Great Dane puppies grow incredibly fast. We recommend referencing our Great Dane puppy growth chart to learn just HOW fast you can expect your puppy to grow.
PRO TIP – Take lots of photos!!! These babies gain size at an insane rate, especially in the first 6 months of life.
Keep in mind that these numbers are all averages! Your Great Dane puppy may be above or below these numbers depending on genetics, health and the nutrition that is provided.
Great Dane Puppy Body Condition
The following are signs that your puppy may require a change in nutrition, medical attention, and/or special attention to socialization:
Great Dane puppies are surprisingly lean! This is better for their growth, joints and overall health. Your puppy should have nice fur, bright eyes, tight feet, confidence, and lots of energy when awake.
The explosive growth period in Great Dane puppies happens from 6 weeks until 6 months. They slow down around then and will eat less, but will continue to grow for much, much longer!
Knuckling is a serious problem in Great Dane puppies that results from explosive growth, incorrect nutrition, and slick or hard surfaces. Read more about knuckling below!
When do Great Dane puppies stop growing? Below you will see a monthly Great Dane growth chart. You will notice that a two month old Great Dane puppy is, on average, 15-30 lbs. These are averages, not every puppy will fit into this chart perfectly.
Birth
1-2 lbs
1 Week
2-3 lbs
2 Weeks
3-5 lbs
3 Weeks
4-7 lbs
1 Month
5-8 lbs
6 Weeks
10-20 lbs
2 Months
15-30 lbs
3 Months
25-45 lbs
4 Months
45-65 lbs
5 Months
60-85 lbs
6 Months
65 – 100 lbs
7 Months
70-110 lbs
8 Months
80-120 lbs
9 Months
85-125 lbs
1 Year
95-120 lbs
ADULT
Female
110-145lbs
Male
135-170lbs
Bigger Is Not Better
There seems to be this fear that our Great Dane puppies just aren’t growing big enough or fast enough.
There is also a subtle competition at play to have the largest Dane, a contest that often begins with breeders who are breeding for size rather than for structure, health and type.
Adding nutrition, fat, and toppers to your Great Dane Puppies diet to ‘fill them out’ or ‘bulk them up’ is one of the worst things you can do. A Great Dane should be lean, muscular, and athletic.
It’s not a race. Slow growth and building towards an appropriate height and weight is the healthiest choice.
You may be looking for a European Great Dane growth chart. European Great Danes and American Great Danes follow breed standards that are nearly identical, and the chart we’ve included in this post is ideal for all Great Danes.
Some breeders have made it their mission to promote bulkier, heavier, droopier Danes as ‘Euro’, often at the expense of the dogs orthopedic structure, eyes and overall health. ‘Euro’ is an aesthetic preference and not actually a sign that a dog is truly ‘European’ or well bred. For more information on the great ‘Euro’ vs. ‘American’ discussion, read our post below.
Keep in mind that our Great Dane growth chart represents the ‘average’.
Your puppy may not fall exactly into the range, and that may be ok!
If your puppy has health problems (including HOD or megaesophagus), comes from smaller genetics, was the ‘runt’ of the litter, failed to thrive or had a rough start they may be on the small side.
Great Dane height and weight in adults is ultimately determined by a combination of genetics, overall health, nutrition, and care given to protect joints and allow for slow growth.
Birth
1-2 lbs
1 Week
2-3 lbs
2 Weeks
3-5 lbs
3 Weeks
4-7 lbs
1 Month
5-8 lbs
6 Weeks
10-20 lbs
2 Months
15-30 lbs
3 Months
25-45 lbs
4 Months
45-65 lbs
5 Months
60-85 lbs
6 Months
65 – 100 lbs
7 Months
70-110 lbs
8 Months
80-120 lbs
9 Months
85-125 lbs
1 Year
95-120 lbs
ADULT
Female
110-145lbs
Male
135-170lbs
The Best Great Dane Puppy Food
What you feed your Great Dane puppy will matter somewhat when it comes to how slowly or quickly they grow.
We recommend choosing one of the highly recommended grain-inclusive kibble brands below. These are all formulated correctly with correct protein, fat, calcium and phosphorus levels.
A large breed puppy formula with an AAFCO statement about being ‘formulated for the growth of large breed (70lb+) dogs is ideal. Click on any to view.
None of this matters if you cannot actually weigh your Great Dane and keep track of their growth scale!
Here are some tips:
Weigh yourself first. Then reset the scale, hold your puppy and weigh again. Subtract your weight from the weight of you + the puppy combined.
Visit the veterinarian. Make going to the vet, stepping on the scale, seeing the vet techs and leaving super fun.
Visit your local pet store. Petsmart and some Petco stores that have an in-house veterinarian will often let you use their scale for free! Always ask first. (NOTE: we do not recommend taking young puppies into Petsmart: get those vaccines first!).
Ask your groomer or breeder if they have a scale you can borrow.
Use lots of treats and make the process of being weighed positive! Some puppies are afraid of the slick shiny surface. You can always teach your puppy to sit on a towel, and then put the towel onto the scale to transfer the behavior.
What Age is a Great Dane Puppy Fully Grown?
Great Dane puppies experience explosive growth for the first 8 months, after which they tend to slow down. Your puppy will likely eat less and may appear to have stopped growing.
At this point, however, they are far from done!
Great Danes will grow in height until they are nearly 2 years old. It is at this age that the growth plates will close and it is appropriate to spay or neuter.
After age 2, they will continue to fill out. Do not mistake this process for getting fat! Many Great Danes are spayed or neutered at this age and become overweight because of the sudden drop in hormones.
Filling out means:
Deeper and fuller chest Wider and more developed hips Maturation of the head structure Muscle development at the shoulders, hips and thighs Coverage that reduces the lanky puppy look
Great Dane puppies start off small, sleepy and sweet. It’s only a matter of months before they are larger than most dogs (80-100 lbs by 6 months of age) and able to accidentally hurt somebody.
Because they are so large, they also lose their ‘puppy license’ early.
In public, many people may assume that they are adult dogs and have higher expectations of them in regards to their behavior.
WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU SHOULD TRAIN YOUR PUPPY?
A Great Dane puppy that pulls, lunges, runs out of doors and ignores commands is an absolute handful to deal with, and that can all happen before they begin to reach sexual maturity (a whole other ball of wax that includes typical teenage shenanigans, among other things.
Basically put, if you wait until your puppy is 4-5 months old before attending a training class or working on anything other than ‘sit’, you’re in trouble.
THE 5 ESSENTIALS FOR PUPPY TRAINING
Here is our list of 5 Things ALL Great Dane Puppies should know by 6 months of age!
Given that most puppies are already 2 months old when they come home, you have 4 months to install calm, confident behavior. Put that work in now and it will pay off!
