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The Great Dane is a breed of dog known for its large size and gentle personality. The breed is commonly referred to as the "Gentle Giant".
History
The Great Dane is the large hunting dog of the Danír tribe, ”Dene” in the poem "Beowulf", today’s Danes. In Old Norse (ON) and Old English (OE) the male is always referred to as ”Hund” (in etymology from ”the Hunt/Hunter”) and the female as ”grey/grig”. This division can still be seen in the hunting protocols from the Royal Kennels of the Royal Court of Denmark year 1710-36 (may be seen at the National Archives, Denmark).[citation needed] Thus in Norse and Old English literature, specifically the compilation of sagas known as Elder Edda (Poetic Edda), the hound is named in variations over these words, for example ”hvndar” and ”greyiom” ( Skírnismál , verse 11, Elder Edda)
The large hound, alongside the horse and the raven, is holy to the kings of Denmark and England. We see this both in the common language at the time and in the buried treasure of the kings and queens.[citation needed] The large hound appears to be a migration dog. It arrives in the landscapes of the Danes in two migrations: Firstly with the Celts in the 5th Century BCE (see the Gundestrup cauldron, "Plate E: Warrior Initiation" under the cauldron) and secondly with the Danes as they begin to settle year 40-77 ACE.[citation needed] Uniquely The Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen Faculty of Science has a collection of dog skeletons from both periods and thereafter well in to the Middle Ages. The dogs were buried alongside their owners, male and female, as guiding spirits to the next world. None exists prior to this period. The large hounds are 61-70 cm tall over the shoulder (see the Ladby ship).[citation needed] Image:Great Danes and Chihuahuas by David Shankbone.jpg Two Great Danes examine two Chihuahuas Two large hounds can be seen on “The Royal Purse Lid” (The British Museum) as guiding spirits to the king buried in Sutton Hoo, East Anglia, presumably (H)Rædwald in the 7th Century ACE.[citation needed] Likewise the large hound is depicted on the engravings of the Golden horns of Gallehus from Southern Jutland, Denmark dated to the 5th Century ACE and on numerous rune stones (see the Tjängvide and Ledberg Runestone) and engravings on Viking ships used for burial purposes (see Oseberg ship). The depictions continue uninterrupted in church paintings and murals up until today.[citation needed] The original large hound was lighter in construction than the current one. We know this both from art and from the royal hunting protocols. We also know what caused this to change, when and how.[citation needed] Image:Wikipedia Great Dane Gislev1.jpg Great Danes Gislev church, Denmark 1500-25 Towards the end of the 16th Century the Royal Court of Denmark introduced the new fashion of the Parforce Hunt – an unnatural hunt where the hunting dogs were no longer allowed to run down and kill the deer.[citation needed] On the contrary the dogs were expected to hunt the deer, knock it down and hold it firm until the human huntsman arrived to make the kill.[citation needed] Image:Wikipedia Great Dane Raro.jpg The Great Dane Raro, Denmark 1655 We can see from the protocols of the Danish court that the large hound is not well equipped to perform this new role in the Parforce Hunt.[citation needed] It is too light in build to hold down a deer or wolf without killing it. To solve this problem King Frederick II of Denmark (regent 1559-1588) sends a ship to London in 1585 to bring back “Englandshvalpe” (English puppies) given to him by Queen Elizabeth I of England (regent 1558-1603). The English puppies are the far heavier English mastiffs.[citation needed] The Royal Tapestry from 1585-6 depicts King Frederik II. with his new “English puppy” (see Danish Broholmer). The tapestry can be seen in the National Museum of Denmark. (Source: C. Weismann: Vildtets og Jagtens Historie, Copenhagen, 1931, p. 438-440). The protocols of the Royal Danish Kennels maintain two separates lines in the kennel in the breeding programme; the Danish and the English line. The cross breeding becomes known as “Blendinge” (same word and meaning as the English word “blend”). This new line of large hounds is the foundation of the present day Great Dane as we see them in Denmark, England and the United States.[citation needed] The large hound was imported in to the Roman Empire and thus correctly is referred to as Alano in Italian (see Gaston III of Foix-Béarn and his treatise “Livre de la chasse” from 1389. He refers to the large hound in three working functions: ”Alan Gentil”, ”Alan Vautre” og ”Alan de Boucherie”).[citation needed] We have a record of the hound acting as a wolfhunter very late in history. Johan Täntzer wrote ”Der Dianen Hohe und Niedere Jagdgeheimnüsz (1682-89 in three books). He worked for King Christian V of Denmark (regent 1670-1699), initially as ”Birdcatcher” (Fuglefænger) at the hunting lodge Jægerborg Castle (see Lauritz de Thurah). Later on, from 1677-85, he acted as Wolfhunter (Ulvejæger) in Jutland, Denmark[citation needed]. He was tasked with controlling the wolf population. He retired as Inspector of the hunting grounds on Amager, Copenhagen and wrote his book on his experiences of hunting wolfs with the large hound in Jutland, Denmark ((Source: C. Weismann: Vildtets og Jagtens Historie, Copenhagen, 1931, p. 467-470). The hound was highly treasured and a tribal competitive advantage. Thus the hound did not exist in Denmark until King Christian VI of Denmark (regent 1730-1746) ceased the Parforce Hunt in 1741 and gave away all the large hounds from the royal kennels.[citation needed] Image:Wikipedia Great Dane Sultan.jpg The Great Dane Sultan, Denmark 1699 The records from the royal kennel at Jægersborg Castle (see Lauritz de Thurah), Denmark shows us who received the hounds as gifts[citation needed]: King Frederick I of Sweden – 11 pack of hounds (Source: C. Weismann: Vildtets og Jagtens Historie, Copenhagen, 1931, p. 449). This event distributes the large hound throughout Europe amongst the aristocracy and forms the basis for all later rewritings of history. Up until this event in 1741 the hounds were only to be found in the original landscapes, including Normandy from year 912 (hence why the hound can be seen in hunting scenes on the Bayeux Tapestry depicting year 1064, prior to The Battle of Hastings).