The Great Dane is one of the most elegant and distinguished of the giant breeds. It is believed that the breeds origins can be traced to Irish Wolfhound with mixture of old English Mastiff. The breed itself having existed for over 400 years to serve as a Boar Hound in Germany. Europe's erstwhile boar was one of the most savage, swift, powerful and well armed requiring a superdog to hunt it.
In 1891, the Great Dane Club of Germany adopted a standard, or official description of the breed. In 1889 in Chicago, the German Mastiff or Great Dane Club of America was founded with G. Muss-Arnoldt as first delegate. Two years later the club reorganized as the Great Dane Club of America.
