Profile of a Great Dane
The Great Dane is a sleek, athletic dog, which tightly bonds to humans. They are known as the “Apollo of dogs.”
The Great Dane is properly called the Deutsche Dogge or German Mastiff, a name not used in English speaking countries. Despite the name “Great Dane”, there is no evidence that the dog developed anywhere but Germany. The breed originated from dogs of the mastiff type and was developed to hunt wild boar, guard castles, and pull carts. The Dane’s elegant appearance is believed to come from infusion of Irish Wolfhound blood.
The Great Dane is a tall dog with a moderately deep chest and a square appearance. The head is rectangular and is set on an aristocratic neck; the ears can be natural or cropped. The tail is broad based and tapers to a point reaching the hock joint when carried at ease. Danes come in several color coats: Fawn (tan) with or without a black mask, Black, Blue, Black/Gold “striped” known as Brindle, White with black irregular patches (not spots) known as Harlequin and Mantle which is also called Boston as the dogs are marked like Boston Terriers. These are the color coats accepted by the AKC, however, in the last few years more color coats have been seen such as Fawnikin (white with tan patches), Merle much like the coloring of blue merle Australian shephards and, of course, as in any breed you will have White Danes. There is a high percentage of deafness in the white Danes.
Great Danes make wonderful housedogs. They do need regular exercise everyday but they work well even in apartments. Puppies or younger dogs of course are active as all young dogs and do tend to be clumsy but as they get older Dane’s are sure-footed and seldom knock things over when going through the house. Watch out for that tail though, a happy Dane as a long tail to wag!! The Great Dane is a people dog and should not be kept outside. They crave attention and want to be around their people. They are gentle giants. If you have small children they should be supervised around your Dane, especially if the Dane is young. Young Dane’s love to play and run. A small child can easily be run over by a young Dane that weighs 120-130 lbs and is taller than the child can. Dane’s need to be taught manners and basic obedience. They can easily set their head on a table or eat off your plate at the dinner table if not taught to do otherwise. You also do not want a Dane that jumps up on people because most people would not be able to stand up under their weight. Like all dogs when they meet new people in their excitement they would like to jump up and meet this new person just like any other dog.
Danes do not need a lot of coat care, as their hair is very short. Because of their short hair, they should not be left out in cold weather for long periods of time. They do not have enough hair to keep them warm. Some owners purchase sweaters for their Dane’s to use when they are outside or when they go for walks. Dane’s do need to be bathed once in awhile and there are several options. In the summer when it is hot some Dane’s enjoy the hose outside. Of course, there is always the bathtub. You can also purchase dry shampoos, which work well too. Brushing regularly is important for a healthy coat too!
When choosing a food for your Dane, READ the labels. Remember that the first few ingredients in a dog food are the major ingredients. Therefore, you want one that list meat as its first ingredient whether that is chicken, lamb or beef. You do not want a dog food that lists grains as the first few ingredients. When feeding a Dane it is also important to use a RAISED food dish. This helps prevent bloat, which is a torsion of the stomach. DO NOT allow your Dane to do any vigorous activity for about a half-hour before you feed him/her and for about an hour after you feed him/her.
For those who choose to bring a Dane into their home, it is very rewarding experience. They are very people oriented, playful, loving companion. It is said that once you have a Dane no other dog ever matches up.
Graphics on this page were provided by DanesRus. You can check out their website at http://www.danesRus.com
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