A Great Dane puppy has to start his training while he is still very young so that he is easy to control when he becomes an adult. The Great Dane is a good tempered dog, very friendly and obedient, so training him should not be a problem. However, there are also Great Dane puppies that are a bit more difficult to work with.
Great Dane Puppy Training Tips
You should start training your Great Dane puppy the moment he enters your home and joins your family. They are very lively dogs and they might start ruining things unless taught otherwise. This is why it is best that you start to get your pet used with his living area (i.e. his crate) and teach him the rules of the house. Patience and persistence are the key-factors which lead to the successful training of your Great Dane. You can find bellow a few tips for training your Great Dane:
- Establish a schedule for your puppy’s activities: playing, eating, going out
- Do not apply corrective measures unless the dog is caught in the act
- Be patient and consistent in your actions
- Use simple command words
- Use rewards to reinforce good behavior
Schedule of Activities
Try to make a schedule for your puppy’s main activities: feeding, going out, crate time and playing. Keep in mind that he still needs to go out a lot, especially while he is very young. Remember to take him out first thing in the morning and in the evening as well; however, given that his bladder is small, he will need to go out more often. As he grows, you can adjust the program.
Corrective Measures
It is useless to try to correct bad behavior if you haven’t caught your puppy in the act. He will not know why he is being punished for, so rather that getting a good result, you will only end up puzzling your puppy even more.
Patience and Consistence
In order to reinforce the rules of the house, you have to be very patient with your puppy and consistent in your actions. For instance, when you take your Great Dane puppy in your home, he will have the tendency to whine a lot during the night. Make sure that he has everything he needs for the night before going to bed and try to ignore his whining. If you put an object (toy, blanket) from his old home in his new crate, it will help him adapt.
Simple Commands
When trying to teach your puppy to respond to a certain command, use only simple one-word commands and try using the same tone. Entire phrases are not good commands and may puzzle the puppy.
Using Rewards for Good Behavior
Whenever your puppy acts as you ask him to, reinforce the behavior with rewards. For instance, if he starts chewing things in the house, like slippers or other objects, take those away and replace them with his own chewing toys. Then, whenever he is chewing those, pet him and give him a treat.