Quick answer
Which is the better overall pick?
If you have the space and budget for a giant breed and can accept a shorter lifespan, the Dane's gentle temperament is genuinely appealing. Otherwise the Boston is the far more forgiving choice across nearly every category.
Boston Terrier or Great Dane? On paper they differ most on apartment suitability, and on the scales Great Dane is the heavier at 110–175 lbs. Here is how the two compare on everything that shapes an ordinary week.
This is for someone already down to Boston Terrier and Great Dane and deciding between them. For this pair the decision usually turns on apartment suitability and good for first-time owners, so those are covered first and in most detail. Anyone choosing from a flat has a clear answer here: Boston Terrier rates 5/5 against 1/5. Breed history is left out; what follows is what you will actually live with.
Between Boston Terrier and Great Dane, apartment suitability is what separates them, and Boston Terrier is the lower-effort dog of the two to keep.
Choose Boston Terrier if you are in a flat or a smaller home, this is your first dog and shedding is a problem in your house.
Choose Great Dane if you want a dog that can keep up with an active routine and you want a dog that is more watchful with visitors.
| Feature | boston terrier | great dane | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size class | small | giant | Equal |
| Weight | 12–25 lbs | 110–175 lbs | Equal |
| Height | 15–17 in | 28–34 in | Equal |
| Lifespan | 11–13 years | 7–10 years | boston terrier |
| Exercise need | Low (2/5) | Moderate (3/5) | boston terrier |
| Grooming need | Very low (1/5) | Very low (1/5) | Equal |
| Shedding | Low (2/5) | Moderate (3/5) | boston terrier |
| Energy level | Moderate (3/5) | Moderate (3/5) | Equal |
| Barking | Low (2/5) | Low (2/5) | Equal |
| Apartment suitability | Very high (5/5) | Very low (1/5) | boston terrier |
| Good for first-time owners | Very high (5/5) | Low (2/5) | boston terrier |
| Tolerates being alone | Moderate (3/5) | Low (2/5) | boston terrier |
| Trainability | High (4/5) | Moderate (3/5) | boston terrier |
| Good with kids | Very high (5/5) | Very high (5/5) | Equal |
| Good with other dogs | High (4/5) | High (4/5) | Equal |
| Friendly to strangers | High (4/5) | Moderate (3/5) | boston terrier |
| Cost level | Moderate (3/5) | Very high (5/5) | boston terrier |
| Coat | Short and smooth | Short, smooth | Equal |
| Origin | Various | Germany | Equal |
| Typical monthly cost | $80–$150 | $200–$400 | Equal |
| Typical first-year cost | $1,100–$2,300 | $3,000–$5,000 | Equal |
This is as wide a size gap as this site tracks: 12-25 lbs and 15-17 inches for the Boston against 110-175 lbs and 28-34 inches for the Great Dane, a giant breed that can outweigh a Boston by seven times or more. A Dane's sheer scale changes practical questions most owners don't think about until they own one: doorway height, car size, even how much space the dog takes up just standing still.
Despite its size, the Dane's exercise need rates only moderate (3/5), actually higher than the Boston's low (2/5) but not dramatically so, Danes are not a high-drive breed day to day. Energy level ties at moderate (3/5) for both. This surprises people expecting a giant breed to need marathon exercise; in practice, a Dane is more couch-potato than athlete once past the puppy stage.
Grooming ties at very low (1/5) for both breeds, neither needs much coat care. Shedding leans slightly toward the Boston, low (2/5) versus moderate (3/5) for the Dane, whose short coat still covers a lot more surface area. In practice, a Dane's shed adds up simply because there's more dog to shed from, not because the coat itself needs more work.
The Boston rates 5/5 for apartment living; the Dane rates very low, 1/5, the bottom of the scale, size alone rules out most small units regardless of the Dane's genuinely calm temperament. Both breeds bark low (2/5), so it's not a noise issue. Alone-time tolerance favors the Boston too, moderate (3/5) versus low (2/5) for the Dane, which bonds closely and doesn't love solitude.
