Great Dane

The Great Dane certainly lives up to its name. Growing up to 32 inches and weighing up to 175 pounds, this dog makes its presence known. Seeing this breed on the street will definitely have you taking a second glance, not just because of its immense size but also due to its powerful noble stance.

Originally bred for hunting wild boar, this animal needed all of the size it could get in order to live up to the challenge. What was once a fierce vicious dog, today's Great Danes are more like gentle giants. This is largely thanks to German breeders in the late 1800s for developing the breed into what it is today.

These dogs are known to have a very sweet, calm, and playful nature. They enjoy living with the family and making close bonds with their owners. That being said, they can also be extremely protective. Try to attack their owner, and you will suddenly look like a wild boar that their great grandaddy hunted 250 years ago. One negative is that these dogs have a shorter than average lifespan. They live between 7-10 years due to the immense toll that their body takes on because of its large size. This will be a tough loss, as the friendship you will create with this dog is truly unique.

The Great Dane does make an incredible family dog but is not recommended for small living spaces for obvious reasons. This dog will hop up on your lap as if it's a 6 pound purse dog. This may be cute and all but consider everything that was resting pleasantly on the coffee table to now be on the floor.

Instagram Photo Permission: @larrygreatdane