 |
Aspen Meadows Kennel |
 |
Main | Great Dane | My profile | Sign Up | Log out | Login |
 
Site menuLogin formSearchSite friendsStatisticsTotal online: 1 Guests: 1 Users: 0 |
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. Discussion
The essence of Great Dane type is created by the balanced combination of sculptured headpiece; long, tapered, clean neck; well developed body; strong bone; and heavily padded feet; clothed in a glossy coat of correct rich color and moving with precision and grace. A substantial deficiency in any of these attributes will result in a lack of true Dane type - a "common looking" dog. The presence or absence of breed type is the single most important factor in assessing the overall quality of the Great Dane.   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. Discussion The minimum size requirements set forth in the Standard apply
to all Great Danes age 6 months and over; however, the judge will
rarely encounter a 30" male or a 28" bitch after the 6-9 month puppy
class. Probably the average height for mature specimens will be about
34" for males and 32" for bitches. All things being equal, the larger
Dane is preferred; but great height at the expense of overall soundness
and balance is not desired.
The squareness of body called for is measured from the
withers to the ground, and from the point of shoulder to the back of the
upper thigh. Any deviation from the square appearance, other than the
allowance permitting a slightly longer body in the bitch, should be
penalized according to the extent of the deviation. Substance has been defined as the sufficiency of bone and muscle to round out a balance with the frame. It should be recognized that coarseness is not a substitute for substance, nor overabundant flesh a cover-up for lack of it.     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. Discussion The
correctly chiseled head, with the strong square jaw, broad muzzle and
parallel planes of skull and foreface, all in proportion to the size and
gender of the Dane, is indispensable to the achievement of true breed
type. The head
is well described in the Standard and in the accompanying illustrations.
Please note the requirement that the length of muzzle and skull be
equal; too long a muzzle is a deviation from the desired proportion,
although frequently seen; the long, narrow head is just as faulty as the
short faced, blocky head. The mouth should be 'dry' without an
excessive pouch in the flew to collect saliva. A loose "fluttering" lip overlapping a weak under jaw may give the appearance of the desired square muzzle, but is not correct.  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. Discussion The
desired alert, intelligent expression is projected through the correctly
placed, almond shaped, dark eyes. In Blue Great Danes, a somewhat
lighter eye is permissible. In Harlequins, blue eyes and/or flecked eyes
or eyes of a different color are acceptable but darker eyes are more
desirable. Yellow, piercing eyes detract greatly, giving a mean-spirited
look; round or protruding eyes likewise are unattractive, as are eyes
placed too close together. Any abnormality of lids or lashes should be
noted and faulted.
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. Discussion High-set
ears, be they cropped or natural, highlight the outline of the Dane head
and create the desired alert appearance. Low-set cropped ears detract
from the smooth lines of the skull, and the low-set natural ear gives
the skull a round, hound-like appearance. Lack of erectile
ability in the base of the natural ear will also give a hound look and
should be faulted. Although it is desired that the cropped ear be of a
length to properly balance the head and be carried uniformly erect, so
long as the set of the ears is correct the dog with too short or too
long an ear or with imperfect carriage should not be unduly faulted for
this man-made error. There should be no preference between cropped and
natural ears, either being correct.  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. Discussion In Harlequins, the degree
of spotting or pink on the nose should not be penalized unless it
affects the overall picture. However, a black nose is more desirable.  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. Discussion There
should be no penalty for "distemper" teeth or for teeth spotted or
pitted from medication. Crowded lower incisors are deemed a minor fault;
however, it should call the judge's attention to ascertain whether the
crowding may be due to an inadequate, narrow lower jaw. While there is
no requirement to "count" the teeth as for a Doberman or Rottweiler,
obvious gaps should likewise be noted and faulted to the extent of
deviation from the desired full dentition.  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. Discussion The
elegance of the breed is created here. One should be able to draw a
smooth line from the skull, down the strong, tapered, clean neck, over
the withers to the short, level back, broad loin and very slightly
sloping croup. The neck slopes smoothly into the withers. The tail is a
continuation of the spine, extending the angle of the croup when at rest
and curving up saber-like in action. Deviations from the Standard would
include a short, thick neck; a "ewe" (Deer) neck; a long, thick and
weak "goose" neck. Your hand should follow the neckline smoothly into
the withers and should not come to an abrupt halt. The length
of the body has been described in the section dealing with proportion
and calling for squareness of outline, but it is important to remember
that the proper length should be achieved through the extension of the
rib cage and not in the length of the loin.  Neck Deviations  Correct topline, underline, forechest and tailset  Forechest Deviations   Topline Deviations   Underline Deviations  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. Dewclaws may or may not be removed. Discussion The
greatest amount of work in supporting the dog falls to the forequarters,
