| The first section of this page is a brief history of how Danes came in to being. The second section will give you some insights about living with a Dane. The Apollo Of Dogs By Two Thousand BC the huge dogs, heavy in stature, were to be found already in great numbers spread throughout Asia and in many other parts of the world. It is more than likely, that it was early Assyrian Kings, noblemen and merchants who had much to do with the actual spread of such beasts. The Assyrians were a cultured people, who marched or sailed along great trade routes where they sold their manufactured goods. It is not unlikely, that with them went some of the great dogs which had already been known and bred for centuries before in their kingdoms. The dogs found much favor with the Greeks and Romans who endeavored to further their breeding to be used as hunting and war animals. About the same time, such dogs were known to have existed in Russia and Germany and it is quite likely that they were later mixed with those dogs that became spread across the world by the original Assyrian traders. Similar dogs, known as Molossian dogs, had been taken to Britain by the Phoenicians as early as the 6th century AD and the peoples there began breeding them as powerful hunting dogs, guard dogs and dogs of war. They were later crossed with the Great Dogs of Ireland, sometimes called Irish Greyhounds, and this cross brought about hunting dogs whose fame spread the world over in short order. Many hundreds of years after the Assyrians first spread the large dogs around the world, there was still much interbreeding of animals brought from country to country by Royalty and the wealthy who could further their breeding programs. It might be assumed, that in these early times, with so many tribes and kingdoms trading throughout the world, countries being overtaken by invaders, and even gifts to visiting Royalty, dogs from one area often found their way into far off lands, to be bred with local animals. The entire gene pool worldwide could quite well have actually been fairly small and quite closely related. The careful mixing of giant breeds from different areas, and the actual planned breeding of such animals was most certainly being carried out quite judiciously in many Royal Houses of the world. For thousands of years, these large, sturdy, dogs had been widely known and were renowned for their courage, stamina and hunting prowess. However, they had out-lived their usefulness in many areas as war dogs and were now being bred to serve other purposes. Then their strength and stamina become useful as draft animals and put to harness in small carts. In many areas of the world however, during the Middle Ages, their courage and appearance still made them the important guard dogs of the time. These large dogs were splitting off into what we now might call separate "breeds" according to their required work. In England these dogs had long been bred to the old Irish Greyhound, producing a dog of a little finer bone and taller than seen in previous centuries. Possessed of greater speed than those found on the Continent of Europe, it is understandable that such animals quickly found their way to Germany and surrounding thickly forested countries. Royalty, Noblemen and powerful landowners had much time on their hands to hunt, and such dogs proved invaluable. Huge kennels of were kept for just these events and of course the dogs used, although certainly descendants of the original Assyrian hunting dogs, showed a marked difference in most cases from the great hunting dogs popular up until then. With less bulk and longer legs they could keep up with the huntsman and his horse, and still be large enough to bring down quarry at the end of the chase when working in large packs. Boar hunting was the sport of the time in many countries and all who could afford to keep these sporting hounds, took great pride in their hunting abilities. However much other game was hunted regularly, including Deer, Bear, Elk and small game like Fox and Hare. The Royal Courts and great houses of Germany soon boasted enormous kennels of these great hunting dogs. It was during these years - 17th and 18th centuries that serious breeding plans were instituted and there was less importing from other countries as had been the norm up until then. Records were starting to be kept. Certain stud dogs were starting to gain fame. Just as these very large scale breeding plans started to take shape, there was a huge decline in the numbers of wild game for which the dogs had been needed in recent years. So while some strict breeding rules and records were in place, many entire kennels died out completely over the next few years. A few small kennels of dogs did survive and even started to show some of the colors we would recognize in our Danes today. Fawn and Brindles seem to have made their appearance in reliable numbers early on. Also these dogs of old were starting to be seen to be divided into “types”. Long legged, which eventually became the Danes, Irish Wolfhounds, Deerhounds etc. Shorter, stouter dogs, which became