The Great Dane is not at all like other dogs. Yes, they are big, in fact huge. Yes, they sometimes act like small lap dogs. They are a wonderful breed with many desirable characteristics and if you learn the right ways of Great Dane training then you will have an obedient pleasant dog to have around. They are what they are known for; Gentle Giants, full of spirit and courage. One of the most important things that you should know is that this breed of dog needs to be around people.
Because of their history and devotion the Great Dane makes an excellent guard dog but because they love to be around people so much they make an incredible family pet. In the house they may be at times like a bull in a china shop, but mostly they will be quiet and pretty laid back. This is only true if they get the exercise that need outdoors first as they do require plenty of activity.
One of the most important things that you will need to do with your Great Dane from an early age is to socialize them.
This means socialize them with everything you can think of: babies, loud children, other dogs, other animals, noises and activities. If you have a male Great Dane it is a trait that they are aggressive to other male dogs. Socialization from a young age will curb this attitude.
Because Great Dane's love people and are devoted pets they are rather easy to train. It can not be stressed enough how important it is for these dogs to be with people. They can become sick, anxious and mean if they are left alone too much. Use this quality to train them, they want to please.
Let's talk about Great Dane Training
Puppy training is vital. It is much easier to train a puppy than a full grown dog.
So the key to Great Dane training is to start as soon as the puppy comes home with you. You should keep in mind that your puppy is probably frightened. He is yearning for mom and his brothers and sisters. So don't overwhelm him with training at this point but let him acclimate to your home, let him explore and learn where it is he will be living and with whom.
Once your puppy is home, excited, exhausted and has taken a good nap now would be a good time to introduce him to his home within a home, his den, his place of safety; the crate.The crate needs to be big enough for the dog to stand up in and turn around, the best idea for this since your Great Dane pup will be growing so much, is to buy a very large crate in the beginning and section it off for the right size, this will keep you from having to go out and buy crate after crate as they grow.
The den is an important part to giving your puppy what he needs and it will help with all manners of your Great Dane training. At first do not simply shove the puppy in and lock the door, but have the crate in the room you are in and playfully introduce him to it. Toss in toys or treats, praise him often and if he falls asleep anywhere, gently move him into the crate so he wakes up there.
It is important that other members of his family know to leave him alone when he is in his crate, this is his safe
place and kids and other animals should not go into it. He will soon learn that his den is a place to go for sleep, safety and to relax.
