The gentle giant we know today as the Great Dane was not always so.  They use to be a dog that was feared for its aggressive fighting, harsh temperament, and combative nature.  But as the years went on through breeding programs it became the gentle giant we know and adore today.

No one knows why the Great Dane has the name that it does.  It is not a Danish dog, but a German Dog.  In the 1880s the Germans tried to change the known name to Deutsche Dogge (German Dog).  But the English still preferred the name Great Dane, and so it stuck.  Even though in Germany the dog is still knows as Deutsche Dogge.

The Great Danes oldest believed relative is probably the Molossus dog, this dog was used as a war dog in ancient times, but since then many other dogs have been introduced to the breed’s line.  Some of these dogs include, but might not be limited to, Greyhounds, Irish Wolfhounds, and the English Mastiffs.

Over 2000 years ago there were reports, through artwork and artifacts, which a Dane like dog may have existed.  It is believed  that dogs similar to the Great Dane first could be found belong to a tribe in Asia known as  the Assyrians, which uses these dogs for boar hunting and other large game hunting.  There also seems to be a dog that resembles the Great Danes in Egyptian art work dating back to 3000 BC.  Great Danes were thought to be expert hunters, but they were also used for carting, tracking and watchdog duties. 

Dane like dogs, according to kynologists, are breeds that have the following characteristics:  strong limb structure, broad forehead, very strong built muzzle with hanging chops and a tendency to a wrinkled scalp.  Such dogs as the Tibetan Dane, Mastiff, Boxer, Bordeaux Dane, Newfundland, and the St. Bernard all fall into the category.  Yet, smaller dogs also can carry Dane like characteristics (British Pug and French Bulldog) so Dane like does not refer to size. 

The breed was kept as a show piece for the European ruling class, because of its distinguished and refined appearance where it got the nickname “Apollo of the Dogs”.

Other sources say the Great Dane was from a mastiff-like dog in England during the 1500s.  Greeks, Romans, and Persians also kept these Mastiff-like dogs.  Some say the Tibetan Mastiff has a major influence on the Great Dane breed.  There is no definite answer or documentation on where the breed derived from but there are a lot of theories. 

The German Influence

In the 1700 and 1800 hundreds is when the Great Dane first developed and flourished in Germany from a dog they called Boarhounds.  They established a breeding program, and many influential Great Danes in history to present still come from German bred dogs.  Not until the 1800s did the Great Dane began migrating around the world.

Introduction to America

The first Great Dane ever recorded in America was a Great Dane by the name of, Prince.  Prince was owned by Francis Butler of New York.  The Great Dane was still extremely aggressive, and there were attempts to band the breed completely.  In 1889 breeders began trying to improve the breeds’ temperament.   This formed one of the first breed clubs which became the Great Dane Club of America.