This is a pro-prong collar on giant breed dogs story.
If you are on the fence about prong collars and want to learn more, stick around! If you hate prong collars no matter what anybody says, this post is likely not for you.
Meet Figaro, the subject of today’s deep dive into dog training, ethics, prong collars, and life with dogs that are in fact bigger and stronger than we are!
Why prong collars ROCK 101
Figaro is a Well-Trained Dog
I’m not trying to brag here, but this guy is a great dog.
He walks politely next to me on a flat collar through all sorts of distracting areas.
He checks in with me often, is gentle around people and other dogs, and can be off-leash almost anywhere that it’s safe and legal to do so.
Figaro was trained using a lot of positive reinforcement! He obtained his Canine Good Citizen and Novice Trick Dog title, and is working towards his Community Canine title now.
He is also a BIG, strong, intact male.
Dogs will be Dogs
I’m a 5’4″ strong, sturdy female.
I can move furniture, haul giant bags of dog food on my shoulders, and lift my 95 lb tripod female Dane out of the car without help. I’m far from weak.
But we failed. Figaro gave me a run for my money the other day, and I’m embarrassed.
On our walk a neighbor’s dog came out of nowhere, charging his fence line and zipping back and forth. He was barking and growling at us behind bushes and trees that rustled and shook as he moved.
Figaro LOST IT.
My sweet boy who is great on a leash, polite and friendly, literally lost it.
As a matter of fact, the ONLY thing that gave me the strength to hold onto his leash was that slow-motion picture in the back of my head of what might happen if I let go.
Figaro wasn’t trying to be a jerk. He wasn’t trying to overpower me with his flat collar, or pull me down.
At that moment, I didn’t exist. He lunged, he jumped, he bounced like Tigger. He made all kinds of noise and threw his body weight around.
His plan was to get to that fence and protect himself against what he perceived as a threat.
TRUTH: No amount of training can prepare you for moments like this and yes, even the most well-trained dogs can be caught off guard.
Things are going to happen. Dogs will come out of nowhere. Wildlife will bounce in front of you. People and things and sounds are lurking, waiting to prove to you that you still have more training to do.
What I Learned from this Mistake
I had believed for far too long that prong collars were aversive, punishing torture devices. Like many people, I fell for the negative marketing which implies that using a prong collar is a form of abuse.
But here is the thing.
A prong collar would have been the safest and most effective tool for him to be wearing at that moment. Allow me to explain.
Flat collar: with a traditional flat, martingale or choke collar not only do you have very little control, but the dog can injure its trachea. That made this lunging VERY dangerous and unsafe for both of us!
Harness: harnesses have their place in some situations and for some dogs, but it’s very easy for a large dog to pull through one and lunge straight out of your grasp. I believe that harnesses on giant breed dogs are often dangerous: if the dog does decide to lunge, the owner may not be able to recover.
Front Clip Harness: A front-clip harness may provide more control than another type, but similar to a flat collar a lunging dog may then damage itself by pulling into one. Front clip harnesses work by restricting the movement of the front shoulders and chest, and pulling a dog to the side when they lunge.
Head Collar: this is one of the most insidious, damaging, and aversive training tools available. While it would have allowed me to maintain at least some control, he likely would have also whipped his head and neck around. We all know how dangerous that can be for Great Danes!
The Best Collar for a Great Dane
Fig needed to be in a prong collar in that moment.
It can never be acceptable for a giant breed dog to lunge like that. He could have easily hurt me, himself, or anything in his path.
I’ve invested thousands of hours into his training. The fact that my well-trained polite dog did this means that it could have literally happened to anybody.
Prong collars look like stabby pokers that jab at the dog’s neck. What they look like and what they do are two different things.
Prong Collars don’t stab and poke. They take the pressure from pulling and distribute it evenly around the dog’s neck.
This makes it so the dog cannot injure itself while wearing one. It’s a simple matter of pressure on, pressure off.
The pressure is uncomfortable, but not painful. Unlike other tools, the sensation from a prong collar is a very deliberate YES and NO that dogs understand.
The dog is in control of that pressure. They can turn it off at any time.
Because prong collars are so effective, that also makes them one of the safest and most gentle options for Great Danes. Hear me out.
The prong collar quickly resolves pulling issues, thus minimizing the damage a dog can do to itself and others by continuing to lunge into collars, harnesses, and head collars.
Of course, I could just keep my dog at home in a ‘gentle’ harness and practice more so that he never does that again, but that’s not real life.
Real life is FULL of surprises. We cannot isolate our dogs as we attempt to practice responding to each one without error. It’s just not possible.
Giant breed dogs can and will throw their weight around. You are not hurting your dog when you say NO.
As a matter of fact, pairing an occasional and necessary NO with lots of YES is a truly holistic way to approach dog training and your relationship with your dog.
A prong collar is not an abusive torture device, especially when it becomes the difference between getting out in the world with your dog, and staying home because you don’t have safe and effective way to control them.
I know I learned my lesson. Figaro walks with me in a prong collar now so that we can practice NOT practicing that behavior again.
Someday I’ll trust him in his flat collar again, but until then, we’re having a great time together out and about.
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Navigating behavior challenges with your Great Dane can feel like a big puzzle to solve! When it comes to training, our beloved dogs might seem like they have a mind of their own. Tackling Great Dane behavior problems like pulling, enthusiastic barking, and acrobatic fence-jumping can be an adventure for owners of these lovable behemoths.
But fear not! While the challenges may seem big, the rewards of overcoming them are even bigger. Let’s journey together to better understand and address the quirks that come with our colossal canine companions, turning potential problems into valuable lessons and shared laughs.
If you are having trouble with your Great Dane or Great Dane puppy, don’t worry – you are not alone!
#1 – My Great Dane Won’t Come When Called
Poor recall is one of the #1 complaints that Great Dane dog owners have about their dog’s behavior!
There are a few things that you can do to improve your dog’s recall and ensure they are a well-behaved off-leash citizen:
Use a long line or leash when first teaching your dog to come
Prevent mistakes! If your dog doesn’t come to you, they shouldn’t be off-leash
Make sure you are calling your dog to you in an excited and happy voice, and NEVER correct your dog for ignoring you.
Reward with high-value treats, praise, play, and affection
Practice in boring areas!
Recall games for Great Danes
These are some of our favorite Great Dane recall games for teaching rock-solid off-leash coming when called behavior!
The Amped Up Recall game: Have somebody hold your Great Dane by their chest or collar. While they are being held, RUN away from them and be super fun. Wave a toy around, whoop, holler, and be exciting! When you are several feet away, turn and say ‘COME!’ and then have the other person release your Great Dane. Your dog will RUN to you (proving that dogs will come to people who are worth coming to). Play this game often.
The slot machine jackpot recall game: Practice recall with high-value treats. Think of yourself like a slot machine. Sometimes, you give one treat. Sometimes you give 3 to 5 treats. Occasionally, you give a JACKPOT! The best jackpots will be a complete surprise and something even higher-value than what has been offered before.
The follow-me game: give your Great Dane a reward for looking at you. Turn your back. When your Great Dane comes to look at you, give another reward. Turn your back and walk a step. Reward again when your dog looks at you. This is a FUN game that involves you eventually being able to turn, walk farther away, zig-zag, and even hide behind things.
Your Great Dane should always WANT to come and find you!
Once your Great Danehas a rock-solid recall in low distraction areas (such as your backyard or on a long leash on a soccer field), it’s time to layer in an E-Collar so you can ditch the leash in places where doing so is safe and legal!
Using an E-Collar to Improve Recall
E-Collars are NOT a magic fix for poor recall! If your Great Dane doesn’t have a good recall in a low distraction area, do not expect an E-Collar to fix the problem.
An E-Collar can replace your long-leash, so that your Great Dane can zoomie, run, climb, swim, sniff, explore, and move naturally. There is nothing more positive than that!
Most Great Danes will benefit greatly from being allowed to exhibit these correct and species-appropriate behaviors.
Sniffing the ground on a long leash is NOT enough!
An E-Collar uses muscle stimulation that is non-aversive and works the same way that your cell phone does.
Your cell phone ringing does not hurt you, punish you, or scare you BUT it does make you take action. This is how modern E-Collars work for coming when called.
By replacing the feeling of a harness, collar, and pressure from a leash with virtual pressure, our Great Danes can be safely off-leash. This is especially true once they are trained to also ignore dogs and people.
Many Great Danes who are reactive towards dogs and people on a leash will be completely non-reactive when e-collar trained.
The truth is that leashes are restrictive and cause anxiety for many dogs.
E-Collars allow dogs to move naturally and because they are no longer ‘trapped’, they feel safe.
Another major plus about E-Collars is that they are the ONLY tool that uses no physical restraint. For giant breed dogs like Great Danes, this is an incredible benefit to their orthopedic health.
#2-How do I stop my Great Dane from Counter Surfing?
