Great Dane dogs are generally considered to be the largest dog in the world. That statement is debatable since dog breeds like the St. Bernard and the Mastiff tend to weigh more, but the Great Dane and the Irish Wolfhound are the tallest. With long running cartoons characters like Scooby Doo and Marmaduke, this dog breed remains very popular in the eyes of many.

In 16th Century Denmark the rules of the Deer hunt changed so that the Deer hounds were not allowed to kill the animal they chased down, but rather hold it down until the hunters arrived. They soon found that the hounds they had been using for centuries were too light to do this, so King Frederick II of Denmark sent a ship to England to bring back the "English puppies" which were much heavier. These were, of course, the English Mastiff puppies. These new dogs were bred with the Deer hounds that had been used for centuries in these hunts. The new breed was the foundation for the present day Great Dane dogs. An interesting piece of trivia is that in 1937, the Nazi government in Germany claimed that the Great Dane was of German origin and demanded in writing that any use of words that identify the breed as anything other than of German origin must cease. Denmark, of course was successful in refuting this claim and was able to produce evidence that they had indeed bred the Great Dane.

There are 6 basic Great Dane color types. They are as follows:
Fawn- Yellow Gold with a black mask.

Brindle- Fawn and Black with a chevron stripe pattern.

Blue- The color is pure steel blue.

Black- The color is a glossy black.

Harlequin- Base color is a pure white with black torn patches irregularly and evenly distributed over the entire body.

Mantle- The color shall be black and white with a solid black blanket extending over the body.
The Great Dane dog is a large and imposing breed, but is a friendly and gentle giant. Great Dane puppies are like many big dog breeds in that they grow quickly and eat quite a lot, so a new owner should be prepared for that, but they are truly a pleasure to have around.

Breed Information:
Size- Giant

Height- a minimum of 30 inches at the withers (shoulders)

Weight- at least 120 pounds

Grooming- Simple

Exercise- Medium

Feeding- Demanding

Temperament- Kindly but dignified