Dalmatian vs Great Dane
Side by side
Dalmatian
Great Dane
Adult weight
20–32 kg (45–70 lb) (estimated: the AKC breed page's 45-70 lb, one range for both sexes)
Males 64–79 kg (140–175 lb); females 50–64 kg (110–140 lb) (breed club figure)1
Shedding
Sheds through the year
Grooming
A brush once a week
Exercise
Plenty
A moderate amount
Health
Class
Sport
Companion
Which suits you
Size
The Great Dane is much larger: about 64 kg (141 lb) as an adult, against 26 kg (58 lb) for the Dalmatian.
Lifespan
In UK vet records the Dalmatian lives longer: a median of 13.2 years, against 10.6 for the Great Dane.
Exercise
Plan for plenty of exercise with the Dalmatian, and a moderate amount with the Great Dane.
Temperament
They differ most on affection (Dalmatian: affectionate on its own terms; Great Dane: a lap or leaning dog) and on loyalty (Dalmatian: sticks close to its people; Great Dane: bonded to its family).
Neither is the better dog in general. Which suits you depends on your home, your days and the care you can give.
What they're like
Dalmatian
Scent hounds · Medium
In temperament the Dalmatian is lively, playful and outgoing with its own people, yet carries itself with a certain dignity and can be reserved with strangers.
Great Dane
Pinschers & molossoids · Giant
In temperament the Great Dane is friendly, patient and dependable. It is affectionate with its household and usually calm indoors, but watchful with strangers.
Breed traits
Day to day
Dalmatian
Great Dane
Activity
Differs
Needs lots of exercise
Happy with modest walks
Intelligence
Differs
Learns readily, likes games
Easy-going, simple routines
Handler demand
Needs steady training
Needs steady training
With people
Dalmatian
Great Dane
Affection
Differs
Affectionate on its own terms
A lap or leaning dog
Loyalty
Differs
Sticks close to its people
Bonded to its family
Independence
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Around the home
Dalmatian
Great Dane
Sensitivity
Average
Average
Voice
Differs
Barks to alert, then settles
Quiet
Prey drive
Chases; needs managing
Chases; needs managing
Puppy growth
Reference curves · both sexes
Summary
Detail
The Great Dane grows to the heavier adult, about 65 kg against the Dalmatian's 26 kg. The Dalmatian's weight is not a published figure.
Dalmatian
Great Dane
More comparisons
Compare the Dalmatian with
Sources
- 1American Kennel Club. Great Dane breed page. ↑
- 2
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- 4Hawthorne et al., 2004. Body-weight changes during growth in puppies of different breeds. Journal of Nutrition 134(8 Suppl): 2027S–2030S (WALTHAM). ↑
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- 10Morrill et al., 2022. Ancestry-inclusive dog genomics challenges popular breed stereotypes. Science 376: eabk0639 (Darwin's Ark). ↑
- 11Dogs Trust. Finding a good, responsible breeder. ↑
- 12American Kennel Club. Screening puppy buyers: how top breeders find the best homes. ↑
- 13
Parts of this page were written by AI ·