This is a hard one because it’s a natural thing for dogs to do! After all, counters are full of yummy smells and things to investigate.
The best way to stop your Great Dane dog from counter surfing is to make the counter a place they cannot access.
If this isn’t possible or practical, you’ll need to be diligent about teaching your dog that the counter is off-limits.
The easiest way to do this is to use a cue like “leave it” or “off”. As soon as your Great Dane jumps on the counter, say the cue and give them a treat for getting down.
Because counter surfing is also a very dangerous behavior (for example, if they were to get grapes or cooked chicken bones), it’s a behavior we feel very comfortable advising corrections on.
It must NEVER be acceptable for your Great Dane to steal food from the counter!
These corrections can include a sharp NO, ‘AH-AH’, clapping your hands, stomping the floor, leash pops, or even sticky tape on the counter (which sticks to their paws).
#3 – How do I stop my Great Dane from Pulling?
Leash pulling is a common and dangerous problem with Great Danes that may require professional help. Most Danes pull because doing so is fun and rewarding, and gets them where they want to go.
As your Great Dane understands this fun game, start adding distance and zig-zags.
Clip a leash to a wide, flat martingale collarand continue this game of checking in, watching, engaging, and walking next to you with rewards and praise.
Once your Great Dane is able to do this next to you in a low distraction environment, we recommend layering in a Herm Sprenger prong collar.
Teach your Great Dane that gentle pressure from the collar (which does not stab or pinch!) means to turn and engage with you. Reward this behavior with praise and rewards
Prong Collar Training
Here is a great video on how to properly introduce a prong collar to your Great Dane!
#4 – My Great Dane Keeps Digging Holes
It can be a huge problem if your Great Dane digs holes! Not only does this make a mess of your beautiful yard, but then they are dragging mud, dirt, and all the parasites that come with it into your home.
Mud and digging, in general, are actually very good for dogs! It’s natural for them to want to dig and it’s a great way for your Great Dane dog to relieve boredom, stress, and pent-up energy.
The key is to provide your Great Dane with an appropriate outlet for this behavior. If they are left alone with nothing to do, of course, they are going to take it out on your lawn! Many behavioral problems are actually the result of plain old boredom.
You can teach your Great Dane to only dig in one area of the yard by using positive reinforcement and being consistent with redirection.
If the digging absolutely must stop, you need to replace it with another form of enrichment. Off-leash exploration, puzzle toys, and scent tracking are fantastic substitutes.
#5-My Great Dane is Destroying My House
You know what they say, right? If you don’t give your Great Dane a job to do, they will give themselves a job. You will NOT like their choice of employment!
Bored and anxious Great Danes will destroy your house. Literally.
It’s not uncommon for us to hear from frantic Great Dane owners whose dog has just eaten an entire couch, destroyed drywall, or chewed through electrical wires.
The good news is that this behavior is 100% preventable with crate training, the right amount of exercise, mental stimulation, and training.
Step one requires that you prevent this behavior. Crate training 101 is a fantastic place to start!
Following that, a drastic increase in positive training and daily enrichment will make a huge difference.
Gentle exercise such as playing seek games or FitPaws
Socialize and train in a new environment: the brewery, a public park, or if your dog is confident and trained, a dog-friendly store such as Petsmart or Home Depot (call in advance to confirm)
What can I do to Stop Separation Anxiety?
Unfortunately, many Great Danes suffer from separation anxiety.
This can manifest in a number of ways, such as destructive behaviors, excessive barking or howling, pacing, panting, and more.
The key to helping your dog with separation anxiety is to make sure that they ultimately feel safe when they can’t see you.
This can mean addressing the anxiety from multiple angles, not just when you are away! Exercise, obedience, puzzles, and trick training sessions are great confidence builders for Great Danes.
You can also help build your dog’s confidence by exposing them to short periods of time away from you, and by teaching them that good things happen when you leave.
For some dogs, this may mean starting with only a 30-second gap and working up from there. For others, it may mean building up to longer periods of time by using a dog sitter or daycare.
The most important thing is to go at your dog’s pace and not to push them too hard, too fast. If you do, you will only end up making the anxiety worse.
It will be helpful to use a Kong stuffed with their favorite treats, or to buy a puzzle toy such as the Kong Wobbler.
The FURBO camera is another great way to interact with your Great Dane when you are not home, as it allows you to talk to them, see them, and give them a treat, all virtually!
You can also help your dog feel more secure by providing them with a lot of novel enrichment and training.
#6-How can I Stop my Great Dane from Jumping?
Jumping is a dangerous behavior that requires proper training from a young age, if possible. If you want your Great Dane to be a great family dog and be gentle around other dogs, the jumping must be addressed.
While I tend to be fairly positive in how I train my dogs, I will admit that I have absolutely had a moment with giant puppies that jumped.
My 5-month-old male Great Dane puppy caught me off guard one day, jumped up, and scraped my eye with his huge paw. Without even thinking I stepped into him and then shouted at him with a very loud, sharp tone.
I felt so bad after that, but it was a gut reaction. Thankfully, he’s never done it again! I can’t deny that this worked. However, it’s not the recommended approach for a number of reasons.
To correctly address this behavior, you need two pieces:
Reinforce good behavior with attention, praise, treats, and play. When working with an excitable puppy, calmness is key. It’s a great idea to have high-value treats on hand to reward your Great Dane pup.
Redirect attention away from the jumping and towards something else, such as sitting or lying down. This can be done with a cue such as ‘sit’ or ‘down’.
The second piece involves correcting the behavior. If teaching the alternate behavior isn’t enough, it’s fair to then implement a correction.
No-jump corrections might look like this, depending on the individual dog. Adult Great Danes will take more work, as they have already established a bad habit.
Turn your back and walk away (jumping = loss of attention)
Sharp leash pop, followed by reward when the Great Dane has all paws on the floor
Saying ‘uh-oh’ and removing your leashed dog to another room when they jump
Walking into the dog when they jump up
We do not recommend using physical force or shoving your dog with a knee or a hand. Not only can this be damaging, but it’s also very confusing!
Some dogs see this gesture as a form of roughhousing and will become more excited and jumpy.
Many dog owners find that working with a dog trainer helps them learn more about the timing of rewards and corrections, so that everybody can move on from it!
#7-My Great Dane Growls Over Food & Toys
Resource guarding is normal behavior that can be seen in any animal, including humans. It’s when an animal or even a puppy feels the need to protect a valuable resource, such as food, toys, or even you!
Dogs who guard resources may do so because they feel like they don’t have enough, or because they are afraid of losing what they have. It has nothing to do with dominance. It can be, however, genetic.
Resource guarding is a dangerous behavior, especially for a Great Dane!
Many cases of resource guarding are made worse by humans who unfairly fuss, punish, correct and take things from their dogs to ‘teach them who is boss’.
The best way to address resource guarding is with behavior modification and training, instead. This can be a long process, but it’s worth it to have a dog who feels confident around you and isn’t afraid of losing its things.
We recommend the book MINE by Jean Donaldson, and seek a professional trainer’s advice if you have a Great Dane that is resource guarding.
#8 – My Great Dane is Reactive
Reactivity is different than aggression. A reactive dog is one that over-stimulates easily and has a low threshold for arousal.
This can be due to genetics, environment, poor socialization, frustration, anxiety, or a combination of several factors.
Dogs who are reactive may lunge, bark, growl, snap, or bite when they feel overwhelmed. Other forms of reactivity include whining, fussing, and rolling over (often mistaken as ‘submission’).
It’s important to remember that these behaviors don’t necessarily mean that your Great Dane is aggressive and wishes to harm!
Lower arousal and frustration levels with thoughtful management, desensitize and counter-condition to trigger stimuli, provide outlets for your dog’s energy, and seek professional help if needed.
Many people believe that their Great Dane is being protective when really, their Great Dane is being reactive.
Reactive dogs can easily go over the threshold and will struggle to focus, listen, or settle. These dogs are insecure and are protecting themselves, not necessarily the home or the people.
Protective dogs, on the other hand, will alert, but can quickly become calm and confident on command, welcoming people into the home.
How do I Help my Aggressive Great Dane
Having an aggressive Great Dane dog can be frustrating and heartbreaking. It requires dedication, resources, and time that many owners just don’t have.
Many rescues cannot accept aggressive dogs because it requires them to have strict protocols, highly trained volunteers, and enhanced insurance coverage.
The different types of aggression
There are two types of aggression, passive and active.
Passive aggression is characterized by a dog who is growling, baring its teeth, or stiffening its body in order to make itself look bigger. This type of aggression is often seen in dogs who are guarding something, such as food or a toy.
Active aggression is characterized by biting or snapping. This type of aggression is dangerous and can result in injuries.
If a dog is willing to injure you or another dog, they are a liability and will require professional training to address behavioral problems and aggressive tendencies.