POTTY TRAINING
CRATE TRAINING
LEASH TRAINING
BASIC OBEDIENCE COMMANDS
PUPPY SOCIALIZATION
In order to train a puppy, pet parents need to be vigilant with training sessions, create a puppy training schedule, and begin training soon after they bring their new puppy home.
POTTY TRAINING A NEW PUPPY
The first of five things that puppy parents are responsible to help their new puppy learn is potty training.
Potty training requires their puppy to begin learning that they cannot pee and poo inside the house, but rather finding a potty spot outside.
Training your puppy to potty outside is not always as easy as it sounds. Young puppies have natural behaviors and learning impulse control for when and where to potty is something that puppies learn over a few weeks time.
Start training your new pup to go outside to go potty right when you bring them home. House training a new puppy can be difficult, but if you are consistent in your efforts, your puppy will catch on quickly.
Pet parents can potty train a puppy with puppy treats and lots of positive reinforcement. Spend longer periods of time outside with your new pup, if possible. Using food rewards, begin training your puppy where you would like them to potty.
We do not recommend putting your puppy’s nose in their pee while they are potty training as this could confuse them and teach your new puppy that you are the dominant one and they are powerless.
CRATE TRAINING A NEW PUPPY
The second of the five things that all puppies should learn is crate training. Crate training a new puppy is important for several reasons:
It creates a safe space for your puppy to stay when you are not able to supervise them. Puppies have a natural denning instinct and will often seek out a small, cosy space to rest in.
A crate can provide that for your puppy when they are first learning to stay calm and relaxed in your home.
Crating your new puppy will set the puppy’s life up for success by teaching them that not everything in the world is for them to chew on or play with. Puppies are notorious for chewing and getting into things, so crate training can help to manage that natural puppy behavior.
Crate puppy training can also be used as a management tool when company comes over or if there is something going on in the house that is too stimulating for your new puppy. It allows you to have peace of mind knowing that your new puppy is safe and not getting into anything they shouldn’t be.
It is important to start training sessions with your new dog on the leash as soon as possible. Your pup will probably show aversion to the leash at first, but dog’s learn quickly that a leash usually equates to something fun!
Using a food lure, show your dog that you’d like them in a sitting position, then you can put the leash on to your pup.
Show them how to walk politely. If your dog likes to jump ahead, slowly begin training your dog basic manners on the leash.
Never allow a puppy to pull or learn that pulling ‘works’. This may mean adjusting your expectations: puppies do NOT need long walks, so it’s generally fairly easy to avoid practicing poor leash skills.
Loose leash walking is largely a socialization issue: puppies that are generally understimulated (bored), anxious and fearful or over-excited by the environment tend to pull, whine, lunge, jump and try to run.
PUPPY SOCIALIZATION IS RELATED TO LEASH TRAINING YOUR PUP
Put the time in now to reinforce engagement, calm behavior and staying nearby.
As above, calm leash manners are largely related to proper socialization. Confident puppies that are desensitized to the world are much less likely to be pull like a freight train, a behavior that is often driven by anxiety or excitement.
Check out our blog post on Great Dane puppy socialization for more tips! That said. even well-socialized, calm and confident dogs can quickly learn that pulling gets them where they want to go. You still need to train the correct behavior and reinforce appropriate leash skills EARLY and often.
FUN LEASH GAMES THAT CAN BE PLAYED FOR THE ENTIRE LIFE OF A DOG
Reward your puppy for eye contact several times. When your puppy is engaged and interested, turn your back.
When your puppy comes to the front to find you, say “YES!” and give a treat. Turn your back again and take a step away.
The puppy will come to find the treat, say “YES!” and give a treat. Make this FUN! Work up to turning your back and walking all over the house. A puppy that has been taught this fun game will follow you and stay close.
This is early loose-leash walking with engagement (eye contact)! Practice this game in your living room, in the backyard, and on a long leash (15+ feet) in the front yard.
Make it fun, exciting, and increasingly more difficult for the puppy to ‘keep up’ with you! *If your puppy seems uninterested, try playing this game later in a lower distraction area. A boring bedroom for example, and use HIGHER value treats to start. Make sure your puppy has also had enough play time AND nap time.
THE WITH ME GAME – EARLY FOUNDATION FOR HEEL
Some people call it ‘with me’, others call it ‘heel’.
Position yourself so that the dog is on the side you want to build the behavior on (most people choose the left side for the dog). Keep the leash in the hand OPPOSITE your puppy.
Put a high value treat in your fist and hold it in front of your puppies nose. They will sniff and as you walk forward, they will walk with you.
Practice this many times until you can eliminate the ‘lure’ of your fist, take several steps and then reward your puppy for walking next to you. Remember to use a lot of praise directed to your dog all throughout training!
In a matter of weeks, with consistent practice, you’ll be able to walk with your pup, all over your house and turn left or right and your puppy will stay glued to your left side without frequent treats and without lures. Deliver rewards more and more sporadically as the behavior becomes stronger.
Practice this skill everywhere. Indoors, in your yard, in your front yard, in a training class, in a park where children and other dogs are there to generate distractions, at a pet-friendly store.
Start easy and work your way up!
BASIC OBEDIENCE COMMANDS
From the very day your adorable new puppy comes home, reward eye contact and engagement as often as possible. Basic commands can be taught by doing activities where your pup learns that it is fun to stay engaged with you! You are your dog’s advocate. Dogs learn by having fun. Keep training sessions short and get active with training your dog.
TRAINING YOUR PUPPY TO COME
If your puppy comes to you, PRAISE! YES!
The practice of seeking out your attention and your eye contact is VERY important and one that will pay off if you spend a lot of time rewarding it.
THE LOOK AT ME GAME
Have your puppy or dog sit or engage with you.
Say ‘LOOK!’ and hold a treat by your eye. When your puppy looks at you, say ‘YES!’ and deliver the treat. This activity is training your new pup that eye contact is a positive!
As your puppy understands, fade out the treat lure and just point to your eye, then eventually fade out pointing to your eye and just say “LOOK!”.
You want your puppy to automatically make eye contact with youwhen you say the word “LOOK” or when you say their name.
This skill is phenomenally important when you want (or need) to redirect your puppy back to you.
ENGAGEMENT GAME TIME
Toss a treat away from you, just a few feet away.
The puppy will run and grab it, let them have it.
Be energetic and say your puppies name. As SOON as your puppy turns their head back to you, say “YES!” and then reward your puppy with a treat.
Play this game several times in different places. Toss the treat farther away, to the side, etc. Make this fun!
TEACH YOUR DOG TO TOUCH YOUR PALM WITH THEIR NOSE
Teach your puppy to boop their nose to your open palm. This is an excellent ‘alternate’ behavior that can be used to redirect your puppy away from other dogs, people and even barking.
To teach ‘touch’, hold your hand open. Your puppy will probably go to sniff or see what you have. Immediately say “YES!” then offer a small treat.
Practice this behavior for no more than a minute, and then use it often at home.
