Established in 1999

The Old Danish Dog's history can be traced back to Frederik II and Christian IV. The Danish King fell in love with King Jacob I's English Mastiff during his visit, and the breed was immediately imported to Denmark in the middle of the 16th century.

During this period, the breed was crossed with other large breeds. However, in the 19th century, the Old Danish Dog was about to die out. Master of the Royal Hunt Niels Frederik Berhard Sehested of The Broholm Estate on Fyn managed to re-establish and re-breed the Broholmer. He gave the Broholmer away to people who wished to own this breed—but with the clause that the dog would participate in the future breed.

During this period, the Broholmer became an ordinary dog. During the 20th century, the Broholmer became a rare sight due to this period's diseases and poverty. Many of the Broholmers died because of distemper, epidemics and inbreeding problems. Thus, the Broholmer almost became extinct, and the last Broholmer disappeared in 1956. In 1974, a breeding committee was founded in cooperation with Dansk Kennel Klub, and its only purpose was to reestablish and breed the Broholmer as we know it today.

The source is taken from The Broholmer

Danish Broholmer Standards

- Height
Males 29.5" (75 cm)
Females 27.6" (70 cm)

- Weight
Males 110-150 lbs (50-68 kg)
Females 90-130 lbs (41-59 kg)

- Colours
Yellow with a black mask, red gold or black, preferably with white on the chest, paws and tail tip.

- Country of Origen:
Denmark

- United Kennel Club Group
Guardian (Danish Mastiff)

Modern Broholmer

The work and history of the reconstruction of the Broholmer have their own story. On a late night back in 1973, a group of dog lovers from DKK was gathering to talk about dog breeds, especially the almost forgotten ones. One person remembered the Broholmer from childhood, but what had happened to this breed? Did it still exist?

None had seen the dog for years, but some had heard that there were very few samples left in Denmark despite the rumours that the breed had died out. These thoughts and memories of the dog from their childhood became the foundation for “the Reconstruction of the Broholmer.” DKK supervised the breeding.

First, the group had to find a specimen of the breed, and a vast search was initiated in all Denmark newspapers. Many people reported that they knew of owners or owned a Broholmer-look-alike dog, but the problem was that DKK had stopped the pedigree registration of the Broholmer back in 1910. This made finding a “real” living Broholmer almost impossible because no registered Broholmers existed.

The group knew many Broholmer-look-alike-dogs, but now they had to find suitable breeding material. The many contacts with dog owners resulted in two possible candidates: an old yellow male, Bjørn, and the old black Manne, also a male. Both males had managed to pass on their genes naturally; thus, the black Manne had a beautiful yellow grandson called C. Bastian, who had the correct Broholmer look.

Reconstruction continued, and a milestone was reached when, in 1982, the FCI acknowledged the Broholmer (The International Association of Kennel Clubs ). In 1988, the Broholmer was internationally recognized as an “old Danish breed.” The Broholmer Society could now lead the breeding itself, and future Broholmer litters could be pedigreed in a usual way. 

The source is taken from The Broholmer