Editing Great Dane (section)

=== Coat ===
[[File:Greatdane.jpg|thumb|Blue Great Dane]][[File:Great Dane black laying.jpg|thumb|Black Great Dane puppy with cropped ears]]
[[File:8675eds win.jpg|thumbnail|Harlequin Great Dane with cropped ears]][[File:Greatdanedogge-merle1.jpg|thumb|Grey merle Great Dane]]

According to the breed standard, Great Danes have six to seven (depending on the standard) show-acceptable [[Coat (dog)|coat colours]]:<ref name=AKC>{{cite web|title=Great Dane Breed Standard|publisher=[[American Kennel Club]]|url=http://www.akc.org/breeds/great_dane|year=1999|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050503171729/http://www.akc.org/breeds/great_dane/|archive-date=3 May 2005}}</ref><ref>[http://www.fci.be/nomenclature/Standards/235g02-en.pdf FCI Breed Standard N° 235 Great Dane (Deutsche Dogge)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006071603/http://www.fci.be/nomenclature/Standards/235g02-en.pdf |date=6 October 2014 }} (PDF)</ref>
* Fawn and brindle
**'''[[Fawn (color)|Fawn]]''': The colour is yellow-gold with a [[Melanistic mask|black mask]]. Black should appear on the eye rims and eyebrows and may appear on the ears.
**'''Brindle''': The colour is fawn and black in a chevron striped pattern. Often, they are also referred to as having a striped pattern.
* Black, harlequin, grey merle and mantle
**'''Black''': The colour is a glossy black. White markings on the chest and toes are not desirable and considered faults.
**'''Harlequin''': The base colour is pure white with torn black  patches irregularly distributed over the entire body; a pure white neck is preferred. The black patches should never be large enough to give the appearance of a blanket, nor so small as to give a stippled or dappled effect. Eligible, but less desirable, are a few small patches of grey that is consistent with a merle marking, or a white base with single black hairs showing through, which tend to give a salt and pepper or dirty effect. Merlequin, a white coat with grey patches instead of black, is a disqualification.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 9, 2018 |title=Official Standard of the Great Dane |url=http://images.akc.org/pdf/breeds/standards/GreatDane.pdf |access-date=March 11, 2022 |website=[[American Kennel Club]]}}</ref>
***'''Grey [[Merle (dog coat)|merle]]''' (''Grautiger'') Great Danes are acceptable in conformation shows under the [[Fédération Cynologique Internationale|FCI]].  This color was previously a disqualifying fault, but the fault was deleted in a new breed standard in 2012 to provide a wider gene pool and because the grey merle gene can produce a correct harlequin coat.<ref name="FCI67-2013">[http://www.fci.be/circulaires/67-2013.pdf Circular 67/2013 of the FCI, 23/12/2013] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140107154817/http://www.fci.be/circulaires/67-2013.pdf |date=7 January 2014 }} (PDF)</ref> Their status is that they are "neither desirable nor to be disqualified".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/235g02-en.pdf|title=F.C.I. Standard N° 235, P. 7|website=fci.be|access-date=7 May 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171025191526/http://www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/235g02-en.pdf|archive-date=25 October 2017}}</ref> Consequently, this colour must never obtain the highest grading at dog shows.<ref name="FCI67-2013" />
**'''Mantle''' (in some countries referred to as '''Boston''' due to the similar colouration and pattern as a [[Boston Terrier]]): The colour is black and white with a solid black blanket extending over the body; black skull with white muzzle; white blaze is optional; whole white collar preferred; a white chest; white on part or whole of forelegs and hind legs; white tipped black tail. A small white marking in the black blanket is acceptable, as is a break in the white collar.
* Blue and blue brindle
**'''Blue''': The colour is a pure steel blue. White markings at the chest and feet are permitted - never with a fawn nuance or blackish-blue colour.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/235g02-en.pdf|title=Great Dane Standard FCI|last=Tapio|first=Marjo|date=25 February 2019|website=www.fci.be|access-date=25 February 2019|archive-date=6 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006071603/http://www.fci.be/nomenclature/Standards/235g02-en.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
**'''Blue brindle''': This is a brindle coat with a blue-gray background and darker brindle striping.<ref>{{Cite web |last=MOIZ |date=2023-09-12 |title=The Majestic Blue Brindle Great Dane |url=https://petreck.com/blue-brindle-great-dane/ |access-date=2023-09-21 |website=Pet Reck |language=en-us}}</ref>