Table of Contents
Head: Rectangular, long, distinguished, expressive, finely chiseled, especially below the eyes. Seen from the side, the Danes forehead must be sharply set off from the bridge of the nose (a strongly pronounced stop).
Eyes: Medium size, deep set, and dark, with a lively intelligent expression. The eyelids are almond-shaped and relatively tight, with well developed brows. In harlequins, the eyes should be dark.
Nose: Black, except in the blue Dane, where it is a dark blue-black. A black spotted nose is permitted on the harlequin.
Teeth: 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).
Chest: 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.
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. The strong pasterns should slope slightly.
Ears: High set, medium in size and of moderate thickness. If cropped, the ear length is in proportion to the size of the head and the ears are carried uniformly erect.
Neck: Firm, high set, well arched, long and muscular. From the nape, it should gradually broaden and flow smoothly into the withers.
Physical Characteristics of the
Great Dane
(from the American Kennel Club breed standard)
General Appearance: Regal appearance, dignity, strength and elegance with great size and a powerful, well-formed, smoothly muscled body.
Tail: 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.
Hindquarters: 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.
Coat: Short, thick and clean with a smooth glossy appearance.
Color: Markings and Patterns: Brindle, Fawn, Blue, Black, Harlequin, Mantle.
Size: 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.
Feet: Round and compact with well-arched toes. The nails should be short, strong and as dark as possible, except that they may be lighter in harlequins.
The gentle giant we know today as the Great Dane is a large, powerful, strong dog whose original purpose was hunting and fighting.
HISTORY OF THEGREAT DANE
The mighty and powerful Great Dane was not always the gentle giant that it is often depicted and described as today. In fact, it was a very aggressive fighter and hunter that was terribly feared because of its harsh temperament and combative nature. Fortunately, through excellent breeding programs and dedicated fanciers, the breed has transformed over the years into a friendly and loving working dog thats suitable for families around the world.
Reports, artwork and artifacts indicate that a dog resembling the Great Dane might have existed over 2,000 years ago. It is believed that dogs similar to the Great Dane first belonged to one of the tribes of Asia called the Assyrians. The Assyrians used this ancient breed for hunting wild boar and other large game. The Great Danes expert hunting skills allowed them to capture and kill these wild animals, which would later be used for food by the Asian people.
Although the Great Dane was originally bred for hunting and fighting, other tasks included carting, tracking and watchdog duties. Nonetheless, the breed was mainly kept as a showpiece for Europes ruling class. The breed was valued for its tremendous build, power, boldness and endurance. Today, it still possesses many of these same qualities. Some other accounts indicate that the Great Dane may have originated from a Mastiff-like dog that was present in England during the 1500s. The Greeks, Romans and Persians also kept these Mastiff-like dogs. Other theories defend the belief that the Tibetan Mastiff figures as strongly in the Danes background as the English-type Mastiff. Like those of many other breeds, the Great Danes origin is not entirely clear. There is no formal documentation that can definitively state its origins and development.
This engraving from 1686 represents a wild boar hunt in Denmark. Early German writings called the breed the Danish Hound; it was in the 19th century that the Germans claimed the Great Dane as a national breed.
THE GERMAN INFLUENCE
We can be certain that the Great Dane first developed and flourished in Germany. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Germans imported Dane-like dogs, then called Boarhounds, upon which they based and established their own breeding programs. Throughout history, many influential dogs can be traced from German descent and today many winning pedigrees world-wide are still from German-bred dogs.
The breeds popularity increased throughout Germany when Prince Otto von Bismarck began housing many of them as his own personal pets. The breed first arrived in the German show ring in 1863, and the Deutsche Doggen Club was formed in 1888. The club still exists today and is affiliated with the German VDH, which is the national association of dog breeders.
Prince Otto von Bismarcks love of the Great Dane furthered interest in the breed and its development in Germany.
It was not until the late 1800s that the breed began migrating to other countries. One of the most famous German dogs of all time was Opal von Harlekin, a harlequin Great Dane bred by Herr Fuchs. Many of the Great Danes that are exhibited in Germany today continue to have the excellent conformation that their ancestors did hundreds of years ago. Fanciers of today owe a great debt to the early German breeders who concentrated on establishing type, focusing on such traits as color, size and, most importantly, sound temperament.
