Origin and Distinctive Characteristics of the Great Dane
The Great Dane is a descendant of the Bullenbeisser breed, according to Great Dane Dog World. The Bullenbeisser existed, as a domesticated breed, as far back as the Greek and Roman empires. It was used as a guard mastiff in Germany, and English hunters used a later version of the breed as a boar hound.
According to All About Great Danes, in the 19th century, when the German version of this dog was acknowledged to be noticeably taller and more muscular than the English version, a council of breeders in Germany renamed it the "Deutsche Dogge."
It wasn't until 1891 that the Great Dane Club of Germany was formed to define this distinctive breed known as the Great Dane, according to the American Kennel Club. Not long afterward, in 1889, the Great Dane Club of America was founded in Chicago.
Great Dane Dog World says that the show-acceptable colors for a Great Dane are fawn, brindle, blue, black, harlequin and mantle. A fawn-colored Dane has a yellowish-gold coat with a black mask. A brindled Dane has tiger stripes of black and gold. A blue Great Dane is the color of steel, a black Great Dane has a glossy black coat, and a harlequin-colored Dane has a white coat with black patches scattered over its body. Finally, mantle coloration implies a more or less equal mix of black and white fur. A photo of this last type of Great Dane is available here, from Puppies-and-Dogs.com.
The most distinctive features of Great Danes are their height and size. The world's current tallest dog, according to the Guardian, is George, a Great Dane who measures 7 feet, 3 inches when standing on his hind legs. If George were human, he would be eligible as a heavyweight boxer.
The American Kennel Club specifies certain characteristics that a prize-winning, purebred Great Dane should have. The minimum height for a male Dane to be considered in competition is 30 inches, and the minimum height for females is 28 inches. The forehead of the male should be sharply set off from the bridge of the nose. His eyes should be deep-set and dark. His, or her, nose should be black, rather than pink. The tail should be straight, rather than curving or hooked.
The overall impression of a Great Dane is one of imposing handsomeness. As the American Kennel Club sees it, this breed is "the Apollo of dogs."