Great Dane vs Labrador Retriever vs Mastiff – Which one is a better dog breed for you?

"Find similarities and differences between Great Dane vs Labrador Retriever vs Mastiff" Compare Great Dane and Labrador Retriever. Which is better: Great Dane or Labrador Retriever or Mastiff?

General Appearance Hair & Care Characteristics Good With Health Factors Reproducibility Show differences only

Name	Great Dane	Labrador Retriever	Mastiff
Origins	Germany	England Canada	England
All Dog Breeds By Country Of Origin
Group	Working Dogs	Gun Dog	Working Dogs
Popularity Rank	14	1	28
Reviews	1	3	0
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Other Names	Dane, Gentle Giant, Deutsche Dogge, German Mastiff, Apollo of Dogs	Labrador, Lab	English Mastiff, Old English Mastiff
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred	Purebred
AKC Group	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1887 as a Working breed.	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1917 as a Sporting breed.	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1885 as a Working breed.
FCI Group	Recognized by FCI in the Pinscher and Schnauzer - Molossoid and Swiss Mountain and Cattledogs group, in the Molossian type section.	Recognized by FCI in the Retrievers - Flushing Dogs - Water Dogs group, in the Retrievers section.	Not recognized by FCI.
Breed Recognition	American Canine Registry American Kennel Club America's Pet Registry Canadian Kennel Club Dog Registry of America Inc. Federation Cynologique Internationale Kennel Club of Great Britain North American Purebred Registry, Inc. American Canine Association, Inc. Australian National Kennel Council Continental Kennel Club National Kennel Club New Zealand Kennel Club United Kennel Club Canadian Canine Registry	American Canine Registry American Kennel Club America's Pet Registry Canadian Kennel Club Dog Registry of America Inc. Federation Cynologique Internationale Kennel Club of Great Britain North American Purebred Registry, Inc. American Canine Association, Inc. Australian National Kennel Council Continental Kennel Club National Kennel Club New Zealand Kennel Club United Kennel Club Canadian Canine Registry	American Canine Registry American Kennel Club America's Pet Registry Canadian Kennel Club Dog Registry of America Inc. Federation Cynologique Internationale Kennel Club of Great Britain North American Purebred Registry, Inc. American Canine Association, Inc. Australian National Kennel Council Continental Kennel Club National Kennel Club New Zealand Kennel Club United Kennel Club
Price	$800-$1200	$1000-$2000	$1200-$1500

General Appearance - Great Dane vs Labrador Retriever vs Mastiff

Size	Giant	Large	Giant
Weight	Male: 120-200 pounds (54-90 kg), Female: 100-130 pounds (45-59 kg)	Male: 60-75 pounds (27-34kg), Female: 55-70 pounds (25-32 kg)	Male: 150-250 pounds (68-113 kg), Female: 120-180 pounds (54-82 kg)
Avg. Weight	Male: 160 pounds (72 kg), Female: 115 pounds (52 kg)	Male: 67.5 pounds (30.5 kg), Female: 62.5 pounds (28.5 kg)	Male: 200 pounds (90.5 kg), Female: 150 pounds (68 kg)
Height	Male: 30-34 inches (76-86 cm), Female: 28-32 inches (71-81 cm)	Male: 22-24 inches (56-61cm), Female: 21-23 inches (53-58 cm)	Male: 30 inches (76 cm), Female: 27.5 inches (70 cm)
Avg. Height	Male: 32 inches (81 cm), Female: 30 inches (76 cm)	Male: 23 inches (58.5 cm), Female: 22 inches (55.5 cm)	Male: 30 inches (76 cm), Female: 27.5 inches (70 cm)

Hair & Care - Great Dane vs Labrador Retriever vs Mastiff

Coat	Dense	Dense Waterproof Hard Short	Dense
Colors	Blue Fawn White Brindle Merle Black	Yellow Chocolate Black	Apricot Fawn Brindle
Grooming	Effortless: The Great Dane requires minimal grooming.	Effortless: The Labrador Retriever requires minimal grooming.	Easy to groom: The Mastiff doesn't require a lot of grooming.
Shedding Level	Great Danes shed moderately.	Labrador Retrievers shed moderately.	Mastiffs shed moderately.

