Great Dane

AKC Group: Working

Club: Great Dane Club of America, Inc.

Corresponding Secretary : Lynda Moriarty
Address: Po Box 410, Wayne, IL , 60184--041
Website: www.gdca.org
Email: gdcainfo@sbcglobal.net
Club Type: Specialty

General Apperance:

The Great Dane combines, in its regal appearance, dignity, strength and elegance with great size and a powerful, well-formed, smoothly muscled body. It is one of the giant working breeds, but is unique in that its general conformation must be so well balanced that it never appears clumsy, and shall move with a long reach and powerful drive. It is always a unit-the Apollo of dogs. A Great Dane must be spirited, courageous, never timid; always friendly and dependable. This physical and mental combination is the characteristic which gives the Great Dane the majesty possessed by no other breed. It is particularly true of this breed that there is an impression of great masculinity in dogs, as compared to an impression of femininity in bitches.

Size:

The male should appear more massive throughout than the bitch, with larger frame and heavier bone. In the ratio between length and height, the Great Dane should be square. In bitches, a somewhat longer body is permissible, providing she is well proportioned to her height. Coarseness or lack of substance are equally undesirable. The male shall not be less than 30 inches at the shoulders, but it is preferable that he be 32 inches or more, providing he is well proportioned to his height. The female shall not be less than 28 inches at the shoulders, but it is preferable that she be 30 inches or more, providing she is well proportioned to her height.

Coat:

The coat shall be short, thick and clean with a smooth glossy appearance.

Temperament:

The Great Dane must be spirited, courageous, always friendly and dependable, and never timid or aggressive.

History:

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 superdog 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.

Fun Facts:

• 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.