Great Dane Did You Know?

• 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.