Standard and Studbook

Until the middle of the 19th century the choice of breed of the Danes was controlled by intuition to a large extent. In a guide for hunters (1820 Winkel) the demands of the hounds of the 18th century are listed, for example. “A good hound – no matter of which colour – has to have a prominent but not too short a head, which ends with a long, pointed muzzle with four good fangs; and a sturdy chest which may also be short and prominent. The legs must not lack the necessary strength. But a major fault would be if they waddled, i.e. if their ankles are not strong enough.” If you asked today since when one can talk of a planned breed of the Great Dane, it is to be assumed that it started in 1879, the year of the first breeder convention during which they discussed a common standard. A standard includes a more or less detailed description of a breed, such as of the head, neck, body, size, colour, etc. and the faults that are to be eliminated. The standard is based on a certain type of breed, i.e. the ‘ideal animal’ which can hardly ever be achieved. The standard we refer to today can be followed as far back as the year 1891. It was edited by the “Deutschen Doggenclub” which has been founded in 1888 in order to support this breed. In 1897 the first volume of the genealogy of the Great Dane was published and contained 538 entries. Its editor was the “Deutsche Doggenclub