AKC Standard:
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. It is always a unit,
the Apollo of dogs.
A Great Dane must be spirited, courageous, never timid; always friendly
and dependable. 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
bitches. 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 bitches, a somewhat longer body
is permissible, 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 dimensions 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 perpendicular.
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. Dew claws 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 colored
brindles are not desirable.
Fawn--The color shall be yellow gold with a black mask. Black should
appear on the
eye rims and eyebrows, and may appear on the ears and tail tip.
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. White markings at the chest
and toes are
not desirable.
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.
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
is preferred; a white chest; white on part or whole of forelegs
and hind legs; white
tipped black tail. A small white marking in the 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. Any Great
Dane which does not fall within the above color classifications must be
disqualified.
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.
Disqualification
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
Back to Top |
UKC Standard:
History
The ancestors of the Great Dane include British mastiffs and possibly
wolfhounds, brought to Europe, first by the Romans and later by German
aristocrats seeking to improve their hunting dogs. Despite its name, the
Great Dane is a German breed. During the 15th and 16th centuries, German
forests were filled with game, and hunting wild boar with dogs was a favorite
pastime of German nobility. Each lord kept
large numbers of boarhounds, which they carefully bred to improve
their size, power, and endurance. When game in the forests began to dwindle,
the large breeding kennels disappeared but the Great Dane continued to
be a favorite with German aristocrats. Great Danes were
exhibited at the first German Dog show in 1863, and the first Danes
were imported into the United States not long thereafter. In this country,
Great Danes are popular family companions for people who admire their regal
appearance and affectionate personalities. The Great Dane was
recognized by United Kennel Club in 1923.
General Appearance
The Great Dane is a very large, short-coated dog with smooth,
well-defined musculature. The body is square, but bitches may be
somewhat longer in body than dogs. The length of the front leg (measured
from point of elbow to the ground) is approximately equal to one-half of
the dog's height at the withers. The head is long, rectangular, and finely
chiseled. Ears are medium in size, high set, and may be drop or
cropped. The tail is a natural extension of the spine, thick at the base
and tapering to a point. Gender differences are apparent in this breed.
Typically the dog is proportionately taller and heavier than the female.
The
bitch appears feminine in comparison to the dog. The Great Dane
combines great size with dignity and elegance, giving rise to its nickname,
the Apollo of dogs.
Characteristics
The Great Dane is spirited, courageous, friendly, and dependable. Great
Danes are easygoing dogs, affectionate with family members and self-confident
with strangers. The Great Dane has a stable, easy going nature, preferring
to lounge on the
couch near a loved one to almost any other pastime. They are good
with children but their great size makes them more suitable for older children
and teenagers. Great Danes are easily trained but need consistency.
Head
The Great Dane head is proportionate to the size of the dog, long, rectangular,
and finely chiseled, especially below the eyes. Viewed from the side, the
skull and muzzle are of equal length, straight,
parallel to one another, and joined by a strongly pronounced stop.
Viewed from above, the planes of the skull and foreface are parallel and
the bridge of the nose is very broad. Gender difference is readily apparent.
A correct head is essential to Great Dane breed type.
Skull
The skull is broad, long and nearly flat, with parallel sides. Cheeks
are clean and cheek muscles are not prominent. Supraorbital ridges are
well developed.
Faults: Narrow or short skull.
Muzzle
In profile, the muzzle is long, equal in length to the skull, and deep.
The underline of the lower jaw is nearly parallel to the bridge of the
muzzle. The end of the muzzle is blunt, and almost perpendicular to the
upper and lower lines of the jaw, forming a distinctly rectangular
muzzle. The bridge of the muzzle is very broad, so that the end of the
muzzle, viewed from the front, appears almost square. Mouth is dry. Removal
of whiskers is permitted but not preferred.
Faults: Muzzle too long or too short; loose, fluttering lips.
Teeth
The Great Dane has a complete set of evenly spaced, white teeth meeting
in a scissors bite.
Minor faults: Crowded lower
incisors; level bite.
Serious faults: Overshot; wry mouth.
Very serious fault: Undershot.
Nose
The nose is black, except for blue Danes
where the nose is a dark blue-black. A black spotted nose is acceptable,
but not preferred, on a harlequin Dane.
Fault: Pink nose
Disqualification: Split nose.
Eyes
Eyes are medium in size, almond-shaped, tight, and dark brown. A slightly
lighter shade of brown is acceptable, but not preferred, in the blue Danes.
Light-colored eyes, eyes of different colors, and walleyes are permitted
in the harlequin Dane
but not preferred.
Faults: Round or protruding eyes; yellow eyes; eyes too close together.
Serious faults: Visible haw; obliquely set Mongolian eyes; functional
abnormality of eyelids or eyelashes.
Ears
Ears may be cropped or natural, with no preference. Ears are high set
and of
moderate thickness. Natural ears are medium in size and fold forward
close to the cheek. The top line of the ear fold is level with the skull.
