It seems they are!

Learn something everyday!

Seems they are a cross of a mastiff and a sighthound!


Quote:

The Great Dane is a German breed of large mastiff-sighthound, which descends from hunting dogs of the Middle Ages used to hunt bears, wild boar, and deer. They were also used as guardian dogs of German nobility. It is one of the two largest dog breeds in the world, along with the Irish Wolfhound.

—wiki

LOL, next time at the (relatively) nearby dog park I will tell the owner of the great dane that it is a sight hound like Socks. That Great Dane does have a deep chest and long legs a bit like Socks.

You wouldn’t have used a Great Dane to chase rabbits, more to chase pigs and deer.

Used to be known as “the English Dog.”

I spoke to the lady who owns the Great Dane we meet at the “nearby” dog park.

Yup, Great Danes are sight coursing (hunting) hounds, used to course deer with mastiffs finishing the deer. Were called English Dogs then German Dogs then Great Danes.

At the meet today had a laugh, imagining 70+ kilogram Great Danes chasing the lure around the sharp corners and Vees etc—not going to work well!

My son and his former partner had the designer dogs - Great Dane/Mastiff cross.  They were beautiful dogs with a great temperament because the Mastiff that is bred for these dogs is not the bull Mastiff cross.  Anything with the bull in it will breed a savage dog.  But because they are huge dogs they are very very strong dogs.  I couldn't take them for a walk.  They would take me. 

Yeah, dogs that are well behaved and obedient can still take off after a bird or cat etc, take real strength to restrain them. Even skinny Socks can be a handful—I HAVE to be the one to spot a chicken, cat, sheep etc on or near the road else she would lunge and likely pull the lead out of my hand.

Aquarius wrote on Nov 16^th, 2025 at 6:31am:

Anything with the bull in it will breed a savage dog.

CRAP