Great Dane
Great dane photo :
Great dane video : THE GREAT DANE - THE TALLEST DOG IN THE WORLD / Animal Watch
Article about Great Dane
Great Dane Dog Breed Information, Pictures, Characteristics
Great Dane Dog Breed Information
Great Dane - Wikipedia
Great Dane Dog Breed - Facts and Personality Traits
Great Dane Dog Breed: Facts, Temperament and Care Info
The Great Dane, German Bulldog or German Alano is a breed of
dog known for its large size and delicate personality, considered the
"Apollo among all races" by the International Cytological Federation.
It is also considered to be descended from the Bullenbeisser with 50/50 blood
mixture and is part of the Generation Bullenbeisser group.
The Great Dane, even though it is a giant breed, is not
usually clumsy in its gait and movements. His character is usually friendly and
never shy. Males should be stronger in build than females.
Its constitution is strong and muscular; it is neither light
nor double. The shape of the males is square; it is as tall as it is long.
Females are "allowed" to be slightly longer than they are tall. The
distance from the cross to the shoulders is the same as from the shoulders to
the ground.
Fiction has made it one of the best known dogs for the
general public. The Scooby Doo character is a Great Dane.
It is not a dog for beginners, it requires a lot of care
because, like other giant breeds, it is prone to gastric torsion, so it must
walk daily but not exert itself or undergo sudden changes in temperature.
Maintenance costs are very high and must be kept in mind before purchasing one.
History
He is considered as ancestors of the current German Bulldog
to the old "Bullenbeisser" as well as to the "Hatz und Saurüden
(wild boar hunting dogs) that were placed between the powerful English Mastiffs
and an agile and fast sight hound. The term" Dogge "was applied back
then to large, strong dogs that did not necessarily belong to a particular
breed. Later, special names such as "Ulmer dogge", "English
Bulldog", "Danish Bulldog" "Hatzrüde",
"Saupacker" and " great bulldog ", defining different types
of dog according to color and size. In 1878 a commission composed of seven
members, active breeders and judges was integrated in Berlin under the
presidency of Dr. Bodinus, who made the decision to gather all the varieties
mentioned above within the concept "Deutsche Doggen" (German
Bulldogs), thus starting with the basis for raising an independent German
breed.
In 1880, during an exhibition held in Berlin, the first
standard for the German Bulldog was established. This has been controlled by
the "Deutscher Doggen-Club 1888 e.V" and altered on some occasions
over the years. The current version conforms to the FCI model.
The strong and powerful German Bulldog was not always the
"gentle giant" that is often depicted and described today. In fact,
he was a much feared aggressive fighter and hunter due to his harsh temperament
and combative disposition. Fortunately, through excellent breeding programs and
dedicated hobbyists, this breed has been transformed over the years into a
friendly and caring working dog, suitable for families around the world.
Appearance
The Great Dane
gathers in his aristocratic general appearance a large and well-endowed
structure. Its height can reach 2.10 meters on two legs; its best qualities are
fidelity, pride, strength and elegance. At first glance it is intimidating but
in almost all cases it is a dog of excellent company that cares for its owners.
It perfectly combines harsh features with the special and unique temperament of
its breed.
Fur
Some specimens of
black spots have gray around them. His hair is somewhat thick, shiny and
beautiful if brushed daily.
Color
Fawn: Pale golden
fawn to deep golden fawn. A black mask is desirable. Never greyish tawny,
bluish tawny or a sooty tawny. No white marks.
Tabby: Basic
color from pale golden fawn to deep golden fawn with regular, clearly drawn
black stripes running in the direction of the ribs. A black mask is desirable.
Never with discolored stripes. No white marks.
Harlequin (Whites
with spots dotted with black): Pure white base color as far as possible without
any mottling with jet black spots well distributed over the entire body with an
irregular shape and appearance of being broken. No gray, blue, or brownish
areas are desired on the spots, nor is a blue-gray splash. The so-called
"Grautiger" (they have a mainly gray base color on black spots)
occur, are unwanted but are not disqualified.
Blacks: Jet
Black.
White markings on
chest and feet are allowed. This includes the "Manteltiger" in which
black covers the body in the form of a cloak and the muzzle, neck, chest,
belly, limbs and tip of the tail can be white as well as Great Danes with a
white base color and large black plates (Plattenhunde). A fawn, brown or blue
black color is a defect.
Blue: Dark steel
blue color, allowing white marks on the chest and feet. Never with fawn or
blackish blue shades.
Great dane
The Great Dane,
also called the German Bulldog or the German Alano, is one of the largest
breeds in the world. Despite their imposing appearance and large mouth, they
are kind and calm dogs that seek affection and pampering from people, although
in doing so they underestimate the weight of their own body.
