His idea, conceived as the combination of a popular radio program of the '40s titled "I Love a Mystery," in which three detectives roamed the world solving mysteries, and the 1959-1963 television sitcom "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis," about a scatterbrained teenager and his friends, was an unmitigated success. Today Scooby Doo is beloved by children, young and old, throughout the world. The show, in its various incarnations - Scooby appeared in more than ten different animated series and specials - still airs regularly on the Cartoon Network and other television channels, and a new, direct-to-video adventure titled "Scooby Doo and the Witches Ghost" was released in 1999. If that's not enough Scooby for you, the speech-impaired Dane will soon make his big-screen debut in a feature film starring Mike Myers, of "Austin Powers" fame, as Shaggy.
Part of the show's appeal was casting a Great Dane in the role of Scooby. Although long revered for their courage, strength and noble bearing, Great Danes also have a habit of breaking into impromptu bouts of clownish behavior that often seem prompted by the sight of something that is not there. Is your typical Great Dane an oversized scaredy cat with a potentially fatal weakness for scooby snacks? Of course not, but the breed does have a centuries-old reputation as a ghostbuster.
A Second Sight
During the Middle Ages, Great Danes - or more accurately, the boar-hunting dogs who were their early ancestors - were said to have the ability to see and guard against spirits. According to an old Germanic tale, the early Danes would not attack the warrior-hero and deity Odin when he traveled among men, but they would bark at and attack the death goddess, Hel, whenever she passed by.
Today, the exploits of Scooby Doo aside, experts attribute the breed's reputation for second sight to its keen vision, not psychic abilities. Unlike many breeds, the Great Dane sees better than it smells. Most dogs use their nose as a type of security system, alerting them to potentially dangerous changes in the environment, but the Great Dane relies more on its eyes. According to this theory, the breed's comic behavior is probably just a reaction to some minute change in the environment spotted with eagle eyes, not the presence of ghosts and goblins.
This sightfulness also contributes to the breed's famous poise and alertness, creating an alert, noble demeanor that has earned the Great Dane the titles "King of Dog" or "Apollo of the Dog World." Like any good king, the Dane's reputation stems from its courage and spirit rather than an ability to intimidate or bully. Though never timid, the ideal Great Dane is always friendly, dependable and sensitive -- an easygoing companion who is reliable and stable but also watchful over its family and home.
These qualities make the Great Dane a wonderful family dog. They are devoted to their people and generally good with children, although small children may be overwhelmed by the large dog's friendly attention. Despite their intimidating size, Danes are usually friendly toward other dogs and pets. Great Danes are happiest when surrounded by loved ones. In fact, Danes have a reputation for making themselves too much at home. Lovers of creature comforts, they are notorious for confiscating a favorite chair or bed.
The Royal Line
The Dane's gentle temperament is a fairly recent development, made possible by the conscientious efforts of breeders during the last hundred years. Early Danes were so aggressive as to be almost unmanageable and were banned from dog shows in the United States for several years in the late 1800s.
It's not surprising the first Great Danes were in a perpetual bad mood, given the work for which they were bred. Savage, strong, well-armed boar roamed the European forests during the Middle Ages, and in the days before firearms, huntsmen looked to dogs for help in killing these fierce creatures. The large, powerful mastiff-type dogs that traveled with Roman and Greek traders from Assyria, Tibet and other eastern locales were most often selected to perform this dangerous task.
Male boar-hounds worked together in the attack to divide the masses of boars until eventually a single boar was driven toward the hunters, who were concealed behind screens. The most powerful and strongest hounds were kept behind the screens and let free against the boar as it approached. The dogs would get a firm hold on the beast, allowing the hunter to kill it with a spear at close range.
Boar-hounds existed throughout Europe as a variety of large dogs. The development and unification to a type, however, was carried on mostly in Germany, where native boar-hounds were evidently cross-bred with numerous imported English hounds. The English hounds, bred in royal courts during the 15th and 16th century, were high-legged, strong animals probably originating from the crossing of English mastiffs with Irish greyhounds and wolfhounds.
This English influence remained with the breed throughout its development; many early Great Danes were imported back to England, where they were popular coach dogs, heralding the arrival of their royal masters.