which carries the body's weight during stride, absorbs the weight as
the step is completed,
and provides directional thrust. Correct placement and angulation of
shoulder and forearm give the dog greater reach, and the slightly
sloping pastern and well cushioned pads absorb the shock as the foot
hits the ground.      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. Discussion Strength
and power must also be embodied in the rear assembly which supplies the
drive to force the body forward. The set of the croup combined with the
angulation of the upper and lower thighs provide the leverage to
transmit the maximum power. The work required of the hindquarters
requires strongly muscled upper and lower thighs, strong parallel hocks
and the same degree
of angulation to balance that of the forequarters. A steep croup, lack
of rear angulation or over-angulation of the rear are all deviations
from the Standard and should be penalized to the extent of the
deviation.  Ideal Angulation  Angulation Deviations  Coat the coat shall be short, thick and clean with a smooth glossy appearance. Discussion
The coat lies flat. Trimming of stray hairs is acceptable. COLOR, MARKINGS & 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. 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. Discussion Faults of
color, with the exception of serious deviations, should not be
considered as important as faults of structure and type. THE OVERALL
QUALITY OF THE DOG IS OF PRIMARY IMPORTANCE. Natural graying of the mask
due to age should NOT be penalized; in the Dane, some graying at the
front of the muzzle may occur at a relatively early age. Brindle The black stripes should be clearly defied and evenly distributed,
meeting or nearly meeting at the topline. The acceptable amount of
brindling will vary, but very sparse (mostly fawn, with a few isolated
areas of striping), or very heavy (to the extent that black appears to
be the base coat with fawn striping) are deviations from the Standard
and should be penalized according to the extent of the deviation. Fawn The rich golden fawn color is correct. Faults include pale, washed out
biscuit, sooty and grayish yellow. The black mask will vary in area;
preferably it will cover most of the forepart of the muzzle and may
extend up past the eyes. Occasionally, a dark shading will appear about
halfway up the tail, which is unimportant. There are diluted forms of this color (blue or chocolate where the black areas of the basic fawn color are found) Blue
the steel blue referred to is a deep, rich color. Pale, washed out
grayish-blue or brownish tinged blue should be faulted. Black To borrow from the English standard, black is black. There should be no tinge of fawn, rust or other color discernible. Merle Merle can affect all coat colors. The merle forms of brown and black are usually called chocolate and blue, respectively. Dogs who are recessive red can still be affected by merle, but the patches are either hardly seen or if the dog is a clear recessive red, it is not visible at all. Combinations such as brindle merle do exist. For Danes the Merle colors are Blue, Chocolate, Fawn, Brindle. Chocolate This deep, reddish brown color includes various shades of brown, from light to very dark. Chocolate is called Liver in many other breeds. Lilac This is a dilute form of Chocolate & Very Rare Harlequin A wide range exists as to the amount of markings which may be present;
however, dogs with very few patches and dogs so heavily marked that
little white area is left are both outside the desired range. When all
the markings have rounded, well defined edges (spots) as opposed to the
required torn edges, the dog does not fall into the harlequin
classification. Harlequins may correctly have black patches on the chest
and legs. Although a white neck is preferred, black patches on the neck
should not be penalized. The markings can be Black (traditional), Blue (diluted Black), Fawn, Brindle, Chocolate, Isabella,      Mantle (May be any accepted color with the following white markings, black is however used in the description) 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.  Figures 2-5 below are in the acceptable range of variation as defined in the Standard for the Mantle Great Dane     Piebald 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. Discussion The truth
and consequences of structure becomes apparent when the Dane is gaited.
Balanced structure and musculature will produce a smooth, effortless
gait, indicative of strength, stamina and endurance. He should be
allowed to move in a natural manner and not "strung up"; no dog can move
properly with his head pulled up and back. The hock should fully extend at the end of each thrust of the rear leg and not show restriction ("sickle hocks"). The front
and rear assemblies must be equal in angulation and muscle development
so that the effort expended is balanced. Shoulders laid back at an angle
with good length of upper arm that permits a long stride are just as
important as strong rear quarters that provide the driving power. When
viewed from the front, the dog's legs should appear to move forward in a
free and easy manner with no tendency for the feet to cross over
or interfere with each other. Viewed from the rear, the hocks should
drive well under the body following on a line with the forelegs, neither
too widely nor too closely spaced; and a straight line is maintained at
all speeds of the trot, from hip to pad. The
importance of correct gait is acknowledged and highly desired as an
indication of proper structure. The judge should remember that it is not
our task to pick out the best mover, but the best overall Great Dane.   Temperament The Great Dane must be spirited, courageous, always friendly and dependable, and never timid or aggressive. Discussion
Intelligence,
loyalty and dependability are true breed characteristics. Timidity and
aggressiveness are alien traits and should be severely penalized. Disqualifications | |
Website builder — uCoz |
Copyright Dody © 2024 | |
