GREAT Danes!!!

Danes, Danes, and MORE Danes! Today's blog is going to be all about these gigantic gentle giants! I have taken a great liking to this breed. One thing I've noticed that's constant between each individual dog, is that they're always such big goof balls! If you own a Dane, or have ever been around one you know exactly what I'm talking about...

See what I mean? This is Theodore playing with one of our large herding balls when he boarded with us in the past. What goofy and silly pup!

Great Danes were originally bred in Germany and were called, Englische Docke or Englische Tocke. They were used to hunt Boar, Bear, and Deer at the royal courts. Their main duty was to protect the sleeping Princes from assassins. However, in the 19th century certain breeders tried to get their name changed to the German Mastiff. They wanted the breed to be known more as a luxury, instead of a working dog. Although, Germany was in tensions with other countries at the time, so their name eventually became Great Dane, even though the breed has no Danish Ancestry... Weird huh?!

 A unique mix of dogs were chosen to create this breed, since they were designed with boar hunting in mind. To achieve desired results, three different breeds were used: Irish Wolfhounds for their height, Mastiffs for the muscle mass, and Greyhounds for speed.

Did you know Great Danes are actually well-suited to live pretty much anywhere? Even an apartment! A lot of people would think otherwise at first, but they're such a relaxed dog. They do need exercise, but not as much as you'd think; don't let their size fool you. They also don't bark much, which helps if you do live in an apartment. 

FUN FACTS!

• The 15th most popular breed
• Zeus held the Guinness World Record for being The World's tallest dog (photo below)
• Has one of the shortest lifespans at usually 6-8 years
• They make great Cartoons! Scooby Doo, Marmaduke, and the Jetson's dog Astro, were all Great Danes.

Zeus standing at 44 inches tall, and was 7-foot-4 when he stood on his hind legs. He sadly passed away in 2014 at age 5



Check out some of the Danes who attend Fort Fido!

 This is Hugo!


 

Theodore

Verbena and Freya

This is Marley and he's currently our youngest Dane. Check out those ears!

Have a wonderful evening, 

~Shaunte' and her Dane clan :D

stood 44 inches tall and was 7-foot-4 when he stood on his hind legs.

stood 44 inches tall and was 7-foot-4 when he stood on his hind legs.

stood 44 inches tall and was 7-foot-4 when he stood on his hind legs.