The Great Dane is an elegant giant dog breed with different attractive coat colors. The Blue Mantle coat color is one of these coat colors of the breed.
So, what makes a Blue Mantle Great Dane look this way? What are the differences between this coat color compared to other Great Dane coat colors?
Read on to learn more about what makes a Blue Mantle Great Dane, its appearance, temperament, associated health problems, price, and where to get them.
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What Is A Blue Mantle Great Dane?
A Blue Mantle Great Dane is a mismarked coat color and pattern of the Mantle Great Dane. The coat is blue and black with a solid blue blanket over the body, with a blue skull with a white muzzle, white chest, white forelegs, and hind legs with a white-tipped blue tail. The blue is a subtle gray.
What Does The Blue Mantle Great Dane Look Like?
Blue Mantle Great Danes resemble the Great Dane dog breed except for their coat color. They have the same physical features as the breed.
Generally, a Blue Mantle has an athletic, muscular build, with a massive head that narrows at the top with floppy ears. They have a medium-sized tail that narrows down at the back.
The body is covered with a short and smooth coat.
Adult Blue Mantles stand at 32 to 34 inches high with a weight of up to 120 – 200 pounds, with female dogs being slightly smaller than males.
The Blue Mantle Great Dane’s eyes are amber to light yellow.
A Blue Mantle Great Dane’s coat is blue and black with a solid blue blanket over the body, with a blue skull with a white muzzle, white chest, white forelegs, and hind legs with a white-tipped blue tail.
The blue color in the coat is a subtle gray or slate color. It is not a “sky blue” color as might be confused to be.
Does the American Kennel Club recognize the Blue Mantle Great Dane?
Unfortunately, the Blue Mantle Great Dane is not recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) as an official Great Dane breed color.
This simply means it cannot be a show dog in the AKC conformation shows, because it does not meet the Mantle Great Dane standard description.
Although they are not qualified as show dogs, the Blue Mantle is still registered by the AKC and has a registration code.
The Mantle coat color pattern that is recognized by the American Kennel Club is described as a “black and white dog with a solid black blanket over its body, a white muzzle, neck, chest, legs, and tail tip.”
Any Great Dane with the Mantle coat pattern and color outside this standard description is referred to as a mismarked Mantle Great Dane.
A mismark is a dog that has coat colors or markings outside the standard qualities of the breed.
The below Great Dane represents the Standard Mantle coat color pattern:
The official American Kennel Club’s standard for the Great Dane coat colors are:
- Black
- Fawn
- Harlequin
- Brindle
- Blue
- Mantle
- Merle
There are 4 variations of the Mantle Great Dane coat color pattern. These include:
- Mantle Great Dane (the official breed color)
- Blue Mantle Great Dane (Mismarked)
- Mantle Merle Great Dane (Accepted Merle Variation)
- Fawn Mantle Great Dane (Mismarked)
The Blue Mantle Great Dane does not qualify as a show dog, however, they are still loved by Great Dane owners for their unique color.
The Genetics Of The Blue Mantle Great Dane
The coat colors of all dogs are established on a black pigment (eumelanin), and a red pigment (pheomelanin), which are the primary coat color pigments.
Depending on the genes a puppy inherits from both parents and gene interaction these colors are expressed or modified to give a puppy its final coat color.
Mantle Great Danes are the result of breeding two Mantle Great Danes, a Mantle with a Harlequin Great Dane, and breeding two Harlequin Great Danes.
A Blue Mantle Great Dane puppy is produced when the Mantle puppy also inherits a recessive gene, known as the dilution gene (d gene), from its parents.
The dilution gene reduces the color concentration of black, brown, and yellow coat color hair pigment.
The puppy inherits two copies of the dilute gene (dd) one from each parent. The dilute gene reduces the black pigment color (eumelanin) of the Mantle coat pattern by diluting the black pigment to blue which is a subtle gray.
The blue color is simply dilute black pigment.
This produces a Blue Mantle puppy.
The effect of color dilution also extends to the eyes which gives a Blue Mantle Great Dane amber to light yellow eyes.
Are Blue Mantle Great Danes rare?
The Blue Mantle Great Danes are not as common as the other standard American Kennel Club’s recognized Great Dane colors, but they are not rare.
The puppies can come from litters from the standard ethical breeding of Great Danes and they can also be deliberately bred by professional breeders.
Professional breeders increase the probability of a puppy receiving two copies of the recessive dilution gene from both parents.
Puppies with only one copy of the dilution gene cannot develop the Blue Mantle coat. This is because the dominant black pigment of the Mantle pattern will override the recessive gene and express itself as the standard black blanket of the Mantle coat pattern.