Great Dane aggression can be caused by a number of things, including:
Fear
Anxiety
Health problems, including thyroid disorders, UTI, pain, cancer, or otherwise, which can cause sudden aggression for no apparent reason
Painful orthopedic conditions
Genetics
Neurological disorders
Fear aggression is the most common type of aggression in Great Danes. For normally gentle dogs that become suddenly aggressive, a thorough veterinary check is warranted to rule out health problems.
Giant breeds should never display aggressive behaviors, and if they do, they are more dangerous than a small dog might be. This breed has large, powerful jaws and most Great Danes are stronger than many humans.
Contrary to popular belief, Great Danes are not supposed to be an aggressive breed. They are friendly dogs that make excellent family members.
Aggressive behavior always has an underlying root cause that must be addressed.
How to manage Great Dane aggression
Because Great Danes are such big dogs, it’s important that you manage aggression and prevent injury.
Crate training and muzzle training are important steps you can take toward keeping your Great Dane and others safe!
Do not expose your aggressive Great Dane dog to situations that trigger reactions, especially if your dog is explosive and making contact with his teeth.
Aggressive behavior is embarrassing and dangerous. This means no doggy parks, off-leash hiking, or other socialization opportunities.
You’ll need to provide plenty of structure and rules for your Great Dane so that he knows what is expected of him. This may include crate training, obedience training, and positive behavior modification.
Avoid using physical force and harsh handling on your Great Dane, which can make aggression worse. We recommend reaching out to an IABC Accredited dog trainer or a board-certified Veterinary Behaviorist.
A touchy subject: behavioral euthanasia
Sometimes Great Danes just aren’t able to cope with the world, and they will respond with aggression to protect themselves.
Occasionally, tough decisions have to be made.
Behavioral euthanasia is reserved for Great Danes who experience significant and dangerous levels of aggression, reactivity, and fear that are not helped with training, behavior modification, management, and medication.
For some Great Danes and some owners, this is truly the most humane choice. It should not be taken lightly, nor should it be harshly judged. Most veterinarians will not euthanize healthy dogs.
A dog that is severely aggressive is likely suffering.
What causes Great Dane Behavior Problems?
If your Great Dane is out of control, many factors may be at play.
It rarely if ever has to do with ‘dominance’ or ‘stubborn’ behavior!
Here are some common causes of behavioral problems in Great Danes, plus information on correcting them.
Weak genetics
Temperament and behavior have a strong relationship to genetics.
If your dog’s parents were timid, snappy, unpredictable, anxious, pushy, fearful, or aggressive there is a good chance that your Great Dane will inherit some of those traits.
The final temperament and personality of a puppy is influenced by many factors, but this is perhaps the most important one.
Ideally, a Great Dane puppy should be friendly, social, and confident.
Poor socialization
Good breeders begin socialization at 3 days of age, through programs called ENS and Puppy Culture. If a breeder isn’t doing these things with their litter of Great Dane puppies, they may not be as dedicated or diligent as they should be.
Once your Great Dane puppy is home, the rest is up to you!
Poorly socialized dogs are more prone to anxiety, fearfulness, and aggression. Anxiety in Great Danes can be difficult to deal with and should be addressed as young as possible.
It’s important to start teaching and socialization on day one. Reward good behavior, confidence, and engagement with you with treats, praise, play, and fun!
Socialization should be positive and include exposure to a variety of sights, sounds, textures, experiences, things, and people.
Inadequate Enrichment & Exercise
Great Danes can have a surprising amount of energy – they were originally bred as hunting dogs, after all!
If you don’t give your Great Dane enough outlets for their energy, they may become destructive or even aggressive.
A short walk on pavement, a few toys, another dog, and a yard are rarely enough, especially for Danes that are left home all day.
We recommend that Great Danes receive plenty of off-leash time to move freely on varied terrain, in addition to basic obedience, scent work, and food puzzles to keep their mind busy.
Bad training methods and techniques
Unfortunately, bad techniques can actually cause and worsen behavior problems such as aggressive behavior, destruction, reactivity, and anxiety.
These things include:
Harsh punishment
Alpha/Dominance, including intimidation and ‘pack leader’
Forceful and punitive use of training tools of any kind
Restrictive methods that rely heavily on physical restraint, isolation, and constant micro-management
A lack of consistency and boundaries
Expecting too much
Not using enough positive reinforcement
Failure to address medical problems
When looking for a dog trainer for your Great Dane or Great Dane puppy, ask them three questions:
a. Are you licensed and insured? Do you have any certifications?
b. What do you do when my dog does something right?
c. What do you do when my dog does something wrong?
What is the Best Method for Training Great Danes?
The best method for training Great Danes is one that uses a lot of positivity and fun and is based on a strong foundation of trust, respect, and teamwork.
A thoughtful training program that includes a lot of YES with rewards paired with the occasional NO is incredibly effective.
We advocate for the use of positive reinforcement paired with modern tools such as E-Collars and prong collars.
Giant breed dogs should be diligently trained and socialized for their safety and the safety of those around them. They are never fully trained, though! Great Dane training should be ongoing, for life.
An out-of-control Great Dane dog wearing a harness or refusing to come when called is a dangerous animal.
Ideally, Great Dane puppies start training as soon as possible. But it’s never too late!
Great Danes make wonderful family pets for people who are willing to put the time into teaching, guiding, rewarding, and building a relationship with them.
We recommend working with a professional trainer, even if you think you know everything! There is always something new to learn, especially when it comes to handling large dogs.
Balanced Training vs. Positive Training
“Positive only” training relies heavily on behavioral management to prevent bad behavior, which can be frustrating to dogs and owners.
Management includes the use of physical restraint, crates, gates, and isolation from experiences, people, and dogs while a dog is learning without error. The goal with ‘positive’ or ‘force-free’ training is to never have to say ‘no’.
The ‘force-free’ method markets front-clip harnesses and head collars as ‘gentle’. We find these tools to be aversive, punishing, and potentially damaging to Great Danes orthopedic health.
We believe that modern balanced training is the most humane, fun, and positive way to train your gentle giants!
All exceptional “balanced” trainers use a lot of positive reinforcement and avoid harsh punishments, intimidation, pain, and fear. Balanced training is positive training with a more holistic approach to correcting dangerous or incorrect behaviors.
You should never see your Danes tail tucked, ears back, or lip licking during training; these are behaviors that are associated with fear, frustration, and anxiety.
Many people believe that Great Danes are stubborn, spiteful, and defiant. It can lead to questions about whether or not Great Danes are hard to train, especially as they are so large and can easily be destructive or dangerous.
In this blog post, we will discuss some tips for training your Great Dane puppy or adult dog. We’ll also cover some common behavior issues that Great Danes can have and how to deal with them. We are going to show you that training Great Danes is EASY!
Are Great Danes Hard to Train?
We believe that it’s not that Great Danes are hard to train, it’s that they are often misunderstood.
People see their large size and think that they need to be handled with extreme and forceful techniques. In reality, Great Danes are gentle giants.
They are loving, loyal, and affectionate dogs that just want to please their owners.
The training process should be fun. Basic commands are super easy to teach using positive reinforcement, and it’s never too late to start training important commands the right way!
Great Danes are huge dogs, so when there are training problems, they feel much, much bigger by comparison to other dogs.
When a Great Dane jumps, chews things up or pulls on the leash they are a danger to themselves and to others. Smaller dogs often get by with some of these things, where as giants really cannot.
Common Dane training problems include:
Jumping
Mouthing/Nipping
Barking
Destructive Chewing
Separation Anxiety
Pulling on the Leash
Reactivity towards people and dogs
Poor recall (not coming when called)
All of these things are fixed with diligent attention to rules, boundaries, management, and training; but it takes time.
Great Danes are not hard to train, but they DO require proper behavior management and obedience training. We’re providing more tips on this for you below!
Are Great Danes good for Beginners?
We believe that Great Danes can make excellent family pets and incredible dogs for many people.
The most common reasons why Great Danes are often surrendered to rescue include:
Aggression, which is largely related to genetics and poor socialization
Out-of-control behavior, which is related to poor socialization, poor enrichment, poor handling, and poor training
Grew too large, which is related primarily to a lack of education about Great Danes and their size
Plays too rough with kids, which is related to poor socialization and training, as above
All of those things require new Great Dane owners to be well educated on the breed’s size, temperament, and training requirements as well as how to find an ethical preservation breeder.
We believe that the answer is YES, but where most people fail is that they:
a. Use a heavy-handed punishment-based training approach
b. Don’t correctly manage or handle their dog’s behavior, social needs, and enrichment requirements
b. Don’t realize how many times a dog has to be rewarded for something, and how many times and places it needs to be practiced during training sessions before the skill becomes automatic
We’re going to offer some tips on Great Dane training below, but if you need more help, please consider hiring a certified professional dog trainer in your area.
Positive reinforcement is the process of rewarding a dog with a treat, favorite toy, play, affection, or praise.
Doing so increases the chance that a dog will repeat good behavior!
