For information on ethically breeding the different colours please see our seminar page

Brindles: must be striped, ground colour from lightest buff to deepest orange, stripes always black, eyes and nails preferably dark, dark shadings on head and ears acceptable.

Fawns: colour varies from lightest buff to deepest orange, dark shadings on head and ears acceptable, eyes and nails preferably dark.

Blues: colour varies from light grey to deep slate, the nose and eyes may be blue.

Blacks: a) Black is black.

In all above colours white is only permissible on chest and feet, but it is not desirable even there. Nose always black, except in blues and harlequins. Eyes and nails preferably dark.

b) Mantles: Black and white with a solid, black blanket extending over the body. Ideally - black skull with white muzzle, white blaze optional, whole white collar preferred, a white chest, white on part or whole of the forelegs and hindlegs, white tipped black tail. Nose always black, eyes and nails preferably dark

Harlequins: pure white underground with preferably all black patches or all blue patches, having appearance of being torn. Light nails permissible. In harlequins, wall eyes, pink noses, or butterfly noses permissible but not desirable.

Any other colours including Merle are mis-marks and will not be recogniized as a show colour. Merles however are still KC registerable. Merle is generally a grey base colour (but not always) with black patches. Merle coloration can vary from pale silver to dark ash grey & many shades in between. Breeding Merle to Merle often produces deaf and/or blind white puppies. *Any other colours are mis-marks and buyers must not be misled into thinking that they are a ‘rare’ or ‘special’ or ‘desirable’ colour.

Nowadays breeding from Merles may be better planned and informed by colour testing at a variety of labs. Please check prices and discounts etc for comparisons eg https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/KCDNATestingGreatDane  LABOKLIN   UCDAVIES  PET GENETICS LAB B