OFFICIAL STANDARD FOR THE GREAT DANE (AKC)
General Appearance
The Great Dane combines, in its regal appearance, dignity, strength and elegance with great size and a powerful, well-formed, smoothly muscled body. It is one of the giant working breeds, but is unique in that its general conformation must be so well balanced that it never appears clumsy, and shall move with a long reach and powerful
drive. A Great Dane must be spirited, courageous, never timid; always friendly and depend-able. This physical and mental combination is the characteristic which gives the Great Dane the majesty possessed by no other breed. It is particularly true of this breed that there is an impression of great masculinity in dogs, as compared to an impression of femininity in bi***es. Lack of true Dane breed type, as defined in this standard, is a serious fault. Size, Proportion, Substance
The male should appear more massive throughout than the bitch, with larger frame and heavier bone. In the ratio between length and height, the Great Dane should be square. In bi***es, a somewhat longer body is per- missible, providing she is well proportioned to her height. Coarseness or lack of substance are equally undesirable. The male shall not be less than 30 inches at the shoulders, but it is preferable that he be 32 inches or more, providing he is well proportioned to his height. The female shall not be less than 28 inches at the shoulders, but it is preferable that she be 30 inches or more, providing she is well proportioned to her height. Danes under minimum height must be disqualified. Head
The head shall be rectangular, long, distinguished, expressive, finely chiseled, especially below the eyes. Seen from the side, the Dane's forehead must be sharply set off from the bridge of the nose, (a strongly pronounced stop). The plane of the skull and the plane of the muzzle must be straight and parallel to one another. The skull plane under and to the inner point of the eye must slope without any bony protuberance in a smooth line to a full square jaw with a deep muzzle (fluttering lips are undesirable). The masculinity of the male is very pronounced in structural appearance of the head. The bitch's head is more delicately formed. Seen from the top, the skull should have parallel sides and the bridge of the nose should be as broad as possible. The cheek muscles should not be prominent. The length from the tip of the nose to the center of the stop should be equal to the length from the center of the stop to the rear of the slightly developed occiput. The head should be angular from all sides and should have flat planes with dimen- sions in proportion to the size of the Dane. Whiskers may be trimmed or left natural. Eyes- shall be medium size, deep set, and dark, with a lively intelligent expression. The eyelids are almond-shaped and relatively tight, with well developed brows. Haws and mongolian eyes are serious faults. In harlequins, the eyes should be dark; light colored eyes, eyes of different colors and walleyes are permitted but not desirable. Ears - shall be high set, medium in size and of moderate thickness, folded forward close to the cheek. The top line of the folded ear should be level with the skull. If cropped, the ear length is in proportion to the size of the head and the ears are carried uniformly erect. Nose - shall be black, except in the blue Dane, where it is a dark blue-black. A black spotted nose is permitted on the harlequin; a pink colored nose is not desirable. A split nose is a disqualification. Teeth - shall be strong, well developed, clean and with full dentition. The incisors of the lower jaw touch very lightly the bottoms of the inner surface of the upper incisors (scissors bite). An undershot jaw is a very serious fault. Overshot or wry bites are serious faults. Even bites, misaligned or crowded incisors are minor faults. Neck, Topline, Body
The neck shall be firm, high set, well arched, long and muscular. From the nape, it should gradually broaden and flow smoothly into the withers. The neck underline should be clean. Withers shall slope smoothly into a short level back with a broad loin. The chest shall be broad, deep and well muscled. The forechest should be well developed without a pronounced sternum. The brisket extends to the elbow, with well sprung ribs. The body underline should be tightly muscled with a well-defined tuck-up. The croup should be broad and very slightly sloping. The tail should be set high and smoothly into the croup, but not quite level with the back, a continuation of the spine. The tail should be broad at the base, tapering uniformly down to the hock joint. At rest, the tail should fall straight. When excited or running, it may curve slightly, but never above the level of the back. A ring or hooked tail is a serious fault. A docked tail is a disqualification. Forequarters
