General Information About Your Merle Great Dane

Great Danes come in various colors like the mantle, brindle, black, blue, Merle, harlequin, and fawn. These are the seven standard colors approved by the Great Dane Club of America.

Your Merle Great Dane is an excellent pet and is part of the larger purebred Great Danes. It has a Merle pattern with pale to dark fur covered with dark spots. Your Merle great is one of the largest dog breeds in the world. Apart from its gigantic size, it also has a distinctive Merle pattern on its fur.  Most people confuse the harlequin Great Dane with the Merle Great Dane, but one of the main differences is that harlequins have a white base coat with black spots.

Have you ever wondered how your Merle Great Dane occurred? Merle Great Danes mainly occur when breeding two great harlequin Danes. During the breeding process, one or two puppies will come out as Merle Great Dane puppies. This breed is also a result of breeding the harlequin and the mantle Great Dane. Most breeders prefer the latter breeding method to produce a much purer breed. 

Producing a Merle Great Dane is dependent on whether the two breeding dogs have a dominant Merle gene. Merle Great Dane comes in different coat color patterns. This base color might be so contrasting that finding another dog similar to your pet is highly unlikely. The Merle genetics of your pet not only determines the coat color but also determines the color of the eye.

Your Merle Great Dane generally loves being around humans hence referred to as a gentle giant. They are also affectionate and have a caring heart. They are friendly therefore safe around kids. They are possessive, especially when young. They have a low tendency to bark but require a high level of socialization.

A mature Merle Great Dane will weigh between 100 to 120 pounds for both males and females. Male Merle Great Danes will reach a maximum height of 32 inches, while females will reach 30 inches tall. The Great Dane has a lifespan of 6-8 years. Your Merle Great Dane is generally a light shedder since it has a short coat.

Due to its size, it is best to provide your Great Dane with enough space for it to exercise. If you live around the city, you should consider taking your dog out for long daily walks to help reduce anxiety and stress levels. The Merle Great Dane dogs are heavy feeders, but it is advisable to give 2-3 small meals to your Merle Great Dane rather than one huge meal to avoid bloating problems. Allow your dog to rest for at least one hour during the day, especially after feeding. Ensure that you purchase a raised feeding bowl to prevent your Merle Great Dane from splaying their legs.

Can a Merle Great Dane suffer from stress and anxiety? Yes. Like other dogs, Merle Great Danes are prone to suffer from high stress and anxiety levels when exposed to specific environmental conditions by their owners.

Why Your Merle Great Dane Experiences Stress and Anxiety

Great Danes are generally active dogs. Most people bred them for hunting purposes and for providing companionship. Your Merle Great Dane requires enough mental and physical stimulation to increase its lifespan. Stress and anxiety can generally affect the well-being of your Great Dane.   

Similar to other dog breeds, the Merle Great Dane loves human companionship. Prolonged separation from humans leads to separation anxiety. Your Great Dane is likely to suffer from separation anxiety. Loneliness is the main contributor to separation anxiety. Dogs respond poorly to being left alone and would rather spend all their time in their owners' company. Apart from boredom, previous negative experiences can aggravate this condition.

Your Merle Great Dane is an intelligent dog. It will quickly adapt to a standard daily routine. These include feeding time and exercise patterns. Developing a routine gives them a sense of structure and helps to build trust. A slight change or delay in performing these activities can lead to increased stress and anxiety levels.

Similar to other dog breeds, your Merle Great Dane is alert to any slight and unfamiliar sounds. Your dog can easily sense small sounds such as human footsteps from a distance. These sounds can make your dog anxious, which leads to excessive barking to alert you. Noises such as thunder and gunshots can also lead to increased anxiety levels.

Moving to a new home can also contribute to elevated stress levels on your Merle Great Dane. Unfamiliar environments will make your pet anxious as it tries to get used to the new environment. Just like humans, dogs get thrown off by new environments, and it takes some time for them to be comfortable.

