The Great Dane Lab mix is the result of a Great Dane Labrador cross breeding. This mix breed is also known as “Labradane”. You can expect your Labradane to be a large dog with an even bigger heart. However, this sweet crossbreeds also comes with a lot of possible health issues.
If you want to learn more about the gentle giant — The Great Dane Labrador mix, keep on reading!
Origin of the Great Dane Lab Mix
Not much information is available about the exact origin of the Labradane, but we can tell you a lot about the parent breeds.
Labrador Retriever Origins
The Labrador Retriever is one of the most popular dogs in the world.
The oldest ancestor of the Labrador is the water dog of St. John. This dog was very popular in Newfoundland and was founded in the 19th century. Century brought to England. It was bred with other smaller dogs, and this is where the Labrador retriever came here.
There are actually two types of Labrador retrievers, American and English. Typically, the American ones are used to make dog mixtures such as the Labradane.
Origins of the Great Dane
Great Danes are extremely large dogs. It may come as no surprise to learn that the canines were created by crossing the equally large Irish wolfhound and the English Mastiff.
Great Danes were bred as working dogs to hunt English boars. This breed comes from Germany, but also has a long history in England. In particular, the dogs were often used to protect goods, carriages and nobility.
Great Danes are sometimes referred to as German Mastiffs, as the dogs have their origin in Germany.
What to expect A Great Dane Lab mix
We can’t predict exactly how a Great Dane Labrador mix will develop. Genetics plays an important role in all areas, from personality to appearance to health (which we will discuss later).
We know that you can expect a medium to large dog whose ears fall over their head. These mixtures, as well as the parent breeds, can be seen in many different colors.
Appearance of the Great Dane Lab
So what does the Great Dane Lab? The dog has a mixture of physical characteristics from both parent breeds. So let’s look at Labradors and Great Danes.
Labrador height, size and weight
The Labrador Retriever is a medium-sized breed that weighs about 55 to 80 pounds.
The dogs have round, wide heads and sit about 22 to 25 inches above the ground.
Height, size and weight of the Great Dane weight
Great Danes are definitely considered large dogs (much larger than labs). They are a whopping 28 to 34 inches tall and weigh between 100 and 200 pounds. This weight may seem a little high, but the vast majority is due to the powerful and smooth muscles that line the body.
Great Dane Lab Mix Appearance
The Great Dane Labrador mix will have a mixture of physical properties similar to both the Labrador and the Great Dane. You cannot bet on an exact phenotype or a number of physical properties. However, your puppy will probably have a height and weight between the two parent breeds.
So you can expect your Labradane to be a medium-sized to large breed that weighs well over 100 pounds and is close to each other or more than 30 inches in height. If you look at a Labradane growth table, the canines are less heavy than a pure Great Dane. They are deep chested and have long legs.
The Labrador Great Dane Cross can have several colors. Most commonly they can have brown, black, white, cream, bridle, deer, harlequin and blue tones.
Great Dane Lab Mix Temperament
Just like with the physical characteristics, you have to look at the parents to find out what personality your Labrador Great Dane Mix puppy will have.
Labrador retrievers are known for their sweet personalities. There are a few words that are used to describe the dogs, including gentle, loving and faithful. Of course, the dogs also have a fun and active series. Laboratories love to play and hunt, and this is one of the reasons why the canines are often recommended for families.
Great Danes are also loving, gentle and loyal. They protect their owners very much and are excellent guard dogs that bark when danger or trouble are detected. While Great Danes are considered stoic and dignified, they strive to please just like a Labrador.
Personality of the Labradane
Fortunately, both Labradors and Great Danes have a lot of the same personality traits, so you can predict the personality quite easily. The best news is that these dogs are ideal for families with children.
Labradane breeders often say that their puppies preserve the loving, gentle and loyal qualities of their parents. In some cases, the dogs have a somewhat stubborn side. This is due to the Great Dane and its strong-willed temperament.
These puppies react well to obedience and training courses if you happen to adopt a stubborn dog.
Socialization of the Great Dane Lab
We know that Labradors are very friendly. No wonder they are one of the most popular breeds in the world.
However, this does not exempt them from socialization training. This is especially true if the laboratory and the Great Dane are crossed. A larger dog must be particularly careful when dealing with humans, children and other animals.
You can socialize your Labradane at a young age. Introduce them to a variety of people, animals and places.
Train your Great Dane Labrador mix
This cross is easy to train and very eager to please you. There are so many ways to train and train your new dog. Some types of training may take precedence if you have a new puppy in the house.
For example, you want to start potty training or crate training immediately.
Exercise keeps your dog happy and healthy. Muscle building is important, but if you allow your dog to get to know his environment, his brain is also stimulated.
You should train your Labradane so that it does not jump up on people. They probably don’t know their own strength and could harm an unsuspecting visitor!
Health and care of the Great Dane Lab
We briefly described how hybrids can develop their personality and appearance is based on a mixture of both parents.
The same applies to mixed breed health. It can be heartbreaking to adopt a puppy with a chronic or fatal disease. For this reason, it is always advisable to talk to breeders about the health of the parent breeds.
Both Great Danes and Labradors are prone to certain health problems and conditions.
The most common ones are: Hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia and arthritis. Other possible health issues are heart defects such as stenosis of the aorta or anomalies of the heart valves.
Labradors usually live about 10 to 12 years. Unfortunately, Great Danes usually only live between six and eight years old.
The good news is that the lifespan of the mixture seems closer to that of the Labrador, so that your dog will lead a long and happy life of 10 years or more.
However, it may be better to assume that your dog lives between 6 and 12 years of age, as this is the lower and upper limit of the life expectancy of both parent breeds.
Great Dane Lab Mix Shedding and Grooming
Like most other dogs, the Labradane is shed seasonally. This means that you can get away with a weekly cleaning plan until autumn and spring.
Daily cleaning is often required during these seasons.
The mixture of Labrador and Great Dane often has similar hair to the Great Dane. Since these dogs have short and dense hair, the dandruff is not a big problem.
Even if the dogs don’t shed much, you may see dark brown hair on your furniture, simply because of the size and hair color.