The Great Dane - Breed Nutrition - Royal Canin

© P. Psaila
The history of the Great Dane…
One breed, many names
The Great Dane’s immediate ancestors are depicted in many Babylonian, Assyrian, Egyptian and
Roman monuments, proof of its long history as a hunting dog, particularly for wild boar.
Historically, its morphology placed it somewhere between a mastiff and a large greyhound.
The breed is also known as the German Mastiff and initially Mastiff designated any large powerful
dog not belonging to a particular breed. Later, the different types of mastiff began to be distinguished:
Ulm Dogs, English Mastiffs, Great Danes, Siberian Dogs, Hatzrüdes (a large male for
hunting) and Saupackers (pack dog), depending on the colour of their coat and their size.
In 1878, a committee of seven breeders and judges chaired by Dr Bodinus took the decision to
bring together all these different types under a single name, the Great Dane. It became the national
emblem of the German Empire under Bismarck (1815-1898), who never went out without one.
The first Great Dane standard was established in Berlin in 1880. The “Deutscher Doggen Club
1888 e.V.” was founded in Germany in 1888 and it is this club that has developed the standard
ever since.
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The breed was wiped out in Germany during the
Second World War, but fortunately some including stud
dogs had been imported into the USA and the UK and
breeding started again in the post-war period.
The Great Dane had already become a very big dog by
the start of the twentieth century, although it was not as
stocky or imposing as it is today with a more delicate
head. Originally the coat was usually brindle or harlequin
with Fawn coming later, while black – typically with
white marks – and blue are the newest colour additions.
The Great Dane is found around the world and the importance
of the dog is shown by its different name in every language.
In Germany they are Deutsche Dogge, with the
French Dogue Allemand a direct translation, while the Italian
Alano preserves the German connection. In English the
German link is severed in favour of a Danish one, which is
mirrored in the alternative French name Grand Danois. The
reference to Denmark is said to come from the breed’s spotted coat, which is termed danoisée in
French.
The Western European countries Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands
continue to be the benchmark for breeding, but North America has the larger population. The
population is increasing in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and Central Europe (Poland,
the Czech Republic and Hungary) too. Indeed, the Hungarian police have traditionally used Great
Danes.
The Japanese bought European champions some fifteen years ago to begin their own lines, something
that the Chinese have now also started to do.
Character and behaviour
As the calmest of the mastiffs, the Great Dane is affectionate and attached to its human companions,
especially children. It is a docile, well-balanced breed that does not bark much, although it
does have a sense of its territory and it is distant with strangers. As such it is the ideal watchdog.
It must be trained firmly from an early age, although its obedient and receptive nature means that
this is generally straightforward.
Longevity
Its life expectancy of around eight years (Michell, 1999) means that the Great Dane only lives longer
than the Saint Bernard, the Irish Wolfhound, the English Bulldog and the Bernese Mountain
Dog. Thirty-seven per cent of Great Danes live until four years of age, while nine out of ten die
before they reach ten years of age (Deeb & Wolf, 1996).
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Breeding of the Terres axonaises © J.-M. Labat