Characteristics - Great Dane vs Labrador Retriever vs Mastiff

Temperament	Friendly Devoted Gentle Reserved Confident Intelligent Loving	Affectionate Cheerful Friendly Intelligent Loyal Playful Social Alert Energetic Gentle Loving Going Responsive	Affectionate Cheerful Intelligent Protective Alert Courageous Loyal
Intelligent Rank	Smart: Great Dane's has great intelligence.	Outstanding: Labrador Retriever is one of the brightest dog breeds.	Average: Mastiff's has average obedience intelligence.
Trainability	Great Danes are quite easy to train.	Labrador Retrievers are very easy to train.	Mastiffs are quite easy to train.
Playfulness	Great Danes are not the most playful dog breed.	The Labrador Retriever is a highly playful breed.	Mastiffs are not the most playful dog breed.
Sensitivity Level	Great Danes don't like an irregular daily routine, noisy household and frequent guest visits.	Labrador Retrievers don't like an irregular daily routine, noisy household and frequent guest visits.	Mastiffs have an average emotional level and are not the most sensitive dog breed.
Affection Level	Great Danes are average dogs regarding their affection level.	Labrador Retrievers may seem unfriendly sometimes due to their independence.	Mastiffs are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate dogs toward their handlers.
Social Needs	Great Danes are a social breed.	Labrador Retrievers need a lot of social interaction.	Mastiffs need for social interaction is average.
Barking	Low to Average: The Great Dane rarely barks.	Average: The Labrador Retriever barks occasionally.	Low: The Mastiff barks none to minimal.
Watchdog Ability	Great Danes are one of the best watchdogs.	Labrador Retrievers are average watchdogs.	Mastiffs are one of the best watchdogs.
Territorial	Great Danes are extremely protective guard dogs.	Labrador Retrievers are average defenders.	Mastiffs are extremely protective guard dogs.
Biting Potential	Low The Great Dane has a low chance of biting somebody.	Moderate The Labrador Retriever has an average chance of biting somebody.	Moderate The Mastiff has an average chance of biting somebody.
Mouthiness	Great Danes have a higher than average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	Labrador Retrievers have a strong tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	Mastiffs have a higher than average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.
Impulse to Wander or Roam	Great Danes have average wanderlust potential.	Labrador Retrievers have average wanderlust potential.	Mastiffs are not the biggest explorers.
Prey Drive	Great Danes have an average prey drive, which means that they don't have a high impulse to chase and catch something like a cat or any other small aminals, but it might happen.	Labrador Retrievers have low to an average impulse to chase and catch something like a cat or any other small aminals.	Mastiffs don't have an impulse to catch or chase small animals.
Apartment Friendly	Great Danes are very apartment-friendly dogs.	Labrador Retrievers are not recommended for an apartment lifestyle.	Mastiffs are not the best choice for an apartment lifestyle, but they don't mind being inside if you walk them several times every day.
Adaptability	Great Danes adapt to lifestyle changes and different living environments quite okay usually.	Labrador Retrievers adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.	Mastiffs adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.
Tolerates Being Left Alone	Great Danes do best when a family member is at home during the day or if their workplace is dog-friendly so they can take the dog at work.	Labrador Retrievers tend to have separation anxiety when their owners left them alone at home because they bond very closely with them.	Just like every puppy, they are prone to panic, cry, bark, whine when they left alone by their owner.
Fighting Dog	Yes In history, this breed was unfortunately used for combat dog.	Not really In history, this breed was not really used for combat dog.	Not really In history, this breed was not really used for combat dog.