the many types of Mastiffs we now know today, and even shorter stouter breeds which were even from early times, often referred to as “Bulldogs” even though far different from the Bulldog we know today. By 19th Century, we see that these dogs have been bred carefully in many countries, in a reliable and predictable manner and had already been given "breed" names. However it is plain that the Great Dane as we know it today is a far cry from the dogs of old. While the very early dogs were indeed very large - for their time, they were certainly not as we think of "giant" today. From old, well documented drawings, it does seem as though the original Assyrian War dogs were bulky, but probably no taller than our average Golden Retriever of today. The dogs known throughout Europe as great Boar Hunters of their time, probably stood no more than 30" at the most and the majority much less. In Germany, more than any other country, we can follow the path of the Great Dane into the present, for the Deutsche Doggen has been lucky enough to have been blessed with those who kept meticulous records - and many of them. In 1863, the first dog show was held in Hamburg. It was noted that "some very grave looking Doggen took part". Of these "grave looking Doggen", 8 were called Danish Doggen and 7 as Ulmer Doggen. However the judges of the time were upset by the failure to arrive at one name for the breed, and declared them the "Deutsche Dogge". During the following years, many of the breed were still known by different names according to their size or color. In 1880, at a meeting of the current breed fancy, the breed was officially given his name in Germany of "Deutsche Doggen".In France however he was known as the Grand Danois, and in England as the German Mastiff. In Denmark, he was known as the Great Danish Dog. In 1888 the Deutscher Doggen Club was founded and was believed to have been the first club devoted to one breed of dog. From that time on the breed was well known and made up enormous entries at shows in England and Germany. Out of these shows came some remarkable dogs of their time. Breeders were now sharing information, keeping records and pedigrees etc. and agreements within the fancy as to allow colors had its birth. At this time breeders were leaning toward a few favored colors. Fawn - then known as yellow, Brindles, sometimes called Tiger or Wolf dogs, Blues, Blacks and Harlequins. The breeders of that time were just beginning to realize that certain colors did in fact produce many and varied genetic problems in the offspring, when bred and wrote about it extensively. In the 1880's to 1900 breeders were starting to pay much attention to pure color breeding, weeding out poor quality animals, and also considering temperament to be of greater importance than ever before. There is much documentation in writings of the time that the Harlequins were known to have problems in that regard. Size was also becoming more important. So we see now that "the" most enormous changes took place in the breed the world over, during the 1800's. Many of the standards set down in those years, still exist today and we can thank those early breeders for their extreme dedication to setting the breed on the correct path to enter into the Twentieth Century as a breed very close to that which we know today. Now that you have gotten some idea of how Great Danes came into being, we will move on to how it is to actually live with one. They drool and slobber, some worse than others. They also do it more at certain times, such as when it is hot, although they don’t like to be out very long in the heat. Their mouths can get very messy after they eat and they some of them will come and wipe them off on you. Some are messy drinkers. I have seen them put their muzzle in the water all the way up to their eyes, then when they pull them out there is water every where. My Spirit seems to hold water in her mouth, so that she dribbles it across two rooms. When they shake their heads, they can sling slobber half way up the wall. Most Dane people keep slobber towels strategically placed around their homes and even take one with them when they go somewhere else with the dog. They like to lean on people. In general this is not a bad thing but they can topple a small child or an older person who may not be steady on their feet. If you happen to be on the floor when they decide to lean on you, it makes it very hard to move. They walk on your feet and believe me, having a 150 dog stand on your bare foot hurts. They whip you with their tails and again this hurts. Even though Danes are really very gentle dogs, some people recommend that families with small children not get one because it they step on a child’s foot it is going to hurt a great deal and kids faces’ are at tail height. So about now you are wondering why any one would ever want one of these slobbering, leaning, clumsy tail whipping dogs. The reason is that the good out weighs the bad 100 times over. They are gorgeous to look at. I like being able to see their well defined muscle structures; they have such power