THE GREAT DANE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2902, 27 October 1909, Page 34

THE GREAT DANE.

By request I give the following Ftar>brrt description nnd points of the great Dane, as promulgated by the Great Dane Club: — —Standard of Points. — 1. General Appearance —The gicut Dane is r.ct so heavy or massivp as the- mastiff, nor hWoulc] he too nearly approach "tho greyhound type. Remarkable in size and very muscular. strongly though elegantly built; the head and neck should be carried h:gn ard the tpil in line with the back, or plighllj upwaids, but nol curled c.vc-r th<> hindquarters. Elegance of outline and au-aee of for.n are mobt essential to a Dane: size is absolutely necc^ary. but there must bo that alertness of e-xpicsion and bnsknc?^ of mo\ernent, wit.hout which the Dai:-& o'iaratter i.s !o=t. He fhould have a ook of r'l^h amd do rip?, of l>eing .-eady to go anywhere and do anything. 2. Tenrp'vamerit.— Tho great Dane is affectionate, and faithful to his master, not demonstrative with strarg, 1) *; intelligent, courageous, and a!way-> aleit. His vi.kie as a guar<l i.s unri\alkd He h easily controlled wbon w .11 trained, hut he may grow savage if confined too much, kept on chain, or illtreated. 3. Height.—-The minimum height of an adult dog should be 30m; that of a bitch, 28in. 4. Weight.—Thn minimum weight of an adult dosr .should be 1201b: that of i bitch 1001b. The greater heisrht and weight to be preferiP'd, provided that quality -xnfl proportion ai-e a!co combined. 5. Head—Taken altogether. th° head should gi\e the it' 'a of gie^t length and strength of jaw. The muzzle, or foiefaoe, •'r; brojd. and the >-kull proportionately narrow, =o tiiat the w'nole he<id, when view-tl fiom abovo and in front, ha- the appeaiancc of eqiul breadth thioußiiout. 6. L'-nat'i of Head.—Th» entir- 1-rgth if h-ad \;mios with tho hAfs^t of th> dog, 13in fiom the tip of the no->o to th-- foa*-k of th" occiput ii a good inca-uiamipnt for a d->? c r 32in ai the '.boulder. The length froiii ih=> <>n-'l of ths nov» to the point lv»-twe-i the eye-, should be about equal or prefciabh of gr-'atar length than from this point to tlio b?ek of the occiput. 7. Skull.—Th- Mkull =hou!<l lw flat rarh-r than domed, and ha\« a flight ind-nticp ruining up the centre, rhe occipital pi-ak n A jiiomin-nt. Tiiere .should l>e a -V'cd-d Y\<^. or brow over the ejes, but no abrupt i~toi» b"tw"PTi tlr>rn. 8 Vtiit'—'lh" far" s!>ouM be \wV ehi-oll^d and fon-fa<-r lon^, of etiual d-"pth throughout. ai-1 v,-ll fi!l-d in b"!ow the eje', with r"> .ir,iAir,.-.c! of Ix^ui^- pincJ>'"l 9 1"? of ih« CV( ik.—Th". miise'ei ty^ f'/-.], -houJd bs qi-it-" flat, with no lumpin-e-- o.- fhojk bump-., the angle of the jav.-Iot 1 w-Il <lcfin"d. 10 Lip- —Ths hp.-, fliou'd hang quite pquar" in f.ont. fciming a right angle with tho upp°r line of f'ji r 'af. 11. Undcilm-. —Tiip ur<lerhne of tho h'.ad M'>wnd ii 1 pronir> p mi's al>ro-.t in a s-ti-ai'.-ht lino from the rorner of -th" lip to tho corner of Uie jawboiie, ollowing for the fold of the lip, but with no loose ekin to haiig down.