The forequarters, viewed from the side, shall be strong and muscular. The shoulder blade must be strong and sloping, forming, as near as possible, a right angle in its articulation with the upper arm. A line from the upper tip of the shoulder to the back of the elbow joint should be perpendicu- lar. The ligaments and muscles holding the shoulder blade to the rib cage must be well developed, firm and securely attached to prevent loose shoulders. The shoulder blade and the upper arm should be the same length. The elbow should be one-half the distance from the withers to the ground. The strong pasterns should slope slightly. The feet should be round and compact with well-arched toes, neither toeing in, toeing out, nor rolling to the inside or outside. The nails should be short, strong and as dark as possible, except that they may be lighter in harlequins. Dewclaws may or may not be removed. Hindquarters
The hindquarters shall be strong, broad, muscular and well angulated, with well let down hocks. Seen from the rear, the hock joints appear to be perfectly straight, turned neither toward the inside nor toward the outside. The rear feet should be round and compact, with well-arched toes, neither toeing in nor out. The nails should be short, strong and as dark as possible, except they may be lighter in harlequins. Wolf claws are a serious fault. Coat
The coat shall be short, thick and clean with a smooth glossy appearance. Color, Markings and Patterns
Brindle - The base color shall be yellow gold and always brindled with strong black cross stripes in a chevron pattern. A black mask is preferred. Black should appear on the eye rims and eyebrows, and may appear on the ears and tail tip. The more intensive the base color and the more distinct and even the brindling, the more preferred will be the color. Too much or too little brindling are equally undesirable. White markings at the chest and toes, black-fronted, dirty col- ored brindles are not desirable. Fawn - The color shall be yellow gold with a black mask. The deep yellow gold must always be given the preference. White markings at the chest and toes, black-fronted dirty colored fawns are not desirable. Blue - The color shall be a pure steel blue. White markings at the chest and toes are not desirable. Black - The color shall be a glossy black. Harlequin - Base color shall be pure white with black torn patches irregularly and well distributed over the entire body; a pure white neck is preferred. The black patches should never be large enough to give the appearance of a blanket, nor so small as to give a stippled or dappled effect. Eligible, but less desirable, are a few small gray patches, or a white base with single black hairs showing through, which tend to give a salt and pepper or dirty effect. Any variance in color or markings described above shall be faulted to the extent of the deviation. Any Great Dane which does not fall within the above color classifications must be disqualified. Mantle - The color shall be black and white with a solid black blanket extending over the body; black skull with white muzzle; white blaze is optional; whole white collar preferred; a white chest; white on part or whole of forelegs and hind legs; white tipped black tail. A small white marking in the black blanket is acceptable, as is a break in the white collar. Any variance in color or markings as described above shall be faulted to the extent of the deviation. (Note: This paragraph refers to all the color/pattern descriptions, not just mantle). Gait
The gait denotes strength and power with long, easy strides resulting in no tossing, rolling or bouncing of the topline or body. The backline shall appear level and parallel to the ground. The long reach should strike the ground below the nose while the head is carried forward. The powerful rear drive should be balanced to the reach. As speed increases, there is a natural tendency for the legs to converge toward the centerline of balance beneath the body. There should be no twisting in or out at the elbow or hock joints. Temperament
The Great Dane must be spirited, courageous, always friendly and dependable, and never timid or aggressive. DISQUALIFICATIONS
Danes under minimum height
Split nose. Docked Tail. Any color other than those described under "Color, Markings and Patterns." Approved March 8, 1999
Effective April 28, 1999
Copyright The American Kennel Club 1999
----------------------------------------------------------------
GREAT DANE STANDARD
FCI-Standard N 235 / 09. 08. 2002 / GB
ORIGIN : Germany. DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 13.03.2001. UTILIZATION : Companion, watch- and guard dog. CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 2 Pinscher and Schnauzer - Molossoid breeds - Swiss Mountain and Cattle Dogs and other breeds. Section 2.1 Molossoid breeds, Mastiff type. Without working trial. BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : As forerunners of the present day Great Dane, one must look at the old "Bullenbeisser" (Bulldog) as well as the < Hatz-and Sauruden > (Hunting and wild boar hounds), which were midway between the strong Mastiff of English type and the fast, handy Greyhound. The term Dogge was at first understood to mean a large, powerful dog, not of any particular breed. Later, particular names such as Ulmer Dogge , English Dogge, Great Dane, Hatzrude (Hunting Dog), Saupacker (boarfinder) and Grosse Dogge (Great Dogge), classified these dogs according to colour and