E&CR of NSW Great Dane Club - ANKC Great Dane Breed Standard

ANKC Great Dane Breed Standard

What is Group 7 Non Sporting?

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

CHARACTERISTICS - Alert expression, powerful, majestic action displaying dignity.

COAT - Short dense and sleek looking, never inclined to roughness.

COLOUR -

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

BISS Aust Ch Thunderfire Hi Ho Silver TDX.ET - owned by Frances Hammer

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

Brindles - must be striped, ground colour from lightest buff to deepest orange, stripes always black, eyes and nails preferably dark, dark shadings on head and ears acceptable.

Aust Ch Rulett Dusted With Gold ET aka Bert - owned by Margo Turnbull of Rulett Great Danes and Portuguese Water Dogs

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

Aust Ch Stordansk G'Stone Webe Awesum aka Speck - owned by Julie Hyde of Stordansk Great Danes

Harlequins- pure white underground with preferably all black patches or all blue patches, having appearance of being torn. Light nails permissible. In harlequins, wall eyes, pink noses, or butterfly noses permissible but not desirable.

Arndane Awesum Duco aka Stripe - owned by Nicola Hooper

Mantles- Black and white with a solid, black blanket extending over the body. Ideally black skull with white muzzle, white blaze optional, whole white collar preferred, a white chest, white on part or whole of the forelegs and hind legs, white tipped black tail. Nose always black, eyes and nails preferably dark. The Mantle was accepted by the England Kennel Club in August of 2006.

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

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

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.

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 are permissible.

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

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

GENERAL APPEARANCE - Very muscular, strongly though elegantly built, with 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 hindquarters. Elegance of outline and grace of form most essential.

HEAD AND SKULL - Head, taken altogether, gives idea of great length and strength of jaw. Muzzle or fore face 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 eyes about equal or preferably of greater length than from this point to back of occiput (the rear part of the head/skull). 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 chiseled, well filled in below eyes with no appearance of being pinched: fore face 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 for fold of lip, but with no loose skin hanging down.

Bridge of nose very wide, with slight ridge where cartilage joins bone (this is a characteristic of breed). Nostrils large, wide and open, giving blunt look to nose. Lips hang squarely in front, forming right-angle with upper line of fore face.

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

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.

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.

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

SIZE - Height & Weight :

Adult Dogs over eighteen months - 76 cms (30 ins), minimum 54 kg (120 lbs).

Adult Bitches over eighteen months - 71 cms (28 ins), minimum 46 kg (100 lbs).

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

TEMPERAMENT - Kindly without nervousness, friendly and outgoing.

From the ANKC Breed Standard based on the London Kennel Club Breed Standard.

Return to Top

Great Dane Breed Standards World Wide :

American Kennel Club Great Dane Breed Standard