Category: Training

Great Dane Puppy Socialization
Great Dane puppy socialization is NOT for the faint of heart… BUT…

Socialization is one the MOST important things that you can do with your Great Dane puppy!

This process begins with the breeder. An ethical breeder will have already exposed your puppy to a variety of sights, sounds, people, textures and obstacles. They will have also taught the puppies some early basics about collars, crates, cars, handling, sitting politely for a treat, coming back and peeing outdoors.

Unfortunately, not every breeder is that thorough, but it really does make a difference.

Make sure you choose breeders that are breeding dogs with good temperaments. Puppies that come from anxious, fearful or aggressive parents are more likely to have those behaviors as well, no matter how much you socialize them.

GREAT DANE PUPPY SOCIALIZATION IS NOT WHAT YOU THINK

Many people believe that socializing a puppy means taking him to a pet store or dog park and meeting lots of people and dogs.

The truth is, both of those places and situations are the exact kind of environment where a dog may actually learn to be afraid of dogs and people!

Great Dane Puppy Fear Stages

Dog parks and pet stores are for mature, confident dogs that are vaccinated and already engaged with you as the owner. Not under-vaccinated or terrified dogs that are still learning about the world and how to appropriately handle interactions with humans and dogs.

Now that I’ve made a mess of your beliefs about socialization, it’s time to chat about what socialization for Great Dane puppies actually looks like!

SOCIALIZATION is about positive exposure to novel things

The more positive, safe, calm and curious exposure your puppy has to novel things, the more likely it is that your puppy will be confident and able to handle new situations (including people, dogs, and travel).

OBSTACLES

Create a ‘puppy playground’ and change it every day. Make sure to include novel items and obstacles that require the puppy to climb up, over, under and around. Encourage the puppy to explore.
- Tunnels
- Boxes
- Ramps
- Bridges
- Balls
- Kiddie Pools
- Blankets
- Tires
- Gymnastic Mats
- FIT Paws
Well socialized dogs are calm, confident and gentle. They are much easier to train because they are less excited by or anxious about the environment, people, sounds and dogs!

How to Stop a Great Dane from Jumping Up
How to Teach a Great Dane to Walk on Leash
Is the Gentle Leader an Abusive Tool?

SOUND

Early desensitization to common sounds is important. Play these sounds and then praise and treat the puppy. Play them and act like it’s no big deal. Mix it up!
- Play the sound of thunder, babies, cars, gunshots and fireworks from your phone.
- Knock on the door.
- Have somebody ring the doorbell, randomly (ignore it every time!).
- Bang pots and pans together.
- Drop things on the floor.
- Run the vacuum, drill, dremel, & hairdryer.
If at any time your puppy seems scared (ears pinned, cowering, shaking, stop! This is meant to be fun.

Yes it’s important to keep puppies safe before they are fully vaccinated. But that’s no reason not to socialize them. There are MANY things that you can do before your puppy is truly ready to meet the world.

TOUCH

Because Great Danes are SO large, it is important that they are accepting of touch.
- Touch the puppies toenails with trimmers and a Dremel, treat and praise.
- Brush the puppy all over with crinkled up foil, a dog brush, or your hands.
- Do a pretend vet and judging exam. Look at teeth and ears and do a pretend shot using a ballpoint pen.
- Rub the puppies ears and pretend to clean them.
- Run your hand down your puppies back and to the tip of the tail.
- Gently pick each foot up and put it back down again.
- Brush the puppies teeth.
Do not use training methods that involve hitting, pinching, shoving, tapping or pinning/alpha rolls. These can seriously undermine the work you do to make your puppy trust you and trust your hands and the hands of a veterinarian or groomer.

