The Great Dane breed is thought to be around 400 years old but dogs resembling the Great Dane were depicted in drawings in Egyptian tombs dating back to 2200BC. These were Mastiff type dogs and shorter of leg than the modern day Great Danes. It was the Germans who further developed the breed into the dog we recognize today. Sources suggest that the breed was made up of the Mastiff, boarhound, Irish wolfhound and the Greyhound. At first they were used as bull baiters, and then they became popular with nobility and were used for hunting wild boar and deer. By the 1800's these were commonly used for large game hunting. The UK Great Dane club was started in 1885 and the American version in 1889.

The Great Dane has a short, thick, glossy coat which doesn't require much maintenance. It is a relatively clean dog which is handy because bathing one can prove difficult. There are six acceptable show colours for the breed which are:

• Fawn - Yellow gold with a black mask
• Brindle - Fawn and black chevron stripes
• Blue - Pure steel blue without any white markings
• Black - Pure glossy black
• Harlequin - White base with irregular black patches
• Mantle - Black and white with a solid black blanket and head and white muzzle, chest and collar