AKC Breed Standard
Official AKC Standard for the GREAT DANE
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
rotuberance 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
The 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
The 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
The 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
The 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 referred 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. Any variance in color or markings U 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.
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 September 11, 1990
Effective October 30, 1990
Copyright The American Kennel Club 1990