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The Great Dane is a breed of dog known for its large size and gentle personality. The breed is commonly referred to as the "Gentle Giant". The Great Dane, Danish Hound, or German Mastiff, is a breed of domestic dog (Latin: canis familiaris) known for its giant size and gentle personality. The breed is commonly referred to as the "Gentle giant" and the "Apollo of all breeds". Great Danes are considered the tallest dog breed along with the Irish Wolfhound. More recently, Great Danes have been in the Guinness World Records for tallest dog. The Great Dane was named the state dog of Pennsylvania in 1965.
History: Often referred to as the "Apollo of
Dogs", the Great Dane we know today is thought to have
originated from larger German Bullenbeisser dogs. The
Bullenbeisser was used in Germany for hunting large wild boar.
Some texts about Great Danes say this breeding was accidental.
There are also those who believe that the Great Dane was
created by crossing a Greyhound with an English Mastiff. The
origin of the "Dane" appellation is unclear; the
breed almost certainly did not originate in Denmark, and
indeed is still known in German as the Deutsche Dogge and in
French as the Dogue Allemand, both meaning "German
mastiff".
Some sources state that dogs similar to Great Danes were known in Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. Various sources report that the Great Dane was developed from the medieval boarhound, and of the Mastiff and Irish wolfhound lines. It is also reported that the Great Dane was developed from mastiff-like dogs taken to Germany by the Alans. The breed may be about 400 years old. The Bullenbeisser may be its direct ancestor, composing about the 40% of its make-up.
According to Barbara Stein, "The breed originated in Germany, probably from a cross between the English mastiff and the Irish Wolfhound."; however, other sources maintain that the breed originated in Denmark, and still others report the question as controversial and unsettled. In 1749 Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon used the name ”le Grand Danois,” (translated by William Smellie (encyclopedist) as ”Great Dane.”) Up until that time the hound was referred to in England as ”Danish dog” . According to Jacob Nicolay Wilse the Danes called the dog ”large hound,” a terminology continued well in to the 20th Century.
In Germany in 1780 the hound is referred to as ”Grosse Dänische Yagd Hund” (English: Large Danish Hunting Hound) At the first dog exhibition, held in Hamburg 14-20 July 1863, eight dogs were called ”Dänische Dogge” and seven ”Ulmer Doggen.”
Appearance: Height and weight requirements for show
dogs vary from one kennel club's standards to another, but
generally the minimum weight falls between 100 to 120 lb (46
to 54 kg) and the minimum height must be between 28 and 32
inches (71 to 81 cm) at the withers. Most standards do not
specify a maximum height or weight. In August 2004, a Great
Dane named "Gibson" from Grass Valley, California
was recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as the world's
tallest dog, measuring 42.2 inches at the withers.
There are six show-acceptable coat colors for Great Danes:
Fawn: Yellow gold with a black mask. Black should
appear on the eye rims and eyebrows, and may appear on the
ears and tail tip.
Brindle: Fawn and black in a chevron stripe
pattern. Often also referred to as a tiger-stripe pattern.
Blue: The color shall be a pure steel blue. White
markings at the chest and toes are not desirable.
Black: The color shall be a glossy black. White
markings at the chest and toes are not desirable.
A black Great Dane, enjoying the comforts of home.
Harlequin: Base color shall be pure white with
black torn patches irregularly and well distributed over
the entire body; a pure white neck is preferred. The black
patches should never be large enough to give the
appearance of a blanket, nor so small as to give a
stippled or dappled effect. Eligible, but less desirable,
are a few small gray patches, or a white base with single
black hairs showing through, which tend to give a salt and
pepper or dirty effect.
Mantle: The color shall be black and white with a
solid black blanket extending over the body; black skull
with white muzzle; white blaze is optional; whole white
collar preferred; a white chest; white on part or whole of
forelegs and hind legs; white tipped black tail. A small
white marking in the black blanket is acceptable, as is a
break in the white collar.
Other colors occur occasionally but are not acceptable in
the show ring. Because they are not valid for show dogs, they
are not pursued by breeders. These colors include white,
fawnequin, merle, merlequin, fawn mantle, and others. These
are sometimes advertised as "rare" colors to
unsuspecting buyers. Any coat that includes "mouse
grey" is disqualified from show.
Cropping of the ears is common in the United States and
much less common in Europe. Indeed, in some European
countries, in parts of Australia, and in New Zealand, the
practice is banned, or controlled such that it may only be
performed by veterinary surgeons for health reasons.
Temperament: The Great Dane must be spirited,
courageous, always friendly and dependable, and never timid or
aggressive. They are intelligent, strong dogs that are
protective and loyal to their owners. Many are gentle and
delicate, although not to the extent of being timid. They take
to training well, make good watchdogs and are fairly low
maintenance compared to many other breeds.
Health: Great Danes, like most giant dogs, have a
fairly slow metabolism. This results in less energy and less
food consumption per pound of dog than in small breeds.
Great Danes have some health problems that are common to
large breeds. Bloat (a painful distending and twisting of the
stomach) is a rare but critical condition that affects Great
Danes and results rapidly in death if not quickly addressed.
It is a commonly recommended practice for Great Danes to have
their stomachs tacked (Gastropexy) to the interior rib lining
during routine surgery such as spaying and neutering if the
dog or its relatives have a history of bloat. Another problem
common to the breed is in the hips (hip dysplasia). Typically
an x-ray of the parents can certify whether their hips are
healthy and can serve as a guideline for whether the animals
should be bred and are likely to have healthy pups.
Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and many congenital heart
diseases are also commonly found in the Great Dane. Also, some
Danes may develop yeast infections, when not fed all needed
nutritional requirements. The yeast infection may also lead to
minor recurring staph infection(s).
Great Danes also suffer from several genetic disorders that
are specific to the breed. For example, if a Great Dane lacks
color (not white) near its eyes or ears then that organ does
not develop and usually, the dog will be either blind or deaf.
The Great Dane is the state dog of Pennsylvania. The Great
Dane is the team mascot at the University at Albany.
Danes in popular culture:
Hanna-Barbera's Scooby-Doo
Brad Anderson's newspaper comic character Marmaduke
Einstein in Disney's Oliver & Company (1988)
Just Nuisance - A member of the South African Navy
Ace from Batman Beyond
Mars and Jupiter, two Great Danes from The Patriot
Duke and Turk, two Great Danes from Disney's The Swiss
Family Robinson (1960 film), where they are able to fight
off a tiger.
Hanna-Barbera's Astro (The Jetsons)
The Great Dane in G.B. Stern's novel The Ugly Dachshund
believes he is a dachshund
Brutus from Disney's version of The Ugly Dachshund
The Greater Dane from the 2003 movie "Good
Boy!" is a blue male Dane named New Era - Valentino.
The guard dogs featured in Metal Gear Solid 3 are Great
Danes.
Ben, a main character in Ginga: Nagareboshi Gin, was
half Great Dane and half Mastiff, but mostly showed Great
Dane characteristics. One of his sons, Ken, also half-Dane
half-Mastiff, is prominent in the sequel, Ginga Densetsu
Weed.
Hougen and Genba, the primary antagonists in Ginga
Densetsu Weed, were harlequin Great Dane brothers.
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