50 Fun Facts About Great Dane

Despite its name, the Great Dane is a breed from which country?

In Germany it is still called the Deutsche Dogge, and it has no known connection to Denmark at all.

The Great Dane shares the title of one of the world's two largest dog breeds with which other breed?

The Wolfhound is generally taller on average, while mastiffs are heavier.

Medieval ancestors of the Great Dane were used at princely courts to hunt which animals?

They worked as catch dogs, seizing the quarry and holding it until the huntsman arrived.

What were court dogs that slept in their lords' bedchambers to guard against assassins called?

The name means 'chamber dogs', and they wore ornate collars.

German nobles called the Great Dane's ancestors 'Englische Dogge', which simply meant what?

Ever since, the word 'dog' in German and French has referred specifically to a molossoid dog.

In which year did a Berlin committee rename the 'Englische Dogge' the 'Deutsche Dogge'?

The change laid the foundation from which the breed standard was developed.

During the 19th century, what was the breed commonly called in Britain and America?

German breeders tried to sell it as a luxury 'German Dogge', but political tension with Britain and France made the German label unpopular.

The name 'Great Dane' is a literal translation of which French name for the breed?

The Scandinavian languages still use the French name and pronunciation.

Great Danes were called 'Reichshund' in the late 19th century through association with which statesman?

The name means 'Empire dog', and the chancellor's Danes were famous across the empire.

The Great Dane is often nicknamed after which Greek god?

The 'Apollo of dogs' tag refers to its balance of size and elegance.

Under the AKC standard, what is the minimum shoulder height for a male Great Dane?

Females must reach 28 inches, and Danes under the minimum are disqualified.

In the ratio between body length and height, the AKC says a Great Dane should be what shape?

The standard insists a Dane must never look clumsy despite its size, moving with long reach and powerful drive.

The tallest dog ever recorded by Guinness, a black Great Dane named Zeus, stood how tall at the shoulder?

That is 111.8 cm; he died in September 2014, having beaten Giant George's 43-inch mark.

Giant George, once the world's tallest dog, was a Great Dane of which colour?

His records were announced when he appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show in February 2010.

Giant George weighed 245 lb. Roughly how much heavier was that than an average Great Dane?

He lived in Tucson, Arizona, with owner David Nasser.

The UK Kennel Club sets a minimum weight for a male Great Dane over 18 months of what?

Females must be at least 45 kg; the AKC dropped its minimum weight altogether.

Why were Great Danes' ears historically cropped?

Natural ears hang down; cropping is now banned or restricted across much of Europe.

In the 1930s, what were the devices that made a cropped Great Dane's ears stand up called?

Cropping remains common in the United States but is much rarer in Europe.

How many show-acceptable coat colours does the Great Dane standard recognise?

They are fawn, brindle, black, mantle, blue, the white-with-black-patches coat and, under the FCI, grey merle.

A fawn Great Dane is yellow-gold with what distinctive marking?

Black should also show on the eye rims and eyebrows and may appear on the ears.

Which Great Dane colour is a pure white base with torn black patches?

A pure white neck is preferred, and a coat with grey patches instead of black, called merlequin, is a disqualification.

The 'mantle' Great Dane colour is nicknamed after which other breed with the same black-and-white pattern?

It is a solid black blanket over the body with a white muzzle, chest, collar and tail tip.

Grey merle Great Danes were accepted by the FCI in a new standard of 2012 for what reason?

The colour still may 'never obtain the highest grading' at shows, but the grey merle gene can produce a correctly patched coat.

The standard describes the 'blue' Great Dane's colour as a pure what?

White markings on chest and feet are permitted, but never a fawn tinge or blackish-blue.

What is the greatest killer of Great Danes?

Gastric dilatation-volvulus twists the stomach; owners are told to rest the dog after meals.

How much more likely is a Great Dane to develop GDV (bloat) than other dogs, according to one study?

The lifetime risk for a Dane has been estimated at close to 37 to 42 per cent, which is why the breed is the focus of GDV research.