How Will High-Stress Levels And Anxiety Affect Your Great Dane?

Increased exposure to stress factors can be detrimental to the general well-being of your pet. Sometimes, it is difficult to notice if your pet is suffering from stress or anxiety as a dog owner. It is best to help your dog recover from these stressful periods. Letting your pet go through this period alone can lead to certain negative behaviors that can lead to serious health defects, which can reduce the Great Dane's lifespan. What are some of the effects of stress and anxiety?

Poor Appetite

Great Danes are heavy and active feeders. Your Merle Great Dane will feed actively anytime you offer food. When stressed, you will notice a reduced feeding appetite. It will eat a small amount of food. Reduced desire for food will lead to reduced body weight, which will affect your pet's immune system.  Poor immunity will make your Great Dane vulnerable to infections making it weak. In case your dog has an underlying medical condition, it may succumb due to low immunity caused by starvation.

You Will Observe A Change In Behavior

Like all other dogs, your Great Dane will exhibit behavioral changes when stressed. The Great Dane pet will quickly switch to a different behavior due to prolonged exposure to stress. These dog breeds have a gentle temperament and rarely bark or growl towards people or family members. When stressed, the Merle Great Dane will turn furious and start barking and growling towards family members. When left unattended, the dog might bite and cause injury to people and other pets around the house.

Due to separation anxiety, your dog might start chewing on objects around the house. Chewing furniture around the house can lead to damaged dental cavity which can lead to infections.

Similar to other dogs, your Great Dane will whimper or whine when stressed. This action is likely to be followed by some trembling. The dog's sleeping pattern is expected to change, which affects the general mental health of your pet. In addition, stress can also lead to excessive sleeping, leading to reduced energy levels, making them sluggish and less active. 

Uncontrolled urination and diarrhea are clear indications that your Merle Great Dane is undergoing some stressful situation. High stress levels lead to stress hormones that loosen both the bladder and anal muscles, making your dog unable to control itself.

Stress lengthens the recovery process in case you have a sick Merle Great Dane. Stress leads to the production of cortisol hormone, which possesses anti healing properties. Your dog may fail to heal if exposed to stressful conditions hence reducing its lifespan. Dog experts discourage dog owners from using medications containing Corticosteroids since it affects the overall healing process.

Best Ways To Help Your Merle Great Dane

The information above shows that high-stress levels can lead to severe medical conditions in your Merle Great Dane. However, you can help your pet get out of such stressful situations by using some natural remedies indicated below.

Offer your dog some alone time. Continuous contact with a stressed dog can lead to unwanted dog bites due to high aggression levels. Give your pet some space to recover from a stressful situation. It is essential to let the signs disappear first before offering the second remedy.

It is wrong to assume your Merle Great Dane will get out of the stressful situation by itself. Consistently offered support throughout this period will help your great Dane get out of any stressful situation. Prolonged exposure to stressful factors can adversely affect your dog. Providing mental support allows it to recover quickly from a stressful situation.

Dogs are naturally active animals and require enough physical and mental stimulation to stay healthy. Proper stimulation helps reduce built-up stress levels. Take your Merle Great Dane through a series of training and teach it some new tricks. Ensure that you take your pet out for a walk every day. Great Danes are large breeds and need to exercise every day. Remember that you should always tie your dog to a leash to control its movement. Visit places such as dog parks to allow your pet to interact with other people and dogs.  Avoid congested areas or places with dominant dogs.

It is crucial to study your pet's behavior and learn how it reacts to different situations as a pet owner. Analyzing your Merle Great Dane will help you identify what triggers a particular behavior. Once you identify the case, you can decide whether to get rid of the situation or get your dog out of that situation or environment.

Your Great Dane is an intelligent dog and will quickly realize when you are sad.  When having low moods, avoid close interaction with your dog. The dog can easily mimic you and become anxious or tense. Always smile when playing with your pet to help it relax and improve its mood.

