The dog is devoted to the family. Needs affection, respect. I must understand that the family is completely safe. If necessary, the Great Dane will defend himself without thinking about his own life.
With his regal bearing, muscular body, and imposing size, he is immediately recognizable and, once seen, never forgotten. Bred to hunt boars, bears, and deer, the Great Dane was called the German boarhound. He is not a Danish creation. The breed comes in six colors and patterns. Great Dane combines power with elegance in a smoothly muscled body. Although most Great Danes in the U.S. have their ears cropped for the show ring to stand erect, many pet owners prefer a natural, dropped ear. Although their names may indicate otherwise, Great Danes are not from Denmark. The breed originated from Germany, leading us to the second fun fact. Great Danes were named the national dog of Germany in 1876. Germany went as far as to ban all other names and dictated that the sole name was “Deutsche doggy” The Great Dane breed was created by combining multiple existing breeds to create the perfect boar-hunting dog. This included the Irish Wolfhounds for their height, Mastiffs for their muscle mass, and Greyhounds for their speed. Once their boar hunting days were behind them they transitioned to companion pets. Great Dane’s ears were cropped to limit physical harm during boar hunts. Boar tusks were prone to cutting their ears when left uncropped, leading to loss of blood and sometimes death. In today’s world, ear cropping is purely cosmetic surgery and has no functional use. Although most show dogs continue to have their ears cropped due to the traditional look, many countries have actually banned ear cropping. Massive paws are one of the most distinguishable features of the Great Danes. When fully splayed, a Great Dane paw can be the size of an average man’s hand.
