Great Dane Facts

Great Dane Facts
Great Dane is very large type of domestic dog that belongs to the group of working dogs. Despite its name, Great Dane originates from Germany. It was created 400 years ago by mixing Irish Wolfhound, Old English Mastiff and Greyhounds with a goal to create aggressive, fast and strong dog, suitable for hunting of wild boars. Modern Great Danes are not aggressive as their ancestors because they are no longer used for hunting. Great Dane is mostly kept as show dog and house pet today.
Interesting Great Dane Facts:
Great Dane can reach 2.5 to 2.8 feet in height and 100 to 120 pounds of weight.
Great Dane called Zeus holds the record in the Guinness Book of World Records as the tallest, ever recorded, dog in the world. Zeus was 3 feet 8 inches tall and it weighed 150 pounds.
Despite its huge size, Great Dane is not necessarily the tallest and the heaviest breed in the world. Irish Wolfhound can be taller than Great Dane, while Neapolitan Mastiff and St. Bernard can be heavier than Great Dane.
Great Dane has short coat that comes in three varieties: fawn and brindle, harlequin and black and blue.
Great Dane has massive, long and narrow head, large, floppy, triangular ears and very powerful, muscular body.
Great Dane is calm and affectionate dog. It is good choice for families with children and other cats and dogs. Great Dane likes to spend time with its family and hates to be left alone.
Great Dane requires proper socialization from the early age to prevent aggressive behavior in front of the strangers.
Great Dane does not eat much and it does not require plenty of exercise. 30 minutes of walk per day is more than enough for this breed.
Great Dane is suitable for the life in the apartments. It likes to sit on the couch and cuddle with its owners, which is why it is also known as the biggest "lap dog" in the world.
Great Dane is national dog of Germany (where it's also known as German Mastiff) and official state dog of Pennsylvania.
Scooby-Doo, famous cartoon character is Great Dane.
Great Dane belongs to the group of moderate shedders, but due to large surface area of fur it requires daily grooming to reduce amount of hairs in the apartments.
Great Dane gives birth to 6 to 8 puppies on average (very large litters of 19 puppies are not uncommon). Babies have one or two pounds at birth, but they can reach weight of 100 pounds in just 6 months. Young Great Dane reaches adult size at the age of 2 to 3 years.
Great Dane is prone to bloat, hip dysplasia and cardiac disorders.
Great Dane has an average lifespan of 6 to 8 years.


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