The Great Dane is a large German breed of domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) known for its enormous body and great height. The German name of the breed is Deutsche Dogge, or German Mastiff. The French name is Dogue Allemand.
The Great Dane is one of the world's tallest dog breeds. The world record holder for tallest dog was a Great Dane called Zeus (died September 2014; aged 5), who measured 112 cm (44 in) from paw to shoulder. Great Danes are known for seeking physical affection from their owners.
Extremely large boarhounds resembling the Great Dane appear in ancient Greece; in frescoes from Tiryns dating back to 14th–13th century BC. These large boarhounds or Molossian hounds continue to appear throughout ancient Greece in subsequent centuries right up to the Hellenistic era. The Molossian hound, Suliot dog and specific imports from Greece were used in the 18th century to increase the stature of the boarhounds in Austria and Germany and the wolfhounds in Ireland.
Bigger dogs are depicted on numerous runestones in Scandinavia, on coinage in Denmark from the 5th century AD and in the collection of Old Norse poems, known in English as Poetic Edda. The University of Copenhagen Zoological Museum holds at least seven skeletons of very large hunting dogs, dating from the 5th century BC going forward through to the year 1000 AD.
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