If you’re not familiar with it, black is one of the 7 official Great Dane coat colors! Aside from having this specific coat color, black Great Danes are otherwise very much a normal Great Dane and can be expected to exhibit many of the classic breed traits.
From a case of the zoomies to curling up on the couch with you all day, a black Great Dane is a gentle giant that can be a wonderful member of your family. Their shiny dark coat gives them an even more impressive appearance and can make them seem even bigger!
With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the specifics of the black Great Dane coat, as well as some other things that you will want to watch out for.
AKC Standard for Black Great Danes
Unlike many breed coat descriptions, the official AKC standard for the black Great Dane color is actually very straightforward! It reads:
The color shall be a glossy black. White markings on the chest or toes is not desirable.
As the name implies, the coat of a black Great Dane is solid black. However, depending upon their lineage, some may show white markings on their chest or toes as well.
While this is considered undesirable from a show standpoint, it is by no means is a sign of a “bad” Great Dane.
Given that most Great Dane owners do not show their dogs, these markings will have no impact on their ability to be fantastic members of your family!
For those that do wish to show their Great Danes, keep in mind that points will be lost for these types of white markings. However, assuming that the dog does not have these coat imperfections, many black Great Danes do very well in shows!
Their shiny coat does an extremely good job of highlighting their build and musculature, which can help elevate them over dogs with similarly good builds but that is harder to see by the judges.
Blue Great Danes also exhibit this positive trait, although to a lesser degree because their coat is not quite as dark. As it shouldn’t come as a surprise, blue Great Danes have very similar coat genetics to that of black Great Danes.
They still carry the dominant black gene at the K locus but carry a double copy of the dilute gene at the D locus that allows the black coat to be diluted. Thus giving us a blue coat!
Black Great Dane Considerations
The most important consideration for black Great Danes is their ability to overheat faster than lighter coat colors. While you should be careful with all Great Danes in hot conditions, it is especially important for Great Danes with black coats!
Their darker coat coloring attracts and absorbs light more quickly than lighter colors, and can lead to them overheating faster. Be very careful when playing or training in direct sunlight, or when the outside temperature is above eighty (80) degrees Fahrenheit.
Make sure to take breaks from the exercise, provide them with fresh cool drinking water, and give them a place to cool off out of direct sunlight. Do NOT leave them unattended outdoors for long periods when the temperature is elevated.
Aside from this risk of overheating, black Great Danes do not have any extra health considerations to account for as might be seen with white Great Danes.
How Much Do Black Great Danes Cost?
The cost of a purebred black Great Dane falls in line with other colors and is typically in the range of $1,700 – $3,000. Dogs from champion lines that are sold as show dogs will be on the higher end of that range, and potentially more.
Generally speaking, producing a black Great Dane is actually easy from a breeding standpoint. Because the gene for a black coat is dominant at the K locus, it is able to override the production of other colors in many cases.
For example, the breeding of a fawn and mantle Great Dane would produce a litter of entirely black puppies!
Now while these initial offspring are all black, some will be carriers of the sable and mantle genes, which means that their offspring could theoretically have these colors if bred accordingly.
While coat color genetics can get very complex, the reason I bring these details up is to showcase the ease with which a black Great Dane can be produced. So if a breeder is trying to charge you a premium simply because the Great Dane puppy is black – they better have a good reason for it aside from just the coat color!
Based on color alone, if the breeder does have different prices per coat color I would expect black to be on the low end of their pricing.
What Is The Most Expensive Great Dane Color?
Harlequins are generally the most expensive Great Dane coat color due to the difficulty in safely producing them from a breeding standpoint.
Higher demand for the color due to its increasing popularity of the coat color has further lead to increased costs.
What Are Black Great Danes Called?
Black Great Danes do not have a special name and are simply referred to as a “black Great Dane”.
If you’re looking for a name to give your dog, make sure to take a look at my list of Great Dane names here. It has over 261 names that are broken out by color, gender, and more!
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