Obedience Training for Great Danes
Once your rambunctious Great Dane puppy starts to put on a few dozen pounds, and then a few dozen more, you will definitely want to start the process of obedience training.
According to About-Great-Danes.com, following several principles will make training your Dane a much smoother process. One is positive reinforcement, so that your dog associates obedience to commands with getting a reward such as a treat. Another is consistency. Keep things simple and predictable, so your dog learns that when you say "sit," sitting is the only acceptable response. Finally, you may need some training yourself, in order to do the training exercises correctly. Taking a class in obedience training, along with your dog, is a good idea. You should never really stop training your dog, and working a daily training exercise into your routine will also be a fun way to bond with your Great Dane.
Start with housebreaking, an important part of owning any indoor dog. Great Dane Training has a list of tips you can use to housebreak your puppy. Once you have determined what times of day your puppy likes to do his business, take him for walks at that time, so he becomes used to the routine. He needs to learn to go to the bathroom outside, preferably in your back yard, in the same place. Praise him when he does this. You may also be able to teach him to give you some signal when he has to go.
Until your Great Dane is potty trained, limit where he is allowed to wander inside the house. If he sleeps in a crate at night, he will most likely not go to the bathroom in there. Not leaving him alone for more than four hours at a time will also prevent him from becoming anxious and going to the bathroom all over your house.
Make sure that you are willing to put in the necessary time to train and care for your Great Dane properly. The Great Dane Obedience and Training Guide at Factoidz.com recommends at least half an hour of walking per day, so that your dog can get exercise and release stress. Be sure to bring water on long walks in warm weather, so your Dane does not become overheated. Put a collar on him so he can be returned to you if he runs off.
If you have a particularly rowdy dog, you may need help from a professional. To find a Great Dane trainer in your area, turn to the Web. For instance, Canine Magic in Florida makes house calls to train dogs.