When your puppy clearly understands that touch always means ‘touch the hand’, you can make the game more complicated by moving your hand into different places.
Between your legs, up high, down low, etc.
If you see your puppy start to focus on something, try the TOUCH command. With practice, you’ll find that it’s a really valuable tool for redirecting your dogs attention away from something and back to you.
PUPPY SOCIALIZATION
Basic commands go alongside puppy socialization. You do not need to attend group classes with your dog to have the perfect pup, although you can certainly get your pup with other puppies if you want to.
To keep your puppy engaged, practice some skills that will help them in the real world.
One of the biggest ‘socialization’ mistakes people make is allowing excited, squealing humans to greet their puppy. This either terrifies the puppy (making them fearful and aloof towards strangers) OR makes them extremely jumpy and wiggly when greeting people because they associate the experience with elevated excitement levels.
Neither version of that is a good look for a 100+ lb adolescent Great Dane!
Practicing calm greetings early are essential for creating dogs that can meet people and go anywhere without fear, nipping, jumping, peeing or other submissive (belly up) & excited behaviors.
CALM GREETINGS GAME TIME
Contrary to popular belief, your puppy does NOT have to meet every person and dog that comes along.
Many people do not like dogs, and some especially do not like large dogs that pull hard to come at them! It’s also true that many dogs do NOT like other dogs, so it’s important to teach your puppy how to ignore dogs instead of pulling to get to them.
One of the most important skills you can teach your puppy is that people and dogs are everywhere, and that’s all there is to it.
BONUS: this is great for socialization!
PEOPLE WATCHING
Sit on your lawn or in a park and just watch people walking by. Watch a variety of people on bikes, carrying children, walking dogs, pushing strollers, etc.
Watch, and use your ‘LOOK’ and ‘TOUCH’ commands to encourage your puppy to focus on you, not on the environment.
Note: If your puppy is fearful OR excited, move farther away from where people and dogs are and keep practicing. You’ll eventually be able to move closer, especially if you are consistently rewarding your puppy for focusing on you.
SAY HELLO TO NEW FRIENDS FROM AFAR
Have a friend stop to greet you from afar. Say hello and have a little chat, but have your friend IGNORE your puppy.
This helps teach the puppy that they will not be greeted by every person or dog who comes along.
Remember to redirect your puppy back to you with LOOK and TOUCH, and back up several feet from your friend if your puppy cannot focus on you.
Over time you’ll not only be able to move closer, but your friend will be able to greet your puppy!
CALM GREETING PRACTICE
It’s much easier to teach calm greetings with dogs that are well socialized (have calmly watched tons of people and dogs walk by) and engaged with you. Keep building that foundation.
To practice calm greetings, keep your puppy on a leash, and have your friend approach.
If your puppy tries to jump and pull, choose one of the following:
Ask for a LOOK or TOUCH, if those behaviors are very strong
Immediately do an about face. You can say ‘uh-oh’ and turn and walk AWAY.
With practice, your puppy will learn that jumping and pulling means they will NOT be allowed to greet people and dogs, and that approaching calmly is the key.
If your puppy has already been allowed to practice jumping and pulling to greet people and dogs, this behavior can be difficult to work with…especially when your puppy is 75lbs and counting!
HIRING A DOG TRAINER
We highly recommend you find a highly qualified trainer to help you if you are struggling!
When meeting strangers, do NOT be afraid to advocate for your dog! Say “I’d love to have you greet my dog, can you please help us?”
You can give them a treat to give your puppy, and tell them that you want your puppy to calmly wait while they approach. They will reward the puppy with a treat and your puppy will learn two things: calm behavior = attention from humans AND food!
Such a great lesson.
GO TO YOUR PLACE
Teaching a puppy to ‘go to a mat’ is easy to do and creates a behavior that can be taken anywhere.
You can use a yoga mat, towel, or elevated surface (KLIMB platform or Kuranda Cot) for this.
If your puppy can calmly lay on a mat and ignore distractions, you can take your puppy anywhere and they will have the mat to keep them calm and contained when needed.
Imagine how valuable this skill could be while having guests over, visiting family, sitting in the vets office or even camping!
This skill is especially helpful for excited dogs that have a hard time settling.
PLACE SKILLS GAME TIME
One of the most simple ways to create early mat skills is to integrate the mat from day one.
Put the mat or elevated surface in the room and randomly leave treats on it for your puppy to find.
This particular version is especially helpful if you want your dog puppy to have a dedicated lounging space in your home.
For creating a more portable mat situation, try this.
Place the towel or cot on the floor. Immediately reward your puppy with a “YES” and treat for investigating.
Then toss a treat AWAY from the mat. Your puppy will chase the treat and then come back. As soon as they come near the mat, sniff it or step on it, say “YES” and offer another treat.
Repeat this game until your puppy learns that coming onto the mat is VERY rewarding.
Add the ‘FREE’ and ‘MAT’ commands.
Say FREE and toss the treat away from the mat. Then when the puppy comes back, say ‘Go to your mat’ and reward the puppy for putting all four paws on the mat.
Work this skill up to the puppy actually laying on the mat. Step away just a bit then reward again.
Gradually you’ll be able to walk away from the mat and have your puppy calmly stay on it until you say FREE.
SOCIALIZATION HOLES AND GAPS
Holes in your socialization and training will become very, very clear when your puppy is around 6-9 months of age. It is around that point where fearful behavior, aggression, barking, pulling, and ignoring recall and other commands can become a real problem.
It’s extremely important to install as many positive, calm skills as possible when your puppy is young!
Even the best training will be challenged by an adolescent puppy; anticipate that at some point, your dog will attempt to defy all of these things that you’ve spent hours teaching.
It is at that point which you need to continue teaching, continue reinforcing, and continue managing behavior so that your puppy has more successes than failures.
VACCINATIONS
We do not recommend waiting until your puppy is fully vaccinated to begin socialization and training!
Training classes should begin as soon as possible. Most trainers will have puppies begin class at 10 – 12 weeks of age; they are well aware of risk and will keep a clean and sanitized facility.
If you are worried about disease, you can hire a trainer to come to your home and teach you and your puppy valuable early skills.
Puppies are so sleepy at first that many people think they have an ‘easy’ puppy.
The puppy does eventually ‘wake up’ but the bad habits and poor socialization skills have already been installed.
This problem paired with the size and power of Great Danes is a big reason that so many end up surrendered in their adolescent months.
Choose only ethical breeders with a lifetime return guarantee (no dogs in rescue, ever) and make sure that you understand the responsibility that comes with owning, and being loved by a Great Dane.
Puppyhood is a time to set your dog up for success in life, not just the next few months.
Chew toys, chew toys, and more chew toys. Your puppy is going to want to chew on EVERYTHING.
Make sure that you have an adequate supply of safe things that your pup can chew on during training. A chew toy could help your pup learn what is right and wrong in regards to chewing.
