Well, Danes are one of the breeds that actually doesn't need a lot of exercise. In fact, they have a lot of issues if they ~do~ exercise too much. They not only have skeletal issues, they often have heart problems. They were bred too big too fast, and their heart didn't keep up. They have short expected life spans because of it, sometimes as short as 4-5 years.
So... The dog may have been happy as a clam. Bird dogs, or border collies, I don't think you'd have as much success with in the city.
Border collie is my favorite breed, but I wouldn't get one unless I lived on a farm or something.