Great Danes are the tallest dog breeds worldwide; they are also known as Deutsche Dogge, German Boarhound, or German Mastiff. They are descendants of hunting dogs in the Middle Age, a crossbreed between an Irish Wolfhound and an English Mastiff. Harlequin Great Danes are among the standard colored Great Danes.
Like all Great Danes, Harlequin Great Danes are gentle, loyal, friendly, and calm, despite being huge dogs. They are one of the most loved Great Dane variants; they rarely get angry, and they are great playtime companions. Their coat color differentiates them from other variants.
It is impossible not to get attracted to a Harlequin Great Dane. A walk down the street with a Harlequin Great Dane will garner the attention of passersby, with a lot of them taking pictures and videos of the dog.
Harlequin Great Dane
The history of Great Danes dates back to the middle of the 16th century when Nobles of various European countries imported strong, long-legged dogs from England. These imported dogs were a crossbreed between Irish Wolfhounds and English Mastiffs; there were no formal breeds, and they were hybrids available in different sizes.
These imported dogs were called Englische Tocke or Englische Docke, later spelled Englischer Hund or Dogge in Germany, a name that came to mean English Dog. These new dog breeds in Europe have been bred in German noble courts since the 17th century.
The dogs were used for hunting boar, bear, and deer in the wild; the best and favorite dogs remained in the courts of the nobles, who dressed them with ornate collars; they stayed up at night in the bed chambers protecting their owners. However, with the invention of firearms, hunting was changed forever, and hunting dogs dwindled.
These dogs became rare and were kept as luxury and hobby dogs. A committee was formed in Berlin in 1878; this committee proposed and implemented a name change of the Englische Dogge to Deutsche Dogge, which means German Mastiff. In the 19th century, the dog was referred to as a German boarhound in many English-speaking countries.
As the dogs increased in population, German breeders started using names like German Mastiff and German Dogge in English markets; they believed the dog should not be marketed as a working dog but as a luxurious dog. This increased tensions between Germany and other European countries; the name Great Dane was finally settled on.
The Great Dane is a dog that combines strength, regal appearance, elegance, great size, and a well-formed, powerful, muscled body. These dog breeds are short-haired and have a strong, galloping figure. When you look at the ratio between the height and length of Great Danes, they are square.
Great Danes come in different colors: Harlequin, fawn, brindle, merle, mantle, black, and blue. Harlequin Great Danes are the most difficult colors to breed and the rarest Great Dane variant. It takes generations of Great Dane breeding to produce a perfect Harlequin Great Dane.
The average height of a male Harlequin Great Dane is between 29.5 to 33.5 inches, with an average weight of 121.2 to 198.4 pounds. Female Harlequin Great Danes can reach an average height of 27.6 to 31.5 inches while weighing 99.2 to 132.3 pounds. Harlequin Great Danes can be recognized by their white base coat with black patches or spots.
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The American Kennel Club has requirements that a Harlequin Great Dane must meet to be recognized. The markings must have jagged or torn edges instead of completely round. The patches on the coat should neither be too many nor too few; there must be a balance to the coat.
The black patches should not be so large that they appear as a blanket on the dog’s coat; the patches can be on the legs and chest of the dog too. A Harlequin Great Dane must have a pure white neck. Black hairs must not be visible underneath the white base coat.
Breeding Harlequin Great Danes can be very difficult; breeders have discovered that breeding two Harlequin Great Danes does not guarantee that they will produce Harlequin Great Dane pups. Genetics is the major determinant of which puppy will be Harlequin-colored.
Another thing that has been a controversial issue among Great Danes is if their coat colors play a role in the dog’s temperament. Various studies have been conducted and are still ongoing, but most dog experts claim that the dog’s coat color does not affect the overall temperament of a Great Dane.
The temperament of a Great Dane is determined by the training it receives from its owners; a Great Dane that is bred responsibly, properly groomed, bred, and socialized will turn out to be a good dog. However, the coat color of a Great Dane determines the health status and possible health issues the dog will experience.
One of the most prominent health issues associated with Harlequin Great Danes is congenital deafness. Dr. Stanley Coren, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia, wrote an article stating that Great Danes with light-colored coats, including white, piebald, roan, and merle, are susceptible to genetic hearing issues.
The genes that make a Great Dane harlequin have been linked to congenital deafness in this breed; the coats of Harlequin Great Danes carry two pigmentations in addition to the primary pigmentation. Other health issues affecting Harlequin Great Danes are bloat, hypothyroidism, hip dysplasia, cardiac diseases, and autoimmune thyroiditis.
All Harlequin Great Dane puppies are born with black patches, although the patches can shift, change shape, and even get bigger as the dog grows. The coats of Harlequin Great Dane finalize when the dogs attain maturity, which is about two to three years. However, there have been reports of Harlequin Great Danes changing coats after five years.
How Expensive Is A Harlequin Great Dane?
Since Harlequin Great Danes are rare Great Dane variants, they are expensive. The price of a Harlequin Great Dane is determined by the breeder, the puppy’s pedigree, and the parent’s history. The puppy’s pedigree is the recorded lineage of the dog to know if it is purebred, and the parent’s history is if they were show quality dogs.
The cost of a Harlequin Great Dane ranges from $600 to $3000. If you are purchasing the Harlequin Great Dane puppy from a breeder, it can cost about $1800 to $3000. It costs about $300 to $600 to adopt a Harlequin Dane puppy from a dog shelter; adult dogs cost less to adopt.
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Are Harlequin Great Danes Rare?
The rarest Great Dane variants are Harlequin Great Danes. The genes that make a Great Dane have harlequin coat color is rare and does not occur often. We mentioned earlier that crossbreeding two Harlequin Great Danes does not mean you will have Harlequin Great Dane puppies.
It takes a lot of crossbreeding among Great Danes to produce Harlequin Great Danes; this is one of the top reasons they are expensive, and they will always attract people’s attention.
Are Great Danes Dalmatians?
Great Danes and Dalmatians are similar in many ways; without knowledge, differentiating a Harlequin Great Dane from a Dalmatian can be difficult. The second similarity between these breeds is that they are descended from wolves. These are the only similarities.
Dalmatians have round spots as opposed to the black patches on Harlequin Great Danes, although they can have the same coat color in some cases.
Final Thoughts
If you hope to own a Harlequin Great Dane, you need knowledge because they are unique and special breeds. You need to understand that Great Danes are not aggressive dog breeds; combined with their weight and height, they can easily pull and push people.
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Shawn Manaher is a serial entrepreneur but when he isn’t working, he loves dogs. He’s owned different pets over the years, and always gives a part of his heart to each pet.