Characteristics
The breed
standard defines him as "loving, friendly and devoted to his master."
These meek giants don't like to be left alone, they always prefer to be close
to humans. Their reserved and simple character makes them an excellent company
in any situation. They may be faithful animals, but not submissive, and
surprise their owners by doing what they feel like.
They are not
always well accepted by society, due to their enormous size. "Is it a dog
or a horse?" is the question frequently asked by those who walk with a
German Bulldog.
Some small breed
owners even cross paths when they see this colossus and think that they can do
something for their little one. If you ever find yourself in one of these
situations, don't let it affect you, as it is true that the size of the Great
Dane can be intimidating, but once it is known, its friendly, kind and
intelligent nature quickly conquers. You will undoubtedly observe kind and
surprising reactions to your Alano.
The truth is that
the proportions of this dog instill respect, something that, on certain
occasions, can be very useful. They are highly valued as guardians; These
attentive dogs are initially somewhat skeptical to strangers, though they
rarely bark or threaten; they don't need it because what intruder would want to
measure their strength with a great dane?
In fact, German
bulldogs have a very high tolerance threshold and are not aggressive at all,
they are very sociable with humans and other animals. Thanks to their way of
being, pleasant and serene, they are very good to live with as a family, even
in families with children, because they are playful and loving with them, the
only thing that can sometimes pose an obstacle is their great weight.
Appearance
An adult Great
Dane can easily weigh up to 90 kg or even more. The height at the withers
reaches, at least, 80 cm, in the case of males, and 72 cm in females, so its
weight is not surprising. However, it is not a clumsy animal, on the contrary,
its proud appearance radiates great strength and elegance.
In fact, due to
its harmonious image, its shapely figure and the expressiveness of its face,
the International Cynological Federation standard describes it as the Apollo of
the hounds. Many see it as a majestic statue and perhaps for that reason it had
the admiration of the nobility of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
There are three
independent color varieties that should not be mixed:
Fawn and Brindle:
Great Dane Fawn can come in shades from pale gold fawn to deep gold fawn. In
the case of the tabby, on the basis of a golden fawn tone, regular black
stripes should appear towards the ribs. Both the tawny and the tabby specimens
must present a black mask, according to the breed standard, which, however,
does not accept white markings.
Splattered and
black: The hair of this type of Great Dane is jet black; White markings on the
chest and feet are permitted. This classification includes the so-called
Manteltiger and Plattenhunde. In the former, black covers the body as if it
were a cloak; under this, the muzzle, the contour of the neck, the chest, the
belly, the extremities and the tip of the tail stand out in white. Plattenhunde
are characterized by presenting black plates on a white base.
The dappled Great
Dane shows, on its white base, irregular and broken-looking jet black markings
that are evenly distributed over the entire body surface. The breeding of dogs
in this category, also called harlequin or diamond, is complex, because this
trait is not homozygous. Only 10% of puppies are born with black marks
distributed in this way.
Blue: Blue German
Alans have dark steel blue fur; White markings on the chest and feet are
permitted.
In addition to
these three types, there are the so-called Grautiger and Weißtiger, although
the breed standard considers these unwanted patterns. Grautigers have a gray
base color with black markings. Despite the fact that the color gray is highly
valued in other dog breeds, such as hunting dogs, Grautigers do not receive the
highest scores on display. White German Bulldogs, known as Weißtiger, which were
born from the crossing of two harlequins, are no longer selectively bred, since
these can be carriers of the merle gene, which can be transmitted to puppies
and cause blindness or deafness.
History
In the late 19th
century, cynologists believed they had found the ancestor of the Great Dane.
The illustrations of the large short-haired, snub-nosed fighting dogs that
accompanied the Assyrians over 4,000 years ago are reminiscent of the German
Bulldog we know today. In Denmark, skeletal remains of fighting dogs of similar
size have been found dating from the period between 5000 BC and 1000 AD;
however, the relationship between these dogs and the German Alano is a highly
debated topic. The alleged relationship between the Great Dane and the Tibet
Bulldog, one of the oldest breeds in the East, has already been ruled out by
DNA tests.