Good With - Great Dane vs Labrador Retriever vs Mastiff

Stranger Friendly	Great Danes are average friendly towards strangers.	Labrador Retrievers are very stranger friendly dogs.	Mastiffs are average friendly towards strangers.
Child Friendly	Great Danes are kid-friendly dogs.	Labrador Retrievers are very kid-friendly dogs.	Mastiffs are very kid-friendly dogs.
Cat Friendly	Great Danes are average friendly towards cats.	Labrador Retrievers are cat-friendly dogs.	Mastiffs are very cat-friendly dogs.
Dog Friendly	Great Danes are average friendly towards other dogs.	Labrador Retrievers are very dog-friendly dogs.	Mastiffs are average friendly towards other dogs.
Office Friendly	No Great Dane is not the best dog breed for office environment.	No Labrador Retriever is not the best dog breed for office environment.	No Mastiff is not the best dog breed for office environment.
Senior Citizens Friendly	Great Danes are usually recommended for elderly people.	Labrador Retrievers are one of the best breeds for elderly people.	Mastiffs are one of the best breeds for elderly people.
Pet Friendly	Great Danes are generally with other pets.	Labrador Retrievers are usually friendly towards other pets.	Mastiffs are one of the friendliest dog breeds.
Good For First Time Owners	No Great Danes are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.	No Labrador Retrievers are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.	Yes Mastiffs are good for novice owners, due to their easy-going personality.
Service Dog	Not really This breed generally not used as a service dog.	Yes This breed makes good as a service dog.	Not really This breed generally not used as a service dog.
Therapy Dog	Yes This breed makes a perfect therapy dog.	Yes This breed makes a perfect therapy dog.	Not really This breed generally not used as a therapy dog.
Detection Dog or Sniffer Dog	Not really A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.	Yes A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.	Not really A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.
Search and Rescue Dog (SAR)	Not really The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.	Yes The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.	Not really The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.
Boat Dog	Not really Great Dane breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.	Yes Labrador Retriever breed usually likes being on a boat.	Not really Mastiff breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.
Cart Pulling or Drafting Dog	Yes A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.	Yes A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.

Health Factors - Great Dane vs Labrador Retriever vs Mastiff

Health Issues	Great Danes are commonly healthy dogs.	The Labrador Retriever is a healthy breed, but there are certain health issues that you should check with your vet regularly.	Mastiffs are commonly healthy dogs.
Health Problems	Bloat Cancer Dilated Cardiomyopathy Hip Dysplasia Mitral Valve Disease Patent Ductus Arteriosis Persistent Right Aortic Arch Subvalvular Aortic Stenosis Tricuspid Valve Dysplasia	Acute Moist Dermatitis Bloat Cataracts Cold Tail Ear Infections Elbow Dysplasia Epilepsy Hip Dysplasia Myopathy Osteochondrosis Dissecans Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) Tricuspid Valve Dysplasia	Bloat Cancer Cystinuria Hip Dysplasia Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) Seizures
Life Expectancy	7-10 years	10-12 years	10-12 years
Calculate dog years to human years by breed here
Hypoallergenic	No	No	No
Energy Level	Great Danes are high energy dogs.	Labrador Retrievers are high energy dogs.	Mastiffs have a lower energy level than other dogs.
Exercise Need	Great Danes exercise need is minimal.	Labrador Retrievers need a lot of exercises.	Mastiffs exercise need is minimal.
Sleeping Need	Great Danes don't need too much sleep.	Labrador Retrievers don't need too much sleep.	Mastiffs like sleeping so they do sleep a lot.
Avg. daily food consumption	8 to 10 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals	Recommended daily amount: 2.5 to 3 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.	8 to 10 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals
Weight Gain Potential	Low to Average.	High: The Labrador Retriever breed has a strong tendency to overweight.	Average to High.
Weather & Climate	Prefers average to warm weather conditions	Tolerates warm and cold weather.	Prefers average to cold weather conditions The Mastiff can adapt to well to cold weather conditions, some dogs even can be a good mountain dog.
Stinkiness	Medium The Great Dane has an average chance of bad smell.	High The Labrador Retriever has a high chance of bad smell.	High The Mastiff has a high chance of bad smell.
Drooling tendency	The Great Dane drools quite a lot, so if you dislike being covered by slobber spots on your clothes, you may want to choose another dog breed.	The Labrador Retriever is an average drooler.	The Mastiff is a big drooler, so if you're disgusted by slobber spots on your clothes, you should choose a dog from another breed.

Reproducibility - Great Dane vs Labrador Retriever vs Mastiff

Gestation Length	60-64 days	60-64 days	60-64 days
How often can the have a litter?	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.
Litter Size	10-15 puppies	5-10 puppies	3-5 puppies
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