Buyer Guidelines

BUYER

GUIDELINES

CONFORMATION

When choosing a puppy, you should utilize all of the resources you have at hand. You should read the AKC
standard and the UKC standard for what a Great Dane should look like. Using this knoweledge you then need
to apply it to the sire and dam of the puppy you are looking at and make sure they meet the standard as closely
as possible. There are no perfect dogs but if you buy a Great Dane puppy whose parents both look like a greyhound then you will most likely end up with an adult that looks like a greyhound.

Showing is a tool that breeders use to qualify their dogs as breeding quality.

I am not saying that you have to show to have quality dogs but please be aware that anyone can put a page on the web and look presentable. You may say that you only want a pet and are not interested in showing but keep in mind that show dogs are the dogs that set the standard for the breed. It takes several shows and putting your dog in front of several judges to reach a championship. Judges not only look for the proper appearance but also the proper temperament and movement. The dogs you see strutting their stuff in a show ring do not get there by improper breeding. Nor by being kept in cages or left alone in the backyard. You may not realize it but dogs get as much of their temperament from genetics as they do from environment.

Some of the wonderful web sites you see on the internet are actually puppy mills with their animals in horrid conditions. Some of the websites are showcasing dogs who look nice but have had no health testing and some will even go as far as having health testing done but have animals with severe mouth/teeth problems, bad legs, bad conformation, temperament issues (shyness, aggression etc...) or just in general dont look like a Great Dane should. Inspect these websites. Take a good look at the pictures. Be aware of the conditions surrounding the dog and the general appearance of the mother and father. Go to visit the kennel. Even if you can't get there tell them you would like to visit and see their reaction. If they tell you no buy elsewhere. If they tell you they are USDA inspected, be cautious. Inspections are a great tool but... puppy mills can get this inspection and pass. They love to use this line. In truth the guidelines from one of the top registries and the USDA have very few requirements about the housing, exercise and mental health of the animals.

Also beware of the phrase “champion bloodlines”. This quite often translates into a champion several generations back bred to a friends dog who may or may not be of breeding quality. This champion may be far enough removed that some or all of the problems listed above may show up in the puppy you are looking at. Again... just because a puppy does not have champions in the bloodline does not mean the puppy will not be good quality but your odds diminish with each generation.

Dogs bred out of champions are a result of experience, dedication, proper breeding practices and vet care.
Things that definitely influence the health and temperament of your puppy.

Here is a link to the best online conformation clinic I have seen.
http://www.sunstrike-great-danes.com/conformation-clinic.htm

AKC conformation standard
http://www.akc.org/breeds/great_dane/index.cfm

UKC conformation standard
http://www.ukcdogs.com/RegistrationBreeds.htm

COLOR

Sometimes I get calls from people with questions about the color of our breed. Wanting to know about "rare" colors and what is acceptable. Here is a little information on the coloring of the Great Dane. Blue Great Danes do not have a different personality than the rest for the breed. While you can have different personalities varying with the individual dogs the color is not the determining factor.

All blue Dane puppies are born with blue eyes. They start changing to the dark copper at about 7 to 9 weeks of age.

Danes come in 6 accepted colors. Fawn, Brindle, Black, Blue, Harlequin and Mantle (also known as Boston and is a black and white variation only). These are the only colors accepted by the Great Dane Club of America, AKC and UKC. AKC and UKC will grant registration to Merles and Whites but they are not accepted in the show ring. Do not allow someone to con you into a "rare" color of Great Dane. There are no rare colors. On your registration papers you will not find a place to register these rare colors and if you register your pup you will have to pick a color that is accepted even if it is not the color of your puppy. Any Dane that is a different color than the 6 described above should be considered a mismarked dog. Mismarked puppies will occur with any breeder but they should be considered a pet, be sold on a spay or neuter agreement only and should never be used for breeding. The color deviation of the puppy will not in any way affect its potential as a companion.

Mismark colors include but are not limited to... Piebald, Fawnequins, Fawn Mantles, Fawn Merle, Blue Fawn, Brindlequins, Brindle Merle, Brindle Mantle, Blue Brindle, Blue Mantle, Merle, Merle, Merlequins, Merle Mantle, Chocolate and Chocolate with any markings.

Here is a copy of the Great Dane Club of America's color code of Ethics.


BREEDERS' COLOR CODE (As endorsed by The Great Dane Club of America) "It shall be the goal of all to breed forward, never backwards, to attain pedigrees of puppies which have the desired color strains endorsed by the Great Dane Club of America" There are only six recognized colors; all these basically fall into four color strains: FAWN and BRINDLE HARLEQUIN, MANTLE and HARLEQUIN BRED BLACK BLUE and BLUE BRED BLACK BLACK Color Classifications being well founded, the Great Dane Club of America, Inc. considers it an inadvisable practice to mix color strains and it is the club's policy to adhere only to the following breedings:

COLOR OF DANE	APROVED BREEDINGS	DESIRED PEDIGREES

1. FAWN 1. BRINDLE	1. FAWN bred to FAWN or BRINDLE only. 1. BRINDLE bred to BRINDLE or FAWN only.	Pedigrees of FAWN or BRINDLE Danes should not carry BLACK, HARLEQUIN or BLUE upon them.

2. HARLEQUIN 2. MANTLE 2. BLACK (HARLEQUIN BRED)	2. HARLEQUIN bred to HARLEQUIN, BLACK from HARLEQUIN BREEDING or BLACK from BLACK BREEDING only. 2. MANTLE bred to HARLEQUIN, MANTLE, BLACK from HARLEQUIN breeding or BLACK from BLACK breeding only. 2. BLACK from HARLEQUIN BREEDING bred to HARLEQUIN, BLACK from HARLEQUIN BREEDING or BLACK from BLACK BREEDING only.	Pedigrees of HARLEQUIN, MANTLE or HARLEQUIN BRED BLACK Danes should not carry FAWN, BRINDLE or BLUE upon them.

3. BLUE 3. BLACK (BLUE BRED)	3. BLUE bred to BLUE, BLACK from BLUE BREEDING or BLACK from BLACK BREEDING only. 3. BLACK from BLUE BREEDING bred to BLUE, BLACK from BLUE BREEDING or BLACK from BLACK BREEDING ONLY.	Pedigrees of BLUE or BLUE BRED BLACK Danes should not carry FAWN, BRINDLE, or HARLEQUIN upon them.

4. BLACK (BLACK BRED)	4. BLACK from BLACK BREEDING bred to BLACK, BLUE or HARLEQUIN and MANTLE. (See note below)	Pedigrees of BLACK BRED Danes should not carry FAWN, BRINDLE, HARLEQUIN, MANTLE or BLUE upon them.

NOTE: Black Bred Great Danes may be bred to Blacks, Blues, Harlequins or Mantles only. Puppies resulting from these breedings will become Blacks, Harlequins from Harlequin breeding or Mantle. (category 2 above). Blacks or Blues from Blue breeding (category 3 above) or Blacks from Black breeding (category 4 above).