No conclusive
evidence prior to the 16th century on the origins of the Great Dane has been
found. According to the available data, the large and elegant dogs from England
and Ireland, coming from the crossing of mastiffs with Irish wolfhounds,
arrived in Germany. Their appearance was still very disparate, but they shared
one trait: their extraordinary size. Finally, in the 17th century, selective
breeding of the so-called English dog began in Germany. Originally dedicated to
hunting bears, wild boars, and other wild animals, these large, elegant dogs
soon found their place in court as excellent companion dogs. The breed, then,
was divided into camera dogs, companion dogs and hunting dogs. Among the
chamber dogs were the specimens with the greatest strength and beauty, who were
given the honor of wearing a golden collar and sleeping in the nobility's
chambers on bear skins. Those who were not considered elegant enough to be part
of this group were awarded the silver necklace and were in charge of protecting
the court from intruders. Since both chamber and companion dogs lived among the
nobles and their families, the breeding sought above all traits such as
obedience and docility. Dogs with this character were not intended for hunting.
Even those who
did not have the necessary qualifications to be chamber or companion dogs, and
lived in the stables, were considered so valuable that they were not used for
hunting. For this, other dogs were used, whose task was to follow the trail of
the pigs and the bears and make them leave the forest; once the wild prey were
in sight, the English hunting dogs were released, and they had to catch and
hold them with their powerful jaws until the hunter had them within range. So
that these valuable dogs were not injured, they were covered with thick animal
guts.
As the use of
firearms spread, these dogs lost their usefulness, and many of the breeds of
that time ended up disappearing. Unlike them, the Great Dane was still
considered a luxury dog and a symbol of social status. In the middle of the
19th century, the breed became increasingly popular. One of the most famous
owners of the German Bulldog was Otto von Bismark, the first chancellor of the
German Empire, who had these dogs for more than 60 years, which earned the
German Alano the nickname of the dog of the Empire.
Since these dogs
lived mainly as a family, the breeding focused on the search for a calm,
balanced and obedient character. Several types of Great Dane emerged that
received different names: Ulmer's Bulldog, Danish Bulldog, English Bulldog or
Great Bulldog, among others. In 1876, a few different specimens of the German
Alano were presented to an exhibition and the members of the jury proposed to
the breeders a common name for the breed: Deutsche Dogge, which literally means
German Bulldog. This name generates some controversy, as not all countries
consider the breed to be native to Germany. For this reason, some countries
have baptized it as Great Dane, Great Dane in English, etc. The first breed
club to be founded was the German, in 1888.
Breeding and
health
The Great Dane
Club, based in Berlin, was founded in 1888 and to this day is responsible for
setting the standard to be followed in breeding the breed, although it is
overseen by the International Cynological Federation and publish. One of the aspects
that are most taken into account in breeding is a calm and sociable temperament
with people. The fact that the Great Dane has been a family dog in the past
and continues to be so now, despite its size, is due to its tame character. Of
course, there are also those who value its size as a symbol of prestige.
Although very popular, breeders also have to deal with the breed's own
diseases. Some of the conditions to which they are most prone, due to their
size, are hip dysplasia, gastric torsion, bone cancer, cardiomyopathy. 28% of
German bulldogs die before the age of five and only a few are older than 10
years. Mistakes that occur in breeding can lead to an increased tendency for
certain diseases, for example, focusing the breeding on obtaining a strong jaw
can often lead to conjunctivitis.
Have and train a
great Dane
Fortunately, with
the help of responsible breeding, which is guided not so much by the size of
the dog but by its health and life expectancy, it is possible to reduce the
risk of disease. Diet and physical exercise are also determining aspects. The
muscles and tendons of the German Alano must be trained to stay healthy and fit
as long as possible. In the life of an active dog you can not miss a long daily
walk and, if possible, better without a leash. However, stair climbing is not a
recommended activity for large dogs. For young dogs, very long walks, wild
games, and stairs should be avoided. The best place to have a Great Dane is a
house with a garden. If you have questions about the most appropriate diet for
a German Bulldog, a vet or breeder can best answer. There is no doubt that a
Great Dane needs more of everything: more space, more exercise and even more
food.
Thanks to their
docility and their loyalty to humans, they are generally simple animals and not
at all problematic, making them excellent companion and family dogs. Their big
heart makes them suitable even for animal assisted therapy. As it happens with
the rest of the races, it requires a consistent training, as well as caring, in
order to develop its positive character. Nor should we forget that, due to
their large dimensions, they need a person at their side who sets their limits
and whose strength they can trust. To be happy, they need, above all, contact
with theirs. The Great Dane is an affectionate breed with a tendency to over
salivate, something that you will undoubtedly get used to seeing in your jeans.
Great dane photo :
Great dane video : THE GREAT DANE - THE TALLEST DOG IN THE WORLD / Animal Watch
Article about Great Dane
Great Dane Dog Breed Information, Pictures, Characteristics
Great Dane Dog Breed Information
Great Dane - Wikipedia
Great Dane Dog Breed - Facts and Personality Traits
Great Dane Dog Breed: Facts, Temperament and Care Info