Great Dane Coat Color Genetics
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Colors and Patterns in the Great Dane
Acceptable Colors
The acceptable colors in the Great Dane, according to the American Kennel Club standard, are:
The acceptable colors in the Great Dane, according to the American Kennel Club standard, are:
- Fawn, which is clear sable (Ay) with a mask
- Black
- Blue, which is dilute black (dd)
- Brindle, with a mask
- Harlequin, which is modified merle
- Harlequin mantle, which is as above but with irish spotting
- Mantle, which is black with irish spotting (sisi)
That means that Great Danes carry the following genes:
- A locus: Ay (sable)
- B locus: B (non-liver)
- C locus: ? Probably just C (normal expression of phaeomelanin)
- D locus: D (non-dilute), d (dilute)
- E locus: Em (mask)
- G locus: g (no greying)
- H locus: H (harlequin), h (non-harlequin)
- K locus: K (dominant black), kbr (brindle), k (allows expression of A locus)
- M locus: M (merle), m (non-merle)
- S locus: S (no white spotting), si (irish spotting)
- T locus: t (no ticking)
We don't need to take into account some of these locii when looking at Great Dane breeding, simply because there's only one gene they carry on that locus, so all Danes will be homozygous for it. For example, all Danes are sable (AyAy), it's just some cannot express it. The locii in bold type above are the ones we do need to consider.
- Black
- Blue, which is dilute black (dd)
- Brindle, with a mask
- Harlequin, which is modified merle
- Harlequin mantle, which is as above but with irish spotting
- Mantle, which is black with irish spotting (sisi)
That means that Great Danes carry the following genes:
- A locus: Ay (sable)
- B locus: B (non-liver)
- C locus: ? Probably just C (normal expression of phaeomelanin)
- D locus: D (non-dilute), d (dilute)
- E locus: Em (mask)
- G locus: g (no greying)
- H locus: H (harlequin), h (non-harlequin)
- K locus: K (dominant black), kbr (brindle), k (allows expression of A locus)
- M locus: M (merle), m (non-merle)
- S locus: S (no white spotting), si (irish spotting)
- T locus: t (no ticking)
We don't need to take into account some of these locii when looking at Great Dane breeding, simply because there's only one gene they carry on that locus, so all Danes will be homozygous for it. For example, all Danes are sable (AyAy), it's just some cannot express it. The locii in bold type above are the ones we do need to consider.
Other Colours
The Great Dane is unique in that a huge proportion of the possible colours it can occur in are not actually acceptable in the show ring. All of the following colours can be bred from crossing acceptable colours. In order to avoid breeding too many puppies which are unshowable, breeders tend to breed only certain colours together, for example breeding a black with a mantle is generally a "safe" breeding, although it can result in incorrect white markings.
These are all of the other colours that can occur in the Great Dane, along with their genotypes. I have only included colours which can be bred from the accepted ones above. A dash (-) in the genotype means that it doesn't matter what that gene is.
The Great Dane is unique in that a huge proportion of the possible colours it can occur in are not actually acceptable in the show ring. All of the following colours can be bred from crossing acceptable colours. In order to avoid breeding too many puppies which are unshowable, breeders tend to breed only certain colours together, for example breeding a black with a mantle is generally a "safe" breeding, although it can result in incorrect white markings.
These are all of the other colours that can occur in the Great Dane, along with their genotypes. I have only included colours which can be bred from the accepted ones above. A dash (-) in the genotype means that it doesn't matter what that gene is.
- Merle mantle
: D-/hh/K-/Mm/sisi - Brindle merle mantle
: D-/hh/kbr-/Mm/sisi - Fawn merle mantle
: D-/hh/kk/Mm/sisi - Blue harlequin mantle
: dd/Hh/K-/Mm/sisi - Blue brindle harlequin mantle
: dd/Hh/kbr-/Mm/sisi |
- Brindle mantle
: D-/--/kbr-/mm/sisi - Brindle harlequin
: D-/Hh/kbr-/Mm/SS |
- Blue fawn mantle
: dd/--/kk/mm/sisi - Blue (dilute) merle mantle
: dd/hh/K-/Mm/sisi - Blue brindle merle mantle
: dd/hh/kbr-/Mm/sisi - Blue fawn merle mantle
: dd/hh/kk/Mm/sisi - Fawn harlequin mantle
: D-/Hh/kk/Mm/sisi - Brindle harlequin mantle
: D-/Hh/kbr-/Mm/sisi |
- Blue brindle mantle
: dd/--/kbr-/mm/sisi - Brindle merle
: D-/hh/kbr-/Mm/SS - Blue brindle harlequin
: dd/Hh/kbr-/Mm/SS |
Please note that I am assuming here that mantle Great Danes have the irish spotting gene (si). However, genetic testing has shown that not all mantle Danes do have this gene and some are actually pseudo-irish, which means their pattern comes from the piebald gene sp (they are piebald heterozygotes). This would add yet another pattern to our Great Dane list - piebald (or "plattenhunde"), which can occur on any colour. However I have decided not to include this pattern here as it is not accepted by all kennel clubs and will just complicate the case study even more!
Specialist Terms
Fawn - sable.
Merlikin/merlequin - white with merle patches (i.e. double merle) or irish-spotted merle.
Plattenhund - piebald. We won't be dealing with this variation here, but it is accepted by the FCI.
Fawnequin - harlequin with fawn patches.
Brindlequin - harlequin with brindle patches.
Mantle/Boston - irish spotted.
Porcelaine - any harlequin colour other than black.
Fawn - sable.
Merlikin/merlequin - white with merle patches (i.e. double merle) or irish-spotted merle.
Plattenhund - piebald. We won't be dealing with this variation here, but it is accepted by the FCI.
Fawnequin - harlequin with fawn patches.
Brindlequin - harlequin with brindle patches.
Mantle/Boston - irish spotted.
Porcelaine - any harlequin colour other than black.
Please see more information and educational tools @ http://doggenetics.co.uk/danes.htm