Elegance, aristocracy, grandeur and beauty are the first epithets that come to the head of a person who has heard the phrase “Great Dane”. Indeed, confident to become, long powerful legs, a head resembling an elegant antique statue, distinguish this breed from the general mass. The Great Dane is playful and agile, and this breed is quite easy to train, not to mention the fact that this giant is able to become an excellent watchman and bodyguard. Despite its size, this dog is quite peaceful in relation to young children and pets.
Great Dane Standard
The constitution of the Great Dane must be dry, with strong muscles, the skeleton well developed, and the skin elastic, but not sagging, forming folds.
The height of the males at the withers should exceed 80 centimeters, in females this standard is 10 centimeters lower. The sacrum of both sexes should be a couple of centimeters lower than the withers. As for sexual dimorphism, it is quite pronounced: males are larger and more massive.
The weight of dogs ranges from 54 to 90 kg in males, and from 45 to 65 kg in females.
The head is noticeably elongated, with a characteristic sharp transition of the forehead to the nose. The jaws are developed, but not protruding. The eyes are dark, have an almond shape.
There are several basic colors of wool: black, fawn (varies from ocher to light ginger), marble (snow-white base color with black spots located throughout the body), tiger (fawn with black stripes), blue (gray, steel, mouse).
The coat is short, dense, without undercoat.
The tail is high set, saber, thinning from the base to the tip.
Behavior features
Great Dane is a social dog, which is why he gets along well in families with children. However, it should be remembered that, in addition, this breed requires a special attitude. Firstly, German Great Dane puppies, however, like adult dogs, need a special diet and certain physical exertion, not to mention the need to closely monitor their health. And secondly, representatives of this breed need constant attention from the owner, who will be very missed in case of unforeseen separation.
Great Dane is very easy to train, but it’s very difficult to retrain it. A properly designed training program is able to prepare this dog for almost any type of activity. However, best of all, the German dog manifests itself as a guardian of a person and his property.
I want to say a few words about the opinion of the people about the aggressive disposition of representatives of this breed. Absolutely any dog, regardless of its age, size and origin, can become inadequate in relation to a person as a result of an incorrect approach to education or an incorrect attitude to it. By the way, the inexplicable aggression in the character of the dog, as well as his cowardice, can cause disqualification at the exhibition. Summing up everything written above, I would like to add that it depends only on the owner of the dog whether his Great Dane will become a great German companion, loyal friend and reliable defender.