TRAINING A PUP TO GROW UP INTO A RESPONSIBLE DOG IS NOT ALWAYS EASY
Puppy training tips are everywhere, but ultimately puppy training comes down to owners being willing to dedicate time, patience, and consistency to the process.
You need to be willing to:
Set limits
Create a schedule
Stick to that schedule
Provide plenty of chew toys
Make sure your puppy has plenty of socialization opportunities
Take your pup to training classes
Remember, your puppy is counting on you to help them grow up into a well-behaved, responsible dog. Don’t let them down!
Crate training is not cruel, and we believe that you should crate train your Great Dane puppy! Many dogs find their crate to be a safe place to relax! They make potty training easier and give your puppy an ‘off switch’ for those times when both you and your puppy really just need a break.
This article is all about how to crate train a puppy without crying. We’ve included information on what crates to buy and how to make sure that the process is stress-free and effective!
In this post you’ll find:
How to make the crate a safe space for your new puppy
How to keep your puppy from crying in the crate
Why crate training is important
The best crates for Great Danes
Why You Should Crate Train a Great Dane Puppy
When you crate train your Great Dane puppy, you also make things much easier on them should they ever visit a veterinarian (we certainly hope you’ll be seeing a vet!), the groomer, or have to be transported.
Crate trained dogs have a safe space to go that is all theirs. This is fantastic for times when you don’t want your puppy underfoot or getting around your guests!
It’s important to note that over use of dog crates can be hard on their growth and can lead to rear-end weakness and developmental problems. Puppies should never be crated longer than they can realistically be expected to hold their bladder (1 hour for every month of life is a good rule of thumb), and never longer than 8 hours in a day (especially if under 7-8 months of age and/or crated overnight).
If you are raising a puppy while working long hours away from home, it will be best to pay somebody to check on your puppy often. An x-pen is a good alternative to crating for very young Great Dane puppies.
It is best to start small when choosing a Great Dane sized crate. Your puppy needs to be able to comfortably stand up and turn around in the crate, however if the crate is too large it increases the likelihood that they will pee or poop in there.
Many crates come with dividers for this purpose. As your pup outgrows the divider, you remove it.
You can always shop marketplace or ask friends if you can borrow a crate for a short time, if you prefer to just use a small crate! Fair warning though, Great Dane puppies grow FAST and adult sized crates are huge.
By 6-9 months your puppy will be ready for the big-daddy of all crates; the Midwest Homes or Frisco 54″ giant breed crate. This crate is HUGE. You’ve been warned.
8-12 week old Great Dane puppies are exceptionally immature, need to pee a lot, and are learning rapidly about the world. Be patient, it will pay off!
The Best Dog Crate Setup for Puppies
At first the crate should be in a cozy location with no drafts or excess heat. It’s best if you can sleep next to the crate for at least the first few nights. It can always be moved to a different location once the puppy is sleeping well at night.
Provide the puppy with a proper orthopedic crate mat that has a nice sturdy cover and is washable. We recommend this one for the puppy crate then move up to a Big Barker bed when your puppy is older.
Sleep and puppies don’t mix. Kind of like sleep and human babies! Establishing a solid routine and sleeping through the night comes with bladder control and emotional maturity.
How to Introduce the Crate to your Great Dane Puppy
An ethical breeder will likely have already introduced your puppy to a crate!
Give your puppy a few high value treats. Scatter some on the floor around the crate and make this experience fun and positive. We love Dr. Harvey’s single ingredient treats.
When your puppy is engaged with you, toss a few treats inside of the crate and say ‘CRATE’. Then say ‘FREE’ and toss some treats outside of the crate.
Make a super fun game of going into the crate (CRATE) and out of the crate (FREE). Most puppies pick this game up very quickly and enjoy playing it.
Randomly leave treats inside of the crate for your puppy to find in there.
Feed Your Puppy in the Crate
From the very first meal, feed your puppy inside of the crate!
Yes your puppy will likely make a mess (hence our recommendation for an inexpensive, washable orthopedic bed to start) and that is ok.
Depending on how comfortable your pup seems with going into the crate, it’s very likely that you’ll be able to shut the door during a meal time. Be calm and return when your puppy is finished.
Give lots of praise, open the door and say ‘FREE!’ then toss some treats outside of the crate.
HINT: Every time you release your puppy from the crate, take her out to potty!
Have Your Puppy Nap in the Crate
Contrary to popular belief, you will NOT ruin your puppy if you allow snuggles at nap time. Enjoy this time! We also know that Great Dane puppies sleep a LOT and you cannot always let them lay on you.
When puppy is ready for a nap (they need much more sleep than you think! Do not let your puppy become overtired and inconsolable), make sure they have had a potty break, then toss treats into the crate and say ‘CRATE!’.
Before you shut the door, give the puppy something appropriate to chew on; you can smear a small amount of safe (no xylitol) peanut butter inside of a Kong and freeze it.
Cover the crate and let your puppy rest.
Some puppies will be calm and comfortable in the crate, others may begin to fuss.
Some fussing is ok, but we discourage the practice of allowing this to escalate to inconsolable and panicked crying, pawing and barking. That kind of behavior inside of a crate breeds anxiety and stress. This is incorrect and the puppy should not be practicing that state of mind.
Unwavering ‘cry it out’ methods can lead to puppies that escape their crate and suffer from separation anxiety in the future, so be thoughtful here.
Many times puppies are crying in their crates because they are scared, lonely, cold, or have to pee.
To avoid creating a behavior chain where puppy learns that crying is how you’ll let them out, reassure your puppy so they know you are there. Wait for calm behavior, then reward the calm behavior by opening the door. They will learn with a few repetitions that crying is not how they get out, but being calm is.
Be boring, take the puppy out to pee, then try again. Repetition and consistency is key here. As above, it’s ok to ignore easy fussing and whining. Do not however let it escalate to panic.
How to Make Crate Training Fun for Puppies
Keep the door to the crate open during the day.
Make sure to routinely hide a goodie in the crate for the puppy to find.
Play with the puppy near the crate and continue to practice the ‘CRATE/FREE’ game. However, now when you say CRATE you’ll close the door for a moment, then open it and say FREE.
Gradually add time to the CRATE part of the game so that your puppy learns and is practicing calm awake behavior in the crate. Work up to 30 seconds, a minute, then several minutes.
If you do this correctly, your puppy will very quickly learn how to be calm in the crate while awake through the consistent practice of doing exactly that. Before you know it you’ll be able to put your wound up and awake puppy inside of the crate.
Because they have been taught to associate the crate with calm behavior and not crying or stress, they will immediately settle and eventually fall asleep. This is the goal here.
How to Crate Train Your Puppy at Night
The first few nights you may need to sleep on the floor with your puppy. You can reassure your puppy with your hand.
Be patient! Multiple potty breaks are normal but will quickly become a thing of the past.
