The Breed Standards

Prepared by the National Great Dane Council (Australia)Copyright Australian National Kennel Council 1995 The Standard is written with an adult Great Dane in mind, however, consideration should be given to the growing patterns of Great Dane puppies, during the 6 to 12 months period.

General Appearance

Very muscular, strongly though elegantly built, with the look of dash and daring, of being ready to go anywhere and do anything. Head and neck carried high, tail in line with back, or slightly upwards, but never curled over the hindquarters. Elegance of outline and grace of form essential.

Very muscular, strongly though elegantly built:

The Great Dane combines in its distinguished appearance dignity, strength and elegance with great size and a powerful, well formed, smoothly muscled body. This physical combination is the characteristic which gives the Great Dane the majesty possessed by no other breed. The male should appear more massive throughout than the bitch, with larger frame and heavier bone.

A look of dash and daring, of being ready to go anywhere and do anything:

• Alert, spirited, intelligent and courageous.
• Elegance of outline and grace of form most essential:
• The Great Dane is one of the giant breeds, but is unique in that its general conformation must be well balanced.

Characteristics

Alert expression, powerful, majestic action displaying dignity.

A Great Dane combines pride, strength and elegance in its noble appearance and big, strong, well-coupled body. It is the Apollo of all breeds of dogs. The Great Dane strikes one by its very expressive head; it does not show nervousness even in the greatest excitement and has the appearance of a noble statue.

Temperament

Kindly without nervousness, friendly and outgoing.

The Great Dane is friendly, loving and affectionate with his masters, especially with children, but cautious with strangers.

Head and Skull

Head, taken altogether, gives idea of great length and strength of jaw. Muzzle or foreface broad, skull proportionately narrow, so that whole head when viewed from above and in front, has appearance of equal breadth throughout. Length of head in proportion to height of dog. Length from nose to point between the eyes about equal or preferably of greater length than from this point to back of occiput. Skull flat, slight indentation running up centre, occipital peak not prominent. Decided rise or brow over the eyes but not abrupt stop between them; face well chiselled, well filled in below the eyes with no appearance of being pinched: foreface long, of equal depth throughout. Cheeks showing as little lumpiness as possible, compatible with strength. Underline of head, viewed in profile, runs almost in a straight line from corner of lip to corner of jawbone, allowing fro fold of lop, but with no loose skin hanging down. Bridge of nose very wide, with slight ridge where cartilage joins bone (this is a characteristic of the breed). Nostrils large, wide and open, giving a blunt look to the nose. Lips hang squarely in front, forming right-angle with upper line of fore-face.

Head, taken altogether, gives the idea of great length and strength of jaw.

The head should be as long as possible, without the appearance of weakness, and as deep as possible, without losing the appearance of length.

Muzzle or fore-face broad, proportionately narrow, so that whole head when viewed from above and in front, has appearance of equal breadth throughout.

The head i.e. the skull and fore-face, may be likened to two bricks of equal length and width, but with one having a greater depth than the other. Placed end to end on a flat surface, the difference in their depths produces the stop, and the similarity in their widths produces the appearance of equal width throughout.

Length of head in proportion to height of dog.

The head should be absolutely in proportion to the general appearance of the dog.

Length from nose to point between the eyes is about equal or preferably of greater length than from the point to back of occiput.

The measurement from the stop to the occiput should be almost exactly the same as that from the stop to the end of the nose. Preference is given to a slightly longer fore-face. The measurement cannot be exactly defined, since it will vary in different specimens, in proportion to the size of the dog.

Skull flat, slight indentation running up the centre, occipital peak is not prominent.

The skull should be angular when viewed from all sided, and should have definite flat planes with a slight indentation forward running up the centre to the only slightly developed occiput.

Decided rise or brow over the eyes but not an abrupt stop between them.

Viewed from the side, the skull should be sharply broken off from the fore-face, with a decided rise of brow over the eyes, but with no abrupt stop in the areas between the eyes. The area between the eyes should appear as a indentation running up the centre to the only slightly developed occiput.

Fore-face long, of equal depth throughout.

Top of the fore-face or muzzle must be level, neither “dish faced” nor “down faced”.

Cheeks showing as little lumpiness as possible, compatible with strength.

The muscles of the cheeks should be only visible, and never bunchy or prominent. Obtrusive cheeks coarsen the appearance of the whole head, and destroy its classical contours

Underline of the head, viewed in profile, runs almost in a straight line from the corner of the lip to the corner of the jawbone, allowing for fold of lip, but with no loose skin hanging down.

