We want to know everything about dogs. Everything! But there are countless breeds of dog out there, and each one is a unique animal with its own history. That's why every week, we shine a spotlight on a different breed. This week, learn some fun facts about Great Danes.
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GREAT DANES DIDN'T ORIGINATE IN DENMARK
Despite the breed's name, the Great Dane doesn't have Danish origins. It comes from Germany, where it is called Deutsche Dogge (German Mastiff). In fact, the Great Dane is so iconic to Germany that Deutschland officially named the breed its national dog.
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GREAT DANES WERE DEVELOPED TO HUNT WILD BOARS
The Great Dane was bred specifically for hunting boars, which are fast, aggressive and dangerous game. Great Danes, then, needed size and strength to be up to the task. They were designed as a combination of three key breeds: Irish Wolfhounds for height, Mastiffs for muscle mass and Greyhounds for speed.
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THE GREAT DANE'S SIZE BELIES ITS PERSONALITY
Despite their imposing stature, Great Danes are gentle giants. They are calm and affectionate, and they get along well with children and other pets. Most Great Danes are surprisingly low-energy. They require less exercise and less food than you might guess. They make excellent pets for folks who live in apartments.
Image via Associated Press
THE GREAT DANE IS PENNSYLVANIA'S STATE DOG
Pennsylvania's founder, William Penn, was a Great Dane fan. A portrait of Penn with a Great Dane even hangs in the governor's residence. Pennsylvania named the Great Dane its official state dog in 1967. He said, "The physical and other attributes of the Great Dane, to wit: size, strength, beauty, intelligence, tolerance, courage, faithfulness, trustworthiness and stability exemplify those of Pennsylvania."
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CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, THE GREAT DANE IS NOT THE LARGEST DOG (BUT IT'S CLOSE)
Great Danes are best known for being enormous dogs, but they're not actually the largest breed there is. That honor belongs to the Irish Wolfhound, which is taller than the Great Dane, though lankier. Other large breeds like Neapolitan Mastiffs, Leonbergers and St. Bernards are sometimes bigger and heavier than Great Danes.
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THE TALLEST LIVING DOG IN THE WORLD IS A GREAT DANE NAMED ZEUS
Although Great Danes are not the world's largest dog breed on average, the currently recognized World's Tallest Dog is a Great Dane. Zeus, who stands 3 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds, earned the Guinness World Records title in 2012 when he was measured 1 inch taller than the previous record holder, a Great Dane named Giant George.
Image via Associated Press
GREAT DANES HAVE ONE OF THE SHORTEST LIFE SPANS OF ALL DOG BREEDS
As a rule of thumb, small dog breeds tend to live long lives and large breeds tend to live short lives. That's why the tiny Chihuahua can live up to 20 years, but most Great Danes don't make it beyond their 10th birthday.
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THE GREAT DANE IS THE MASCOT FOR THE UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY, SUNY
Bulldogs may have the monopoly on canine mascots, but the State University of New York's Albany campus isn't letting Great Danes go unrepresented in collegiate sports. The school's teams used to be called the Pedagogues. They changed their name to the Great Danes in 1965. Smart move.
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Image via University at Albany Athletics
THREE FAMOUS CARTOON DOGS ARE GREAT DANES
We think Great Danes are majestic creatures, and their size also seems to appeal to cartoonists. Marmaduke is a clumsily destructive Great Dane who has been mildly amusing Americans for 60 years in an eponymous comic strip. Hanna-Barbera went to the Great Dane as well — twice — first with the Jetsons' dog, Astro, and later with Scooby-Doo.
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LADY GAGA USED GREAT DANES IN MULTIPLE MUSIC VIDEOS
When she first broke big, pop star Lady Gaga liked to feature Great Danes in her music videos, including "Poker Face," "Love Game," "Paparazzi" and "Eh Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)." In the years since, one of the two Danes that co-starred with Lady Gaga died. Since then, Gaga has dropped the conceit of using Great Danes in her videos.
Image via Gagapedia