All new behaviors should be taught this way, including sit, down, heel, come, leave it, wait, touch, and place.
You must practice and reward these skills many times in many different places!
Some people are so impressed that their Great Dane puppy will sit in the kitchen for them every time. They are later shocked, however, when their puppy will not sit on command anywhere else.
Dogs don’t generalize well. They have to learn that sit means sit here, sit there, sit anywhere when asked. It’s imperative that you practice this in different places with lots of distractions.
Everyday life is much more complex than what happens in your living room.
Once they have their lightbulb moment, you are home free and can add additional layers of difficulty, including other commands, and phase out the treats to use only verbal praise!
We recommend pairing positive reinforcement with gentle, modern balanced training.
Balanced training is when you reward your dog for behaviors that you want them to repeat, and then if needed you either manage (prevent) or correct behaviors that you do not want them to repeat.
Some examples of this include:
-Leash walking: you would reward your dog for walking calmly by your side, and then manage or correct them if they pull ahead or lag behind
-Jumping up: you would reward your dog for having all four feet on the ground, and by keeping your dog on a leash when they tend to jump, you can manage and correct the behavior
-Chasing kids: you would reward your dog for calm behavior around kids, and then manage or correct the behavior if they start to chase
-Digging: you would reward your dog for playing near digging spots without digging, and then manage the behavior or balance it by providing an appropriate outlet such as a sandbox or digging pit
Remember that management is not a punishment, but overuse of restrictions and isolation is unfair to your dog.
Corrections don’t have to be harsh, forceful, scary, or painful and can bridge the gap between freedom and ongoing restraint for your dog.
We believe that the best training tools you can use meet the following guidelines:
Work primarily as a form of communication, not a form of physical restraint
Do not obstruct the way a dog moves its shoulders, head, feet, or neck
Result in dogs gaining more freedom and more enrichment opportunities, without long-haul ongoing processes that may be unreliable or frustrating in the long run
Are high quality and work without months of conditioning
Will allow Great Danes to be off-leash and free of restraint as much as possible
For example, no-pull harnesses and Gentle Leaders are aversive tools that rely on physical restraint. They work by altering the dog’s natural movement and restricting forward momentum through physical force. Head collars in particular tend to be distressing and aversive to dogs, even when introduced slowly.
These tools are unfortunately marketed as ‘positive’ and ‘gentle’. However, if you look at the actual mechanics and science of it, they are anything but that.
We are a science-based blog, so when people claim that head collars and harnesses are not aversive, we have questions about their motivations and their scientific thought process!
Keep in mind that Great Danes are GIANT breed dogs. They can and will pull, lunge, and take control of the leash. A Great Dane in a harness can easily become dangerous.
We recommend the use of positive reinforcement, paired with flat collars and a long leash or off-leash work to teach all skills. Engagement and rewards are key!
Following that, the use of a positively implemented, correctly fit prong collar (which uses pressure, not pinching or stabbing) for leash walking is a surprisingly humane and appropriate way to keep your Great Dane safe and be able to go places together without months of incremental ‘positive only’ training or restrictive nylon tools.
Additionally, the use of modern E-Collars, which use gentle muscle stimulation to replace leash pressure, is our favorite go-to training tool for Great Danes.
E-Collars are the ONLY tool that uses absolutely no physical touch or restraint. The sensation the dog feels is more gentle than the pressure from any head collar or harness; it does not shock or punish the dog.
All Great Danes should be taught the following commands. Keep training sessions short, exciting, and rewarding!
To avoid giving too many treats, keep the rewards small and frequent. Your dog doesn’t need a WHOLE treat for each behavior, they just need a tiny bite.
With Great Dane puppies, you have an incredible opportunity to start training at an early age. Great Dane puppies are intelligent dogs and will respond well to treats, praise, play, and attention.
Great Danes are in fact easy to train, so long as you are willing to put the time in!
PRO TIP: most bad behavior is a direct result of poor training, incorrect socialization, inadequate enrichment, and handling or management issues. It’s rarely because a dog is ‘stubborn, willful or defiant’.
The biggest mistake people make when they crate train their Dane puppies is letting them scream, cry and panic inconsolably. This is a bad training technique that literally encourages the puppy to practice the wrong behavior and emotions.
Instead, use a modern training method that makes the crate a fun, safe, and rewarding space.
This may mean starting slow and introducing the crate over several days. Feed meals inside of the crate, and play games where your puppy can learn the basic commands of ‘FREE’ and ‘CRATE UP’!
By making ‘crate up’ and ‘free’ into a game or fun trick, your puppy will be crate trained in no time at all.
Teach your Great Dane to love their crate, and it will be a safe place for them for years to come.
Socialization is one of the most important things you can do for your Great Dane puppy.
Start socialization early, and continue throughout the puppy’s life. Socialization is how your puppy learns to be comfortable around people, other animals, new environments, and different sounds and situations.
A well-socialized dog is a happy dog! The best way to socialize your Dane puppy is to expose them to as many new people, places, and things as possible. But, do NOT scare them. If they are fearful, this exposure can actually make things worse.
Every experience must end on a positive note. The more positive experiences they have, the more confident and well-rounded they will be!
Avoid having constant tension on the leash; this mild pressure will result in poor socialization experiences.
Our Great Dane puppy socialization guide will tell you everything you need to know!
We recommend starting puppy socialization and 101 obedience classes by 10-12 weeks of age.
Puppy classes are an excellent way to train and socialize your Dane. They will give them a solid foundation of obedience commands that will result in good behavior.
Classes are also a great way to meet other dog owners in your area, receive feedback on your technique, and work with your dog around distractions.
If you only ever train your dog inside of your house, don’t be shocked when they ignore your commands outside of the house!
Most trainers offer intermediate and advanced obedience classes as well. Don’t stop at puppy classes! As your Dane grows, so should their education.
Once your puppy has advanced, you may even consider taking classes for fitness or scent work. Fun tricks can be built upon and used to obtain AKC trick dog titles as well!
Sometimes, group classes aren’t the best option. If you have a dog with special needs, or if you’re looking for more personalized attention, private training may be the way to go.
With private training, you can work one-on-one with a trainer to address specific training goals. This type of training is great for dogs who are shy, fearful, or aggressive.
The bottom line is this: if you want a well-trained dog, you need to put in the time and effort!
Training takes patience, consistency, and commitment.
We’re going to provide some of our favorite Great Dane training tips below!
Having a well-trained, well-socialized Great Dane is an absolute joy. The following basic commands are easy to master if you break them down and start at a level where your dog can learn.
Loose leash walking
We recommend a two-step process for teaching loose leash skills for dogs that pull, lunge, and drag you down the street.
Step One
Practice off-leash in your living room. Use high-value rewards (small bites!) to reward your dog for taking steps next to your left hip and looking at you as you walk together, turn corners, and navigate obstacles.
Gradually increase the difficulty, distance, and distractions. Once your dog can take 10 steps, clip a loose leash onto a flat collar and keep practicing both indoors and out in low-distraction environments.
Step Two
Once your dog is happily following you around off-leash or on a loose leash, it’s time to add a prong collar.
A correctly fit prong collar will not hurt your dog and will give you the ability to keep your dog safe while walking in high-traffic areas or around other dogs.
You must first teach your dog how to respond to the pressure from the collar. Here is an excellent video on this training technique!
Remember to use reinforcement (praise, treats, and toys) when your dog is walking politely on a leash!
How to choose the best prong collar for your Great Dane.
We recommend first installing an amazing recall. This means rewarding your dog with treats, toys, and praise when they come to you.
Offer a cue word or phrase such as “here” or “come” while your dog is not paying attention to you, then immediately reward them when they turn their head towards you.
Do this in short training sessions throughout the day, and gradually increase the distance and distractions. Never scold your dog for blowing you off or not coming when called!
Once your dog has a good recall, it’s time to layer in the E-Collar so they can safely be off-leash.
Polite Social Skills
Great Danes MUST have polite social skills with people and dogs. It is dangerous for them to be humping, jumping, mouthing, or being rude in any way.
Positive socialization, obedience training, and working with an accredited AKC CGC Evaluator/Trainer will ensure that your Great Dane is a polite, friendly, calm, confident citizen anywhere you go.
Stay and Place training is critical for all dogs, but especially important for Great Danes.
This is because Great Danes are giant dogs and can easily knock over small children or elderly people when they jump up or lean on them.
As with all new skills, this is easy to teach using rewards!
Start with your dog in a sit or down, then take one step away from them. If they move, simply stop and go back to the beginning. Train your Great Dane to stay by starting at a very basic level, and working your way up.
When they stay put, even if it’s just for a second, reward/treat and then repeat.
Gradually increase the distance, time, and distractions.
Training Great Danes is Easy
We believe that training Great Danes is easy. Start at a young age if possible. Use lots of verbal praise, small treats, and rewards.