Several products in the market can help minimize your Merle Great Dane stress levels. Most of these products are available in local pet shops or online pet stores. One of the most popular online pet shops is a U.S based company known as Calming Dog. Our company was started by different dog owners who understand the importance of minimizing your Merle Great Dane's stress levels. 

Dogs require a constant supply of clean drinking water. Due to this fact, we formulated the Calming Fountain Plus to offer the dog cool water throughout the day and night. The device helps the dog drink lots of water hence the best choice for you as a dog owner. The device has an installed LED light that illuminates it even during the night.  

The device uses filtration technology, ensuring that your Great Dane drinks the cleanest water and protects it from contracting water-borne diseases. Enough intake of water will help minimize your Merle Great Dane's stress levels.

Always treat your pet as part of your family. Your Merle Great Dane will likely join you in bed at night if you fail to provide a comfortable sleeping area. Our Calming Cuddle Bed Plus offers a great resting area for your pet. It gives an extra cozy and soft spot for your pet to lie during the day and night.   It also eradicates naughty thoughts from your pet, especially when you are not around the house.

Our Calming Cuddle Blanket is ideal for helping your pet through anxiety or a stressful situation. Great Danes love to spend their time with humans and are likely to suffer from separation anxiety when left alone for long hours; hence this blanket offers the best solution to minimize anxiety levels by providing a soft and extra cozy feeling. It has a soothing effect, therefore, removes any naughty thoughts from your dog's mind.

Our Calming Blanket is large enough to cover your large Great Dane and also foldable in case you have a puppy.

We also have a Calming Spray to help manage high-stress levels in your Merle Great Dane. Spray the contents on your pet's beddings and play area. It helps your dog get out of any stressful situation and removes any naughty thoughts from its mind. The spray does not contain any harmful chemicals and has no adverse side effects on the dog.

Our Calming Zen Chews come in packs containing 60 sticks. Each stick contains chamomile, L-theanine, and L-tryptophan, which helps in lowering anxiety in your Merle Great Dane. These ingredients are natural and have no adverse effects on the dog's health. The ingredients help your Great Dane stay calm, especially when left alone for long hours, and improve the dog's general well-being.

Why Choose Calming Dog?

We are the leading producers and suppliers of dog accessories in the entire United States. Our products undergo a series of rigorous tests by animal experts before being put into the market. We manufacture our products using locally available materials and provide U.S specified customer service.

All our products are eco-friendly and do not contain chemicals that may cause harm to your pet, fellow family members, and the environment. The products come in different luxurious designs and colors, giving you a chance to choose from a wide variety of options. From every purchase you make, we donate $1 to support the no-kill shelter in the United States.

Our products are ideal for all dog breeds regardless of size, age or weight.

Final Verdict

Great Danes are ideal pets for people living in cities or suburbs. Their love for humans and melancholic temperament make them a perfect pet for you and your family members. This breed has high energy levels and hence requires enough mental and physical stimulation to prevent stress. If you are a city dweller, ensure you take your pet out every day for a walk. For those living in the suburbs with enough space, you can create a daily exercise routine to help provide enough stimulation to your pet.

High stress and anxiety levels make your Great Dane vulnerable to various medical conditions. It weakens the immunity of your Merle Great Dane, making it prone to catching diseases and infections, which can lead to death. Carefully monitor your Great Dane and check for any changes in behavior. 

Our main aim at Calming Dog is to protect your dog from any stressful event and help it get out of a stressful situation. We achieve this by providing a variety of dog accessories that can help your dog out of such stressful situations without having to consult an animal expert. The founders of Calming Dog own different types of dog breeds and understand the dangers of stress and anxiety towards different types of dog breeds. Most of our products are safe and have no adverse impacts on the dog's health. Please take a look at our products by visiting our official website. Show some love to your Merle Great Dane by purchasing some of our top-quality dog accessories.