Great Dane Barri Standard f Great Danes FCI-Standard N 235 / 09. 08. 2002 / GB GREAT DANE (DEUTSCHE DOGGE) ORIGIN: Germany. DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD: 13.03.2001. UTILIZATION: Cmpanin, watch- and guard dg. CLASSIFICATION F.C.I.: Grup 2 Pinscher and Schnauzer, Mlssid breeds Swiss Muntain and Cattle Dgs and ther breeds. Sectin 2.1 Mlssid breeds, Mastiff type. Withut wrking trial. BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY: As frerunners f the present day Great Dane, ne must lk at the ld Bullenbeisser (Bulldg) as well as the «Hatz-and Saurüden» (Hunting and wild bar hunds), which were midway between the strng Mastiff f English type and the fast, handy Greyhund. The term Dgge was at first understd t mean a large, pwerful dg, nt f any particular breed. Later, particular names such as Ulmer Dgge, English Dgge, Great Dane, Hatzrüde (Hunting Dg), Saupacker (barfinder) and Grsse Dgge (Great Dgge), classified these dgs accrding t clur and size. In the year 1878 a Cmmittee f seven was frmed in Berlin, cnsisting f active breeders and judges with Dr. Bdinus in the chair, which made the decisin t classify all the frenamed varieties as «Deutsche Dggen» (Great Danes). Thus the fundatin was laid fr the breeding f a separate German breed. In the year 1880, n the
ccasin f a shw in Berlin, the first standard fr the Deutsche Dgge was laid dwn. This standard has been taken care f since the year 1888 by the Deutsche Dggen Club 1888 e.v. (German Dggen Club, registered Club 1888) and frequently been revised ver the years. The present Standard meets the requirements f the F.C.I. GENERAL APPEARANCE: The Great Dane in his nble appearance cmbines a large, pwerful well cnstructed bdy with pride, strength and elegance. By substance tgether with nbility, harmnius appearance, well prprtined utlines, as well as a specially expressive head, the Great Dane strikes the nlker as a nble statue. He is the Appl amngst all breeds. IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS: Almst square in build, this applies particularly t males. The length f the bdy (pint f sternum t pint f buttcks) shuld nt exceed height at withers in dgs by mre than 5%, in bitches by mre than 10%. BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT: Friendly, lving and devted t his wners, specially t the children. Reserved twards strangers. Required is a cnfident, fearless, easily tractable, dcile cmpanin and family dg with high resistance t prvcatin and withut aggressin. HEAD CRANIAL REGION: Skull Stp In harmny with the general appearance. Lng, narrw, distinct, full f expressin. Finely chiselled, specially under the eyes. Superciliary ridges well develped but nt prtruding. The distance frm tip f nse t stp and frm stp t the lightly defined ccipital bne shuld be as equal as pssible. The upper lines f muzzle and skull shuld run parallel. The head must appear narrw seen frm the frnt with bridge f nse as brad as pssible. Cheek muscles nly slightly defined and in n way prtruding. Clearly defined. FACIAL REGION: Nse Well develpeded, rather brad than rund with large nstrils. Must be black with the exceptin f harlequins (white with black patches). In these a black nse is desired but a butterfly nse (black with pink patches) r flesh clured nse is tlerated. In blue dgs the clur f the nse is anthracite (diluted black). Muzzle Deep and as rectangular as pssible.
Well defined crners f lips. Dark pigmented lips. In harlequins nt ttally pigmented r flesh clured lips are tlerated. Jaws/Teeth Well develped brad jaws. Strng sund and cmplete scissr bite (42 teeth accrding t the dentitin frmula). Eyes Of medium size with lively friendly intelligent expressin. As dark as pssible, almnd shaped with clse fitting lids. In blue dgs slightly lighter eyes are tlerated. Ears In harlequins light eyes r tw differently clured eyes are t be tlerated. Naturally pendant, set n high, f medium size, frnt edges lying clse t cheeks. NECK: Lng, clean, muscular. Well frmed set n, tapering slightly twards the head, with arched neckline. Carried upright but inclined slightly frward. BODY: Withers The highest pint f the strng bdy. Back Lins Crup Chest It is frmed by the pints f the shulder blades which extend beynd the spinal prcesses. Shrt and firm, in almst straight line falling away imperceptibly t the rear. Slightly arched, brad, strngly muscled. Brad, well muscled. Slping slightly frm hipbne t tail set, imperceptibly merging int the tailset. Reaching t the elbws. Well sprung ribs, reaching far back. Chest f gd width with marked frechest. Underline and belly Belly well tucked up twards rear, frming a nicely curved line with the underside f the brisket. TAIL: Reaching t the hcks. Set n high and brad, tapering evenly twards tip. In repse hanging dwn with natural curve. When dg is alert r mving, carried slightly sabre-like but nt markedly abve the backline. Bristle hair n tail undesirable. LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS: Shulders Strngly muscled. The lng, slanting shulder blade frms an angle f 100 t 110 degrees with the upper arm. Upper arm Strng and muscular, clse fitting, shuld be slightly lnger than the shulder blade. Elbws Turned neither in nr ut. Frearm Strng, muscular. Seen frm frnt and side, cmpletely straight. Carpus Strng, firm, nly slightly standing ut frm the structure f the frearm. Pastern Strng, straight when seen frm the frnt, seen frm the side, barely slanting frwards. Frnt feet Runded, well arched, well-knit tes (cat feet). Nails shrt, strng and as dark as pssible. HINDQUARTERS: The whle skeletn is cvered by strng muscles which make the crup, hips and upper thighs appear brad and runded. The strng well angulated hind legs, seen frm behind, are set parallel t the frnt legs. Upper thigh Lng, brad, very muscular. Stifles Strng, psitined almst vertically under the hip jint. Lwer thigh Lng, f apprximately the same length as the upper thigh. Well muscled. Hcks Strng, firm, turning neither in nr ut. Metatarsus Shrt, strng, standing almst vertical t the grund. Hind feet Runded, well arched, well-knit (cat feet). Nails shrt, strng and as dark as pssible. GAIT / MOVEMENT: Harmnius, lithe, grund cvering, slightly springy. Legs must be parallel in mvement cming and ging.