The more mature your puppy becomes, the longer they can hold their pee, and the more confident and secure they are in the crate the easier this will become! Done properly, crate training shouldn’t take long at all, and you’ll love having it as an option for your dog to ‘turn off’ when needed.
Crate Training Troubleshooting
MY PUPPY IS SCARED OF THE CRATE
If your puppy is terrified of the crate, consider using an x-pen temporarily while you work on crate skills. Keep a crate inside of the x-pen and hide treats inside of it.
Make sure the crate itself is not in a cold or drafty area, and make sure it’s not situated in a location where a buzzing sound or some other irritant may be present.
Many people have success with the addition of Adaptil plugins which mimic the pheromones put out by the nursing mother dog.
You can also try cozy soft blankets and the Snuggle Puppy, a warm stuffed toy with a heat pack and a heartbeat.
MY PUPPY PEES AND POOPS IN THE CRATE
This can be a common problem with puppies from puppy mills or breeders that didn’t keep the whelping place clean and teach puppies early potty skills, but it can happen to any puppy. By nature, puppies should NOT want to soil their crate.
If this is happening, it may be that the crate is too big. Make the crate smaller with a divider or by choosing a smaller crate.
This can also be a sign of distress. As above, practicing anxious behavior is not appropriate crate training. Back up several steps and focus on associating the crate with calm behavior.
Make sure to thoroughly clean bedding, and make sure that the puppy has had adequete opportunity to eliminate outdoors. It’s entirely possible that your puppy really just needed to pee or poop and had no other choice!
Diet changes, stress and too many rich training treats can muck up gut health and cause gastrointestinal problems.
The last thing to check is medical problems. Puppies that have a UTI, kidney problems, or issues with their gut health will struggle to keep their crate clean. Chat with your veterinarian.
I HAVE TO BE AWAY FROM HOME ALL DAY
Puppies really do require that a human is home to guide, teach, feed, play with, and let them out. If you must be gone this much, hire a dog walker to let your puppy out or consider letting your puppy hang out with a friend during the day.
There is no answer where we say ‘oh bummer. Just put the puppy in a crate for 8 hours, he’ll be fine‘. That’s never going to be an appropriate or easy solution for this. Older puppies can be left longer, but expect to need help until the puppy is at least 5 months of age.
I’VE TRIED ALL OF THIS AND MY PUPPY STILL CRIES
Your puppy could probably benefit from additional confidence building and time learning how to be independent. Timid puppies are especially prone to developing separation anxiety, so be patient here.
Reward mature, calm behavior by giving your puppy a high value chew (antler, bull stick, stuffed Kong) with supervision, but while you aren’t focused on the puppy.sf
Do several short basic obedience with positive reinforcement training sessions each day. 1-2 minutes at a time on early basics such as sit, down and leave it.
I’M FRUSTRATED! HOW CAN I STOP MY PUPPY FROM CRYING?
It’s likely your puppy IS going to cry or fuss at first while learning. Even I have been known to shout ‘HEY. Knock it OFF’ to a puppy that I know is totally fine in there and hoping I’ll let him out.
This does NOT mean put a bark collar on your puppy, hit your puppy, shake pennies, or spray water at it.
Those things are the fast track to teaching the puppy to associate the crate with being trapped and punished, and with that you greatly risk creating an agitated and confused dog that cannot be safely crated or left home alone. Great Danes are too prone to separation anxiety to take a chance like this on punitive training methods.
Be patient, be consistent, and think about what the end goal is.
If you are frustrated, remember the ‘don’t shake a baby‘ campaigns from the 90’s? (Talk about a throwback!). Anyways, WALK AWAY.
Ask a friend for help. Let your puppy out, go for a boring potty break and try again.
If you are still having trouble or have a particularly timid puppy, seek out the help of a highly qualified professional dog trainer. Let your breeder know that you are having trouble crate training as well!
If your puppy is from a rescue situation, additional time, confidence building, help with medical issues and patience may be needed.
Knowing what to expect with a Great Dane puppy is near to impossible!
There is almost nothing more special (and unpredictable) than a Great Dane puppy! There is this insane time where your new puppy seems to grow right in front of your eyes.
Since we’ve recently been through the crazy new dane puppy phase, we thought it would be a great time to talk about what to expect when you bring a Great Dane puppy home!
Dog food is not at their disposal whenever they want
Eating the couch / wall / blankets / etc. is not allowed
Peeing in the living area isn’t fun or funny
Their collar won’t hurt them
Naughty behavior isn’t their full time job
As you can see- teeny puppies are FULL of behavioral problems that when you really get to thinking about it– are not actually problems at all.
More simply, it’s just a puppy dane in a new environment where every single turn down a new hallway is a whole new world.
Keeping this perspective with your little dane will help you gain empathy, be more prepared, and grow your Great Dane puppy into a strong and confident adult Great Dane.
THE FIRST NIGHT
The first night the puppy is either going to sleep well and TRICK you into thinking they are perfect, or they are going to cry and cry and cry.
Either way, just know that they are likely NOT going to be good sleepers for quite some time.
If you think bringing home a dane puppy is stressful for you and your family, just try putting yourself in their paws.
They’ve left their mom, pack, and previous house / life. Their breeder whom raised them said goodbye, and to them, that was their safe place.
So, get ready to spend time creating a bond and relationship that begins this first night and transpires over the course of your Great Danes life.
Also- keep in mind- this phase moves FAST! Before you know it, your pup is going to be HUGE!
Make sure they have warm bedding, a full tummy, and your comfort. Touch their crate, sleep near them until they learn that this new place isn’t so scary after all. Remember, less than 24 hours ago your puppy was cuddled up with littermates!
Don’t have a crate yet? You’re going to want one! Crates can help with managing behaviors (peeing, chewing, biting) and give your pup a calm space to lay down and nap.
PRO TIP: turn the auto-schedule off on your robot vacuum. Can we say ‘poop painting’?
Don’t expect consistency and reliability with potty training until at least 4-5 months of age, and that’s only if you have been diligent with training and management.
When potty training, be prepared to be VERY consistent with frequent bathroom breaks (and I mean VERY frequent). For the first week, it is significantly better if you do not have to leave your dane alone at the house and are able to let them potty as often as every 20 minutes.
In the long run, this intensive training upfront will help you set up a solid foundation for your Great Dane.
Cleaning Supplies
Remember all of that pee and poop? You’re likely going to need some cleaning supplies on hand to take care of that. Waste bags, odor eliminator, and some toxin free basic cleaning items are nice to keep on hand when bringing home a puppy.
All dogs are very messy- but a puppy is often outlandishly so.
Just gear up to spend about 50% of your life cleaning up after your dane puppy- but don’t worry, the bigger they get they tend to get less messy. Just kidding of course, Great Danes are pretty much ALWAYS a mess!
Biting is VERY normal for any puppy of any breed. It is not ‘aggressive’ behavior, it does not mean that your puppy is ‘bad’. Normally, your puppy either has a painful mouth from teething, etc. or they are just simply trying to play.
