The American Kennel Club refers to the Great Dane as “nothing short of majestic” ¹ but I’m sure, if you already have a Great Dane puppy, you are already exprecting great things from your newest household member.

A little Background

It is thought by many that the Great Dane was originally a cross between the English Mastiff and the Irish Wolfhound. However, its actual origins remain a debateable point. it originally became very popular in Germany for hunting but these days it is more popular as a household pet or guard dog.

The Great Dane’s Characteristics

• The Great Dane is, as its name suggests, great in stature, a proud kind of dog.
• Great Danes are large and very strong.
• This breed is often referred to as the “Gentle Giant”. People tend to be surprised by how gentle and friendly the Great Dane can be when confronted by one of the tallest of dogs.
• Whilst they need a lot of exercise they tend to be very comfortable at home with the family.
• Great Danes are often used in guard dog type work.

Great Dane Training Tips

• Because of the Great Dane’s size, you need to do a lot of “how to be gentle” training in preparation for when he is fully grown and around children.
• His height makes “jumping up” a definite no-no. So be sure to avoid encouraging your little puppy to jump up for his gretting and be sure to implement some Stop Dog Jumping training if the habit starts to appear.
• You need to socialize your Great Dane puppy so that his sheer size doesn’t provoke aggression in other dogs and people. Puppy school is ideal to start off your socializing.

Potty Training a Great Dane Puppy

In particular start potty training your Great Dane puppy as soon as he arrives home. It will only take a few days for your little puppy to start to get the idea of what you want, if done from the begriming and correctly.

The tips in our article, Potty Training a Pup, can give you some great guidelines to start with so that you can have a well house-trained Great Dane dog.

Have fun with your elegant Great Dane!

~ Bright Dog Tips

1. Great Dane Breed American, Kennel Club