Dogs 101: Great Dane Fun Facts About #GreatDane #Dog – Animal Facts
Welcome to Animal Facts.
Now that’s a dog!
The Great Dane is truly a great dog breed
— large and noble, commonly referred to
as a gentle giant or as the “Apollo of dogs.”
The Great Dane certainly holds stature in
the dog world; but though he looks imposing,
in reality he’s one of the best-natured
dogs around.
Let’s get to know him.
10.
GENTLENESS WAS BRED INTO THEM.
As wild boar hunting, which they were originally
bred for, became less popular, the breed evolved
from vicious hunters to show dogs to giant
lap dogs.
Most Great Danes are surprisingly low-energy.
They require less exercise and less food than
you might imagine.
They also make excellent pets for people who
live in apartments.
9.
They are not the tallest dog breed.
Great Danes are huge, with an average height
of 2.5 to 2.8 feet, but Irish Wolfhounds tend
to grow a bit taller.
That said, the tallest dog in the world is
indeed a Great Dane named Zeus.
Zeus is featured in a fact later in the list.
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8.
A Great Dane was awarded two blue cross medals.
In 1941, Juliana, the Great Dane, awoke when
a bomb fell on the house she lived in.
The dog did what any self-respecting canine
would do—she peed on it.
The urine diffused the bomb and earned her
her first medal.
She was awarded her second medal three years
later, when she alerted authorities that a
fire was raging in her owner’s shoe shop.
7.
Just Nuisance, the Great Dane, remains the
only dog to officially enlist in the US Navy.
The dog was born in the late 1930s and grew
up in the United Services Institute.
HE liked to take the train with his friends,
but the train conductors were less than thrilled
with having a CANINE stowaway (it’s not
easy hiding a Great Dane on a train).
Sailors were allowed to ride for free, which
meant as a Navy man, Just Nuisance was able
to ride without fear.
When Just Nuisance passed away, he was buried
with full naval honors.
6.
They grow fast.
When Danes are born, they weigh only one or
two pounds.
In just 6 months, they can weigh as much as
100 pounds.
The dogs can continue to mature and grow until
they’re two or three years old.
5.
Despite the breed’s name, the Great Dane doesn’t
have Danish origins.
It comes from Germany, where it is called
Deutsche Dogge or German Mastiff.
In fact, the Great Dane is so iconic that
Deutschland officially named the breed its
national dog.
4.
Pennsylvania named the Great Dane its official
state dog in 1967.
Pennsylvania’s founder, William Penn, was
a Great Dane lover.
A portrait of Penn with a Dane even hangs
in the governor’s residence.
He said, “The physical and other attributes
of the Great Dane, to wit: size, strength,
beauty, intelligence, tolerance, courage,
faithfulness, trustworthiness and stability
exemplify those of Pennsylvania.”
3.
Although Great Danes are not the world’s largest
dog breed on average, the currently recognized
World’s Tallest Dog is a Great Dane named
Zeus.
Zeus, who stands 3 feet, 8 inches tall and
weighs 150 pounds, earned the Guinness World
Records title in 2012 when he was measured
1 inch taller than the previous record holder,
a Great Dane named Giant George.
2.
SADLY, GREAT DANES HAVE ONE OF THE SHORTEST
LIFE SPANS OF ALL DOG BREEDS.
As a rule of thumb, small dog breeds tend
to live longer lives and large breeds tend
to live shorter ones.
That’s why the tiny Chihuahua can live up
to 20 years, but most Great Danes don’t make
it beyond their 10th birthday.
1.
THREE FAMOUS CARTOON DOGS ARE GREAT DANES.
Great Danes are majestic creatures, and their
size seems to appeal to cartoonists.
Marmaduke is a clumsily destructive Great
Dane who has been mildly amusing Americans
for 60 years in comic strips.
Hanna-Barbera turned to the Great Dane as
well — twice — first with the Jetsons’
dog, Astro, and later with Scooby-Doo.
Love Great Danes?
We’ve linked some cool Great Dane loot in
the description below.
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Catch ya next time.
