Devin Harris of Joplin, MO is the owner and operator of Great Danes of the Ozarks, a family business where he breeds and shows these majestic animals. In the following article, Devin Harris provides readers with interesting facts about Great Danes, the history of the breed's origin, and some of the most famous pups in the US!
The great in Great Danes is an understatement.
Averaging up to 2 feet, 8 inches high, Great Danes are instantly recognizable as the world's tallest dog breed. And while it often shares that title with Irish Wolfhounds, it was a Great Dane named Zeus who, at 3 feet, was deemed the world's tallest dog.
Devin Harris of Joplin, MO reports that male Great Danes can weigh in at a whopping 175 pounds, with females not far behind at 140 pounds. And when they stand on their hind legs, Great Danes can tower over most people.
Great Danes of the Ozarks say that their breed may look intimidating, but they're gentle giants and perennially popular as family pets around the world. Devin Harris of Joplin, MO explains below what everyone should know about these striking canines.
Millions Grew Up with a Great Dane Without Knowing It
If you loved Scooby-Doo as a kid, you spent a lot of your Saturday morning cartoon hours watching a Great Dane help solve mysteries.
Great Danes of the Ozarks explains that the titular, easily spooked dog is a Great Dane, first appearing in 1969. Scooby-Doo creator Iwao Takamoto consulted a Great Dane breeder before designing the character but styled him with characteristics never seen in the breed, including a humpback, and bowed legs.
And He's Not the Only Famous Great Dane
Devin Harris of Joplin, MO says that while not explicitly named in the story, Great Danes have always been used in film versions of The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle. Other famous Great Danes include the cartoon dog Marmaduke and Astro, the pet on the 1960s show The Jetsons.
They're Not Danish
Despite their name, Great Danes do not come from Denmark according to Great Danes of the Ozarks.
The breed got its name from George-Louis Leclerc, a French scientist traveling through Denmark who thought the dogs looked very similar to the German boarhound and included it in his book Natural History: General and Particular in 1781 explains Devin Harris of Joplin, MO.
He called the dogs Le Grand Danois, French for Great Dane.
But it has a different name in Germany, where the breed is called the Deutsche Dooge (German Dog). Most experts believe that the breed is a cross between an old English Mastiff and an Irish Wolfhound.
Great Danes May Have Ancient Origins
Great Danes of the Ozarks says that the ancestor of the Great Dane may have lived in Egypt as early as 3000 B.C. when monuments decorated with images of men walking huge dogs first appear. Great Danes are also alluded to in ancient literature and art from China, Greece, and Tibet.
Danes Originally Hunted Boars
Devin Harris of Joplin, MO explains that Great Danes were beloved by the nobility in Germany. They were effective hunters of boars, but also bears, and deer. And at night, they slept in their owner's bedroom to apparently help prevent assassination attempts.
Germans still love them, naming Great Danes the national dog in 1876. It's also the state dog of Pennsylvania, with lawmakers citing their appreciation for the breed's intelligence, trustworthiness, strength, and beauty.
They Come in Many Colors
The seven colors of Great Danes officially recognized by the American Kennel Club are blue, merle, fawn, harlequin, brindle, black, and mantle. The AKC recognized the breed in 1887.
A Great Dane Served in the U.K. Navy
During World War II, a Great Dane befriended sailors based in Simon's Town, South Africa.
They loved him so much that they had him enlisted and he accompanied troops traveling by train and made promotional appearances from 1939 up to his death in 1944. He was even buried with full military honors.
They are Very Affectionate
Devin Harris of Joplin, MO says that big dogs need lots of love and attention, too. That's particularly true for Great Danes who crave socialization and affection from both humans and other animals. And while they tend to be easygoing and great with children, they also like to roughhouse, and kids shouldn't be left alone with them.
They Grow Up Fast
Literally. While Great Danes weigh just 1 or 2 pounds at birth, they balloon up to 100 pounds within just six months. They don't stop growing until they are 2 or 3 years old.
This Great Dane Received Two Blue Cross Medals
When a World War II bomb fell on the home of Great Dane Juliana in 1941, she diffused it by urinating on it and got her first medal. Three years later, she got her second metal by alerting people about a fire in her owner's shop.