TEXTURES

Textures are all things your dog may encounter in the world. Make a point to explore and touch all of these surfaces at minimum:
- Sand & gravel
- Grass
- Wood chips
- Concrete & asphalt
- Snow & Ice
- Puddles and wet spots
- Bridges
- Tile
- Hardwood
- Carpet
- Foam
- Foil/shiny objects
After all that, it’s still true that your puppy needs to be exposed to people and dogs. We encourage you to do this part thoughtfully. Exposure to rude people and rude dogs is not socialization.

WATCH

Sit on your lawn, near a bike path, or at a park. Be calm and just WATCH.
- Children playing
- Strollers
- Wheelchairs and walkers
- Bicycles & Scooters
- Large dogs
- Small dogs
- Barking dogs
- Wildlife
- People of all kinds
Reward your puppy for looking at you and ignoring these things. Ultimately, that is what you want from your dog as an adult! Calm confidence.

Of course, greeting people (calmly) and dogs (safely) is also important! Consider taking a puppy preschool class in a clean facility where early social skills are reinforced.

When meeting people, there is no reason to reward a jumping, excited, peeing or nervous puppy with attention from people that are squealing with excitement to meet him! That scenario is the fast track towards creating a 120lb adolescent Great Dane that either jumps and tackles people with enthusiasm, or is unfortunately afraid of them.

Know body language. If at any time your puppy is scared (ears pinned, stiff, avoidance, hiding, shaking, panting, tail tucked, lip licking) these are signs that you are moving too fast.

EARLY TRAINING

Every experiences that your puppy has a young age (good or bad) can shape the future.

If you take a puppy that has had very little exposure to early training basics (sit, look, leave it) into a store you may accidentally be having your puppy practice the WRONG behavior in those situations.

Puppy Training: 5 Mistakes in Training

People will be so excited, and your puppy may either be fearful (bad socialization experience) or too excited (that’s not pretty when they weigh 140lbs!).

Focus on training inside of stores! They are a great place to practice ignoring people and dogs.

Be choosy! One bad experience with a rude, out of control dog or a pesky child can ruin a puppy for life. It’s much better for a puppy to learn to ignore and walk away from those two scenarios than it is for them to learn to ‘tolerate’ it.
November 15, 2020
Your Great Dane is Bored: Here’s 11 Fun Ways to Entertain Them.
Your Great Dane is bored. It’s true. Many Great Danes are bored, and frustrated pet parents see the symptoms as a sign of disobedience or dominant behavior.

This is important. Most people imagine their Great Dane should be a couch potato, content to lounge all day. They kind of are. They do like to lounge! Most will happily park themselves on a couch given the opportunity. They don’t need the same kind of intense working and exercise that a herding dog or terrier might need. But they are still dogs, and I think we all tend to forget that.

Great Dane Signs of Boredom

Imagine a life inside a home. You cannot see friends, watch TV, read a book, work on a hobby or go for a walk. This is the life most pet dogs are living.

A few toys scattered about and a quick 15 minute walk really isn’t fair, nor is it enough.

Boredom is something that plagues many pet dogs, not just Great Danes. All of us get stuck in a routine and forget that our dogs are living their lives alongside us, and have different needs than us, too.

Do any of these common ‘complaints’ accurately describe your dog?
1. Destructive (Bedding, couches, walls, etc.)
2. Noisy (Barking & whining)
3. Digs Holes & Pulls up Landscaping
4. Escapes (Jumps fences, breaks out of crate)
5. ‘Stubborn’ (Doesn’t listen, won’t come when called)
6. ‘Defiant’ (Ignores commands, doesn’t respond to corrections)
7. ‘Dominant’ (Makes the rules)
8. Rude (Jumps, steals, humps, etc.)
Boredom, frustration, confusion and anxiety are key factors with dogs that are destructive, out of control and difficult to live with. Not ‘Dominance’ or being ‘defiant’ or ‘stubborn’.

Dog Behavior & Boredom Go Hand-in-Hand

SO many difficult behavior problems are minimized or even eliminated when you solve issues related to boredom, anxiety, and a lack of sleep.