A 2024 UK study found what average life expectancy for the Great Dane?

A Swedish insurance study found 83 per cent of Danes were dead by age 10, against 35 per cent of dogs overall.

Its short lifespan and frequent heart disease have earned the Great Dane what sad nickname?

Dilated cardiomyopathy and congenital heart defects are common in the breed.

What happens to a Great Dane embryo with two copies of the gene behind the white-with-black-patches coat?

That coat needs one merle gene plus one copy of the patching gene; two copies of the latter are lethal.

Which condition, in which growing vertebrae press on the spinal cord and weaken the legs, affects Great Danes?

It can be treated with surgery or may resolve on its own over time.

Where did Just Nuisance, the only dog officially enlisted in the Royal Navy, serve in WWII?

He served at HMS Afrikander, a shore establishment, and was buried with full military honours in 1944.

Why did the Royal Navy formally enlist the Great Dane Just Nuisance in 1939?

The railway had threatened to have him put down for fare-dodging on trips to Cape Town.

What trade was listed on Just Nuisance's Royal Navy enlistment papers?

His religion was first entered as 'Scrounger', later changed to 'Canine Divinity League (Anti-Vivisection)'.

To what rank was Just Nuisance promoted so that he could draw rations?

His service record includes losing his collar, going AWOL and sleeping in a petty officer's bed.

How tall was Just Nuisance when standing on his hind legs?

Lying at the top of the gangplank, he was a sizeable obstacle for anyone boarding a ship, hence the name.

Which famous cartoon Great Dane was created in 1969 by Hanna-Barbera?

Fred Silverman named him after the 'doo-be-doo-be-doo' in Frank Sinatra's 'Strangers in the Night'.

In Hanna-Barbera's original 1969 pitch, the bongo-playing dog was called what?

The show itself was first titled Mysteries Five and then Who's S-S-Scared? before CBS bought it.

Why did Iwao Takamoto give Scooby-Doo a sloping chin, bow legs and a sloped back?

He took notes from a colleague who bred Great Danes and then reversed every point of the standard.

Which recurring gag with the Jetsons' dog Astro leads to George's cry 'Jane! Stop this crazy thing!'?

Astro was originally voiced by Don Messick, who also voiced Hanna-Barbera's other famous Dane, and both were designed by Iwao Takamoto.

Who drew the comic strip Marmaduke, about a Great Dane and the Winslows, from 1954 to 2015?

Anderson said he drew on Laurel and Hardy routines for ideas, and Marmaduke's nemesis is a Siamese cat named King Tut.

Which US state made the Great Dane its official state dog in 1965?

It was chosen over the Beagle because early settlers had brought Danes as hunting and working dogs.

Disney's 1966 comedy about a Great Dane raised as a smaller breed is titled The Ugly what?

Raised with a litter of dachshunds, Brutus finally discovers his true breed at a dog show and wins two blue ribbons.

The Great Dane is classed as what type of dog?

It combines the mass of the mastiff with the galloping build of the sighthound.

How does the Great Dane article describe the breed's temperament towards people and other animals?

The gentle-giant reputation is why the breed became a family companion after boar hunting died out.

What changed in hunting customs that made the boar-catching Englische Dogge nearly disappear?

The dog survived only as a luxury or hobby animal until the 1878 renaming revived it as a breed.

Great Danes have naturally what kind of ears?

The upright look seen on some Danes is the result of cropping.

The merle gene in Great Danes is an incomplete dominant. What can two copies produce?

Only one copy is needed to show merle colouring, so responsible breeders avoid merle-to-merle matings.

How long should a Great Dane rest after eating before exercise, to reduce the risk of bloat?

Like most giant breeds, Danes have fast metabolisms and eat more per pound than small dogs.

In the 2005 Swedish insurance study, what percentage of Great Danes had died by the age of 10?

The figure for all dogs was 35 per cent.

Just Nuisance's promotional 'wedding' to another Great Dane produced pups auctioned for what cause?

Two of the five pups, Victor and Wilhelmina, went under the hammer in Cape Town.