GREAT DANES WERE DEVELOPED TO HUNT WILD BOARS
The Great Dane was bred specifically for hunting boars, which are fast, aggressive and dangerous game. Great Danes, then, needed size and strength to be up to the task. They were designed as a combination of three key breeds: Irish Wolfhounds for height, Mastiffs for muscle mass and Greyhounds for speed.
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THE GREAT DANE'S SIZE BELIES ITS PERSONALITY
Despite their imposing stature, Great Danes are gentle giants. They are calm and affectionate, and they get along well with children and other pets. Most Great Danes are surprisingly low-energy. They require less exercise and less food than you might guess. They make excellent pets for folks who live in apartments.
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THE GREAT DANE IS PENNSYLVANIA'S STATE DOG
Pennsylvania's founder, William Penn, was a Great Dane fan. A portrait of Penn with a Great Dane even hangs in the governor's residence. Pennsylvania named the Great Dane its official state dog in 1967. 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."
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CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, THE GREAT DANE IS NOT THE LARGEST DOG (BUT IT'S CLOSE)
Great Danes are best known for being enormous dogs, but they're not actually the largest breed there is. That honor belongs to the Irish Wolfhound, which is taller than the Great Dane, though lankier. Other large breeds like Neapolitan Mastiffs, Leonbergers and St. Bernards are sometimes bigger and heavier than Great Danes.
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THE TALLEST LIVING DOG IN THE WORLD IS A GREAT DANE NAMED ZEUS
Although Great Danes are not the world's largest dog breed on average, the currently recognized World's Tallest Dog is a Great Dane. 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.
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GREAT DANES HAVE ONE OF THE SHORTEST LIFE SPANS OF ALL DOG BREEDS
As a rule of thumb, small dog breeds tend to live long lives and large breeds tend to live short lives. That's why the tiny Chihuahua can live up to 20 years, but most Great Danes don't make it beyond their 10th birthday.
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