How to Identify a Great Dane

The Great Dane has a regal appearance and a well-formed smoothly muscled body. It is a giant working breed, but never appears clumsy and has a powerful drive. The Great Dane is known as the Apollo of dogs. The gait shows off the Great Dane’s strength and power with long, easy strides. Danes are spirited, always friendly, dependable and courageous, but never timid or aggressive.

Instructions

1. Look at the Great Dane’s general appearance and size. The physical and mental combination mentioned in the introduction is the characteristic that gives the Dane the majesty that no other dog can claim. The male should appear more massive than the female and has a larger frame and heavier bone than the female. The Dane should be square, though females have a somewhat longer body. The male should not be less than 30 inches at the shoulder, but the preferred height is 32 inches or more. The female should not be less than 28 inches at the shoulder, with a preferred height of 30 inches or more.

2. Make sure the head is rectangular, long, expressive, finely chiseled and distinguished—especially below the eyes. The forehead should be strongly set off from the bridge of the nose. The plane of the nuzzle and the plane of the skull are straight and parallel to each other. The masculinity of the male is pronounced in the structural appearance of the head. The female’s head is more delicate. The eyes should be medium-sized, deep set and dark. They are almond-shaped with well-developed brows. The ears should be set high, are medium in size and are folded forward, close to the cheek. A Great Dane’s ears may be cropped, and the ear length should be in proportion to the size of the head. The ears should be carried erect. The nose is black, except in the blue Dane—then it is blue-black. A harlequin Dane may have a spotted nose. The neck is firm and high set with a good arch, and is long and muscular. The tail should be high and set smoothly into the croup, but it is not quite level with the back. It is broad at the base and tapers down to the hock joint.

3. Check the fore- and hindquarters. Viewed from the side, the forequarters will be strong and muscular. The ligaments and muscles holding the shoulder to the rib cage are well-developed and securely attached to prevent loose shoulders. The elbow is half the distance from the withers to the ground. The feet are round and compact with arched toes that do not toe in or out. The hindquarters are strong and well-angulated and have well let down hocks. The hock joints look straight from the rear and should not be turned toward the inside or the outside. The rear feet should be round, compact and have well-arched toes.

4. Look at the coat. It will be short and thick with a glossy appearance. There are several different colors, marking and patterns, including brindle, fawn, blue, black, harlequin and mantle.