[citation needed] In 1749 Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon begins publishing his large thesis on evolution called ”Histoire Naturelle, générale et particulière”. His uses the large hound as an example of evolution (Book 4) and since he cannot find it anywhere in France or in Germania he seeks it in its home turf Denmark.[citation needed] It is he who for the first time coins the name ”le Grand Danois”.[citation needed] In the English translation of his work by William Smellie (encyclopedist) the same word becomes ”Great Dane”. Up until that time the hound was referred to in England as ”Danish dog” (see "Canine Madness”, 1762).[citation needed] Image:Wikipedia Le Grand Danois1.jpg Le Grand Danois We know from a thesis by the Dane Jacob Nicolay Wilse titled ”Fuldstændig beskrivelse af stapelstaden Fridericia – efter pålidelige underretninger og egne undersøgninger.” (page 176) and published in 1767 that the Danes called the dog ”large hound”, a terminology continued well in to the 20th Century.[citation needed] In Germany in 1780 the hound is referred to as ”Grosse Dänische Yagd Hund” or ”Large Danish Hunting Hound” (see Edward C. Ash : Practical Dog Book, 1931, ”The Great Dane"). The first dog exhibition was held in Hamburg 14-20 July 1863. 8 dogs were called ”Dänische Dogge” and 7 ”Ulmer Doggen”.[citation needed] The records of FCI from this meeting shows that all documentation was published in Bulletin Officiel de la Société Canine de Monaco, August 1937. At some point, either during or immediately after World War II, the country of origin of the hound is changed from the original Denmark to Germany.[citation needed] FCI would appear to no longer have the records that would be able to explain why that might be.[citation needed] "Ðéah þe haéðstapa hundum geswenced "Though the heath-stepper harassed by hounds, AppearanceImage:IMG013biglittledogFX wb.jpg The brindle coat can be lightly brindled, as here, or with more distinctive stripes. Height and weight requirements for show dogs vary from one kennel club's standards to another, but generally the minimum weight falls between 100 to 120 lb (46 to 54 kg) and the minimum height must be between 28 and 32 inches (71 to 81 cm) at the withers. Most standards do not specify a maximum height or weight. In August 2004, a Great Dane named "Gibson" from Grass Valley, California was recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as the world's tallest dog, measuring 42.2 inches at the withers. [4] There are six show-acceptable coat colors for Great Danes:
Other colors occur occasionally but are not acceptable in the show ring. Because they are not valid for show dogs, they are not pursued by breeders. These colors include white, fawnequin, merle, merlequin, fawn mantle, and others. These are sometimes advertised as "rare" colors to unsuspecting buyers. Any coat that includes "mouse grey" is disqualified from show. Cropping of the ears is common in the United States and much less common in Europe. Indeed, in some European countries such as Denmark, in parts of Australia, and in New Zealand, the practice is banned, or controlled such that it may only be performed by veterinary surgeons for health reasons. Ear cropping for looks only was never done in England. The original purpose of Ear Cropping was to cut the ears so that the wolf would not be able to grap hold of the ear in defence.This was also used to keep wild boar (often the objective of great dane hunts) from shredding their velvety ears. Now, however, it is used purely for a regal and majestic look in showdogs. The original ear cropping can be seen on the pictures above. TemperamentImage:Great Dane puppy.jpg Puppy with mantle coat The Great Dane's large and imposing appearance belies its friendly nature; the breed is often referred to as a gentle giant. Great Danes are generally well-disposed toward other dogs, other non-canine pets, wild animals, and humans (including strangers and children). However, some Great Danes have dominance issues, are aggressive with other dogs of the same sex, or chase small animals. HealthGreat Danes, like most giant dogs, have a fairly slow metabolism. This results in less energy and less food consumption per pound of dog than in small breeds. Great Danes have some health problems that are common to large breeds. Bloat (a painful distending and twisting of the stomach) is a critical condition that can affect Great Danes and results rapidly in death if not quickly addressed. It is a commonly recommended practice for Great Danes to have their stomachs tacked (Gastropexy) to the interior rib lining during routine surgery such as spaying and neutering if the dog or its relatives have a history of bloat, though some veterinary surgeons will not do the operation if the actual sickness has not occurred. Elevated food dishes are often believed to help prevent bloat by regulating the amount of air that is inhaled while eating, although one study suggests that they may increase the risk. Refraining from exercise or activity immediately before and after meals may also reduce risk. Another problem common to the breed is in the hips (hip dysplasia). Typically an x-ray of the parents can certify whether their hips are healthy and can serve as a guideline for whether the animals should be bred and are likely to have healthy pups. Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and many congenital heart diseases are also commonly found in the Great Dane. Also, some Danes may develop yeast infections, when not fed all needed nutritional requirements. The yeast infection may also lead to minor recurring staph infection(s). Great Danes also suffer from several genetic disorders that are specific to the breed. For example, if a Great Dane lacks color (not white) near its eyes or ears then that organ does not develop and usually the dog will be either blind or deaf. Many pure white Danes are deaf. MiscellaneousThe Great Dane is the state dog of Pennsylvania. The Great Dane is the team mascot at the University at Albany. Danes in popular culture
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