The Boston edges the Dane on trainability, high (4/5) versus moderate (3/5), and first-time-owner suitability favors the Boston clearly, very high (5/5) versus low (2/5). A Dane's calm temperament makes it more tractable than its size might suggest, but managing a 150-pound dog through basic obedience is a different physical challenge than managing a 20-pound one, regardless of how willing the dog is.
Both breeds tie at very high (5/5) with kids and high (4/5) with other dogs, but the Boston edges ahead with strangers, high (4/5) versus moderate (3/5) for the Dane. Temperament lists both lean gentle: the Boston is friendly, lively, comical, adaptable; the Dane is gentle, friendly, patient, dependable, the gentle-giant reputation shows up directly in the data, not just the marketing.
This is the sharpest tradeoff in the whole comparison: the Boston lives 11-13 years, the Dane just 7-10, a giant breed's shortened lifespan is one of the most consistent patterns in dog genetics. The Dane's health list runs ten conditions, including bloat, dilated cardiomyopathy, Wobbler syndrome, and bone cancer, serious risks tied directly to its size, against the Boston's five centered on its face and eyes.
The Dane costs the most of any breed on this comparison, very high (5/5) versus the Boston's moderate (3/5), with monthly costs of $200-$400 versus $80-$150 and first-year totals of $3,000-$5,000 versus $1,100-$2,300. Food alone for a 150-pound dog is a real recurring cost, before factoring in giant-breed-sized everything else, beds, crates, vet visits, and medications that are dosed by weight and priced accordingly.
Boston Terrier weighs 12–25 lbs and lives 11–13 years; Great Dane weighs 110–175 lbs and lives 7–10 years. The two diverge most on apartment suitability, good for first-time owners and cost level. They are level on barking, good with other dogs and energy level, so those cannot decide it. The comparison marks an easier option only where one exists. Facts like weight and country of origin are not scored. Both dogs are rated from the same dataset, which is what makes the numbers comparable with each other even though any individual dog sits somewhere inside its breed's range.
Enormously, 110-175 lbs versus 12-25 lbs, and 28-34 inches tall versus 15-17. A Great Dane can weigh seven or more times what a Boston does.
Less than you'd think, moderate (3/5), only one step above the Boston's low (2/5). Danes are calmer day-to-day than their size suggests, especially past puppyhood.
It's rated low (2/5) for first-time owners versus very high (5/5) for the Boston. The Dane's gentle temperament helps, but its sheer size makes handling and space needs a bigger commitment for a beginner.
The Boston, by a wide margin, 11-13 years versus just 7-10 for the Dane. Shortened lifespan is typical of giant breeds generally.
Substantially, $200-$400 monthly versus $80-$150 for the Boston, and $3,000-$5,000 in the first year versus $1,100-$2,300, driven mostly by food and size-scaled everything else.
A ten-condition list including bloat, dilated cardiomyopathy, Wobbler syndrome, and bone cancer, serious, size-linked risks, versus five conditions for the Boston tied to its face and eyes.
No, it rates very low (1/5), the bottom of the scale, against the Boston's 5/5. Its sheer size is the limiting factor, not temperament or noise.
If you have the space and budget for a giant breed and can accept a shorter lifespan, the Dane's gentle temperament is genuinely appealing. Otherwise the Boston is the far more forgiving choice across nearly every category.
$80-$150 for the Boston versus $200-$400 for the Dane, the widest cost gap in this comparison.
Only moderate, 3/5. Despite its size, it's not a high-drive breed day to day.
The Boston, by several years, 11-13 versus just 7-10 for the Great Dane.
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Health information here is general and is not veterinary advice. If your dog shows pain, sudden behaviour change, or worsening symptoms, consult a licensed veterinarian.
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