Great Dane Color Patterns

[Greenmagick]

yes, honestly IMO is pretty silly. With the advances we have made in genetics and testing there is no reason to worry about losing colors, or keeping color pure. The Merle part of it is the most ridiculous as they (and mantle merles) occur IN the accepted color families. Other mismarks do happen sometimes with "proper" breeding, but merles and mantle merles are a big part of each harl litter.

I happen to like mantle merles

[Danefied]

Yay Ivy!!

[Pops2]

color doesn't catch a hog
nor does a bad guy care what color the dog is throwing him to the ground
it's also important to note that in the standard in my 1936 dog encyclopedia harelquin included fawniquin, blue harl & brindlequin

[Pops2]

Originally Posted by SevenSins

"Any Great Dane which does not fall within the above color classifications must be disqualified." I think Red was asking about things like blue brindle, blue fawn, harlequin with fawn, brindle, blue, etc patches. All are technically genetically possible if breeders choose to go outside of the color breeding "rules" but none are showable.

I don't know why, other than apparently GD breeders collectively decided they didn't like those colors/patterns in their breed.

never understood why someone would want to purposely narrow a closed genepool by eliminating preexisting colors (this applies to you too rottie & samoyed people)

[Barbara!]

I know in Dane world it's traditionally looked down upon to mix color groups. It's Harlequin and Mantle, Fawn and Brindle... And I can't remember the other one. But breeding say, Mantle with a Brindle just isn't something they do. I am not sure why.

[Danefied]

Originally Posted by Barbara!

I know in Dane world it's traditionally looked down upon to mix color groups. It's Harlequin and Mantle, Fawn and Brindle... And I can't remember the other one. But breeding say, Mantle with a Brindle just isn't something they do. I am not sure why.

The color families are fawn & brindle, black & blue, harle & mantle which also includes black from harle. It was in the border wars link.

Responsible breeders do mix color families sometimes especially to improve black and harle lines. But like Greenmagic said, with genetic testing, it really wouldn’t be hard to mix colors while still maintaining the color groups.

Fawns have the largest gene pool and if my really rudimentary understanding of color is correct, adding in a fawn to black or harle lines is not a big deal.