A Great Dane would not be disqualified because of natural ears. It's becoming more common to see Danes with natural ears. In fact, in United Kingdom and some other European countries cropping is banned.

Fawn, Brindle, Black, Harlequin, Mantle, Blue, and Merle are the seven standard colors recognized by the Great Dane Club of America. These colors are considered show-acceptable.

When two dogs carrying the merle-gene are bred and produce a litter, the puppies have an increased risk of blindness and deafness. For this reason, the Great Dane Club of America considers intentional breeding of merles unethical.