Great Danes belong to the larger dog breeds.
With their long, lean athletic build, they’re often perceived as being intimidating and hard to train.
While this isn’t true, as obedience training can be very effective with the great Danes, not training great Danes might result in them having strong behavioral issues and being a danger to themselves as well as others.
When training great Danes and other dog breeds in general, a moment might arise when you’ll need to discipline them.
And like we earlier mentioned, most people might not find it quite as easy to discipline the great Dane even as a puppy because of their size.
Still, disciplining them is a fundamental part of training.
This article is all about the best ways you, as a Great Dane owner, can effectively discipline your great Dane puppy and some alternative punishments for bad behavior.
Four alternative punishments
As puppies, much like human children, great Danes are still developing themselves and navigating being members of your household. And in this process, they might get into a series of trouble.
That’s why you’ll need to communicate to them how unacceptable that kind of behavior is through punishment or discipline.
However, punishments don’t have to be negative or brutal. Constructive punishments can go a long way and will help you condition your dog to act better.
Here are some humane and alternative punishments for your Great Dane puppy.
1. Time out
Who doesn’t dread a time out? Sometimes that’s all you need to teach your Great Dane puppy enough.
Time-outs can be very effective when done correctly.
Depending on the gravity of what they’ve done, the duration of the time-out can vary anywhere from two minutes to maybe even ten minutes.
But nothing too extreme or that might cause a negative impact on the pup.
For more efficacy, some owners suggest having your great Dane time-out in a crate or maybe outside.
2. Take their toys away
Nothing says punishment like taking their toys away.
If your Great Dane ever misbehaves, you can try punishing them by either taking away their favorite toy or all their toys.
By taking away their source of entertainment and mental stimulation, you can make them realize why what they did was wrong.
Eventually, they’ll know better.
3. Using your voice to show displeasure
Remember, when reprimanding a Great Dane, it’s never a good idea to raise your voice or using an angry tone.
Instead, you use your voice displeasure while making your voice as firm as possible.
This strong tone will register in them as clear displeasure from you.
4. Avoid giving them attention when they misbehave
Great Danes are very possessive and affectionate towards their owners. Now imagine their shock when their owner stops showing them attention.
Sometimes the best thing to do when your great Dane behaves is to withhold attention.
When they haven’t gotten a belly rub after a misdeed, they’ll eventually see that what they’ve done as being wrong, and they’ll stop doing it.
Why Hitting Or Spanking Your Great Dane Is Not A Good Way To Discipline Them?
Spanking your Great Dane puppy is not only not the best way to train them; it’s also futile.
Some of the reasons why spanking isn’t a great punishment for your great Danes are:
- Spanking can make your great Dane puppy extremely hostile towards you.
- When you hit your great Dane as a way to punish them, they might grow resentful of you overtime
- There’s also the fact that hitting your great Dane can cause them to fear you, and they might develop anxiety because of it.
Great Danes are really smart dogs, and with the right kind of training, they’ll be able to distinguish good behavior from bad behavior.
Positive Reinforcement As An Alternative Way To Discipline Your Great Dane Puppy
Sometimes the best way to teach your dog to stop doing the things you don’t like is by teaching them to do the things you do like and rewarding them along the way.
This is a form of positive reinforcement.
Rewarding them with treats and praises when they do anything that is good or commendable.
For example, doing their business outside or not barking at strangers on the streets.
Conclusion
The best time to train a dog is when it’s still young.
Although it might not be completely easy, it’s still very much doable.
In no time, your great Dane puppy will always be on its absolute best behavior.
