The Great Dane originally comes from Germany, where it was used to hunt boars and bears. Today, the Great Dane is a beloved family dog. It is a big dog with a big heart. He is affectionate, loyal and friendly. It is a real family dog that sometimes even crawls on the lap of its owner. The Great Dane has a calm character, but needs a lot of exercise. He prefers to live in a house with a large, enclosed garden. The Great Dane is an elegant dog with a very fine character. Would you like to know more about the Great Dane? Then read on!
History: a hunting dog from Germany
The Great Dane originally comes from Germany. Crossbreeding Mastiff and Sight hounds created this dog breed. The English did this crossing around the 16th century. Hunting big game was one of the tasks of these dogs. Boars and bears were the target, but these animals were very large and strong. Therefore, they wanted to breed a stronger and more imposing hunting dog. At that time, the Germans were given a role in the breeding program and the Great Dane was born.
The Great Dane played an important role in big game hunting. This dog was strong enough to hunt large boars and bears. While hunting, the dogs were protected by a kind of shield around their bodies. This was to prevent injuries to their bodies.
Times changed and hunting the larger game became less and less popular. At that time, the Great Dane was considered a companion and guard dog for the princesses and noblemen. The Great Dane slept next to their bed to protect them from burglars.
The character: friendly, dedicated and confident
The Great Dane is a big dog with a big heart. It is a friendly and loving dog. He is loyal to his owner and is generally a quiet dog. A puppy is often shy, but as an adult dog the Great Dane is confident. It is a real watchdog that likes to protect his owner. So don’t be surprised if your Great Dane barks regularly. It is important that you unlearn excessive barking early on. The Great Dane is reserved towards strangers.
The Great Dane benefits from a calm owner who stands firmly in his shoes and raises him consistently, kindly and clearly. He does not like to be alone for a long time and prefers to be with his owner a lot. The Great Dane is affectionate and likes to sit on your lap despite his size.
The Great Dane gets along well with children. It is wise to calmly get the dog and the children used to each other. The same applies to other (domestic) animals. Towards strange dogs the Great Dane can sometimes react fiercely, this happens especially with males. To ensure that your Great Dane shows desired behavior, a good socialization is very important.
The appearance of a Great Dane
The Great Dane is a large-sized dog and is even one of the largest dog breeds in the world. He has an imposing and powerful body. A male Great Dane has a height at the withers between 76 and 86 centimet