COAT, COLOR, MARKINGS AND PATTERNS
According to the official Great Dane Standard, established by the DDC - Deutscher Doggen Club - member of the FCI - Fédération cynologique internationale, a World Canine Organization - the Great Dane is bred in three independent strains / varieties:
I - FAWN & BRINDLE: the offspring may have fawn and / or brindle coat colors.
ll - BLUE & BLACK OF BLUE BREEDING: the offspring may have blue and/or black coat colors.
III – HARLEQUIN, MERLE & BLACK (includes Mantle and Piebald): In this last strain the offspring may have many different colors and patterns with black, white and various shades of gray, presented in their phenotype and genotype. All these variable in colors and patterns belong to the gene pool of this strain, as shown below:
NOTE:
To avoid non-standard colors and patterns in the bred, the DDC breeding rules and the GDCA Breeders Color Code are unanimous:
BLACK from Blue breeding should not be bred in the Harlequin Color Strain, whereas BLACK from Harlequin breeding should not be bred in the Blue Color Strain.
Sources:
DDC - Infos zum DDC, Downloads, Zuchtordnung -. II Zuchtverfahren, 2nd § °)
GDCA - Great Dane Club of America / Breeders Color Code
To avoid non-standard colors and patterns in the bred, the DDC breeding rules and the GDCA Breeders Color Code are unanimous:
BLACK from Blue breeding should not be bred in the Harlequin Color Strain, whereas BLACK from Harlequin breeding should not be bred in the Blue Color Strain.
Sources:
DDC - Infos zum DDC, Downloads, Zuchtordnung -. II Zuchtverfahren, 2nd § °)
GDCA - Great Dane Club of America / Breeders Color Code
While the DDC recognizes three separete color strains as shown above, the GDCA recognizes not only three, but four color strains:
I - FAWN and BRINDLE;
II - BLUE and BLUE BRED BLACK;
III - HARLEQUIN, MERLE, MANTLE and HARLEQUIN BRED BLACK;
IV - BLACK (Black of Black Bred only).
According to the GDCA Color Code, Black Bred Black may be bred in the Halequin Color Strain or in the Blue Color Strain, but never the other way around, i.e., Black of Harlequin and Black of Blue Strains should not be bred in the Strain of Black Bred Black.
I - FAWN and BRINDLE;
II - BLUE and BLUE BRED BLACK;
III - HARLEQUIN, MERLE, MANTLE and HARLEQUIN BRED BLACK;
IV - BLACK (Black of Black Bred only).
According to the GDCA Color Code, Black Bred Black may be bred in the Halequin Color Strain or in the Blue Color Strain, but never the other way around, i.e., Black of Harlequin and Black of Blue Strains should not be bred in the Strain of Black Bred Black.
"Color Classifications being well founded, the Great Dane Club of America, Inc. considers it an inadvisable practice to mix color strains (...)." Source: GDCA Breeders Color Code
These three main color varieties or color strains are represented in our story by the three Provinces of Doggerrland. Check on the picture below:
Whenever these three strains are mixed with each other, that is, when a dane of one of the three varieties mates a dane from another variety, all sorts of unusual coat colors may apear in the offspring. Those coat patterns with WHITE and fawn - blue - or brindle markings are also known as "Porcelain Danes". Basically, they are the result of mix color breedings.
In the official FCI /DDC and AKC /GDCA Standards these coat patterns are considered disqualifyng faults.
Here below you can see a few samples of mix color breedings:
Copyright © 2014 Monica Reifegerste. All rights reserved.
THE LEGEND OF MAXIM AND THE CURSE OF PROBOPOLO Pag. 202
THE LEGEND OF MAXIM AND THE CURSE OF PROBOPOLO Pag. 202
Note: We do not condone or support mix color breedings (between different varieties), due to the fact that there are many bad breeders all over the world that cull (euthanize) healthy puppies whenever they don´t have the desired patterns and colors.
Just as Mad-ellia (the bad character of our story), they want to be like God, deciding over life and death...
Just as Mad-ellia (the bad character of our story), they want to be like God, deciding over life and death...
