Are Great Danes Easy To Train: A Helpful Guide

Great Danes are considered a large dog breed that is good with kids, playful, and affectionate. They generally get along well with other animals in the house if they are raised with them initially. There are cases where some of them become aggressive with animals they do not know.

If you are one of those who are planning to own a Great Dane, be ready to accommodate his massive size. They need a lot of space during their young age to move around freely and also love to go out for a long walk along with their owner.

One of the important facts which you should consider while owning this gentle giant is about its training. Without proper training, Great Danes can prove to be one of the serious liabilities. Many pet owners who overlook the training of their pup end up sending them to rescue or shelter homes.

So, are Great Danes easy to train?

Great Danes being a large and powerful breed is somewhat difficult to train if not started at its initial stage (while it is a puppy). They are considered to be average intelligent dog who has a very average grasping power to learn the training commands. As they are stubborn too, you need to spend more time and reinforcement while training them.

But please remember that all these things do not make this gentle giant a bad breed or dog. They are rather considered as one of the brilliant guard dogs among others.

Great Danes initially were bred for their size, guarding, and hunting skills by the higher class of the society. This is the reason they are less obedient and fail to obey commands. In this blog, we will try to unveil everything related to Great Danes and its training capabilities.

Why is training important for Great Danes?

You will certainly come to know this within a couple of weeks after fostering a Great Dane as why is training mandatory for these gentle giants. Unlike other small breeds, training is an integral part of this breed, and feeding and grooming can be kept for later stages.

A first-time owner may not feel the urgency of its training but he should realize the fact soon. They can be trained easily when it is the pup. If you plan its training in a streamlined manner at the right time, you will be a proud owner of and obedient fully grown adult Great Dane.

Understanding Great Danes Temperament

Anyone who sees a massive Great Dane will surely feel threatened and this mostly happens with those who have never come into contact with any dogs before. Most of the people are baffled by their size and presume them to be a dangerous breed.

But in reality, they are good family dogs who get along well with kids and other members of the family. At the same time, they are not so good with strangers and require some time to settle down. They mostly love to spend time with their owner and are over possessive towards them.

They should be socialized with all the family members, animals, relatives, and friends at their earlier stage when they are a puppy. They can prove to be dangerous to those who are strangers to them but the situation can be handled if they are trained properly.

How is the training of Great Danes going to be?

Is training a Great Dane going to be an easy or tough task? This is the most commonly asked question among pet lovers. They are one of those breeds who relish love and attention from their owners. They love their owners so much that they can go to any extent to please them and this trait makes him easy to train.

Though training your pup is not so hard but you may come across some individual dogs who are moody and stubborn, making it difficult to train them. But these can be exceptional cases which makes training Great Danes difficult.

Must learn commands for Great Danes

They are easy to play with and maintain when they are in the puppy stage but as soon as they fully grow and become an adult, it is hard to manage them without training. Hence, to overcome such a situation, it is important to start your Great Dane training at the earliest.

There are a few sets of commands which you should teach your dog as they will prove useful in the long run. Getting your Great Dane well versed in these commands will be helpful for you when they grow to their full size and needs to be kept under control. The important set of commands are mentioned below:

Come is a command which is used to let your Great Dane come to you from wherever they are.

Sit command is used to let them sit from the standing position.

Lay down is a command used to let them lay down from their standing or sitting position.

Stay command is used to let them stay where they are and in the same position when the command is delivered.

Drop command is used to let your Great Dane drop whatever he has got in his mouth.

Factors determining the quality and output of Great Danes training

Age is one of the important factors when it comes to training. It is always easier to train when they are a puppy. You can very easily teach them obedience and commands without any hassle and they will follow it throughout their lifespan. But when it comes to training a fully grown, it becomes a cumbersome task as you cannot override all those habits which they have learned in childhood.