The bottom line of the lip should be level with the bottom of the under jaw, and parallel to the top of the fore-face, with allowances made for the actual fold of the lip. The skin covering the head should be tight enough so as not to allow wrinkling or loose folds of skin.

Bridge of the nose is very wide, with a slight ridge where the cartilage joins the bone (this is a characteristic of the breed).

The bridge of the nose must be as broad as possible, as this sets the width of the entire fore-face.

Nostrils large, wide and open, giving a blunt look to the nose.

Nostrils are large and wide to afford the dog sufficient breadth.

Lips hang squarely in front, forming a right-angle with the upper line of the fore-face.

The muzzle should be blunt, the lips square, neither sagging and rounded (lippy), not too short and dry (snipey). The front of the lip should, as near as possible, form a right angle to both the top of the lone of the fore-face, and to the line of the bottom of the lip running back along the underjaw, always making allowance for the fold of the lip.

Eyes

Fairly deep set, not giving the appearance of being round, of medium size and preferably dark. Wall, of odd eyes permissible only in harlequins.

They should be set moderately apart and likened to an almond eye.

Ears

Triangular, medium size, set high on skull and folded forward, not pendulous.

Size of the ear should be in proportion to size of the dog, topline of the ear at about the same level with the skull, not pendulous.

Mouth

Teeth level. Jaws strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. the upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

Teeth level: This is not to be interpreted as an even (or pincer) bite.

Jaws strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor: Jaws should be wide and deep to accommodate the large, well developed teeth; full dentation should be present.

Neck

Neck long, well arched, quite clean and free from loose skin, held well up, well set in shoulders, junction of head and neck well defined.

Always in proportion to the dog. The nape should be well developed, the junction of and neck should be clean, with no excess loose skin along the throat.

Forequarters

Shoulders muscular, not loaded, well sloped back, with elbows well under body. Forelegs perfectly straight with big flat bone.

Shoulders muscular, not loaded, well sloped back.

The shoulders must be strong and sloping, and when viewed from the side, must form as nearly as possible a right-angle in its articulation with the humerus (upper arm) to give a long stride. A steep, straight open junction of the shoulder and upper arm has the practical disadvantage of making it impossible for the dog to open the shoulder and take long steps in a free, springy, graceful stride that should be so characteristic of the breed. Since all dogs lack a clavicle, the ligaments and muscles holding the shoulder blade to the rib cage must be well developed, firm and secure to prevent loose shoulders. Loaded or over-developed shoulders, and similarly, loose, poorly muscled shoulders can cause the elbows to turn in or out and result in poor movement.

With elbows well under body.

A line from the upper tip of a correctly laid shoulder blade to the back of the elbow joint should be as nearly perpendicular as possible, demonstrating the elbows well under the body.

Forelegs perfectly straight.

From the side or front, the forelegs run absolutely straight to the pastern joint. From the front, the foreleg and pastern should form perpendicular lined to the ground. From the side, the pastern should slope only very slightly forward, thus providing the spring to save the dog from excessive fatigue.

With big flat bone.

The bone of the foreleg is wide when viewed from the side, and relatively narrower when viewed from the front of the dog. Not round bone, as in the Dalmatian.

Body

Very deep, brisket reaching the elbow, ribs well sprung, belly well drawn up. Back and loins strong, latter slightly arched.

Very deep brisket reaching the elbow.

At a point directly beneath the withers, the body, in the mature dog, is deep enough to reach the elbow.

Ribs well sprung.

The ribs are not “barrel”, but broaden outwards from the spine to provide great capacity for the chest, after which they drop with only slight convexity to the sternum, thus giving plenty of heart and lung room. The chest should extend forwards and upwards from the elbows, filling the area between the upper arms and not having a “hole where the chest should be”.

Belly well drawn up.

From the point of the elbow the underline of the body flows backward and upward to a well tucked up and well muscled belly. This tuck up should not be extreme, nor approach the outline of a greyhound.

Back and loins strong, latter slightly arched.

Those breeds of dogs which call for an arch over the loin should have the arch begin at or near the anticlinal vertebrae. The croup should be wide and strong. It should be long and sweeping, gradually dropping to the insertion of the tail. The croup must not be flat, nor should it fall away to steeply.

Hindquarters

Extremely muscular, giving strength and golloping power. Second thigh is long and well developed, good turn of stifle, hocks set low, turning neither in nor out.

Extremely muscular, giving strength and galloping power.

The first thigh ( from the hip joint to the stifle) is broad and muscular and should drop nearly vertically from its junction with the pelvis.

