Great Dane

The Great Dane is a German breed of large mastiff-sighthound and one of the two tallest breeds in the world — a giant dog with a gentle reputation.

History

It descends from medieval hunting dogs used against bear, boar and deer, and was later kept as a guardian of German nobility. Despite the English name it is a German breed, and it stands alongside the Irish Wolfhound as one of the two tallest.

Temperament

The breed is known for being friendly, patient and affectionate — a giant that generally believes it is a lapdog. Its size makes gentle, early training matter, because a dog this large cannot be allowed to learn bad habits.

Care and training

It needs moderate daily exercise and room to stretch, with care not to over-exercise a growing giant whose joints are still forming. The short coat is easy to keep.

Health

Great size comes with real costs: bloat, heart conditions and joint problems are known tendencies, and giant breeds live shorter lives on average. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.