If you find yourself saying NO more than you are saying YES, ask yourself the following questions:
Does my dog actually know the behavior that I am asking, in this level of distractions?
Is my puppy mature enough physically and mentally to respond to this?
Am I being fair with my corrections, or am I being frustrated?
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There are a lot of different options available when it comes to choosing a dog collar. Today we are comparing the Gentle Leader vs. Prong Collar, so you can make an informed decision for your pet!
Two of the most popular tools to reduce pulling and lunging are the Gentle Leader (also known as “Halti” or “Head Collar”, and the prong collar.
Both have their pros and cons, so which one is right for your dog? In this blog post, we will compare the two collars and help you decide which one is best for your pup!
What is a Gentle Leader?
A Gentle Leader is a type of head halter or harness that your dog wears on their face. It is made of nylon webbing and will typically wrap around the dog’s muzzle and over the back of the head.
The leash is then typically attached at the bottom of the muzzle at the dog’s throat, or from the back of the head. Some head collars have a ‘martingale action’ loop that will cause the straps to further tighten if the dog pulls.
The design of the collar makes it very uncomfortable for the dog to pull, run, sniff the ground, or lunge and allows you to direct your dog’s head back towards you.
Common brands include the Halti and the Gentle Leader. Many people with large and giant breed dogs rely on this training tool, citing an immediate difference in their dog’s pulling behavior and leash manners.
Is the Gentle Leader actually gentle?
The short answer is…no! The Gentle Leader (or any similar head halter type training device) is actually very aversive, frustrating, and annoying to most dogs.
This is why they work so quickly!
A training tool like this will require a lot of conditioning to encourage the dog to accept it. Even following that, we see many dogs show negative body language while wearing them.
The signs of frustration, anxiety, and discomfort associated with the Gentle Leader include:
Rolling on the ground
Rubbing their face on your pants, the carpet or grass
Pawing at their face
Shaking their head
Running away from it when you try to put it on
Resisting and hiding their face when you try to put it on
Scratching their face and eyes until they break the skin
Whale eye (wide eyes)
Pinned ears
Hiding behind your legs
Head down and hunched shoulders
Becoming ‘hand shy’ (shying their head away from petting or facial handling)
While it’s important for your dog to learn how to walk nicely on a leash, we’re not convinced that the ‘quick fix’ of a head collar is the most humane choice.
Positive training sessions using just a flat collar in a low distraction area are a great way to start training your dog on how you want them to behave on a leash.
This is especially true for puppies and young dogs who have not yet developed a preference for lunging and pulling. If you are struggling with your dog’s pulling, we recommend seeking out the help of a highly qualified dog trainer in your area.
The short answer is again, no. Head collars are a surprisingly aversive tool that should only be used as a last resort by experienced dog trainers, or for highly-trained service dogs where small communications are necessary while in public.
This type of dog training collar can cause a lot of physical and emotional damage to your pet dog, especially when implemented without a lot of conditioning and positive reinforcement training.
We honestly do not recommend head collars for any dog, despite their widespread popularity and ‘positive’ marketing.
‘Positive’ implies that the dog will enjoy wearing it and have a good experience being taught not to pull. When it comes to training tools, the head collar is one of the most aversive options available.
What is the difference between a Halti and a Gentle Leader?
There is very little difference between these two training tools. When it comes to head collars, there are several brands and models on the market.
The concept is the same, however, no matter how the webbing and the final fit are actually styled and implemented.
Many dogs do better in one brand than another; it depends on the shape of their face. A dog’s head is full of sensitive nerve endings and every dog is different!
Can my Dog Wear a Gentle Leader if they have Wobblers?
Absolutely not.
As a matter of fact, a major reason we do not recommend head collars for large and giant breed dogs is that they can exacerbate existing or not yet known health conditions.
Wobblers disease is a condition that affects the vertebrae and spinal cord of the neck. Many dogs who have the disease show only mild symptoms for months or years before they are diagnosed. These symptoms are easy to miss and all the while, the damage is being done day by day.
Dogs with this disease should not wear any type of collar that regularly puts physical pressure on their head that can cause a whipping motion of the spine.
For dogs prone to wobblers disease (including Great Danes), the head collar should never be the tool of choice. We understand that this opinion may be upsetting to many people who are struggling with their dog’s leash walking.
The good news is, there are other dog training collars available that won’t hard your dog’s neck, alter the way they walk or physically harm them in any way. Read on!
(We highly recommend that you use lots of positive reinforcement when training your dog! Shop our favorite treat bags below).
Most dogs hate the Gentle Leader. It doesn’t matter what brand you choose, either.
Head collars are a foreign object to dogs, and they are not natural for them to wear.
This is why it is so important that you only use a head collar as a last resort, and only after you have tried other more positive methods of training first.
If your dog hates the head halter, we recommend taking it off and trying another method. Do not force your dog to wear this device, and tread cautiously with dog trainers who continue to promote this as a ‘friendly’ and ‘positive’ tool.
Why Shouldn’t You Use a Gentle Leader?
The main reason why we do not recommend the Gentle Leader is that it is a very aversive and potentially damaging tool.
Aversives are anything that causes your dog discomfort and stress, and should only be used as a last resort.
There are many other positive training methods available that do not require the use of aversives like this.
We understand that they have been marketed as a ‘positive’ device. This is, unfortunately, marketing that was designed to be misleading.
Many people are looking for a gentle and positive training tool to help their dog walk properly, politely, and gently on a leash. Enter the front clip harness!
There are several front clip no-pull harness options available, and some are better than others.
Traditional ‘no-pull’ harnesses such as the ‘Easy Walk’ (with a strap across the chest) work by applying pressure to the chest and forcing the dog to the side if they lunge into it. They suppress the dog’s ability to move naturally and restrict the forward movement of the shoulders, whether the dog is pulling or not!
If you do wish to use a no-pull harness, consider it a temporary training tool only. Choose a version with a Y-front, such as the Ruffwear Front Range or TrueLove harness instead, which are designed to be comfortable for the dog to wear and non-obstructive to their shoulders and gait.
Do NOT use an ‘Easy Walk’ or similar obstructive type device, which can be frustrating to your dog, painful to wear and potentially damaging. The following harnesses with a Y front are acceptable, however:
Make sure to use lots of positive reinforcement (ideally off-leash in a low distraction area to start) and ideally, consider a two-leash system where one leash is clipped to the front and one is clipped to the back.
We do recommend the use of an ergonomic front-clip harness system (see two choices above) before choosing a Gentle Leader, if you are not ready to look into prong collar training yet.
For some dogs, such as the American Eskimo Dog and other sled dogs, it will be very difficult to train in a properly fit ergonomic (non-obstructive) harness. These are dogs that were built and bred to pull!
Teaching dogs not to pull (when they are in a harness that allows them to do just that) is an exercise in frustration for many, many people.
Additionally, people who have large and giant breed dogs such as Great Danes may find that a harness gives the dog too much leverage and becomes dangerous to walk as a result.
Use common sense here and don’t be afraid of a prong collar or a gentle correction if it ultimately will give you and your dog more peaceful and enriching walks together.
There is a time and a place for using a training tool like this! If you still believe in using a Gentle Leader or similar head harnesses for your dog, start slow and don’t look at it like a ‘quick fix’.
The conditioning and training process will be much easier on you and your dog if you start in a low-distraction environment, such as your backyard.
Remember that your dogs head has thousands of nerve endings, and your dog may find the nylon webbing to be uncomfortable to wear. Be patient if you want your dog to have better leash walking skills.
Make sure that your dog is very well-versed in basic obedience commands such as ‘sit’, ‘stay’, and ‘come’ before you attempt to put a Gentle Leader on them.
It is also helpful if they have a good foundation of the basic heel position, which is easy to teach using positive reinforcement.
Use small, high-value treats and introduce the collar to your dog.
Gently put the loop over your dog’s nose, say ‘YES’, offer a treat then slide it off again. Repeat this process until your dog willingly offers its nose for the loop on the collar.
Once your dog is comfortable with the Gentle Leader or head collar nose loop, you can put it on them, clip it closed, treat, and then immediately remove it. Practice this several times until your dog has a positive association with the collar.
For some dogs, this conditioning process may take weeks. Many dogs will continue to appear distressed while wearing a ‘Gentle Leader’ despite the conditioning process; you know your dog best!
Do this a few times before you actually take them for a walk. When you are ready to walk, make sure that you have treats handy and keep your voice calm and cheerful.
Start with short walks in low-distraction area. Discourage your dog from pawing at the collar or rubbing their face on your pants.
Be careful that you never deliver a harsh leash pop through the Gentle Leader. Avoid any kind of correction or movement that will cause your dog to whip their head around.
Additionally, we absolutely do not recommend the Gentle Leader training collar (or similar head halters) for dogs that struggle with extreme lunging, jumping and reactivity.
