Great Dane breeders.

A serious Great Dane breeder leads with cardiac health and bloat awareness. They produce an annual echocardiogram by a board-certified cardiologist on both parents, OFA hips and elbows, an eye exam, a thyroid panel, and a vWD panel. They discuss prophylactic gastropexy (stomach tacking) at spay or neuter to reduce GDV risk. They have a hard conversation with you about the breed's short lifespan (median seven to ten years) before they accept your deposit. They ask about your home, your fencing, your other dogs, and whether you have the budget for adult-Dane veterinary care, which is structurally higher because the dogs are large enough that every medication and diagnostic scales up.

Typical price range.

A Great Dane puppy from a responsible breeder usually costs between fifteen hundred and three thousand dollars in the United States, with European import lines and titled show prospects running higher. Anything under eight hundred dollars almost always means the breeder skipped cardiac screening, and that is the one screen you cannot skip with this breed. Ask exactly what is included: shots, microchip, dewormer, vet check, AKC paperwork, the lifetime take-back clause, and any breeder-specific guarantees against early DCM or wobbler syndrome.

Health checks worth asking about.

The Great Dane Club of America CHIC requirements are heavy: an annual cardiac evaluation by a board-certified cardiologist, OFA hips and elbows, an annual CAER eye exam, a thyroid panel, and a vWD (von Willebrand disease) DNA test. Many breeders also screen for IPSID (intestinal protein loss) and run an annual GDV (gastric dilatation and volvulus) discussion. Wobbler syndrome (cervical vertebral instability) runs in some lines and is worth asking about. A breeder who can hand you the complete CHIC stack on both parents and discuss longevity in their lines openly is giving you the most useful signal.