Two copies of dilution genes are required for the dilution of the black pigment to produce a Mantle Merle.
Through deliberate and specific breeding, professional breeders can produce Blue Mantle Great Danes.
Blue Mantle Great Dane Temperament
The coat color of a Blue Mantle Great Dane does not affect their temperament. There is no correlation between a dog coat’s color with different personalities.
The Blue Mantle Great Dane has the personality traits of the Great Dane dog breed.
They are gentle, affectionate, friendly, confident, loyal, and love to please their owners. They are easy to train and good family dogs.
Good breeding, socialization, and training also shape a Great Dane’s Overall personality.
Blue Mantle Great Dane Health
Research has shown that the coat color of a dog influences its health and longevity. This means some coat colors are more susceptible to certain health problems than others.
Dogs with dilute-colored coats are prone to certain health problems.
The Blue Mantle Great Dane is susceptible to a hereditary condition called color dilution alopecia (CDA) which affects fawn and blue coat colored dogs, that is, dogs that have diluted the color.
CDA is a genetic condition that causes hair thinning or loss, itchy bald patches on the coat, and flaky skin.
The condition does not have a cure, however, it can be managed to prevent itching or the development of infections on the exposed skin.
The management of the condition involves regular bathing with the use of a prescribed gentle shampoo which reduces itchiness and infection on the inflamed skin.
Generally, breeders make not include Great Danes affected with CDA for breeding. This prevents passing on the condition to the offspring.
Therefore when purchasing a Blue Mantle Great Dane puppy, always make sure to get their health records to confirm that the puppy’s parents did not have the condition.
By doing this you will be able to buy a puppy without the risk of developing CDA.
As a Great Dane dog breed, the Blue Mantle Great Dane is also susceptible to the common Great Dane health problems. These include:
- Hip and elbow dysplasia
- Dilated cardiomyopathy
- Arthritis
- Wobblers Syndrome
- Bloat
- Cancer
- Hypothyroidism
Blue Mantle Great Danes are generally healthy dogs. They will not necessarily develop any or all of the above illnesses.
They live healthy lives despite being susceptible to some of the health conditions of the breed.
Professional breeders usually reduce the risk of occurrence of the conditions. They also share a puppy’s health records for you to know about their health status.
Good care of a Great Dane is also important in raising a healthy Great Dane.
Recommended reading: How to keep a Great Dane healthy
By being aware of the possible health problems of a dog, you can know what to expect including the specific care they need to live a long healthy life.
The Blue Mantle Great Dane has an average lifespan of 7 to 10 years, with some living longer. Generally, Great Danes have a shorter lifespan.
See also:
Blue Mantle Great Dane Price
The Blue Mantle Great Dane price is typically in the range of $1500 to $3000, but prices can be higher than this from a reputable breeder.
The price varies and can be high because of the distinctive coat color, the specific breeding it takes to produce them, the breeder, and their location.
Expect a premium price because generally the harder it is to breed a specific coat color the more expensive it is.
This mismarked puppy color can still be found in puppy litters from the breeding of the standard Great Dane coat colors.
Blue Mantle Great Dane puppies are usually more expensive compared to adult dogs or dogs up for adoption.
Unscrupulous puppy mills that produce puppies for profit may market the Blue Mantle Great Dane as rare to justify their high prices, therefore be cautious of where you purchase your puppy.
Where to Buy or Adopt a Blue Mantle Great Dane
When you are set on purchasing a Blue Mantle Great Dane puppy, always purchase one from a reputable Great Dane breeder or Great Dane adoption center to receive a healthy puppy.
Professional breeders who practice ethical breeding increase the chances of producing healthy puppies through responsible breeding.
A responsible breeder will also share the puppies’ health history and genetic testing of their parents. This provides you with information on a puppy’s health status and what to expect.
A list of approved and certified Great Dane breeders is on the American Kennel Club’s marketplace which is a trusted resource.
Reputable resources for the adoption of Great Danes include:
Summary: Blue Mantle Great Dane
The Blue Mantle Great Dane is a stunning Great Dane color. The coat color is a mismarked coat color of the standard Mantle Great Dane
The Blue Mantle Great Dane is a Great Dane dog breed and is no different from any other Great Dane dog except for its coat color.
Their personality and physical features all align with the breed.
The coat color is however more susceptible to certain health problems. Despite this, they do still live healthy lives.
If your heart is set on buying or adopting this Great Dane with this unique coat color, ensure to buy one from a reputable Great Dane breeder or rescue center.