A prong collar is a type of dog training collar that is made up of metal links with blunt prongs on either side. The prongs are designed to distribute pressure evenly around the dog’s neck so that when the dog pulls, pressure is applied. When they stop pulling, the pressure goes away.
Prong collars look scary because of their design, but when used correctly, they are a very safe, humane, and effective way to train your dog not to pull on the leash.
Contrary to popular belief, prong collars will not hurt your dog. The prongs are blunt and rounded; if they are sharp and pointy, you’ve bought a cheap knock-off dog training collar!
Prong collars were originally designed to protect the dog’s trachea by distributing pressure evenly. Flat buckle collars, slip collars, choke collars and martingale collars cannot offer this.
When a dog pulls into a regular buckle collar or anything like it, all of the pressure goes into the front of their neck and yes, their trachea!
This can be painful and damaging to the dog.
Many people believe that prong collars are much worse than Gentle Leaders, which is unfortunate and based on a lot of misguided marketing.
They are a safe, effective and surprisingly gentle way to train your dog not to pull on the leash.
Many dogs that have been trained with prong collars live happy, healthy lives without any adverse effects.
For dogs that cannot be walked because of pulling, lunging and dragging their owners down the street, the prong collar is a game-changer. When used correctly, there is no negative body language.
I’m in an advanced training class with my large male Great Dane. In the class there are some dogs on flat collars, some dogs on prong collars, and some dogs on head halters.
The dog owners who chose Gentle Leaders for their dogs did so because they believed it was the more humane choice. Our trainer is a positive reinforcement balanced trainer who is fine with either option.
However, if you watch the dogs in this class, the negative and stressed body language we see is coming exclusively from the head halter dogs!
On the flip side, the prong collar dogs are happy, enthusiastic, comfortable, and engaged.
Despite 2 years of positive reinforcement training, the Gentle Leader dogs are still frustrated with the nylon webbing on their face. They show signs of stress including whale eye, pawing, shyness, rubbing, rolling and pinned ears.
If you use a prong collar correctly, it will not damage your dog or lead to ongoing frustration and annoyance with the tool being used. That’s a simple fact.
Tread cautiously with marketing that is designed to make you feel otherwise.
Prong collars are a safe, effective and humane way to train your dog not to pull on the leash.
They are not cruel or abusive, and when used correctly, they will not damage your dog in any way.
In fact, correctly used, high-quality prong collars have been shown time and time again to be much more gentle, dog-friendly and humane than head halters (Gentle Leader)!
Remember, the prong collar works by distributing pressure evenly around the dogs neck.
They are not pinching the dogs skin or causing pain (unlike a regular collar which can damage the dogs trachea if they lunge or pull into it).
High quality prong collars (such as the Herm Sprenger, the brand we recommend) have a trachea plate on the front to further reduce the pressure a dog may put into the front of their throat when pulling.
We would rather see a dog out and about, properly trained in a prong collar, than a dog who has to stay home because they are too difficult to handle on a leash.
What is the difference between a pinch collar and a prong collar?
There is actually no difference between a pinch collar and a prong collar. They are two terms for the same thing.
The term ‘pinch collar’ came about because you have to ‘pinch’ two links together to close the collar around your dogs neck. The pinching of the link has nothing to do with pinching your dog’s neck.
People think that prong collars look like torture devices, so they took the ‘pinch’ collar word and ran with it.
Because the word ‘pinch collar’ evokes the concept of ‘pain’, people think it means that a prong collar is teaching dogs avoidance and fear.
The reality is that prong collars are just a tool, and dog trainers who use them are often very focused on ethics, positive training and helping dogs and owners live their best lives possible.
All dog training collars and tools available can be used humanely or inhumanely. This includes the prong collar, martingale collar, choke collar, e-collar, flat collar and yes, even harnesses.
It ultimately boils down to the individual using the collar or tool, not the tool itself, however. This is why, if you are willing to put the time into positive conditioning and addressing lunging or other dangerous behaviors as well, a Gentle Leader can be an acceptable choice for you.
Positive trainers believe there is a war to wage against training tools that they have determined to be aversive and inhumane. This includes prong collars, which look scary.
Some tools by nature are more aversive than others. In our opinion, the head collar is naturally more aversive to dogs than a prong collar.
Because they don’t understand how a prong collar works or is used, they assume it’s a torture device and market it as such. This fanatic war against tools has even made it to politics, where lobbyists have successfully outlawed certain tools in some Countries by using poorly done ‘studies’ and inflammatory language.
When comparing the gentle leader vs. the prong collar, we believe there is so much more to it than the fact that the prong collar simply ‘appears’ harsher.
It doesn’t matter that the tools ‘positive’ trainers tend to recommend (no-pull harnesses and Gentle Leaders) have serious pitfalls and are far from ‘positive’. Some people have drawn an arbitrary, uneducated line in the sand.
We believe that the best kinds of dog training rely heavily on positive reinforcement AND the ethical, thoughtful use of the right tool for each dog being trained.
Run from any dog trainer who advocates for the ‘yank and crank’ method of prong collar or choke collar training, of course. That is not the correct use of any tool.
Alternatively, run from any dog trainer who tells you that ‘balanced’ training and properly used prong collars are abusive.
Can damage nerves, eyes, neck, and spine when used normally
Can only cause damage to the skin if used abusively or incorrectly
May cause sores on the bridge of the nose
Does not cause skin sores or abrasions
People rarely judge this tool
People are often judgmental
May exacerbate underlying health problems
Unlikely to cause orthopedic damage
Dangerous for dogs with orthopedic issues, especially wobblers
An alternative choice for dogs who should not be pulling into a harness or collar for any reason
Negative body language is seen with normal ‘positive’ use
Negative body language is seen with harsh and incorrect use
Effective at reducing pulling
Effective at reducing pulling
What is the Best Prong Collar?
The only prong collar brand we can confidently recommend at this time is Herm Sprenger.
The company has been around for over 100 years and has pioneered the design and use of prong collars. One of the key features of a proper prong collar is the round, blunt ends.
There should be no sharp points to poke or pinch your dog. We recommend choosing a model with the martingale loop, which will allow you to quickly apply and release pressure into the collar.
This pressure is a communication that your dog will understand.
Pulling in and of itself is dangerous, but isolation from experiences and life because of pulling behavior can be unfair and unethical, too. The prong collar has helped millions of dog owners bridge that gap.
All good dog training starts with positive reinforcement.
We recommend starting your prong collar training in a low distraction environment, off-leash.
Have your dog wear the prong collar. It should fit snuggly and not rub or poke. Loose prong collars are dangerous and uncomfortable to wear. A properly fit one should feel no different to your dog than a flat collar.
While your dog is off-leash, use treats and praise to reward your dog for standing by your side, taking a step forward with you, and staying focused on you as you walk.
Ideally, your dog should have a basic understanding of ‘heel’ and ‘look’ or ‘focus’ before you add prong collar pressure to your training.
Once your dog has a great understanding of this, it’s time to teach your dog how to control the pressure from the prong collar.
Attach a sturdy leash to the prong collar and get started.
Allow your dog to sniff, noodle around, and walk away. Take a step backward and gently apply constant pressure to the collar through the leash. Do not snap, tug or pop the collar. Just apply a gentle, ongoing tug until your dog yields to the pressure.
Your dog will turn and start coming to you. The pressure will release naturally. As SOON as they do this, mark with a YES and then reward your dog and walk forward a few steps together.
This process teaches the dog how to ‘turn off’ the pressure from their prong collar. They are in control! Repeat this step as often as possible, over the course of several days.
Make a fun game of this where your dog is encouraged to stay near you and focused on you as you zig-zag and weave around obstacles.
Use lots of rewards and make sure that your dog is consistently able to respond to the pressure of their prong collar and release it themselves.
When comparing a prong vs. a Gentle Leader, the beautiful thing here is that a dog can turn off the pressure from a prong collar and has full control of it. They cannot turn off the pressure from a Gentle Leader, it will always be on their face, irritating the sensitive nerves whether they are pulling or not.
With these basic positive training exercises, your dog will become very confident in its understanding of the collar, what it means and how to turn the pressure off. You will notice positive body language and enthusiasm!
Leash reactivity is common and is most often caused because dogs are nervous about the constant tension they feel from the leash. It prohibits them from moving naturally and they feel trapped. Reactivity builds and many dogs who are leash reactive are perfectly fine and friendly off-leash.
Fear-based reactivity is often the result of poor genetics and poor early socialization or experiences such as abuse. This kind of reactivity requires diligent monitoring and thoughtful attention to confidence-building and avoiding triggers.
General reactivity can be caused by the dogs preferences that you not mess with their food, pain or other medical issues. Always speak with your vet if your dog develops sudden reactivity.
Stress, anxiety, leash tension, unfair corrections and being ‘over threshold’ are contributing factors.
When it comes to choosing the right tool to use on a dog with reactivity, it’s important to keep in mind that good training starts by keeping the dog comfortable, and creating positive experiences around triggers.