SKIN: Tight fitting. In slid clurs, well pigmented. In harlequins, the distributin f pigment mainly crrespnds t the markings. COAT HAIR: Very shrt, dense, smth and clse lying, glssy. COLOUR: The Great Dane is bred in three separate clur varieties: Fawn and brindle, harlequin and black, and blue. Fawn Light gld fawn t deep gld fawn. Black mask desired. Small white marks n chest and tes undesirable. Brindle Basic clurs, light t deep gld fawn with black stripes as regular and clearly defined as pssible, running with the directin f the ribs. Black mask desired. Small white markings n chest and tes are undesirable. Harlequin (white with black splashed patches) Basic clur pure white, preferably with n ticking. Pure black patches well distributed all ver the bdy, having the appearance f being trn. Grey r brwnish patches undesirable. Black Blue Jet black, white markings permitted. Included here are «Manteltiger» in which the black cvers the bdy like a cat ( mantel ) r blanket and muzzle, thrat, chest, belly, legs and tip f tail may be white. Als dgs with basic white clur and large black patches s called Plattenhunde. Pure steel blue, white markings n chest and feet permitted. HEIGHT: Height at withers: Dgs at least 80 cm. Bitches at least 72 cm. FAULTS: Any departure frm the freging pints shuld be cnsidered a fault and the seriusness with which the fault shuld be regarded shuld be in exact prprtin t its degree. General appearance
Lack f male r female characteristics, lack f balance, t light, t carse in built. Temperament Lacking self-cnfidence, nervus, easily prvked. Head Lines f head nt parallel, apple head, wedge shaped head, t little stp; t prminent cheek muscles. Muzzle Pinted, lacking flews, lips t pendulus. Bridge f nse cncave (dish shaped), cnvex (rman nse), falling away in frnt part (eagle nse). Jaws / Teeth Any deviatin frm a cmplete set f teeth (nly the missing f bth PM1 in the lwer jaw may be tlerated). Eyes Ears Neck Back Crup Tail Irregular psitin f individual incisrs as lng as the bite remains therwise crrect), teeth t small. Slack lids, haw t red. Light, piercing, amber clured eyes. Wall eyes r differently clured eyes in all slid cat clurs. Eyes t wide apart r slit eyes. Eyes prtruding r t deeply set. Set n t high r t lw. Standing ff frm the sides f the head r flat lying. Shrt thick neck, ewe neck, thratiness r excess f dewlap. Sway back, rach back. T lng in back. Tpline rising twards rear. Falling away steeply r cmpletely flat. T thick, t lng r t shrt, set n t lw r t highly carried abve the back line. Hk tail r curled tail as well as tail carried sideways. Tail which is damaged, thickened at the tip r has been dcked. Ribcage Flat r barrel-shaped ribs. Lack f width r depth f chest. T strngly prtruding breastbne. Lwer line Belly line nt sufficiently tucked up. Teats nt sufficiently retracted. Frelegs Insufficient angulatin. Light bne, weak muscles. Stance nt vertical. Shulders Lse r laded. Upright shulder blade. Elbws Lse, turning in r ut. Frearm
Bent, enlarged abve pastern. Pastern Enlarged, markedly weak r knuckling ver. Metacarpus T slping r t upright. Hindquarters T much r t little angulatin. Hcks Feet Cw hcked, clse tgether r pen hcked when standing. Exaggerated large r unstable. Flat, splayed, lng. Dewclaws. Gait / Mvement Cvering t little grund, lack f freedm in actin. Frequent r cnstant pacing. Lack f c-rdinatin between frnt and hind mvement. Cat Duble cat (carse, shrt cat), dull cat. Clur In fawn Grey fawn, blue fawn, isabella (cream) r sty fawn clur. In brindles Basic clur silver blue r isabella. Washed-ut streaks. In harlequins Blue-grey ticked basic clur. Large fawn-grey r blue-grey parts in the patches. In blacks Fawn, brwn r blue-black clur. In blues Fawn r black-blue clur. SERIOUS FAULTS: Temperament Shyness. Jaws / Teeth Pincer bite. Eyes Tail Ectrpin, entrpin. Kinky tail. ELIMINATING FAULTS: Temperament Aggressiveness, fear-biting.
Nse Liver clured; split nse Jaws / Teeth Oversht, undersht, wry muth. Clur Fawn r brindle dgs with white blaze, white cllar, white feet r scks and white tip f tail. Blue dgs with white blaze, white cllar, white feet r scks r white tip f tail. Harlequin dgs : White withut any black (albins), deaf. S called Prcelain tigers (dgs that shw predminantly blue, grey, fawn r brindle patches), s called Grautiger (dgs that have a basic grey clur with black patches). Height Belw minimum height. Any dg clearly shwing physical r behaviural abnrmalities shall be disqualified. N.B.: Male animals shuld have tw apparently nrmally develped testicles fully descended int the scrtum. Translatin & surce: Mrs. C. Seidler, revised by Mrs R. Sprre-Willes and E. Peper. http://www.fci.be/