Stir crazy, under-stimulated, over-tired anxious dogs are really hard to live with.

Any good dog trainer worth their salt will address most behaviors by first assessing the routine and what kind of access the dog has to appropriate mental enrichment and exercise.

Destruction, digging, chewing, getting into the trash, barking and hopping the fence are all signs that a dog literally doesn’t have any appropriate outlet for the correct behavior.

They are saying, in dog language that they are BORED.

Enrichment Ideas for Great Danes

Are you ready to tackle boredom and common behavior problems?

Even just a few minutes per day can go a long ways here. If you have more time on the weekend, save that for the big stuff. During the work week, compromise where you need to and make up for it later. That’s ok to do!

#1 – Unstructured Walks

Instead of structured walks on pavement, consider also adding unstructured walks that involve sniffing, exploration, and moving naturally on varied terrain such as grass, sand and gravel. (This can help their feet too!)

This DOES mean getting off your property; remember, your backyard is not a novel or interesting environment.

If your dog is E-Collar trained, you can visit places where being off leash is safe and legal. If not, consider a long tracking line such as this one so your Dane can move as freely as possible.

If you drive around, you may be surprised to find how many areas near you are interesting to explore!

#2 – Visit a Dog Friendly Store

If your dog is friendly and well trained, visit your local dog-friendly store and pick out a new treat or toy.

You Should Not Ignore the West Paw Toppl Dog Toy

In this situation it is incredibly important that your Great Dane be a calm, gentle, and friendly ambassador of the breed. This is NOT a good activity for Danes that lunge, pull, bark, or are fearful or aggressive.

It’s also important that the stores you visit are truly dog friendly! Only service dogs (who are task trained to assist with a specific medical condition such as seizure alerts or blind navigation) are allowed in most stores. If you are unsure, call the manager to ask in advance, and always err on the side of caution.

Check out this list of dog friendly stores.

#3 – Have a Picnic and People Watch

Sit at a park on a blanket and watch people and dogs walk by.

Not only is this activity mentally engaging, but it socializes your Great Dane by allowing them to realize that they can be ‘in’ the chaos without being apart of it.

People watching is also a great opportunity for you to work on your obedience training with your dog! By using positive reinforcement, you can teach your dog that engaging with you is much more fun than lunging, pulling, barking, or reacting towards people, dogs, bikes, and children.

Puppy Socialization
Puppy Culture: A Way to Socialize from the Start
Puppy Socialization Guide
Puppy Training: 5 Mistakes in Training

#4 – Clicker Training

Use clicker training and teach your Great Dane a new trick each week.

Clickers are a fantastic tool that work by communicating to your dog the exact moment they do something you like.

Many people think that clicker training means clicking at the dog with the clicker to get their attention. This is completely wrong!

Clicker training starts by teaching the dog that when they hear a click, they get a treat.

Click, treat.
Click, treat.
Click, treat.

With a little practice, you can then begin to CLICK when your dog completes a behavior such as sit, paw, down, or touch. For example:

Sit, Click, Treat.
Sit, Click, Treat.

or

Touch, Click, Treat.
Touch, Click, Treat.

The dog learns to ‘work for the click’ because clicks = good things! Clicker training aids in providing your dog with clarity and precision, which means they learn more, faster.

You can purchase a clicker HERE.

#5 – Take an Obedience, Sport, or Trick Class

Take a class together. Learn how to stand for the show ring (conformation class), work up to your Canine Good Citizen (obedience) title and then go a step farther into Rally Obedience.

There are MANY amazing sports and obedience classes that you can take through local training clubs that will help you build a better relationship with your dog and possibly even provide you with a fun new hobby.

