88 



THE NEW BOOK OF THE DOG 



The following is the official description 

 issued by the Great Dane Club. The 

 sketches are by Mis. Ernest E. Fox. 



THE PERFECT GREAT DANE. 



I. General Appearance. — The Great Dane is not 

 so heavy or massive as the Mastiff, nor should 

 he too nearly approach the Greyhound type. 

 Remarkable in size and very muscular, strongly 

 though elegantly built ; the head and neck 

 should be carried high, and the tail in line with 

 the back, or slightly upwards, but not curled 



MR. h. Schmidts CHANCE OF ROSEDALE 



(AT THE AGE OF EIGHT MONTHS) 



BY PRINCE FLORIZEL LIBETT VAN DE PRINS. 



over the hind quarters. Elegance of outline 

 and grace of form are most essential to a Dane ; 

 size is absolutely necessary ; but there must be 

 that alertness of expression and briskness of 

 movement without which the Dane character 

 is lost. He should have a look of dash and 

 daring, of being ready to go anywhere and do 

 anything. 



2. Temperament. — The Great Dane is good- 

 tempered, affectionate, and faithful to his master, 

 not demonstrative with strangers ; intelligent, 

 courageous, and always alert. His value as a 

 guard is unrivalled. He is easily controlled 



when well trained, but he may grow savage if 

 confined too much, kept on chain, or ill treated. 



3. Height. — The minimum height of an adult 

 dog should be 30 ins.; that of a bitch, 28 ins. 



4. Weight. — The minimum weight of an adult 

 dog should be 120 lbs. ; that of a bitch, 100 lbs. 

 The greater height and weight to be preferred, 

 provided that quality and proportion are also 

 combined. 



5. Head. — Taken altogether, the head should 

 give the idea of great length and strength of jaw. 

 The muzzle, or foreface. is 



broad, and the skull propor- 

 tionately narrow, so that the 

 whole head, when viewed from 

 above and in front, has the 

 appearance of equal breadth 

 throughout. 



6. Length of Head. — The The Dutteo Line sh ., ws 

 entire length of head varies faulty lip. 



with the height of the dog, 1 3 

 ins. from the tip of the nose to the back of the 

 occiput is a good measurement for a dog of 321ns.' 

 at the shoulder. The length from the end of the 

 nose to the poin between the eyes should be 

 about equal, or preferably of greater length than 

 from this point to the back of the occiput. 



7. Skull. — The skull should be flat rather than 

 domed, and have a slight indentation running 

 up the centre, the occipital peak not prominent. 

 There should be a decided rise or brow over 

 the eyes, but no abrupt stop between them. 



FAULTY EARS. 



8. Face. — The face should be chiselled well 

 and foreface long, of equal depth throughout, 

 and well filled in below the eyes with no appear- 

 ance of being pinched. 



9. Muscles of the Cheek. — The muscles of the 

 cheeks should be quite fiat, with no lumpiness 

 cr cheek bumps, the angle of the jaw-bone well 

 defined. 



10. Lips. — The lips should hang quite square 

 in front, forming a right angle with the upper 

 line of foreface. 



