Great Dane

Great Danes have a alert, calm and intelligent nature. These traits coupled with their large size and speed make the Great Dane a good hunting dog. They have tend to enjoy participating in dog sports such as agility, tracking, weight pull, flyball, freestyle, rally obedience, and traditional obedience as sport that can provide them with physical and mental stimulation while strengthening their family bond. Great Danes respond to and learn well with reward-based training techniques.

Although more usually often than not Great Danes are a friendly breed, however they make good watchdogs and may be protective, which may be just a self-defense response. With socialisation from an early age the development of fear-based defensive aggression can be diminished. Great Danes may inadvertently intimidate other dogs, due to their large size, which can in turn lead to aggression or fighting.

Great Dane History:

There is some evidence suggesting that dogs resembling the Great Dane have been around for a few thousand of years. Artwork of a similar looking dog has been found in Egyptian tombs dating back to 2000 BC. Likewise, Greek coins as old as 36 BC depict dogs that appear to look like Great Danes.

The Great Dane is not Danish at all, but German. This makes it perhaps the most famous misnomer in dogdom. Originally tThese dogs would have made their way to Germany via voyaging traders. The modern Great Dane, we know today, was bred to be used as a boar hunter in Germany during the 1500’s. In 1891 the breed was standardised in Germany. The modern Great Dane owes its traits to crosses with the Irish Greyhound and the Irish Wolfhound.