Here are some ideas:
- Basic, intermediate, and advanced obedience
- Conformation (how to act like a show dog)
- Rally (Obedience course)
- Dock Diving (Dive off a dock for a toy)
- Scent Work (Learn how to find things by scent tracking)
- Agility (Athletic course)
- Lure Course (Running quickly after a lure)
- Trick Training
#6 – Learn Scent Work with Your Great Dane

This goes hand-in-hand with taking a class, but you can also learn to do this at home with youtube videos.

Scent work is an incredible way to work your dogs mind.

Dogs have an amazing sense of smell and within a few training sessions, most dogs are able to find ‘hides’ (scent) that are just out of sight.

It only takes weeks from that point to teach them to find scent that is well hidden! If you enjoy the process and your dog is good at it, you can even earn ribbons and titles together.

Some handlers are paid very well for dogs that can scent track things such as bed bugs or drugs, and many are even used in search and rescue efforts.

#7 – Fitpaws & Body Confidence Training

Purchase some FITPAWS or other dog fitness gear and learn how to use them to teach your Great Dane better balance, coordination and body awareness.

These are fun and can be used in your living room or backyard. When used under the supervision of a canine rehabilitation specialist, they can also be incredibly helpful for building core strength as well as building strength in the toes and ankles.

Because standing on the FITPAWS is basically a dog trick, using lots of positive reinforcement is key. This will wear out your dogs mind and body!

If you don’t have FitPaws, watch Youtube videos online for dog coordination exercises.

You can buy FITPAWS here.

#8 – Use a Puzzle Feeder

Have your Great Dane eat meals out of a puzzle feeder.

This will slow down their eating, reduce their risk of bloat, provide them with better digestion, and wear their brains out, too!

Puzzle feeders come in so many shapes and sizes. Experiment with what works well for your pet.

If you don’t want to spend money on bowls to clean and wash, you can roll your dog’s kibble up into a towel! They have to forage to get it out and will love ‘working’ for their dinner.

PetDuro has creative ways to slow feed your dog in a standard slow feeder, an engagement slow feeder or a slow feeder licky mat.

#9 – Stuff Kong or Topl Toys

Stuff rubber KONG or West Paw Topl toys, freeze, and let your dog figure it out!

Here are some popular dog Kong or Topl stuffing ideas:
- Kibble (hydrate with bone broth)
- Peanut butter (take it easy with this one)
- Pumpkin
- Plain yogurt
- Canned dog food
Make sure that you only replace 5% of the normal diet with treats, toppers, and stuffing. Your dog does NOT need a Kong filled to the brim with peanut butter, in other words! Rehydrated kibble is always a good choice, as it’s part of the normal diet and gives you a base upon which you can be creative.

For example, smear peanut butter inside before stuffing it with the canned food or rehydrated kibble, then add a treat for the dog to find in the middle!

Freezing the Kong or Topl before serving will make it last longer, and can be a great activity for dogs that have separation anxiety.

#10 – Play Hide & Seek with your Great Dane

There are many ways to play with dogs, and hide and seek games are perfect indoor activities for those not-so-nice weather days.

You can play hide and seek by hiding in another room or behind a curtain and then rewarding your puppy or adult Great Dane for finding you! This fun game also builds on recall (staying close and always looking where you are), so your dog will have better off-leash skills out of the home, too.

You can also hide toys or treats for your dog to find around the house, and make doing so a fun daily part of the routine.

#11 – Introduce a Flirt Pole to Your Great Dane

For dogs aged 2+, you can introduce a flirt pole.

Flirt poles tap into natural prey drive; dogs love to chase, circle, and ‘catch’ the lure on the end.

NOTE: We never recommend using a laser pointer to play ‘lure’ games with your Great Dane, as doing so can cause nearly irreparable damage to their mental health (don’t believe us? Check out THIS article for information on why you should NEVER use a laser pointer to play with your dog).

However, a flirt pole is an incredible alternative to laser pointers. It results in the same fun behaviors and play, but unlike a laser, the dog can actually ‘catch the prey’ and is less likely to develop obsessive or compulsive behaviors.

