The Great Dane deceivingly did not originate in Denmark, but rather Germany. During the 16th century, wild boar hunting was a popular sport, and nobles across Europe were importing hunting dogs from England. These dogs were likely a cross between Irish Wolfhounds and English Mastiffs. During the 17th century, German nobles with breeding these dogs in great numbers, refining them into the modern Great Dane. The breed was exclusively owned by nobles and wealthy folk, and could often be seen with gilded collars with fringe and velvet. The name "Great Dane" did come from Denmark, as a man named Buffon saw the dogs and believed they were just large Greyhounds. He was confident that it was the Danish climate that had caused the dogs to be so large, earning the breed their name.