12. Jaw.- -Th-e lower jaw shou'd be about level, or, at any -rate, rot project more than the sixteenth of an inch. 15. Noea and Nostrils. — The bridge of th© nose shoulj be very wide, with a slight ridge whero the cartilage joins the bo^e. (This is quite a characteristic of th? breed.) Tho ncstri's should ba 'arg-e. wids-. and? open, giving a blunt lock to the nose Ai butterfly or flesh -coloured nos;> is not >b-jc-fd to in harlequins. 14. Ears.— The ears should be small, set high on tho skull, and carried slightly eirect with the tips falling forward. 15. Neck.— Xexfc to the head, the meek is one of the chief characteristics. It should bo leng, woll arch-"d, and quita cloan ajicS , fr-r-> from loose skin, held well up, snakelike in carriair^, well =ct in the dionlda-s. and tha junction of h2ad aix 1 aeok woll d« fi nod | 16. Shoulders.— The shoulders should be miisculdii 1 . but not loaded, and -well slopecJ back, with th? elbows well undeir trie body,so that wb»n viewed in front the dog does not stTxl too "wide. 17. Fore-legs and F^et.— Th? fors-legs should bp perfectly straight, wth big, flat bone. Th" fes-t lai*ge and round, the toe» well arohed and close, the nails strong an<J curved , 18. Pody —The bcrlv is vrv cl«e.p. witß ribs w-"H .iDrup" ."nd be."*- w^'l drawn up. 19. Pack ard Loirs.— Th? back and loinT pre strenqr. the latter slightly .arohed as in th-» g-i-evhound ?0. Bindquarters. — The hindquarters ami are *>xtrpm?lv muscithr. saving tho i'l°a of s-reit and gallo-ninsr oowt. T 1 " 5 second tbiffh is lone and well ri"v&1oo»d, as in the gr^vhound. rrd rhe Hecks e^*- lov furr'nff n^'t.l'or oiit tic* in. ?1. TniJ.— Th- r-^i] j s strong at th> root. ht\A ■PTirl'? iri a fin> a point, va^hing to or ju«t b?low Up bo(V«. It should bo eirrinrT. when th' 11 do"- i<? in nct'on. >n a straight lir" lovpl with th-» b- n ck. sh'-jhtlv '•urve-fl 1 toward* the end. but should not curl ove.r th" b^nk. ?Z Po-<-— Ths hair is short and <Wv>. .->rd <=V-vk-'ookinv. rr\A ir no ease shoulcT it mclii' 1 " to ro'ir-Jori^ss. S3. Gair or Aof'>>i — Th' eait *Tiou'd h<> l'the, snrinaT. ,inr] fiee, th.p action high. The hc^ke <shinVl mo'-^ vott reply, andl th* hir«rl s.l-'ould \y h n Vl well nn. ">A. Poionr.— ■ ") BnVdl^ dops. Tiroimd <x>]oi"- from the lightest yellow to j rl-on v° ' ■> -'low "'id alvvnvs s+rir>crj -\vithi I black b'-;-'l!e trir>ps. (b) J 3 e!f-"o'ou"?<l' trtrire . Yello" - o jrr.r.v (blue) in t'l ibo.d-ss. *»itib<-r on- roloxir all over, or w'*-h darker «;hatlin<r c." m\\77\c h^A pv-°,, and a »trir»-> on th» h""k 41--> s"lf-co!r-ur«vl bln^k. I* the brind'^-strin^rl s"d dcf«. the o=^- i.- aHvaia l)lack. cv« a^d n.n.'l^ p^eferablv dai'k. White is* only toJerat*^ l on th- ch~«t. b n t\rri<»p th° \frrs. jj.r^d on th-o f"-t Tn tV"S qrev variM-" liErhter w are adniisfibl*. but nov^r wall »ye«. '*•) Hirlenuin«. Grcurtl colour whifo. with I'rregxilar blac'- oi arr»> pafchos. hay ; n'_ thi» oni>9arpn'"- of beini to ti. a"f' th«s shouldl hs ri;*td-ib»itcd ovc. the bedv »=i evenly «s poesible. Tn' th ; s variety wall ey>*. nink no c "S. or butterfly n<yj£S ape nat ? fault — N. 8 .: Disqualification wilder this reprulation is not comnul-crv ;n; n rp'rnpp tcf do^s born prior to l^t January, 1806 exoeot ir» ro far as i* arT-°ct'? tbo award.irgf of the' cir.'j's -pc-ial colour prizes. i *