Great Dane
Description
The Great Dane…also known as the German Mastiff is considered one of the tallest dogs ever. Its Great Danes and Irish Wolfhounds. Chinese Literature dating back to 1121 B.C. describes a dog of the Danes size. There are Egyptian monuments resembling Danes from 3000 B.C., and there are rumors of the dog in Greece and in Rome as well…Two therories: the breed was developed from Mastiff, Irish Wolfhound and Medieval Boarhound lines at least 400 years ago to hunt boar in Germany, or the Dane was created out of Mastiff type dogs that were brought to Germany by the Alans, and it may be genetically linked to the Bullenbeisser. The GreatDane is a very big dog with males standing between 30 and 34 in. and females between 28 and 32. The Great Dane male weighs between 120 and 200 lbs and the females between 100 and 130 lbs. He has a very short coat that has a nice luster to it. The Dane comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns. Mantle Harlequin, blue, black, fawn, brindle, chocolate (which is not recognized), and on occasion merle .
Temperament
Courageous, reliable, loving, and quite gentle…Not barking overly much, the overall size of him, and only being aggressive when needed the Great Dane makes a fantastic watchdog. Early obedience is training is needed to keep a dog of this size manageable. The Great Dane does great with kids, and make a wonderful family pet. You will have to become this dogs pack leader in order to have him as a successful member of your home.
Grooming/Exercise
The Danes smooth coat is easy to care for requiring regular brushing with a stiff bristles brush…and daily brushing is necessary in order to avoid bathing…bathing the Dane is a very large chore. The Great Dane needs exercise…look at him…he is going to need a lot of it. Don’t jog with this dog until he matures at age 1.
Health
Life Expectancy in this breed increases if the puppy is bought from a very good breeder (10-13 years) otherwise average life span is under 10 years.
Possible Issues
- Hip Dysplasia
- Bloat
- Tumors
- Heart Disease
- Injuries to the tail