Cropped ears should be in proportion to the size of the head and
stand erect, but a dog with properly set ears must not be penalized for
an imperfect ear crop.
Faults: Any deviation from the standard that contributes to a hound-like
appearance.
Neck
The neck is long, well arched,
and muscular. From the nape, the neck gradually broadens and flows
smoothly into the shoulders. The underline of the neck is clean.
Faults: Short, thick neck; ewe neck, goose neck.
Forequarters
Shoulders are strong, smoothly muscled, and securely attached to the
rib cage.
The shoulder blades are long and well laid back. The upper arm appears
to be equal in length to the shoulder blade and joins it at an apparent
right angle. The elbows are close to the body. A line drawn from the upper
tip of the shoulder blade to the back of the elbow joint will be perpendicular
to the ground. The forelegs are straight with strong, slightly sloping
pasterns.
Faults: Toeing in or out; down in pasterns.
Body
The Great Dane is a square dog. Its height, measured from the withers
to the ground, should equal its length of body, measured from prosternum
to point of buttocks. The length of the forelegs (measured from point of
elbow to the ground) should approximately equal one-half
of the dog's height. The topline of the Great Dane flows smoothly
from the withers to a short, level back. The ribs extend well back and
are well sprung out from the spine. The loin is short and broad, with a
well-defined tuck-up. The chest is broad, well muscled, and deep, extending
to the elbows. The forechest is well developed but without a pronounced
sternum. The body underline is tightly muscled.
Hindquarters
The hindquarters are strong, broad, and muscular, with hocks well let
down. The croup is broad and very slightly sloping. The angulation of the
hindquarters is in balance with the angulation of the forequarters. When
the dog is standing, the short, strong rear pasterns are perpendicular
to the ground and, viewed from the rear, parallel to one another. Faults:
Steep croup; lack of rear angulation; over-angulation; cow hocks; open
hocks.
Feet
Feet are round, tight, and well arched. Nails are strong and as dark
as possible, except that they may be lighter in harlequins.
Front dew claws may be removed.
Faults: Hare foot; splay foot.
Serious fault: Rear dew claws.
Tail
The tail is a natural extension of the
topline. It is thick at the base and tapers to the tip. A tail of
the correct length extends to the hock but never below. When the dog is
relaxed, the tail hangs down naturally. When the dog is moving or alert,
the tail may curve slightly upward but never above the level of the back.
Serious faults: Ring or hooked tail. Disqualification: Docked tail.
Coat
The coat is short, close, and thick with a smooth, glossy appearance.
Color
The following are the only allowed colors, markings, and color patterns:
BRINDLE -- Strong black stripes in a chevron pattern on a yellow
gold background. Preference shall be given where the base color is more
intense and the brindling is more distinct and even. A black mask is preferred.
Black should appear on the eye rims and eyebrow, and may appear on the
ears and tip of the tail. Faults: Too much or too little brindling; white
markings on the chest and toes; black-fronted or dirty colored brindles.
FAWN -- Yellow gold with a black mask. Black should appear on the eye rims
and eyebrow, and may appear on the ears and tip of the tail. Preference
is given to a deep yellow gold.
Faults: White markings on the chest and toes; black-fronted or dirty
colored fawns. BLUE -- Pure steel blue. Faults: White markings on the chest
and toes.
BLACK -- Glossy black. Faults: White markings on the chest and toes.
HARLEQUIN -- Black torn patches irregularly and well distributed over a
white background. The black patches should never be so large as to give
the appearance of a blanket, nor so small as to give a dappled effect.
The presence of a few small gray patches or single black hairs showing
through the white background, giving a dirty effect, are allowed but not
preferred. BOSTON -- A solid black blanket extending over the body and
skull with the following white markings: white muzzle, white collar, white
chest, white on part or on the whole of the fore and hind legs, white tip
of the tail. A full white collar is
preferred. A small white marking in the blanket or a break in the
white collar is acceptable. This color pattern is sometimes known as "Mantle."
Disqualification: Any color, marking, or color pattern not described
above; albinism.
Height and Weight
The Great Dane is a giant working breed and should always appear well
proportioned for its size. A mature male may not be less than 30 inches
at the shoulder. A mature female may not be less than 28 inches, although
30 inches or more is preferred.
Disqualification: A mature male Great Dane under 30 inches at the
shoulder; a mature female Great Dane under 28 inches at the shoulder.
Gait
When trotting, the gait is effortless, with long, easy strides, and
showing good but not exaggerated reach in front and drive behind. When
moving, the backline remains level with only a slight
flexing to indicate suppleness. Viewed from any position, legs turn
neither in nor out, nor do feet cross or interfere with each other. As
speed increases, feet tend to converge toward centerline of balance.
Disqualification
Unilateral or bilateral cryptorchid. Viciousness or extreme shyness.
Split nose. Docked tail. Under minimum height. Color other than those described
in "Color" paragraph. Albinism.
Effective February 1, 1999
Back to Top |
