Some evidence suggests that dogs resembling the Great Dane have existed for thousands of years. Egyptian tombs dating back to 2000 BC feature artwork of similar dogs. Likewise, Greek coins as old as 36 BC depict dogs similar in nature.
Perhaps the most famous misnomer in dogdom, the Great Dane is not Danish at all, but German. These dogs may have made their way to Germany through voyaging traders and the modern Great Dane was bred as a boar hunter in Germany during the 1500's. The breed was standardized in Germany in 1891.
Many believe that the ancestor to the Great Dane is a mastiff-type dog from Asia that was brought to Germany by the Alans. The modern Great Dane owes its traits to crosses with the Irish Greyhound and the Irish Wolfhound. The dog was brought to the United States in the late 19th century. The breed was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1887, and the first Great Dane club was founded in America in 1889.