For dogs that are extremely aggressive, a martingale collar is required. It is the only truly escape-proof option.
All training tools (including ‘no-pull harnesses’, Gentle Leaders, and Prong collars) can lead to increased frustration in reactive, fearful, and aggressive dogs if they are not implemented correctly.
We recommend working with a professional balanced positive reinforcement trainer to help you choose the best tool and training method for your dog, and show you how to help your dog have positive experiences that will build their confidence.
When used correctly, prong collars (AKA ‘pinch collars’) can be a very effective way to train and communicate to dogs with reactivity issues. But they should only be used under the guidance of a qualified trainer, on certain dogs who have already build on the basics of good obedience (sit, down, leave it, wait, place, stay, come).
Gentle Leaders are not recommended for use on reactive dogs or dogs that lunge, buck, or pull wildly as they risk damaging their neck, spine, eyes, and sensitive nerve endings.
While we strong advocate for the use of the prong collar as we believe that it the safest and most humane and effective choice, especially on large and giant breed dogs, the truth is that you should use the tool that works for you and your dog.
If your dog is showing positive body language and enjoying freedom, enrichment and safe walks because of the tool you chose, then you are doing the right thing!
Do not let ANYBODY make you feel bad for choosing a training tool, especially not a prong collar, if your dog is enjoying life as a result of the tool.
Get out in the world and stop isolating yourselves and your dog from life because they pull, lunge or cannot walk politely on a leash!
It’s time to make a humane, ethical choice and train your dog with the tool that works for you.
A proper leash for a Great Dane will be well-made, sturdy, and have a substantial solid metal clip on it. The last thing we want is for our giant breed dogs to get loose and run off because their leash breaks!
Inexpensive nylon leashes with plastic clips can easily break, setting your dog free to run and cause havoc off-leash!
Talk about embarrassing (hey, many of us have been there)!
Once your Great Dane has excellent walking skills and does not pull you around, lunge, or react, we recommend walking your Great Dane off-leash (with a positively-implemented E-Collar) and/or on a 6-8 foot leather leash connected to a flat or Herm Sprenger Prong collar.
Leather wears well, is easy to clean, feels nice in your hand, and will often be more sturdy and well-made than an inexpensive nylon leash.
PRO TIP: Buy a set of leather horse reins from the farm store and add a substantial clip to each one. If your Great Dane pulls, it’s so important to have peace of mind that your equipment is solid.
When your Great Dane is trained to walk nicely and be 100% responsive to you while off-leash, the leash becomes nothing more than an extra item your dog will wear on walks only because it has to be there for leash laws.
For dogs that aren’t there yet or that may be dangerous and require additional control, a sturdy leash is a must!
The best leash for training sessions
We recommend a sturdy 4-8 foot leather leash for training sessions.
The ideal collar for a Great Dane is either a martingale or a prong collar. Flat collars are only for dogs that do not pull ahead or lunge.
Headcollars (also known as ‘Gentle Leaders’ or ‘Halti’) often work ‘quickly’ but many dogs find them aversive and frustrating. We don’t recommend them for a number of reasons.
The Best Training Collars for Great Danes
A Herm Sprenger prong collar is our tool of choice for teaching Great Dane dogs how to politely walk on a leash. While a prong collar may look like a torture device, it is actually one of the most gentle and clear ways to communicate with our gentle giants!
Prong collars work by applying gentle, even pressure to the neck when the dog pulls ahead or lunges. A good training program will utilize positive reinforcement to teach the dog that this pressure is something they can control and easily get rid of by turning back towards you as the handler.
This ability to control the sensation from the collar is very rewarding and empowering to dogs!
This pressure is a deliberate and clear yes and no communication that can result in an incredible transformation for dogs that lunge, pull or struggle to focus around little distractions.
A properly used, high-quality prong collar such as the Herm Sprenger will not pop a balloon.
We do not recommend using any kind of training collar on a puppy, however.
Prior to 5-6 months of age, a lot of time should be spent first teaching the correct position (heel) and loose leash skills by utilizing positive reinforcement in low-distraction areas. This will set your pup up for success and ensure that your training efforts utilizing a prong collar on your more mature dog are much more effective!
Basically put, if you wait until your Great Dane puppy is pulling before you start leash training, you’re making a huge mistake.
The best leash for recall training
Training recall should be fun! If you want your Great Dane to consistently come when called, you need to first prevent your Great Dane from running away (and practicing that behavior on repeat).
A long line leash is a must for recall training (whether you are using an E-Collar or not!).
We recommend choosing a 15-30 foot Biothane leash (our favorite is below).
Biothane is waterproof, stink-proof, and easy to handle. Plus it comes in super fun colors! Your Biothane leash can last a lifetime, too.
When teaching your Great Dane to come when called, use lots of positive reinforcement. Start small, just a few steps away, and say ‘COME!’. As soon as your pup starts towards you, say YES and then deliver treats, praise, play, or fun.
Gradually add distance, distractions, and duration. Make sure to occasionally grab the collar, reward, and release so that your pup doesn’t accidentally learn that coming to you and having the collar grabbed always means the fun is over.
Never scold your dog for ignoring your recall command. That’s the fast track to making sure that your pup NEVER comes when called.
Slip leads for safety
We believe all Great Dane parents should keep a few inexpensive slip leads on hand. Slip leads are escape-proof and fantastic for new rescue dogs, puppies, dangerous dogs and when you need a leash and collar combo QUICK!
Keep one for each dog in your home in your coat closet; this way you’ll always have access to something in case of fire or otherwise. Keep some in your car, too.
Retractable leashes are dangerous and offer very little control. Most are rated only for dogs under 100lbs, and if your Dane reaches the end and warps the cord around somebody or something, they can cause serious damage to themselves and others.
The only appropriate time to implement a retractable leash for a Dane is on smaller, well-trained Danes that have excellent recall and obedience skills both off and on leash.
A fancy retractable leash with a high weight limit can be helpful for handlers that cannot physically manipulate a proper long leash.
This may be helpful for providing some dogs additional freedom to move and explore, however, we don’t recommend it for walking in high-distraction areas or with Danes that are reactive in any way.
As always, we believe that modern positive E-Collar training is much safer and more humane than any kind of contraption that relies on physical restraint.
The truth is that a properly E-Collar-trained dog of any size can safely be on a retractable leash (to satisfy leash laws), too.
All about the wireless training leash
Did you know that modern technology has brought us the wireless leash?
With modern E-Collar training, your dog can be reliably off-leash in just weeks.
We use and recommend E-Collar Technologies Mini Educator or Easy Educator collars for off-leash training mature (5+ months) puppies and adult Great Danes.
By freeing our dogs of physical restraints, we greatly reduce the chance of orthopedic damage, anxiety, and frustration that can come from tension on a no-pull harness, collar, Gentle Leader, or long leash.
E-Collar trained dogs come when called, can walk politely next to us (even on a leash), and are amazingly responsive-without harsh physical communications.
Thankfully, a wireless E-Collar can provide you with peace of mind that your dog will, with training, come when called, turn away from distractions, stop before running into traffic and return to your side in an automatic sit when asked.
There are times when you need to physically restrain your dog and make sure that your dog’s neck or shoulders aren’t injured by lunging or pulling. This can be necessary for dogs who have Wobblers disease, orthopedic issues, or who are genetically predisposed to those conditions.
For this reason, something ergonomic will be the BEST choice when paired with lots of positive training. It’s especially important to train your Great Dane not to pull, even for short distances, if they are struggling with orthopedic issues.
Choose one with a Y-front, as below:
The Ruffwear Front Range Harness, a less obstructive and more comfortable harness option for dogs that do not pull.
All about ‘no-pull’ and front-clip training tools
We do not recommend the long-term use of ‘no-pull’ or ‘front-clip’ harnesses for giant breed dogs. These tools are obstructive to the shoulders and chest and can cause frustration, pain or even joint damage.
An obstructive harness labeled as a training device for loose-leash walking is built to use pressure, punishment, gait alteration, and behavior suppression and teach your dog not to lunge ahead.
Of course, this can help you accomplish your ‘no-pulling’ goals, but restricting natural movement and gait is not the most humane or ethical choice.
When your dog pulls into the straps, it adds additional pressure to the chest and shoulders. If the pressure is not immediately released, it then forces them to the side so they cannot continue moving forward.
This is hard on joints, and can be damaging to dogs that are predisposed to structural problems (including Wobblers, arthritis, and other joint problems). It is not very effective at the clear communication needed to form good leash skills, either.
Somehow these have been marketed as a ‘positive’ training tool, however, don’t be fooled. Some dog trainers will tell you that it works like a ‘Thundershirt’ to calm anxious behavior and pulling.
What they are really saying, but don’t want you to understand, is that the tool they recommend is physically restrictive and suppressive to behavior. We find this to be particularly alarming.