Flirt poles can also be used as a reward as part of a positive training program.

Purchase Flirt Pole on Amazon

Expecting a Miracle for Behavior Problems?

Don’t expect any miracles here, at least not straight away.

A dog that has made a habit of chewing up beds and hopping fences is a dog who has made these things part of the routine. Adding a TON of enrichment will help, but many times this also requires thoughtful training and management.

Get creative here! Get ahead of the curve and keep the enrichment activities coming. Work with a highly qualified trainer to change or even eliminate the behaviors that are unacceptable.

Even just one new enrichment activity is bound to get even the most wound up dog to settle more!

If your dog is currently showing signs of boredom and anxiety, don’t stress! Jump in, change your routine and go from there.

Have fun with your dog!

READ MORE:

What is the best leash for Great Danes?
November 7, 2020
Best Training Treats for Great Dane Puppies
What are the best training treats for Great Dane puppies?

I noticed this question is asked a LOT in the Great Dane community and thought a blog post was in order!

Great Dane puppies have special dietary needs, but they are also not a dog that you can just hope turns out with lazy parenting.

Why Do You Need Training Treats for Great Dane Puppies?

You have to train them. A lot. There is nothing worse than a 150lb dog that pulls, lunges, barks, steals and runs away!

Puppy Training: 5 Mistakes in Training
Great Dane Puppy Fear Stages
How to Stop a Great Dane from Jumping Up

Positive reinforcement (rewarding behavior that you like) is the most powerful form of training, and is a basic principle upon which all living creatures learn and survive.

What is Balanced Training?

We tend to do things more often when we are rewarded for them. Dogs are the same way.

Most dogs are highly motivated by food. From a biological perspective, this makes a lot of sense. Use food to your advantage when training, and gradually distance and eventually fade out the rewards over time.

Treats for Puppies

Puppies especially need teeny, tiny bites.

I like to use pieces that are the size of my pinky nail or even smaller!

You do not need huge chunks of meat to teach with food; offering several rewards quickly is much more effective than a few big rewards spaced farther out.

By minimizing the size of each reward, you are also able to give more rewards in the same span of time, which is really handy for teaching difficult behaviors such as ‘STAY’ and ‘COME’.

Start with a high-rate of reward and as your dog understands the trick, space the rewards out.

Lots of tiny bites quickly is much more effective for training than just a few large chunks! Break treats up into small pieces and have fun making your dog think he hit the jackpot!

Our Favorite Training Treats for Great Dane Puppies
- Ziwi Peak dog food is an air-dried natural food that is similar to jerky. Dogs love this stuff.
- Fresh chicken. Buy inexpensive boneless chicken. Boil it without salt & cut it up into tiny bites.
- Charlee Bear crunchy treats are inexpensive and tasty.
- Zuke’s mini natural are amazing and dogs go wild for them. I like to cut them in half so they go farther; these are rich, use sparingly.
- Frozen veggies: some dogs will go nuts for a basic blend of carrots, peas and green beans in tiny bites.
- Freeze-dried organ meats are fantastic when you really need to ‘get the point’ across. Use tiny bites sparingly.
Training has to be fun, otherwise why would either of you be interested? If you or your dog aren’t having fun, figure out why that is and fix it. The goal here is to reinforce correct behavior and build a bond based on trust, engagement and good habits.

The best training treat is the one that your dog will work for. Some dogs are happy to work really hard for plain old kibble, others need more motivation. The more difficult the skill you want to teach, the more valuable the rewards need to be.

Some dogs are more motivated by access to toys or affection than they are by food. If training treats aren’t it, try rewarding your dog with a game of tug or with a ball toss instead.

Go Slow With Training a Great Dane Puppy

Your puppy can only learn so much in a day. Break training sessions up so they happen several times per day, only a few minutes at a time.

Lastly, make sure you aren’t using so many training treats that it replaces more than 10% of the diet.