To work on stopping the bite, provide plenty of strong toys for your puppy. Giving your dog lots of exercise and mental engagement can also help them to feel fulfilled in other areas and not feel the need to bite everything else in the house- including yourself!
Tips for Stopping Your Great Dane Puppy from Biting:
Keep as many chew proof dog toys in the house
Exercise your dane puppy often
Get mental brain games and toys for your dane
Feed your dane with a slow feeder or puzzle
Keep baby gates up around children or small kids
Get started with training early and practice obedience skills continually with puppies
Pet owners, get ready to SAY NO! But, not to your dane puppy. To the humans!
Everybody is going to want to love on the puppy and meet him or her. Make sure you don’t overwhelm your new puppy with too many sights, sounds and experiences! They need lots and lots of sleep and lots of time to learn your routine.
You do NOT need to rush to the dog park for fear that your Great Dane will be scared of other pets or ‘unsocialized’.
Try taking your puppy on a walk: INSIDE YOUR HOUSE! Practice using the leash and gearing up for the big day when you take them on leash for a real walk outside (which should be done shortly after bringing your dog home).
However, remember that when you DO bring your puppy outside on a walk, you MUST be prepared to SAY NO! Having a million hands coming in to pet and touch him is not going to make him less afraid of humans, but could lead to stranger fear or reactivity.
Dogs deserve space, trust and the ability to determine when and how they’d like to greet other dogs or humans.
Our Great Dane Socialization guide is amazing for learning how to use modern training and socialization methods to create a confident, friendly and resilient family pet!
SOCIALIZATION 101
Have a Great Dane Puppy? Check out our positive socialization guide.
The work you are willing to put in to your Great Dane puppy is the amount of outcome you will get out of them. It’s usually as simple as that.
Now is the time to begin training! Make sure your pup has good experiences with you and with the environment.
Great Danes are not supposed to be fearful, timid, scared or aggressive. If you see those traits in your Great Dane puppy, start with a vet visit to rule out medical reasons.
Training Starts on Day 1: You are Your Great Dane’s First Dog Trainer
Basic training begins THE DAY you bring your puppy home. Training can consist of anything from learning how to play in the grass to playing appropriate with chew toys.
Nonetheless, training should be worked on daily with the use of positive reinforcement, a large crate, and treats – lots and lots of treats. Did we mention that Great Danes LOVE treats?
CUE THE COMMENTARY
People will have an opinion. Here are some of our ‘favorites’ that you can expect to hear:
You know that dog is going to be huge, right? (Nope, really? We had no idea!)
Being a Dane owner comes with SO many positives, but also comes with regular dane puppy commentary. When walking your pup or spending time with your dane out in public, expect to get comments… and LOTS of them!
You can reply with useful information or just laugh it off, but either way you should be prepared for lots of comments, conversations, and interest.
Most people have never seen a dog as big as a Great Dane.
SO MANY GOOFY PHOTOS
Great Dane puppies grow alarmingly fast. One day your dog is a puppy and the next they are full grown Great Danes.
Basically, they will take a 2 hour nap and WAKE UP BIGGER.
You cannot possibly take enough photos, so clear your phone now and get ready.
Within weeks you will no longer be able to pick your puppy up.
They are awkward, clumsy, and take forever to grow into graceful, loping, well-muscled adults.
The Moments Go Fast With Your Great Dane
Take ALL THE PHOTOS. Prepare to look back and sob!
If this is your first dane, take double as many photos and videos as you think necessary! You will want them later.
Looking back, at the end of the first two years with your Great Dane puppy, you might think it flies by, but you’ll realize that teeny moment of actual ‘dane puppy’ lasts only a few short weeks before they outgrow themselves, unlike most pets.
GREAT DANE PUPPY FOOD
Your Great Dane puppy is going to eat a LOT of food, and it has to be just the right formula. The wrong food can cause knuckling, panosteitis, HOD, and other orthopedic growth problems. You will want to do immense research into what is the best food to feed your Great Dane puppy.
The food you choose to feed fuels or does not fuel your dog, gives them energy or wears them down, creates a strong dog or creates musculoskeletal issues, helps to build a strong immune system or perpetuates sickness, etc.
Look into every dog food you’re considering before making the choice on what food to feed your Great Dane puppy.
Myth Busting: “My Great Dane should not eat regular puppy food. I was told that I should put them on adult dog food.” This is just not true. Science, research, and increase in the dog food market has transformed giant breed formulas into much more than it was 20 or even 15 years ago. The food that you provide your dane with should be fit for a growing Great Dane puppy. For some companies, that means the bag will say ‘large breed puppy’, and for some that means the bag will say ‘large breed adult’. It’s what is on the inside of the bag that matters, not the outside!
For information on feeding your puppy, we recommend starting with the Great Dane Feeding Guide! We can work together to make sure your Great Dane puppy is eating the best possible choice for them, their breed, and for your family.
The formulas below are what we recommend for growing Great Dane Puppies and the breed altogether. We’ve linked these photos up for you so that you can easily find them on Chewy.
Worried about knuckling? Great Danes are prone to certain health problems, including something called knuckling while they are growing. We’ve got resources for that, too. Because we know (speaking from experience here) that you are GOING TO WORRY!
That’s ok. Worry is normal and means that you really care about your new Great Dane Puppy!
Get ready to puppy proof your house for your Great Dane.
If you didn’t want your Great Dane puppy on that couch, it may be too late. (just kidding, sort of!)
Great Danes LOVE to think that the entire house is actually THEIR house, and that includes your bed, your car, your couch, your food, anything that is on your table, and did I mention your bed?
Training your Great Dane takes time, so in the meantime, prepare to puppy proof your house with a solid, giant crate as well as some baby gates and safe spaces for them to hang out in.
Crate Training
Crate training is a fabulous way to prepare both your Great Dane puppy for having some alone time and help them not develop separation anxiety (something that Great Danes are famous for), as well as keeping them safe if you need to clean, cook, go grab some thing at the store, or simply sit down and watch a movie. (Did you know that Great Danes do not think that any of those exist, because they simply have nothing to do with THEM! 🙂
Preparing to be able to sleep without your Great Dane
Many Great Dane owners LOVE to sleep with their puppies. Just keep in mind your little Great Dane will soon be consuming your bed.
We recommend utilizing a crate, but keeping it next to your bed for the comfort and security of having you nearby. Inside your crate, consider an orthopedic mat such as a Big Barker crate pad.
Joint Disease in Your Great Dane
Any large breed dog, including a Great Dane puppy, is predisposed to joint disease, and the best way to prepare is to prevent.
That is why we always recommend the only orthopedic mattress on the market that has been clinically studied by veterinarians to improve the health of your dog’s joints, Big Barker.
Your Great Dane may be frustrating at times and you may grow tired of the noise, peeing and biting but hang in there. These dogs are worth it! You’re about to fall in love with a Great Dane puppy, and truly there is really nothing better in the world.