If you do use a restrictive ‘no-pull’ harness for Great Dane leash training, we recommend teaching your dog to respond immediately to the pressure on their chest and turn back to you for a treat and reward. Never leave it on your dog unattended in one, and don’t use it as a tie-out.
Unfortunately, harnesses of most kinds tend to be pretty easy to slip out of as well, and that can be very dangerous for you and your dog, especially if your dog doesn’t have a rock-solid recall and off-leash obedience!
Make sure it is properly fitted, and spend lots of time teaching and rewarding the desired behavior of walking next to you and checking in. Work on recall and obedience as well, every day to establish good skills!
Training Great Danes to walk nicely in a harness
Leash training in a harness is not impossible, but can also require a restrictive long-haul approach (to avoid pulling) that can be frustrating to both you and your dog.
An ergonomic (non-obstructive) harness will give your Great Dane leverage to lunge, pull, and take YOU for a walk. That, as you know, is incredibly dangerous for them and for you!
If you do plan to stick with a harness for loose-leash training, we recommend making sure that you put a lot of time into practicing obedience indoors and off-leash!
Your dog cannot lunge and pull you to the ground if they have solid recall, focus, and engagement skills in other words.
Practice makes perfect; many dog owners who are experiencing frustration with pulling on walks are simply being subjected to natural dog behavior from dogs that need a lot more training and guidance. It’s not stubbornness or dominance.
It is important to start leash training your Great Dane puppy immediately. Don’t wait for puppy classes or pulling to start!
Adult Great Dane dogs who pull, lunge, and act wild on a leash are dangerous; take advantage of the time you have for teaching and reinforcing good behavior and correct leash skills while your puppy is still small. Even if your puppy seems to be ‘calm’ and easy, it’s important to start young!
Some people proudly think that their small, sweet Great Dane puppy is “perfect and doesn’t pull on a leash“, so they don’t put the time into leash training.
These puppies grow into large dogs and learn pretty quickly (usually around 5-6 months) that they can throw their weight around (especially in a harness)!
Don’t be fooled. Your Great Dane puppy may not pull yet, but if you don’t put some time into good walking and engagement skills now, that day is coming.
Good loose-leash training actually starts off-leash! If your Great Dane puppy can walk next to you with no leash at all, they will have a solid foundation for on-leash walking skills.
Positive Reinforcement Great Dane puppy Training
Great Dane puppies should always be taught how to walk on a leash using positive reinforcement! Treats, praise, play, and attention, for example, can be used to reward your pup for behaviors that you like.
The more that you reward your dog, the more likely it is that you see your Great Dane puppy repeat behavior that you like to see such as sit, leave it, down, off, and heel.
Practice these skills daily in short 2-3 minute training sessions indoors and in your yard. This habit will help you create an amazing, obedient, calm, and friendly adult Great Dane!
Leash training for Great Danes
Once your Great Dane puppy has spent time around your house learning how to walk on a leash, it’s time to go outdoors and leash train around distractions! In many ways, this may feel like you are stepping backward, but it’s important to start small.
Keep a short leash by neatly bundling the excess into your right hand. Keeping your dog on the left, take a step forward. Mark with a YES and offer a reward.
You may find that your pet will pull harder when outdoors: for these dogs, the environment is just too exciting, or maybe causes a lot of anxiety.
Either way, stop walking and hold your ground. Wait for your pup to release the pressure from pulling you forward. Mark with a yes and then turn and walk in the opposite direction so that your dog follows you.
As always, mark with a YES and a reward when they come to your side and engage with you! Walk ahead with purpose and repeat this process until your dog is very good at releasing tension instead of adding it.
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There is almost nothing more dangerous than an out-of-control giant breed dog. Good leash skills are one of the most important things that you can teach your Great Dane! If you are ready to learn how to teach a Great Dane to walk on a leash, read on.
Don’t worry, it’s not as difficult as it sounds. With a little patience and some positive, thoughtful balanced dog training, you’ll have your Dane walking nicely on a leash in no time. Here’s what you need to know.
Step One – Teach Your Great Dane to Walk on a Leash 101
Step one: start with basic obedience commands like sit, look (at me), and touch (the palm of your hand).
You’ll need to have these commands taught at a basic level before you can move on to really teaching your dog how to walk on a leash. All of these skills are easy to teach using positive reinforcement!
Use lots of rewards. This helps your Dane build confidence and will help you install correct behaviors (which will come in handy if your Great Dane pulls a lot when you leave the house)!
You’ll notice a massive difference in your dog if you practice these skills even just 5-10 minutes each day.
Be consistent with your commands and rewards – always praise and treat your dog when they follow your instructions
Leash Walking Basics: Teach Focus and “With Me”
In this stage, you will work with your dog off-leash in your home or in a fenced yard.
If you don’t have space for safe off-leash work, use a long leash and an ergonomic harness (we do not recommend using ‘Petsafe’ or ‘Easy Walk’ no-pull harnesses on Great Danes).
Use lots of treats and with your Great Dane on the left side, take a step. Praise, treat and repeat.
Practice this until you can walk 10 steps or more between rewards. Add obstacles such as cones or balls, too, and practice walking around them together. Reward your dog for engaging with you!
Gradually introduce the leash, making sure to keep the training positive and upbeat. Keep the leash loose in your hands. It is only there for safety.
Many people struggle in this step of teaching focus, engagement, and calm behavior in all environments.
You may notice that your Great Dane does AMAZING with these leash training exercises when you are at home, but when you go somewhere new they forget everything that you’ve taught them!
Here are some tips for teaching your Great Dane to be calm in ALL environments:
Use structure and routines at home to encourage ‘calm’ settling behavior
Teach a ‘place’ command and build this skill up until you can say ‘place’ and expect your dog to settle there, no matter what
Make sure your Great Dane is getting enough physical and mental enrichment! The world is much less exciting to a dog that is satisfied. Proper enrichment will reduce anxiety, boredom, and the frustrating behaviors that result from not getting enough. (Read our blog post on bored Great Danes! and also the best toys for Great Danes)
Practice Leash Walking
Now it’s time to increase the difficulty! You’ll want to work on your leash skills in a variety of places with varying distractions.
Start off slowly, with just a few minutes of walking at first. Gradually increase the amount of time you spend walking together as your dog gets more comfortable ignoring the world and focusing on YOU.
When you encounter a distraction, ask your dog to engage with you and continue moving.
Continue to use a lot of positive reinforcement! This is how you teach your dog the correct behavior and increase the chance that they will repeat the behavior that you want.
THE BEST LEASH FOR GREAT DANES
We recommend that all Great Dane owners have three leashes:
1. A good long Biothane leash (for off-leash training and being in places where being off-leash is not legal)
2. A leather leash with a sturdy clip for everyday use and walking with a flat collar, martingale, headcollar, or prong collar
3. A leather slip lead for ease of use, training, and safety (slip leads are escape-proof!)
Prong collars are commonly used for Great Danes, but it is important to use them correctly. If you’re not sure how to use a prong collar, ask a highly qualified positive-balanced dog trainer for help.
Herm Springer is the ONLY brand worth buying; they cost more but they are built correctly and created with rounded edges so that your dog feels evenly distributed pressure, NOT pain during use.
A properly used prong collar, introduced with lots of positive reinforcement can be implemented in a way that is less harmful, less frustrating, less aversive, and safer for you and your Great Dane than a flat collar, ‘no-pull’ harness, choke chain or head collar.
Modern E-Collars are introduced in a positive way and use muscle stimulation as a communication (not sharp static ‘shock’). When used and conditioned properly, E-Collars from E-Collar Technologies can be an amazing and helpful tool for off-leash work AND developing better on-leash skills.
Harnesses have their place, however, for most Great Danes they are the wrong choice.
The only appropriate harness to buy for a Great Dane will have a y-front on it.
All other harnesses (including those marketed as ‘No-Pull’ such as the ‘Freedom’ or ‘Easy-Walk’ harness) work by squeezing the shoulders, throwing the dog off-balance, and restricting movement.
No-pull (front clip) harnesses are NOT good training tools for Great Danes. They rely on physical restraint and restrictions to movement that can be damaging to their shoulders, chest and gait. Just because it’s made of ‘nylon’ doesn’t mean it’s a ‘positive’ or ‘humane’ tool.
One big problem with choosing a y-front harness for your Great Dane is that if your Great Dane were to pull you, they have a ton of leverage to do so.
A proper Y-front harness should be used with a long leash and only with dogs that do NOT pull, lunge or react. We recommend the RUFFWEAR FRONT RANGE HARNESS.
We believe that all Great Danes should also be reliably off-leash trained. Good off-leash skills translate to great on-leash skills!
Reducing the reliance on a leash and collar for every activity is much healthier for them from a physical and mental enrichment standpoint, too.
Off-leash dogs cannot damage their gait, neck, or head by lunging into collars, harnesses, or ‘Gentle Leaders’. They also get to experience the freedom of movement which is very enriching to them.