! It is of a dane, so maybe you can relate to it.
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2f3UeJTUko


Thanks! Lots of great videos and ideas there! He tends to move with me around the house so he might pick that up pretty easy.


----------



## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

Freestyle would be fun! I think it'd be a great choice for a giant dog. Really easy on their bodies but still so much fun. You could do agility but I doubt he could fit through any tunnels though, and I don't think it'd be a good idea to have him doing obstacles like the A-frame too much. Going up is not a problem, but coming down is hard on the bodies of even small dogs. Weaves could be a challenge too lol.


----------



## hamandeggs (Aug 11, 2011)

On the other hand...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asxzU0xKM_g&feature=related

That's a MACH Great Dane running agility. Very cool to watch! The weaves and the tire are pretty entertaining


----------



## PyrettaBlaze (Nov 2, 2012)

I saw that vid last night. Very cool stuff! There's a beginners class starting up nearby. I think we may just sign up and see how it goes. He's got a clean bill of health and good bones and joints, so it shouldn't be a problem for him. I'll talk to his vet about it though just to be sure.


----------



## hamandeggs (Aug 11, 2011)

Since he's only a year old, you might want to wait another 6 months to a year for all his growth plates to close. You want a dog to be fully mature before you start doing high-impact stuff like agility jumps. Same goes for jogging with him, BTW. Definitely ask your vet. 

At my agility school there is a lady who runs a large Mastiff of some sort. He loves it.


----------



## MafiaPrincess (Jul 1, 2009)

There are extra large breeds playing and titling in agility. They need to learn when younger to make it through tunnels, but they do fit.

http://www.6stardanes.com/agility.html


----------



## ChaosIsAWeim (Feb 12, 2011)

Does he like the chase things? If so he could do Coursing Ability Tests

http://classic.akc.org/events/coursing_ability_test/index.cfm


----------



## Pawzk9 (Jan 3, 2011)

zeronightfarm said:


> You could always give it a try!
> 
> Here is a freestyle video for you to check out! It is of a dane, so maybe you can relate to it.
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2f3UeJTUko


Cute routine. Man, you would have to be athletic to do leg weaves with that dog!


----------



## Canyx (Jul 1, 2011)

hamandeggs said:


> On the other hand...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asxzU0xKM_g&feature=related
> 
> That's a MACH Great Dane running agility. Very cool to watch! The weaves and the tire are pretty entertaining




HAHAA! That thing going through weave poles looked like a bear charging through the forest, you could practically ask the dog to go straight through and the weave poles would bend for it  Amazing run! It's always great to see larger breeds compete in these kinds of sports.


----------



## Salina (Sep 2, 2012)

hamandeggs said:


> On the other hand...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asxzU0xKM_g&feature=related
> 
> That's a MACH Great Dane running agility. Very cool to watch! The weaves and the tire are pretty entertaining


how cool is that


----------



## Flyball_BC (Nov 27, 2012)

Have you ever though about doing flyball with him? I have seen some Great Danes in flyball..


----------



## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

What about nosework? Less impact, VERY tiring on the brain, could save his joints and your energy. 

Frag and I train and will be competing soon in K9 nosework. It's a lot of fun!


----------



## PyrettaBlaze (Nov 2, 2012)

DJEtzel said:


> What about nosework? Less impact, VERY tiring on the brain, could save his joints and your energy.
> 
> Frag and I train and will be competing soon in K9 nosework. It's a lot of fun!


Actually we're already signed up for a nosework class that's starting in March. It's a new offering from a trainer nearby. It sounded like it might be a lot of fun!


----------



## beretw (Sep 25, 2012)

Have you thought about Rally-O?


----------



## PyrettaBlaze (Nov 2, 2012)

Hmmm....I'll have to see if she going to offer that one, or maybe someone else will be doing it. Certainly something to check out.


----------



## GottaLuvMutts (Jun 1, 2009)

Yes, my suggestions were going to be nosework, rally/obedience, and freestyle. I've seen Danes do agility, but it ain't pretty.


----------



## Petlawn (Nov 28, 2012)

As per my knowledge Great Dane comes under non-sporting group.. but still there are some good activities that loves him like a long walk or you can go with freestyle activities..


----------