Prepare to never go back!
Before you know it you’ll have a well-trained, calm adult dog and will be dreaming of the day when you will bring sweet puppy breath and snuggles into your home again.
Great Dane puppies are like little gremlins!!!! Even though Great Dane puppy biting is very normal, but can be very hard to handle. If you are ready to learn how to stop Great Dane puppy biting, you’ve come to the right place.
They bite, gnaw, growl, tug, grab your clothes, and dig their tiny little needle teeth into your arms and hands.
YOUCH!!! But your Great Dane puppy is so cute and snuggly too. It can be hard to understand how they can flip a switch and go from cute ball of fur to aggressive beast, but it’s actually nothing to be concerned about!
Many people worry that a biting Great Dane puppy may be trying to ‘be the boss’ or will turn out to be an aggressive dog, but neither of those things is actually true. Read on to learn why it is all apart of the puppy biting stage and how to stop biting in your Great Dane puppy.
Why Do Great Dane Puppies Bite?
Great Dane Puppies bite to learn how to control their jaws, to develop appropriate social skills, and because it’s hard to learn the difference between fingers and chew toys.
Watch a pile of Great Dane puppies play! Puppy bites is what they do to each other! One will wrestle and bite each other while the second one makes as many sounds as it can for a few minutes before the little guy bites back!
When the first Great Dane yelps, they back off for a minute.
The Great Dane puppy that bit learned that the bite was too hard, and both puppies just learned a valuable and important social interaction. These Great Dane puppies are acting as one another’s pet trainers!
Exposing puppies to this natural and proper training is a valuable part of their puppy biting development.
This is an important part of your Great Dane puppy’s development. When a Great Dane puppy isn’t given this time with their litter (until 8 weeks of age) they may have poor bite control.
When you bring your 8 week old Great Dane puppy home, they don’t WANT to stop biting. Like any breed, Great Danes thrive on play, training, toys, and attention. Positive reinforcement is very helpful when it comes to teaching safe alternatives to puppies biting.
Is My Great Dane Puppy Aggressive?
Great Dane puppy bites are completely harmless and come from a place of just wanting to find relief from their energy. It’s RARELY aggression and it’s never related to dominance.
Immaturity though? Yeah that’s a big culprit behind puppy biting!
At first, they don’t know or care about the difference between YOU and the other dogs from their litter. It is completely normal behavior to see a small puppy biting, gravitating to chew toys or having ‘puppy energy’.
All your Great Dane puppy knows is that biting is FUN. Chances are you are actually encouraging the behavior by mistake!
A common mistake many puppy owners make is to believe that their bitey, growly, crazy puppy is trying to dominate or “be the boss”. Nothing could be farther from the truth!
How to Stop Great Dane Puppy Biting
Here is our list of ways to minimize and STOP puppy biting.
You must be consistent and make sure everybody in the family does the same thing.
As always, be sure to speak with a highly qualified balanced dog trainer if you notice your Great Dane puppy act aggressively, bite people excessively, or if you cannot get your puppy to stop biting.
Start implementing these tips:
Remain calm
Be boring and encourage good behavior by demonstrating calmness yourself
When biting starts, cross your arms, turn your back and walk away
Use crates, gates and leashes to prevent the behavior and teach appropriate play
Know the signs: the ‘witching hour’ and being over-tired after long hours of play tends to make puppy biting worse!
Redirect calm puppies to an appropriate chew such as toys, a toy rope, a treat, or a game to play.
Practice training by keeping your Great Dane away from other dogs who might act aggressively
Likewise, encourage your Dane pup to engage with friendly dogs in a safe environment
Put your over-tired Great Dane in a crate with a frozen stuffed Kong toy or treat
Teach a settle/go to mat behavior in order that they practice the training method of remaining calm and to stop biting
Teach your Great Dane the primary skills: sit, down, touch, stand, leave it and wait
Bonus Tip: Teach the “Enough” Command
When your Great Dane puppy is playing with you, calmly say ‘ENOUGH’, then praise and offer a toy or treat.
Enough will quickly become a cue to use in training that implies you want your dane pup to ‘disengage’!
This will allow you to play with your Great Dane so they can practice putting teeth on you (which is good for their social and bite pressure development), AND gives your puppy a new skill that is very helpful when they are bigger.
Always remember that even though Great Danes are incredible dogs, they are still a massive size, even for ‘dane dog lovers’, so it is crucial to begin training at a young age.
While you are learning how to play with your Great Dane puppy, keep in mind that everything you do is either reinforcing (encouraging) or reducing (discouraging) certain behaviors. Think about what you want your Great Dane puppy to be like as an adult.
Common Puppy Biting Training Mistakes
Yelping DOES work to interrupt the behavior, and for most puppies it’s ok to do.
For some puppies, yelping can actually encourage biting! Yelping makes you sound like a squirrel or fun squeaky toy, which may make the puppy more wound up and interested in the biting game.
When a puppy in a litter yelps, they tell the other puppy ‘ouch, too hard‘. Not necessarily ‘STOP, don’t do that again!’. Keep that in mind. Yelping works, but don’t expect miracles or a quick stop to puppy biting.
NOTE:some puppies are frightened by yelping. If your puppy cowers, tucks tail, pin ears or runs away focus on building, no eroding confidence and trust. Sometimes the ‘yelp method’, ‘using loud noise’, ‘or the sharp cry method’ can actually create fear which can create the behavior of puppies biting harder.
#1 – Shoving, Tugging, and saying “NO”
This is a common, natural response to puppy biting!
When you shout, say ‘NO’, tug your clothes, try to run away, and shove the puppy off you actually REWARD the behavior by making puppy biting super fun. OOPS!
Dog’s LOVE to play and a dane pup can confuse you running away as a ‘biting people game’, which may make them want to bite more.
Be calm, boring, indifferent and REMOVE your attention from the dane pup. Walk away. Sigh. Stand still. Turn and walk the other direction. ANYTHING to show the pup that you lose all interest in them when they bite.
#2 – Alpha Rolls & Pinning
Some people will recommend that you pin your Great Dane to the ground until they calm down, and will say that doing so establishes ‘dominance’ with dogs.
We do NOT recommend this.
Alpha rolls are an aggressive form of training that can teach Great Danes (and all dogs) to fear you, fear your hands, and respond with increased aggression, frustration and confusion.
This could result in increased bites, unnecessarily rough play, and VERY frustrated Great Dane owners who are dealing with increased bites or aggressive, fearful and frustrating behavior in their adult dogs.
This outdated method is considered ‘woo’ by actual behaviorists and well-educated dog trainers.
At worst, it’s dangerous and at best, informed dog owners and most professionals are frustrated that people and even some ‘trainers’ continue to perpetuate this misguided concept.
A much safer and more fair alternative is to remain calm, walk away, and provide your Great Dane with a toy or treat.
