If you read no other page read this one.  Danes and giant breeds in general are not like any other breed.  They have very specific nutritional needs. 

We keep our puppies on puppy food for the first 10 weeks only.  This can be a heavily debated topic.  Some breeders never feed puppy food.  I can only tell you what we do.  I don't like to go from Mother's milk to adult food.  I think it is to hard on their little tummies. 

At 10 weeks our puppies are switched to Nutro Large Breed Adult.  Up until 10 weeks they are fed Nutro Large Breed Puppy. 

We use Nutro exclusively.  I have tried other high end premiums without good results.  Normally my dogs don't look as good as they do on Nutro.  I am very picky about how their coats look.  There are also times in a growing Dane when it is hard to get weight on them because they are growing so fast.  This only seemed harder to me on anything other than Nutro

FEED AT SHOULDER HEIGHT.  This is done to reduce the risk of bloat.  There are a lot of fancy raised feeders on the market.  The easiest thing to do is go to a hardware store and purchase a 5 gallon paint bucket with a lid and a bag of play sand.  Take the bucket home, fill with sand, cut a hole in the lid for the bowl and you have a raised feeder that won't become a hockey puck.  I have seen these painted and decorated by owners.  They can be very cute so be creative if you want.  Be careful to use non toxic paint.

NO GULPING DOWN FOOD.  You will have the occasional gobbler.  It seems like there is no in between.  Either you have the picky eater or the gobbler.  Don't allow your Dane to gulp down their food.  If you have a problem with this you can get river jacks and put them in the bowl to slow the dogs eating down.  BE SURE THEY ARE NOT SMALL ENOUGH TO BE SWALLOWED!!!

NO RUNNING AND EATING OR EATING AND RUNNING!!!  THIS GOES FOR WATER TOO.  Again to avoid bloat.

Danes are fed 25% protein or below from 10 weeks on.  If you don't follow this rule you are asking for trouble.  Everyone wants a big Dane and they will be.  Don't try to rush growth.  To much protein can lead to a variety of growth problems.  We get calls all the time from people who purchased from a breeder they can no longer reach that didn't tell them not to feed low cost puppy food.  We also avoid corn and chicken by-products in the first five ingredients.  If I don't want it in my body why would I put it in my dogs?  There is nothing good in by-products.  Corn is a filler.  There is the carbohydrate argument and I can see that until I see rice right behind the corn and you have to wonder if you need that many carbs in one place. 

Feed a premium dog food.  There is a wide range of premiums on the market now that will fit just about any budget.  Flip several bags and read the labels.  Check the protein contents and the ingredients.  Once you find a food that meets the nutritional requirements compare price and what is best for your budget.  This is not a place you want to cut corners.  The cost will be higher in the long run.

We sent puppies home on 1 cup 3 times per day.  This amount will increase almost weekly.  Remember, as your puppy grows so will their appetite. 

We are asked all the time how much an adult Dane eats.  It really varies but on average 4-5 cups twice a day.  Consider this.  Good dog food is expensive and a smaller breed may not need half that amount.

On occasion we see sensitive stomachs or sensitive skin.  I have always favored Blue Buffalo in these cases.  There is a large selection of sensitive foods.  Again read labels.

All of our dogs are sent to their new homes with information on nutrition, obedience training, socialization, and kennel training.  Yes, we believe in it!