Great
Dane History
Except
for lacking the undershot jaw, the Great Dane represents
the closest modern example of the Alaunt. In Italy, the
breed is called Alano, the Italian word for mastiff.
Although not the heaviest, they are the tallest of the
mastiffs, and their racier build may indicate a cross
to hounds in past centuries. Merle hounds or shepherd
dogs could have introduced the merle (harlequin) gene.
That
the type is ancient is without question. Dogs of Dane
or Alaunt type are depicted in drawings in the tombs
of Beni-Hassan, dating
about 2200 BC. Some of these dogs are shown as harlequins. Other pre-Christian
replicas appear on coins, on bas reliefs and in paintings.
His
name is the only thing about him that is Danish. He is
all German, used long ago by Germanic and Celtic tribes
as a war dog, and is called Deutsche Dogge by the FCI.
Only in English-speaking countries is he still a "Dane."
At
first a giant bull-baiter, he was also used as a boarhound
since the Middle Ages. In 1592, the Duke of Braunschweig
showed up for a boar hunt with his pack of 600 male Danes!
The breed was declared the national dog of Germany in
1876. A great favorite of the Iron Chancellor, Bismarck,
they were his body guards and constant companions.
An
early admirer and owner was William "Buffalo Bill" Cody,
when specimens were brought to American shores in the
mid-1800s. Some of these early imports came directly
from German estates where they had been trained in attack
work. Thus the breed gained an early false reputation
for ferocity. Temperament was soon "tempered." They
were first shown under the name of Siberian or Ulm Dog.
The Dane was introduced to British exhibitors in 1877,
where his great, majestic height amazed spectators.
As
a giant, it is essential for buyers to research their
purchase, finding pups of strong, sound, good-natured
parents. Large males may often reach as much as 180 pounds,
though the tallest dog on record, a Great Dane named
Shamgret Danzas, weighed 238 pounds at 41 Va inches!
Although
Danes are as content living in an apartment as on an
estate, it is necessary to allow them to stretch those
long legs frequently. Grooming, as with most of the mastiffs,
is minimal—and feeding costs are maximum! They
require involvement with family activities. If bored,
these giants can become destructive— and a large
dog can turn a table into toothpicks in minutes.
Danes' ears have been cropped for many years on the
Continent and in the States; however, it is becoming
more common to see natural drop ears even in the
show
ring. |