combined with grace. They are just so regal looking. Watching them run is some where between a Greyhound and a horse. With all that strength, they have such a capacity for gentleness. One of the Danes I had would play tug-of-war with a man and pull with all his might, he would play with a woman and pull a lot less, he would play with a child and not pull at all. They are very intelligent, not just training smart but knowing things. This same Dane once brought home a turtle. I could tell he had something in his mouth because his lips were sticking out. So I told him to drop it and saw it was this turtle. I told him how nice it was and what a good boy he was, which was a huge mistake because then he brought home a turtle about every other day. I got him when I moved into my first house, which didn't’t have a fence. I taught him not to leave the yard by telling him the driveway on one side was no, the hedge on the other side was no, the garage in back was no and the side of the house was no. I could take him camping, walk him around the campsite touching trees and telling him they were no, and he would not leave that area. I could go to the bath room and he would stand at the invisible line and wait. I had a party at my house and he was being a pest so I made him go to the bedroom. After about a half an hour I went in and told him if he would be good he could go back in to the party. He went in, lay down and didn't bother anyone the rest of the night. He was 4 months old at the time. After he was grown, if some one would tell him to sit, he would look at me like “do I really have to do that” and if I didn't’t say yes he wouldn't’. My husband has a younger sister who has Downs Syndrome, and her speech is hard to understand. She would tell that dog to sit and he did. She got the biggest kick out of that. They are very funny dogs. They are the consummate couch potatoes (I have 5 couches) and it is always amusing when they come over to sit right down next to you and watch T.V. Mine especially like the kennel club dog shows, they like to watch the other dogs running around the ring. They also think they are lap dogs and will try to get their entire body in your lap, even though the only thing that really fits is their head. They all have their own silly little quirks, Lakota likes to chase leaves and rocks and he likes to carry things in his mouth. They are very happy dogs and love to play. There is no such thing as a Dane proof toy. If they can’t tear it up they don’t want to play with it. I spend half my day picking up stuffed toy fluff from the floor. They love to go for walks. We go every day if it isn't’ raining. I live in the woods, so don’t need to have them on a leash. For every mile I walk, they do at least three. They are very loyal, protective and loving. They are Gentle Giants. I always say they are big enough to be benevolent. A friend of mine brought her 12 week old Pug to my house after a great deal of coaxing on my part. She was worried that my dogs would hurt hers. We introduced all the dogs and then put the Pug on the floor. At first my Danes didn't know what to make of it, they had never been around such a small dog but they were fascinated with it. The pug started running all over, underneath them, between their legs, it was so funny. Finally the Danes laid down and the Pug jumped on them, grabbed their lips and ear and pulled to them and the Danes just let her have her way. One of the best things I like about them is that I don't have to bend down to pet them, they are right at hand height. This also makes training easier. When I was in class with them and saw other people training small dogs, I realized how much they had to bend over to reach their dogs, whereas mine was right where I could reach them. They have every good quality you could hope for in a dog. And yet there is something more to them, something indefinable. It’s that look they give you, the feeling you get from that they understand every thing you say. It’s the way they wheedle their way into your hearts. There are two things I tell people; There is nothing like a Dane and It’s a Dane thing, you wouldn't’t understand. Both of those statements are true. After you have one, you will see what I mean. Now to the practical side. Everything with Danes is bigger and more. They eat more, about 10 cups of food a day, which means they poop more, so there is more to clean up. Medication cost, surgery and boarding cost more. If they fall down and can't get up, it is very hard for you to get them up. I had to call the fire department once because one of my dogs fell in the woods and I couldn't get him up. It took four big men using a stretcher to get him back to my house. It use to if they lived to be 8 it was considered to be old but now they are living to be much older. My girl, Cheyenne, was 11 on May first and during the years I was in rescue I talked to dozens and dozens of people who had dogs that lived to be 12, 13, 14, and I have even seen one that was 15, so this is going to be a long commitment. |
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