Great Dane puppies are exceptionally sensitive to dietary and diet-based growth issues, so you need to make sure that most of the nutrition is coming from their actual food.

If you notice loose stools or excess gas, back off on the training treats! Try even smaller bites, or use a spoon coated in pumpkin to do a quick lesson in ‘heel’, where they walk in position and lick the spoon as the reward.

We recommend that ALL Great Danes, especially puppies receive a daily probiotic supplement. This can help keep the gut bacteria healthy which is great for eliminating gas and loose stools. Additionally, gut health and bloat seem to go hand-in-hand! Having a healthy gut may be a key factor in reducing bloat risk.

What is Bloat?
Can You Prevent Bloat?
Stomach Tacking: Pros and Cons
Bloat and Gut Health
The Scary Bloat Timeline

HAVE FUN TRAINING!

The information contained in this post is for informational purposes only. We do our best to present the most up-to-date research, however it is up to the reader to make decisions regarding the health and well-being of their dog. We make no claims here to prevent or treat bloat or any other condition related to Great Danes. Find a veterinarian with GIANT breed experience, and chat with them.

Some of the products we list on our website contain affiliate links. If you choose to make a purchase, we may receive a small commission for referring you. We only recommend products that we truly believe in. This commission does not affect the price of the product and is used to fund our content and expenses related to operating this website.

READ MORE:

The Best Crates For a Great Dane: Fits 100 lb+ Dogs
November 6, 2020
Puppy Culture – Early Socialization for Great Dane Puppies
Socialization for Great Dane puppies is SO important! Puppy Culture is a dedicated socialization program that good breeders use on puppies from birth onward to ensure that their puppies are stable, friendly, and resilient. Finding a breeder who participates in Puppy Culture is a good thing!

Many people believe that puppy socialization means taking them to the pet store and the dog park. However, doing so can actually cause the puppy to have bad experiences and become more fearful!

This is especially true for Great Dane puppies that may have come from breeders who are not focused on developing sound and stable temperaments.

Good socialization is actually a combination of positive experiences, exposure to different sights, sounds and textures, and a keen understanding of how to utilize small amounts of stress to build confidence and resilience.

Socialization is how you teach dogs to live in our world. They learn to be confident, because they know that everyday things (other dogs, people, sounds, textures) aren’t going to hurt them.

Confident, well-socialized dogs are calm, easy to train and free of aggression, fear and frustration.

What is Puppy Culture?

Puppy Culture is a written protocol for socializing puppies before they leave the litter at 8-12 weeks. Good breeders will use this protocol, even though it requires a LOT of their time.

We talk a LOT about choosing ethical breeders, and this is one reason why!

Quality breeders socialize puppies a lot before they go home with you. This helps keep dogs OUT of rescues and shelters, and helps to make sure that the dog you welcome into the family is positive, friendly and free of aggression.

What is Involved in Puppy Culture?

Puppy Culture goes beyond exposure to grass, tile, and other dogs.

To give you an example of a non-Puppy Culture (but standard) approach, some breeders will allow their puppies to play in the grass outside and be exposed to children or farm animals. They will keep the puppies in an enclosed space and let them poop or pee at will. These breeders may attempt to trim their nails, but will do little else to expose the puppies to handling, experiences, or otherwise.

Puppy Culture breeders, however, will:
- Handle the puppies all over, often, and may even employ ENS (a form of early stress that has been shown in studies to increase resilience)
- Introduce teeth cleaning, exams, and nail trims early on and often
- Introduce crates and early hygienic potty habits
- Create times where each puppy is alone and away from the litter
- Expose the litter to everyday sounds in the home, including vacuums, hammers, and hair dryers
- Work on their engagement with humans and desire to stay close and recall
- Use positive methods to work on bite control/puppy biting and prevent resource guarding type behaviors
- Create safe obstacles for the puppies to overcome, such as ramps, tires, beams and wobble boards
- Have the puppy touch and explore as many surfaces as possible with their paws and nose
- Invite puppy lovers over to play with the puppies several weeks before they go to their new homes
Breeders who utilize all Puppy Culture protocols are dedicating a significant amount of time, effort, and love to doing so and the results are incredible!

