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The Great Dane
A Regal, Gentle, Giant friend and companion
The Great Dane is properly called the Deutsche Dogge or German Mastiff, a name created by fanciers in English-speaking countries. There is little evidence that the dog developed anywhere but Germany, and there is apparently no reason for it to be named for the country of Denmark. The breed originated from dogs of the mastiff type and was developed to hunt wild boar, guard castles, and participate in battle.
The body of the Great Dane shows that the ancestors to the breed may be both Mastiff and Sighthounds. The Great Dane is a sleek, athletic dog tightly bonded to humans, capable of great courage, and known among fanciers as "the Apollo of dogs."
The appearance of the Great Dane is that of a noble dog, showing elegance, power and a well-balanced body structure with harmony throughout.
The Great Dane is among the tallest of dog breeds. Males must be at least 30 inches and preferably at least 32 inches at the shoulders in order to compete in the show ring. Females can be about two inches shorter and must be more refined in type than the males. The Great Dane has a moderately deep chest and a square appearance. The head is rectangular and is set on an aristocratic neck; the ears may be natural or cropped, and the tail is wide at the base tapering to a point reaching the hock joint when carried at ease. The whole dog is well-balanced and well-proportioned, a true picture of grace and dignity.
The Dane is a single breed often divided into color varieties in the show ring. The colors are fawn (tan) with a black mask, black, blue, black-and-gold arranged in a brindle pattern (golden yellow background with black striping), mantle (black with white trim, including a full white collar, chest, and leg markings) and white with black patches (harlequin). No other colors are acceptable for show in the United States.
Dane breeders follow a strict code to assure the purity of their color lines. Fawn dogs are bred only to brindle and fawn dogs; harlequins are bred only to mantles and to blacks from either black parents or harlequin parents; blues are bred to blues or to blacks from blue or black parents only; and blacks from black parents are bred to blue, black, or harlequins only. Pedigrees should indicate colors and should be color pure for four generations.
White and Merle coloring is possible when breeding Harlequin to Harlequin or Harlequin to Merle, these colors are not permissible in the show ring. Harlequins should have true black ragged patches, not Dalmatian-spots. Blue, gray, or brindled spots are unacceptable. White markings are undesirable on solid dogs, although while a bit of white on the chest or toes is faulted, it is acceptable.
The Great Danes ears may be cropped or may be left natural. Cropping is usually done when the pup is less than ten weeks old as long as it's in good health. If the pup has worms or has been ill, cropping should wait. The cutting should be done only by a veterinarian. The cropped ears are then taped to condition the cartilage to support an upright ear instead of a droopy one.
- England and several other European countries have outlawed ear cropping of all breeds. Australian owners do not crop a Dane's ears, and some American breeders are questioning the propriety of doing so. However, although some uncropped Danes can be found in the show ring, the vast majority of competing dogs have cropped ears.*
The Great Dane can be quite active and needs a period of exercise each day to stay fit, the Great Dane is a great house dog and does not tolerate outside living well. Puppies can be clumsy, but adults are surefooted and seldom knock things over just by walking around. They like children but may be too much of a challenge for toddlers who are unsteady on their feet.
The breed is generally gentle with people although constant and thorough training is a must from the first day you bring a puppy home. An energetic 130-150 pound dog that towers over a preschool child and can easily rest his head on the dinner table needs manners to co-exist in the house with their people. Training must be gentle, leash-jerking and harsh discipline may make him distrustful and edgy.
Please remember, the Great Dane is a *people* dog. He needs space to accommodate his long legs and large body, but he likes nothing better than to spend time with his person.
The Great Dane is a short-coated breed that needs little coat care. He may get cold in winter, and hot in the summer so should not be left outdoors for extended periods.
Like most giant breeds, the Dane has a shorter life span than smaller dogs, he lives an average of 10 years if he is healthy. The breed is susceptible to hip dysplasia, bloat, bone cancer, heart disease, and tumors. Care of the puppy begins with careful selection of parents to produce the litter. Breeding stock should be x-rayed for hip dysplasia and screened for heart problems. Dogs with bloat or cancer in their lines should not be bred.
The Great Dane can seriously impact the family budget. This dog needs a larger dish, more food, a higher dose of medicine, a larger collar, etc... and larger is always more expensive. In addition, general vet care is more expensive.
Those who can cope with and prefer a large, aristocratic dog companion will do well with the Great Dane. Again; This is a people-oriented dog, loving and kind, playful and even spirited - a true companion dog.
