About Great Danes
Appearance
Great Danes are of course known to be an exceptionally large breed, with minimum acceptable weight in the 100-120 pound range and height roughly 28-32 inches. Although kennel club standards vary, most do not maintain a height or weight maximum. In fact, the Guinness Book of World Records classified a California Great Dane known as Gibson as the tallest dog in the world - 42.2 inches at the withers.
Color
There are six distinct Great Dane coat colors universally recognized by all kennel clubs:
- Harlequin (or "Harle"): Body color of mostly white with torn, irregularly-shaped black patches evenly spaced across the entire coat. A sheer white neck is preferable.
- Black: A solid coat of glossy black with no white markings on the toes or chest.
- Blue: A coat of shimmering, iridiscent blue; sometimes called "steel" blue. Again, markings of white on the chest or toes are not desirable.
- Fawn: The color for which the breed is most popularly known - golden yellow with a black mask. Ideally, the black should also be noted on the eyebrows, and rims of the eye and may also be seen on the tip of the tail and ears.
- Brindle: Sometimes called a tiger-stripe pattern. A mix of black and fawn in a chevron stripe shaped pattern.
- Mantle: Ideally white and black with a solid covering of black across the body. White muzzle on a black skull. Completely white chest and collar is desirable with white on fore and hind legs and a black tail with a white tip.
There are other variations in color, including fawn mantle, fawnequin, merle, white, merlequin, mouse grey, and more. However the six listed above are those listed as acceptable for show thus they are not actively sought after by breeders. Note that other colors are sometimes advertised by unscrupulous breeders as "rare" to unknowing buyers.
In the U.S., cropping of the ears is expected; however uncropped ears are more common in Europe. Australia and some European countries strictly control or wholly ban the practice because of health concerns. The reason behind ear cropping was originally to ensure that wolves would not be able to bite the dog's ears in defense. It was also a protective measure to ensure that the Great Dane was not gored by wild boar - a typical target for hunting Danes. Nowadays, it is purely an aesthetic decision.
Temperament
In short, Great Danes are often referred to as "gentle giants". Their exceptionally large, imposing stature belies a incredibly kind and compassionate temperament. Great Danes make excellent family pets as they are well-known to be amiable to other house pets (including cats), small children, and other humans. In rare cases, some Danes develop aggression or dominance issues with small animals or other dogs of the same sex.