Pro Tip: When choosing a breeder for your Great Dane puppy, please note that some breeders are relying on buzz words such as “Puppy Culture” and “OFA Health Tested” to generate sales.

However, they are not fully participating in these programs and many of them cut corners. Make sure to ask a lot of questions! Ask for verification of their socialization efforts AND the full health test results (heart, hips, eyes, thyroid which should be published at www.ofa.org) of both parents.

Socialization of Fearful Great Dane Puppies

Fearful or unsure puppies will keep their bodies low to the ground. They may pin their ears back, tuck their tail, and keep their head shrugged or hung low. Additionally, they will shy away from eye contact. When being handled, they may cower, act ‘head shy’ or roll onto their side or back.

Fearful puppies should be socialized as early as possible. Unfortunately, fearful behavior is often the result of unstable genetics, and many fearful Great Danes are plagued with a combination of bad genetics and poor early socialization.

Socialization does not mean forcing your fearful Great Dane puppy to interact with other dogs or humans in situations that they could get hurt- like dog parks.

Socialization of Great Dane puppies means that you are exposing them to new situations and allowing them to learn that these situations are not actually scary.

For fearful puppies, this means going slowly and building confidence through positive experiences.

Socialization of Puppies Who Are Confident

Confident puppies will have their heads up and their ears forward. They are more likely to make eye contact and truly engage with people. They will be interested in tackling obstacles and will have plenty of energy to do just that!

When they are raised with Puppy Culture, they are especially good at maintaining focus and even sitting as a form of ‘please’.

Confident puppies often need more obedience training to prevent them from wandering off out of curiosity for something in the environment. They are often very receptive to positive reinforcement, and love to be trained, too!

The good news is that Puppy Culture satisfies their curiosity and confidence, while rewarding them for engaging with humans and responding to requests to come back and look for direction.

Why Does Puppy Socialization Matter?

Puppies from healthy, well-tempered parents that are properly socialized from birth are more likely to be confident, curious and calm family pets.

For giant breed dogs, this translates to them being easier to live with, easier to handle, and safer around other dogs, people, and situations of all kinds.

Fear and aggression are considered one of the top three risk factors for bloat in Great Danes!

For health reasons, helping Great Dane puppies grow into confident and resilient adults is also incredibly important! Many dogs who experience bloat are fearful, timid, and aggressive.

Installing confidence and a calm indifference to the environment makes training a breeze, too! Dogs that are over-stimulated or anxious about the environment around them will have a much harder time learning and focusing.

A lot of aggression and reactivity is based in fear. The world can be an overwhelming place!

Great Danes are prone to anxiety and aloof, timid, or even aggressive behaviors. But none of that is actually within the written breed standard, and none of it has to be a reality.

Socialize Your Great Dane Puppy

Even if your puppy didn’t come from a breeder that spent a lot of time on socialization or Puppy Culture, there are LOTS of things you can do!

Expose your puppy to a variety of textures; wood chips, sand, blankets, tile, gravel, grass, cement and bridges.

Give them obstacles such as tunnels, ramps, platforms and FIT Paws, then encourage and reward them for being confident and exploring!

Expose them to a variety of people wearing glasses, hats, masks and walking with strollers, bicycles, wheelchairs, canes, walking sticks, snowshoes and skis. Instead of asking those people to pet your puppy, just sit and watch them from afar.

Explore novel environments and encourage curiosity.

Need more? Check out our positive Great Dane puppy socialization guide HERE.

We hope this helps you not only choose ethical breeders that are creating wonderful family dogs, but find the Great Dane of your dreams!
November 1, 2020