Second thigh is long and well developed, good turn of stifle, hocks set low, turning neither in nor out.

The second thigh (from stifle to hock) is strong, long and muscular and should join the first thigh at an angle of approximately 120 degrees at the stifle joint, with the hocks well let down and extending vertically to the foot without angling forward. Viewed from the rear, the hocks should turn neither in nor out.

Feet

Cat-like, turning neither in nor out. Toes well arched and close, nails strong and curved. Nails preferably dark in all coat colours, except harlequins, where light is permissible.

Cat-like, turning neither in nor out.

They are roundish, and turn neither in nor out when viewed from the front.

Toes well arched and close, nails strong and curved.

The toes must be deep, tightly knuckled and close together. They should have thick, horny pads to provide good cushioning to the foot during long hunts over hard and rough ground.

Except harlequins, where light is permissible.

Harlequins will always have white nails, unless they have black pigmentation on the feet.

Tail

Thick at the root, tapering towards end, reaching to or just below the hocks. Carried in a straight line level with the back, when dog is moving, slightly curved towards end, but never curling or carried over the back.

Only reaching the hocks, should be broad at the root, but tapered to a point, hanging down straight at rest, slightly curved (sabre like) in excitement or in running.

Gait/Movement

Action lithe, springy and free, covering ground well. Hocks move freely with driving action, head carried high.

Action lithe, spring and free, covering ground well.

Long, easy, springy stride with no tossing or rolling of the body. The back line should move smoothly, parallel to the ground, with minimum rise and fall. The natural and correct gait for the Dane is the trot, which the dog should be able to exhibit.

Hocks move freely with driving action, head carried high.

The gait of the Great Dane should denote strength and power, showing good driving action in the hindquarters and good reach in front. As speed increased there is a natural tendency for the legs to converge towards the centre line of balance beneath the body, but there should be no twisting in or out at the joints. The hind feet should not overlap the front feet. The head is carried high, but within reason. A dog with a well angulated shoulder may not carry his head as high as one with a straight shoulder. The standard calls for a well angulated shoulder, so a dog that can run with his head and neck bold upright, may not be as structurally correct as one with a lower, or more forward, head carriage.

Coat

Short dense and sleek looking, never inclined to roughness.

The correct Dane coat in short, hard, dense and crisp. It is free from all hint of lint or woolliness.

Colour

Brindles-must be striped, base colour from lightest buff to deepest orange.

Fawns-colour varies from the lightest buff to deepest orange, dark shadings on the head and ears is acceptable, eyes and nails preferably dark.

Blues-colour varies from light grey to deep slate, the nose and eyes may be blue.

Black-black is black.

In all of the above colours white is only permissible on the chest and feet, but it is not desirable even there. Nose always black, except in blues and harlequins. Eyes and nails preferably dark.

Harlequins-pure white underground with preferably all black or all blue patches, having the appearance of being torn. Light nails permissible but not desirable.

In all the above colours except Harlequin, white is only permissible on the chest and toes, but is not desirable even there. Nose is always black, except in blues and Harlequins. Eyes and nails preferably dark.

Blue: Colour varies from light grey to deep slate, without any tinge of yellow, black or mouse grey. Nose, pads, ear leather, eye rims and nails must be blue. Lighter eye is common, because blue is a dilution gene. White markings on the chest and toes is permitted but not desired.

Harlequin: Base colour is pure white with all black or all blue torn patches distributed irregularly over the entire body. These patches should never be large enough to give the appearance of a blanket, nor so small as to give a stippled or dappled effect. (Permitted are a few small grey spots, which are the result of the merling gene). Nails are usually white. Wall eyes, pink noses and butterfly noses (all outward expressions of the “clearing” gene which clears the merle base coat to white) are permitted but not desirable.

Wall or odd eyes permissible in Harlequins.

In Harlequins, the gene series that clears the coat colour to white can also clear eye colour from brown to blue. The eye colour should preferably be dark, but wall (blue), odd, or parti-coloured eyes are permissible. This same “clearing” gene can also produce unpigmented third eyelids, which should not be confused with the true “haw” eye.

Size

Height:

Adult Dogs 76 cms (30 inches) over 18 months

Adult Bitches 71 cms (28 inches) over 18 months

Weight:

Adult Dogs 54 kg (120lbs) over 18 months

Adult Bitches 46 kg (100lbs) over 18 months

As it stated, as a minimum height. However, both sexes tend to exceed these minimums, but not at the expense of soundness and balance. Mere height at the shoulder should not be the criterion of excellence.

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.

Note

Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.