Great Dane

Breed Type: Working

Weight: 100 to 120 lbs

Height: 30 to 32 inches for Males, 28 to 30 inches for Females

Coat type: Short and smooth coat.

Dignified, elegant and regal, the Great Dane is also known as the German Mastiff and Deutsche Dogge. It was used in the Middle Ages as a war dog and large mammal hunter. Flaunting a tall muscular built, the dog was called the �Apollo� of dogs because of its ability to overtake such strong animals. It holds a record for being the tallest dog in the Guinness World Records and featured as the state dog of Pennsylvania in 1965. To know more about the history, appearance and personality of Great Dane, read through the following lines.

History
The first ever record of Great Danes goes as long as 3000 B.C. back, when the Egyptian monuments had drawings of the breed. However, the first written record is found in Chinese literature of 1121 B.C. As per a particular theory, Great Danes were also known in parts of Greece and Rome. The actual development of the breed was 400 years ago in Germany, when it was used for boar hunting. While some sources claim that Great Dane was developed from the medieval boarhound, and of the Mastiff and Irish wolfhound lines, the others are of the opinion that the breed was developed from mastiff-like dogs taken to Germany.

Talking about precursors, the Bullenbeisser can be regarded as Great Danes direct ancestor, composing about the 40% of its make-up. The breed was first exhibited in the July of 1863, in Hamburg. In the initial years, every big and strong was considered a Dane but with time, names like Ulmer Dane, English Dane, Danish Dane, "Saupacker" and Big Dane were incorporated. So, in the German Dog Exhibition held in Hamburg Altona, it was decided that there should be a united name for this old German breed. It was in 1880, on the occasion of a dog show in Berlin, that a standard for the Great Dane was determined for the first time.

Appearance
A robust body, Great Dane flaunts an enhanced frontal stop, with large nasal canal. While its neck is long and muscular, it has muscular thighs that perfectly complement its round feet with short, dark nails. Great Dane mostly has perfectly straight front legs. Talking about its facial features, the breed has round and dark eyes, with a lively intelligent expression. Its ears are cropped rather long and pointed and carried erect, or left natural. Great Dane's short, thick, shiny and smooth coat is mostly found in colors such as fawn, brindle, black, blue, mantle harlequin and sometimes, merle.

Personality
A great combination of agility with robustness and power and humbleness, Great Danes make great pets. Kind, sweet and affectionate, it is playful with kids and has a desire to be amidst people all the time. The breed comes under the responsible and dependable category of dogs. Its brave and loyal nature makes it a great watchdog. Owners should set their dog for obedience training right from the beginning, so that it becomes manageable when adults. Though Great Dane is amicable with other pets as well, it might accidentally injury a child or other animals because of its enormous size.