History of the Great Dane
The Great Dane is one of the most elegant and distinguished of the giant breeds. It is believed that the breeds origins can be traced to Irish Wolfhound with mixture of old English Mastiff. The breed itself having existed for over 400 years to serve as a Boar Hound in Germany. Europe's erstwhile boar was one of the most savage, swift, powerful and well armed requiring a super dog to hunt it.
In 1891, the Great Dane Club of Germany adopted a standard, or official description of the breed. In 1889 in Chicago, the German Mastiff or Great Dane Club of America was founded with G. Muss-Arnoldt as first delegate. Two years later the club reorganized as the Great Dane Club of America.
The Great Dane is one of the most elegant and distinguished of the giant breeds. It is believed that the breeds origins can be traced to Irish Wolfhound with mixture of old English Mastiff. The breed itself having existed for over 400 years to serve as a Boar Hound in Germany. Europe's erstwhile boar was one of the most savage, swift, powerful and well armed requiring a super dog to hunt it.
In 1891, the Great Dane Club of Germany adopted a standard, or official description of the breed. In 1889 in Chicago, the German Mastiff or Great Dane Club of America was founded with G. Muss-Arnoldt as first delegate. Two years later the club reorganized as the Great Dane Club of America.
- The Great Dane's name is the English translation of the breed name in French: grand Danois, meaning "big Danish." The Great Dane had a half-dozen names used for centuries in France, including dogue allemand ("German Mastiff"); "Mastiff" in English, dogue or dogo in the Latin languages, and dogge in the Germanic languages all meant the same thing: a giant dog with heavy head for fighting or hunting purposes.
- There is no known reason for connecting Denmark with either the origin or the development of the Great Dane; it was "made in Germany", and it was German fanciers who led the world in breeding most of the finest specimens. The earliest written description of a dog resembling the Great Dane may be found in Chinese literature of 1121 BC, according to an article by Dr. G. Ciaburri in a Great Dane Club of Italy publication (1929).The Great Dane is a very old breed, cultivated as a distinct type for probably 400 years, if not longer. The Dane was developed as a boar hound by the Germans.
From the AKC website