#3 – Pinching, Tapping, Whacking, Kneeing, and Thumbing
Pinching the puppy, shoving a thumb down his throat, or whacking or tapping him on the nose is the fast track to making sure that your Great Dane is more likely to be resistant to teeth brushing, nail trims, veterinary care and coming when called.
Seriously, don’t do this. We cannot believe we have to say this. Great Danes are a sensitive breed and will have serious repercussions if handled with a human who demonstrates aggressive tendencies.
#4 – Spray Bottles
This method may work, and it’s a ‘quick fix’, but tread cautiously.
Dogs trained with spray bottles may become resistant to spray medication, baths/showers and even being outside in the rain. Plus, like many of the other methods above it teaches your dog to avoid you and run away, NOT engage with you.
If the only way your dog is controlled is if you keep spray bottles around the house as a threat, they aren’t fully trained.
As above, we believe there are better ways to work with your dog.
Good News About Puppy Biting
Puppies outgrow this behavior. Unless you’ve been accidentally rewarding it with a lot of shoving, running, tugging and attention most puppies stop doing it once they are more mature.
You do not have to live with this behavior until it goes away. As above, use crates, gates and leashes to prevent the behavior and separate yourself from a wound-up, biting puppy.
Prevent puppies from practicing this behavior, especially on children.
Spend lots of time teaching and rewarding appropriate behaviors such as touch, sit, down, leave it, and ‘go to your place’.
Warning Signs of Aggression in Great Danes
Some people are concerned that their puppy is actually aggressive because of how rough they bite and play. Playful puppies can bark, growl and be extremely noisy!
Most puppies are not actually aggressive.
Puppy biting is not a form of aggression. However, occasionally a puppy is wired wrong or has deep-seated fear aggression. Here are the warning signs that a puppy is aggressive, not playful.
Low growl
Stiff body, tense
Hackles up
Snapping or biting when a hand approaches their food, toy, or bone
Showing their teeth/grimace
Stiff tail wags or tucked tail
Ears pinned back
Turning the head away before biting
Not showing playful body language (bouncing, bows, loose body, loose tail, fun and cute play barks and play growls).
If you are unsure or are seeing signs that alarm you, seek out the help of a highly qualified trainer.
Puppy Biting & Ethical Breeders
Puppies from ethical, diligent quality breeders and robust well-tempered pedigrees are less likely to develop aggression, are easier to train and will be much more confident and mature when they come to your home!
Puppies that leave their litter prior to 8 or even 10 weeks of age tend to be much more difficult to train. This includes having problems with potty training, puppy biting, overall bite inhibition and confidence.
Do not let your breeder convince you that a puppy is ready to go prior to that point.
They are seriously so special. Great Dane puppies change every single day. They grow so quickly and their giant feet make them extra sweet and clumsy.
Our quick post today is all about those cute little tiny puppy toenails!
It is SO important to start nail trims early and do them often.
PRO TIP: Your dog’s nails should never, ever grow so long that they touch the ground. This can cause swelling, irritation, pain, and worse: joint damage.
Supplies for Trimming Great Dane Puppy Nails
Miller’s Forge Clippers (Red Handle). These inexpensive clippers (see on Amazon) last forever, are easy to use and stay crazy sharp.
Dremel Tool. There are several models, including knock off versions at Walmart and even a pet-specific name brand version. You need the Dremel tool and a sander drum OR a Diamagroove.
High Value Treats. Lots of tiny bites of something really good. Kibble isn’t going to cut it. Think Ziwi Peak, Zukes, diced chicken and freeze-dried organ meats.
I like to trim nailsevery weekend. Some dogs barely need this much, other dogs need a little more. The dog in the photo above is past-due for a nail trim!
For puppies, especially if they are under 4 months, nail trims should be a simple matter of routine. Plan to spend a few quick minutes each day introducing the concept and making it a positive experience.
Show your puppy the Dremel and toss treats on the ground. Do this often and at random. Turn it on and toss another few treats. Keep practicing this so that the Dremel ALWAYS predicts good things.
Make sure you give your puppy lots of praise, but don’t make a big fuss either.
Too much fussing and excitement can make your dog resistant to the process! They don’t always understand why you are so crazy and high energy all of a sudden and may find it alarming. Be calm, patient and confident.
If all you get is one nail trimmed, that’s progress!
Trim the nail as close to the quick as you possibly can but avoid cutting into it.
Make sure to round off the top, bottom and sides as well by taking tiny slivers off with the clippers or by introducing a quick buzz from the Dremel.
As above, stay calm and follow that with praise and a treat!
Why is Nail Maintenance Important for Dogs?
PRO TIP: If the nails are black or if you are scared of trimming, read the files in the Facebook group called ‘Nail Maintenance for Dogs‘ so that you can learn how to ‘read’ the nail.
Well maintained nails help keep paws neat and destruction to your home, hardwood, and skin to a minimum.
Overgrown nails actually change the shape of the paw. This can be extremely painful and frustrating to your dog, who doesn’t have much of a voice on this topic.
Keep the nails trimmed so they never touch the ground.
How to Teach Your Puppy to Hate Nail trims
Ok we joke. You do NOT want your Great Dane to hate nail trims, but here are some common mistakes people make that can actually make nail trims and other care behaviors extremely difficult:
Teaching the puppy that human hands = bad things (examples: hitting, shoving, pinching, ‘alpha’ rolling, tapping on the nose). This kind of training breeds distrust and shyness of hands.
Playing with the paws and annoying the puppy about it (old advice that can actually make things worse).
Asking the puppy to recall/COME and then forcing the puppy into a nail trim (quick way to ruin BOTH recall and nail trims!).
Not properly socializing the puppy to a variety of sights, sounds and experiences and helping it build confidence. Calm, mature dogs are built in confidence.
Believing that training is a war for power and respect, not a teacher-student relationship.
This paw is from a five month old puppy who is being conditioned to accept weekly maintenance with the Dremel.
There is no sharp point and the nails do not touch the ground when the puppy is standing or walking and moving.
Over time they will be made neater, but perfection at this stage is not the goal. Keeping the nails from developing long, sharp points, and teaching the puppy to expect and accept routine maintenance is.
Make Nail Trims a Positive Experience
When you finish the nail trim, even if you only got one nail done, do something FUN! Play a game, offer a really good chew in the crate, do a quick 1 minute training session with the treats you have left.
Teach your puppy early that nail maintenance is FUN, not-negotiable, and doesn’t result in pain or fear.
If you are really nervous about trimming the dog yourself, find a groomer. Some will come to your house, or you may have a neighbor willing to do it that will love the extra cash.
You will still need to keep sharp points off the ground, so develop a schedule of maintenance and make sure that routine trips to the veterinarian or groomer for nail trims are part of life.
We highly recommend the group Nail Maintenance for Dogs on Facebook for resources, tips, and learning. This group is especially amazing if you have a dog that is afraid of nail trims.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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