“Great Danes are above tricks and resolute about the irrelevance of swimming to the life of an intelligent canine.”
— Jane Smiley, “Fetch”

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Meet “Ivan,” a Dane who didn’t get Jane Smiley’s memo:

 

Years ago, we noted that one of the most-searched queries when it came to Great Danes was whether they can swim!

It’s true that some Great Danes prefer not to go swimming. But others love the water even though the breed isn’t considered a “natural swimmer” the way a Labrador Retriever or Newfoundland is.

Some Danes prefer activities on top of the water:

And some will do whatever it takes to make sure they’re included in those activities:

And sometimes, it just takes seeing something bigger than yourself to know that you can do it, and it’s fun!

 

In light of the fact that the breed isn’t a noted “water breed,” some may find it a curious moniker to give to a famous ketch rigged sail boat, the Great Dane 28.

Different Dane.

The vessel was more likely named after Klaus Baess, a human from Denmark who won the Bronze Medal in sailing at the 1948 Olympic Games. He went on to build many boats, the most famous being the Great Dane 28.  In 1969, Baess sailed a Great Dane 28 into first place in the Yachting World One-of-a-Kind Rally beating nearly 30 other boats of between 25 ft. and 30 ft. The boat began to sell well, and between 1966 and 1980, over 250 Great Dane 28s were built in all. It must have been a bittersweet day in 1980 when the moulds for the boat were chopped up and burnt, but Baess felt the time of the GD28 was over.

Happily, the Great Dane (as in the canine) remains a beloved breed whose time will never be over.

Image: Great Dane by L. A.  Shepherd
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