<P> The minimum weight for a Great Dane over 18 months is 120 lb (54 kg) for males, 100 lb (45 kg) for females . Unusually, the American Kennel Club dropped the minimum weight requirement from its standard . The male should appear more massive throughout than the female, with a larger frame and heavier bone . </P> <P> Great Danes have naturally floppy, triangular ears . In the past, when Great Danes were commonly used to hunt boars, cropping of the ears was performed to make injuries to the dogs' ears less likely during hunts . Now that Danes are primarily companion animals, cropping is sometimes still done for traditional and cosmetic reasons . In the 1930s when Great Danes had their ears cropped, after the surgery, two devices called Easter bonnets were fitted to their ears to make them stand up . Today, the practice is common in the United States, but much less common in Europe . In some European countries such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, and Germany, and parts of Australia and New Zealand, the practice is banned or controlled to only be performed by veterinary surgeons . </P> <P> The three varieties have five to six (depending on the standard) show - acceptable coat colors: </P> <Ul> <Li> Fawn and brindle <Ul> <Li> Fawn: The colour is yellow gold with a black mask . Black should appear on the eye rims and eyebrows, and may appear on the ears . </Li> <Li> Brindle: The colour is fawn and black in a chevron stripe pattern . Often, also, they are referred to as having a stripe pattern . </Li> </Ul> </Li> <Li> Harlequin and black <Ul> <Li> Black: The colour is a glossy black . White markings on the chest and toes are not desirable and considered faults . </Li> <Li> Harlequin: The base colour is pure white with black torn patches irregularly and well distributed over the entire body; a pure white neck is preferred . The black patches should never be large enough to give the appearance of a blanket, nor so small as to give a stippled or dappled effect . Eligible, but less desirable, are a few small grey patches (this grey is consistent with a merle marking) or a white base with single black hairs showing through, which tend to give a salt and pepper or dirty effect . Grey merle (Grautiger) dogs are acceptable in conformation shows under the FCI as the grey merle dogs can produce correctly marked black / white harlequin dogs, depending on the combinations . The aim for deleting the colour grey merle as a disqualifying fault is to provide a wider gene pool . Their status is that they are "neither desirable nor to be disqualified". Consequently, this colour must never obtain the highest grading at dog shows . </Li> <Li> Mantle (in some countries referred to as Bostons due to the similar coloration and pattern as a Boston Terrier): The colour is black and white with a solid black blanket extending over the body; black skull with white muzzle; white blaze is optional; whole white collar preferred; a white chest; white on part or whole of forelegs and hind legs; white tipped black tail . A small white marking in the black blanket is acceptable, as is a break in the white collar . </Li> </Ul> </Li> <Li> Blue: The colour is a pure steel blue . White markings at the chest and toes are not desirable and considered faults . </Li> </Ul>

Great dane is one of the dog breeds