The Great Dane – The Gentle Giant
The great Dane is the tallest of all the dog breeds. It is a gentle giant that combines grace and elegance with strength and health.
Great Danes have long, narrow heads with sharp, angled stops and pronounced nostrils. The eyes are dark and round, expressing intelligence and energy. The ears can be left natural, or can be cropped for a long and pointed look that is carried upright. The neck is lengthy and muscled, and follows down to perfectly straight front legs. Its thighs are strong and muscular, leading to round, balanced feet. A great Dane’s tail is mid-sized, but reaches it’s hock. Great Danes have thick, short, shiny fur, and can be any of a range of colors, including brindle, black, blue, fawn, mantle harlequin and on occasion Merle.
Though extremely large, great Danes are very gentle, sweet, and affectionate. They are fantastic with children, maintaining patience and playfulness when around them. In fact, great Danes like to be around everybody. They will rarely bark, and will only become aggressive in very rare situations. At the same time, they are very steady and responsible, with bravery and loyalty that leads them to be great watchdogs. Due to their size and not their temperament, it is important to carefully and thoroughly train great Danes so that they will be manageable companions when they reach full size. It is especially important to consider such training as not jumping up or leaning on people – children in particular.
Great Danes were first bred by the ancient Greeks sometime before 36 BC when they were depicted on some of their money. They were in German Gaul by 407 AD and were brought to Italy and Spain not long after. At this time, they were valued for their ability to deal with bears and wild boars. It is thought that they were bred with mastiffs and Irish Greyhounds at different times throughout the development of the breed, in order to come up with the large, thin, and agile dogs that we recognize today. Though in English, we call them Danes, the breed has absolutely nothing to do with Denmark in its creation.
The average lifespan of the great Dane is fewer than ten years, but it is not abnormal for an individual to live to be twelve or thirteen. There are many hip problems among great Danes, as well as issues with bloat, heart disease, tumors, and heart disease.