The German boar-hound continued to develop along a variety of lines until after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71. To celebrate the country's unification created by the war, German dog lovers decided to declare a national dog. The boar-hound, renamed Deutsche dogge, literally "German dog," was selected as this national breed, and the various types were soon conformed into the breed we know today.
One of the enduring mysteries of the Great Dane is how it came by its English name, since the Danish influence on the breed was minor. According to the best guesses of breed historians, many German dogs were exported to Denmark, where the Danes in turn sent them all over the world as Grand Danios, or "Great Danes." Some of the first specimens imported to England may have been of these Danish dogs, which would account for the name. Whatever the explanation, the name causes great consternation for German enthusiasts, who insist the dog should be referred to as the "Deutsche dogge." The English have paid no heed, and the old name stuck in the English-speaking world.
Size XXL
Although the Great Dane is no longer needed to hunt wild boar, members of the breed retain the large, athletic bodies that were required for that task. Adult males typically stand 30 inches or higher at their shoulder, with a body that is squarely in proportion to its height. Females are often a few inches shorter and may be slightly longer than they are tall. Typical Danes weigh from 100 to 120 pounds.
Despite the strength and athleticism of a Great Dane, their exercise needs are relatively moderate, especially for adult dogs. A daily walk or good backyard romp is all most Danes need to stay healthy and happy. Puppies are a different story, primarily because their rapid growth rate makes them injury prone. Discuss an appropriate exercise program for young Great Danes with your breeder and a veterinarian, and make sure a young Dane receives plenty of training. When your Dane puppy reaches its full height and size, you'll be glad he or she is a well-behaved, obedient dog.
The Great Dane's short, thick, glossy coat requires little care. It should be brushed frequently to encourage healthy growth and appearance and bathed only as necessary to prevent drying. The coat comes in a variety of colors, including blue, black, brindle and the striking harlequin. The harlequin pattern, unique to Danes, is a series of black patches set against a white coat. Unlike the symmetrical spots of the Dalmatian, the patches are jagged and irregular.
Prized by the European aristocracy for its distinctive appearance, the harlequin pattern is widely acknowledged as the most difficult color to breed correctly in all of dogdom and is unique to Great Danes. Some Danes exhibit a Boston pattern, featuring black-and-white markings similar to a Boston terrier, or a blue merle pattern, consisting of a bluish-gray base color with irregular black markings sprinkled on the coat, which are the by-products of unsuccessful attempts at harlequin breeding.
Unfortunately, this distinguished breed comes with more than its fair share of problems. Temperament issues, attributed to indiscriminate breeding, have arisen in recent years. Top trainers note increasing fearfulness and aggression but report these problems can often be addressed with vigorous training. The breed's health can also be problematic.
A rapid growth rate takes its toll on bone development, creating orthopedic problems of every kind. For this reason, it's important to get the balance of a youngster's diet just right so that muscle can be built up sensibly from an early age. Eye problems, thyroid problems, stomach problems and heart problems all affect the breed. Seek out breeders who check hips, elbows, eyes and hearts, at a minimum. Even healthy Danes only have a typical lifespan of eight years, and many die younger.
Hail to the King
Obviously real-life Great Danes never make it to Scooby Doo's grand old age, but that shouldn't prevent responsible, educated people from bringing a member of this breed into their homes and families. Size and health issues do present a challenge, but thousands of breed devotees swear by the dog's regal presence and sensitive, loving personality. This legion of devotees continues to grow - the breed ranked 28th among the 147 new American Kennel Club registrations in 1999. Prescient and watchful, capable of both great dignity and serious clowning around, the Great Dane truly earns its title as the "King of Dogs."
Answers To Scoby Trivia
1. Howard Cosell 2. Scrappy was Scooby's nephew 3. "The Mystery Machine" 4. Casey Kasem, popular DJ and host of "America's Top Forty," supplied the voice of Shaggy. Scooby's voice was supplied by Don Messick, who was also the voice of Papa Smurf, Bamm Bamm on "The Flintstones," Boo Boo on "Yogi Bear," and numerous other Hanna-Barbera characters. Sadly, Messick passed away on October 24, 1997. 5. Series creator Fred Silverman came up with the name after listening to a recording of Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night," in which Old Blue Eyes sings the immortal phrase, "Scooby-dooby-doo." 6. The eternal question. If you've got the answer to this one, please let us know. |
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