You should try to create slots of training in which a fair amount of effort is required from you to make him stick to your commands. When your pups are smaller in size, it will be easier for you to make them learn and follow your instructions. A fully grown dog will be stubborn and moody to obey your instructions and command during training.

The personality is another challenge to their training. A few of them prove to be very stubborn and tend to spoil your training efforts. Hence, it is always good to understand the personality of your dog as this will help you control the pace of training.

Generally, Great Danes are very friendly and playful dogs, due to such nature they are easy to train. All they need is your love and affection, hence, you should praise them during training when they obey your commands and instructions. Encourage them with treats and pat on a back with the word ‘good boy’. You will see that this type of approach will do magic and soon you will see your dog learning the commands at a faster pace.

At the same time, for the stubborn Great Danes, you need to deviate from the above-said approach and look for some other option. To deal with such kinds of dogs, you need to tempt them with their toys or anything which they are very fond of. By doing this they will start listening to you and can contribute more in training. The important thing to understand here is that not all the pups are of the same personality and you need to tackle them accordingly.

A trainer is one of the important factors in all of them. Many pet owners believe that they can train their furry pal but the reality is that everyone cannot be good at everything. It is recommended that you hire a professional trainer to train your dog. A good trainer is one who can understand the psychology of your pet very well.

A good trainer always starts with simple commands and refrains from introducing new commands until your dog learns and masters the first command. The professional trainers know that dogs cannot understand and respond to complex commands, hence, they teach them simple and basic commands first. A good trainer masters all the skills which are required to train your dog.

Useful accessories to train your Great Dane

A good quality leash is one important accessory that every pet owner should have. Though there are many fancy retractable leashes available in the market, they are expensive as well as less effective than the conventional non-retractable leash.

To be in full control of your pet especially the breed like Great Dane, you should get fixed length and strong nylon or leather leash. A leash is one of the useful accessories while training your pet as it helps control him at the time of training.

Collars are a basic accessory for training and teaching discipline to your pup. Collar lets your pet feel that you are his leader and he has to follow your rules. At the same time, for some of the pet owners collar is an element of identity and they keep on searching for fancy collars without understating their actual use.

Training your Great Dane for specific things

Potty training is very important and you need to begin early by specifying a designated area in your backyard or garden. You need your dog to acquaint with the toilet area and praise him once he gets adapted to the practice. Keep certain points in mind:

• Ensure that you praise your pet every time he potties at the designated place.
• Potty training is not easy, hence, always keep an eye on your dog when he is indoors. Keep in crate or leash when you go out leaving him inside, this will prevent him to pee and potty inside.
• If at all your dog pees or potties inside your house, clean that area completely so that the smell is not left out. This will prevent your dog to make that area as his territory for pee and potty.

Crate training is also very important as it would provide your pet with his personal space where he can feel comfortable. For this, it is preferable to have a crate which is big enough for your Great Dane. Do not opt for small size crates as your pet would not feel relaxed in them. However, to ensure a contented stay for your Great Dane in the crate, you should consider the following factors:

• Place bedding inside the crate for your pet and you can even include blankets, specifically during winters to make your furry pal cozy and warm.
• You should also keep a bowl of freshwater inside the crate along with a few handfuls of attractive and pet-friendly toys to keep your dog engaged.
• Make sure that the crate is large enough to accommodate comfortably otherwise your pet would end up banging his head each time he tries to come out of it.
• Also, the crate should be spacious enough so that they can easily lie down without adjusting himself to the size of the crate.
• If you are going out for a few hours, you can keep your pet in the crate to avoid the mess in the house in your absence.

Wrap up

Who does not want their Great Dane to be trained and tamed? Yes, it might be difficult to train him at later stages but if you begin the training at his early stages, maybe at the age of three months, you will succeed to a greater extent.

With your patience, love, time, and affection, you will surely become a proud owner of an obedient and well-behaved Great Dane. They are known to be very possessive towards their owner and loves to stay around them always.

Even though they are massive in size, they are very gentle and kind at heart and you will love to have him as your companion.