Should You Get a Great Dane?
The Great Dane is a giant dog breed with a height range of 29-34 inches and weight ranging from 100 to 200 pounds. It’s an athletic, powerful, and elegant dog. Here are 12 interesting facts about Great Danes.
The Great Dane was Originally
bred to hunt wild boar in Germany and were called “German Boarhounds”. These early Great Danes were shorter, stockier and more aggressive then todays dog. In fact, they had much more of the classic Mastiff look.
The Breed as it is known today
was developed primarily in Germany throughout the 1800’s. It is believed they are a mix English Mastiffs and Irish Wolfhounds with a touch of Greyhound. According to a huge study into the Genomic Analyses of dog breed development, they share the most common DNA with the same ancestors as Irish Wolfhounds, Rottweilers and Rhodesian Ridgebacks.
The Great Dane is a Dog of Many Names.
In English speaking countries, they are generally known as Great Danes. In many parts of central Europe they are known as the “Deutsche Dogge” while in France they are the “Dogue Allemand” and in Italy “Alano”. Many also refer to them as the “Apollo of Dogs”.
This Giant Dog
can reach over 34 inches in height and 180+ pounds. According to breed standard, their coat colors can be:
Fawn with a Black Mask
Brindle
Black with no markings
Blue
Harlequin – white with black patches
Mantle – a very specific mix of black and white
The Great Dane is a fast growing dog
It is not unusual for a newborn puppy to grow to over 100 pounds in the first 6 months of life! According to the Great Dane Club of America, Great Danes grow as much in one year as a human will grow in their first fourteen years! Most Great Danes will be fully grown between 1.5 – 2 years-but may still continue to increase muscle mass after that. It is imperative they be fed a high quality diet.
Despite their massive size
this breed is known to make great family pets and be gentle loving animals. In landmark research on canine temperament being done at the University of Pennsylvania, the Great Dane ranks 111 out of 124 dog breeds for aggression towards their owners. They also rank very low (106th) in chasing other animals. While they can be protective and their booming bark can make them intimidating watchdogs-most of the time they are gentle giants.
This Research also found the Great Dane
is somewhat prone to separation anxiety and attachment/attention-seeking behaviors. Basically, they love attention from their owners and may get jealous when you pay attention to another dog/person instead of them!
Great Dane Puppy Growing Up-They Grow Up Fast!
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The American Kennel Club Conducts
100 year dog breed races called the FastCat. The average running speed of Great Danes was 22.9 mph. The fastest speed recorded was an amazing 35.3 mph! That is stunning for such a large dog.
According to Professor Stanley Coren
author of the landmark book, “The Intelligence of Dogs”, the Great Dane ranks 48th out of 130 dog breeds when it comes to canine intelligence. They are considered a breed of average intelligence. Essentially this means it will take 25-40 repetitions for a Great Dane to learn a new command. In contrast, the Border Collie will lean new commands in less than 5 repetitions and follow them 99% of the time.
Great Dane Humor!
The Lifespan of a Great Dane
is generally 7-10 years. As with any other breed, they are prone to certain health conditions. The 5 most common are:
Gastric Torsion
Hip Dysplasia
Cardiomyopathy
Tricuspid Valve Disease
Cancer
They can be very active dogs but generally need minimal exercise. As a puppy, care should be taken not to “over do” the jumping and running as they are growing VERY fast and excessive exercise may effect their bone growth.
Even though they are a short-haired
they tend to shed quite a bit. They also tend to slobber and are not the cleanest eaters and drinkers. And the gas-well they can clear a room in no time! And don’t get nervous, if they are leaning against you-they probably like you.
Get Ready for the Jokes.
If you have a Great Dane, you have probably heard them all: “Where is your saddle?” – “Is that a dog or a horse?” – “What does that monster eat?”. But, because you have “the Apollo of Dog Breeds” it’s easy to laugh it off and soak up the envy.
Pennsylvania named the Great Dane its official state dog in 1967-and who doesn’t know the most famous Great Dane of them all?
Take a Fun Great Dane Quiz!
Great Dane Dog Breed Infographic