size. In the year 1878 a Committee of seven was formed in Berlin, consisting of active breeders and judges with Dr. Bodinus in the chair, which made the decision to classify all the forenamed varieties as < Deutsche Doggen > (Great Danes). Thus the foundation was laid for the breeding of a separate German breed. In the year 1880, on the occasion of a show in Berlin, the first standard for the Deutsche Dogge was laid down. This standard has been taken care of since the year 1888 by the "Deutsche Doggen Club 1888 e.V." (German Doggen Club, registered Club 1888) and frequently been revised over the years. The present Standard meets the requirements of the F.C.I. GENERAL APPEARANCE : The Great Dane in his noble appearance combines a large, powerful well constructed body with pride, strength and elegance. By substance together with nobility, harmonious appearance, well proportioned outlines, as well as a specially expressive head, the Great Dane strikes the onlooker as a noble statue. He is the Appolo amongst all breeds. IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS : Almost square in build, this applies particularly to males. The length of the body (point of sternum to point of buttocks) should not exceed height at withers in dogs by more than 5%, in bi***es by more than 10%. BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : Friendly, loving and devoted to his owners, specially to the children. Reserved towards strangers. Required is a confident, fearless, easily tractable, docile companion and family dog with high resistance to provocation and without aggression. HEAD
CRANIAL REGION :
Skull : In harmony with the general appearance. Long, narrow, distinct, full of expression. Finely chiselled, specially under the eyes. Superciliary ridges well developed but not protruding. The distance from tip of nose to stop and from stop to the lightly defined occipital bone should be as equal as possible. The upper lines of muzzle and skull should run parallel. The head must appear narrow seen from the front with bridge of nose as broad as possible. Cheek muscles only slightly defined and in no way protruding. Stop : Clearly defined. FACIAL REGION :
Nose : Well developeded, rather broad than round with large nostrils. Must be black with the exception of harlequins (white with black patches). In these a black nose is desired but a butterfly nose (black with pink patches) or flesh coloured nose is tolerated. In blue dogs the colour of the nose is anthracite (diluted black). Muzzle : Deep and as rectangular as possible. Well defined corners of lips. Dark pigmented lips. In harlequins not totally pigmented or flesh coloured lips are tolerated. Jaws/Teeth : Well developed broad jaws. Strong sound and complete scissor bite (42 teeth according to the dentition formula). Eyes : Of medium size with lively friendly intelligent expression. As dark as possible, almond shaped with close fitting lids. In blue dogs slightly lighter eyes are tolerated. In harlequins light eyes or two differently coloured eyes are to be tolerated. Ears : Naturally pendant, set on high, of medium size, front edges lying close to cheeks. NECK : Long, clean, muscular. Well formed set on, tapering slightly towards the head, with arched neckline. Carried upright but inclined slightly forward. BODY :
Withers : The highest point of the strong body. It is formed by the points of the shoulder blades which extend beyond the spinal processes. Back : Short and firm, in almost straight line falling away imperceptibly to the rear. Loins : Slightly arched, broad, strongly muscled. Croup : Broad, well muscled. Sloping slightly from hipbone to tail set, imperceptibly merging into the tailset. Chest : Reaching to the elbows. Well sprung ribs, reaching far back. Chest of good width with marked forechest. Underline and belly : Belly well tucked up towards rear, forming a nicely curved line with the underside of the brisket. TAIL : Reaching to the hocks. Set on high and broad, tapering evenly towards tip. In repose hanging down with natural curve. When dog is alert or moving, carried slightly sabre-like but not markedly above the backline. Bristle hair on tail undesirable. LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS :
Shoulders : Strongly muscled. The long, slanting shoulder blade forms an angle of 100 to 110 degrees with the upper arm. Upper arm : Strong and muscular, close fitting, should be slightly longer than the shoulder blade. Elbows : Turned neither in nor out. Forearm : Strong, muscular. Seen from front and side, completely straight. Carpus : Strong, firm, only slightly standing out from the structure of the forearm. Pastern : Strong, straight when seen from the front, seen from the side, barely slanting forwards. Front feet : Rounded, well arched, well-knit toes (cat feet). Nails short, strong and as dark as possible. HINDQUARTERS : The whole skeleton is covered by strong muscles which make the croup, hips and upper thighs appear broad and rounded. The strong well angulated hind legs, seen from behind, are set parallel to the front legs. Upper thigh : Long, broad, very muscular. Stifles : Strong, positioned almost vertically under the hip joint. Lower thigh : Long, of approximately the same length as the upper thigh. Well muscled. Hocks : Strong, firm, turning neither in nor out. Metatarsus : Short, strong, standing almost vertical to the ground. Hind feet : Rounded, well arched, well-knit (cat feet). GAIT / MOVEMENT : Harmonious, lithe, ground covering, slightly springy. Legs must be parallel in movement coming and going. SKIN : Tight fitting. In solid colours, well pigmented. In harlequins, the distribution of pigment mainly corresponds to the markings. COAT
