Dog Coat Pattern: Harlequin

Harlequin describes a coat pattern comprising a white background and patches of all-black or all-blue. The name comes from clowns and jesters of old, who stereotypically wore heavily patched clothing.

Harlequin patches are small-to-medium sized and irregularly shaped—unlike spots or piebald markings, which are relatively consistent in size and shape; or larger colored markings which “blanket” an area of the coat.

Among purebred dogs, only the Great Dane is accepted for showing with a harlequin coat. True harlequin Great Danes are much prized among breeders and fanciers, and care is taken to ensure that merle or piebald Great Danes do not get incorrectly categorized as harlequins. This is not just a matter of aesthetics, for piebald Great Danes may carry a gene for deafness, and breeders want to keep this out of the harlequin pool.

Not all pure harlequin matings will produce harlequin pups. In fact, there is a chance that two harlequin parents could produce all-white puppies that are born deaf.

More Information on Dog Coat Color and Pattern

• Genetics of Coat Color and Type in Dogs
• Color and Patterns in Great Dane
• Harlequin Pattern and Color