HAIR : Very short, dense, smooth and close lying, glossy. COLOUR : The Great Dane is bred in three separate colour varieties: Fawn and brindle, harlequin and black, and blue. Fawn : Light gold fawn to deep gold fawn. Black mask desired. Small white marks on chest and toes undesirable. Brindle : Basic colours, light to deep gold fawn with black stripes as regular and clearly defined as possible, running with the direction of the ribs. Small white markings on chest and toes are undesirable. Harlequin (white with black splashed patches) : Basic colour pure white, preferably with no ticking. Pure black patches well distributed all over the body, having the appearance of being torn. Grey or brownish patches undesirable
Black : Jet black, white markings permitted. Included here are < Manteltiger > in which the black covers the body like a coat ("mantel") or blanket and muzzle, throat, chest, belly, legs and tip of tail may be white. Also dogs with basic white colour and large black patches so called "Plattenhunde". Blue : Pure steel blue, white markings on chest and feet permitted. HEIGHT :
Height at withers : Dogs at least 80 cm,
Bi***es at least 72 cm. FAULTS : Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree. General appearance : Lack of male or female characteristics, lack of balance, too light, too coarse in built. Temperament : Lacking self-confidence, nervous, easily provoked. Head : Lines of head not parallel, apple head, wedge shaped head, too little stop; too prominent cheek muscles. Muzzle : Pointed, lacking flews, lips too pendulous. Bridge of nose concave (dish shaped), convex (roman nose), falling away in front part (eagle nose). Jaws/Teeth : Any deviation from a complete set of teeth (only the missing of both PM1 in the lower jaw may be tolerated). Irregular position of individual incisors as long as the bite remains otherwise correct), teeth too small. Eyes : Slack lids, haw too red. Light, piercing, amber coloured eyes. Wall eyes or differently coloured eyes in all solid coat colours. Eyes too wide apart or slit eyes. Eyesprotruding or too deeply set. Ears : Set on too high or too low. Standing off from the sides of the head or flat lying. Neck : Short thick neck, ewe neck, throatiness or excess of dewlap. Back : Sway back, roach back. Too long in back. Topline rising towards rear. Croup : Falling away steeply or completely flat. Tail : Too thick, too long or too short, set on too low or too highly carried above the back line. Hook tail or curled tail as well as tail carried sideways. Tail which is damaged, thickened at the tip or has been docked. Ribcage : Flat or barrel-shaped ribs. Lack of width or depth of chest. Too strongly protruding breastbone. Lower line : Belly line not sufficiently tucked up. Teats not sufficiently retracted. Forelegs : Insufficient angulation. Light bone, weak muscles. Stance not vertical. Shoulders : Loose or loaded. Upright shoulder blade. Elbows : Loose, turning in or out. Forearm : Bent, enlarged above pastern. Pastern : Enlarged, markedly weak or knuckling over. Metacarpus : Too sloping or too upright. Hindquarters : Too much or too little angulation. Cow hocked, close together or open hocked when standing. Hocks : Exaggerated large or unstable. Feet : Flat, splayed, long. Dewclaws. Gait/Movement : Covering too little ground, lack of freedom in action. Frequent or constant pacing. Lack of co-ordination between front and hind movement. Coat : Double coat (coarse, short coat), dull coat. Colour :
In fawn : Grey fawn, blue fawn, isabella (cream) or sooty fawn colour. In brindles : Basic colour silver blue or isabella. Washed-out streaks. In harlequins : Blue-grey ticked basic colour. Large fawn-grey or blue-grey parts in the patches.
- In blacks : Fawn, brown or blue-black colour.
- In blues: Fawn or black-blue colour. SERIOUSFAULTS :
Temperament : Shyness. Jaws/Teeth : Pincer bite. Eyes : Ectropion, entropion. Tail : Kinky tail. ELIMINATINGFAULTS :
Temperament : Aggressiveness, fear-biting. Nose : Liver coloured; split nose. Jaws/Teeth : Overshot, undershot, wry mouth. Colour : Fawn or brindle dogs with white blaze, white collar, white feet or socks and white tip of tail. Blue dogs with white blaze, white collar, white feet or socks or white tip of tail. Harlequin dogs : White without any black (albinos), deaf. So called Porcelain tigers (dogs that show predominantly blue, grey, fawn or brindle patches), so called "Grautiger" (dogs that have a basic grey colour with black patches). Height : Below minimum height. N.B. : Male animals should have two apparently normally developed testicles fully descended into the sc***um.
