Tips and Tricks to these Big Puppers
Here are some important tips about raising your new Great Dane puppy to help ensure they grow up to be healthy and happy family members.
Play Time:
When it comes to play time, moderation is absolute key. A very good rule of thumb to follow is for every month in age, add 5 minutes of play per day. This is for hard play like running as fast as their uncoordinated paws can carry them or playing an epic game of tug. Leisure play with a toy or easy walks do not count in this rule of thumb. Once they turn 1 year old, this rule does not really apply anymore although things like running up and down stairs repeatedly and jumping up and down from any significant height should also be avoided no matter their age as this can cause damage to their developing joints.
Feeding Time:
Feeding your puppy is really what works best for the puppy. Most puppies prefer getting food 2 to 3 times per day, 2 being average. As for your breeder, feeding time is generally done 2 times per day. As they get closer to a year in age, some dogs prefer having only 1 meal per day either in the morning or in the evening and that is perfectly OK. Some dogs like to graze and nibble little bits here and there throughout the day although this method of feeding is discouraged. (Please feel free to discuss the reasons behind this with your breeder). If feeding a raw diet, fasting every 10 days from food once your new baby is at least a year old is very beneficial to your dog’s digestive system. When it comes time to feed your puppy, be sure to not let them run around like crazy for an hour before and after it is time to eat and never let them drink large amounts of water at one time. Be sure to leave time, about 30 minutes to an hour, after feeding your puppy to take them outside for a potty break. To help discourage your new baby from becoming a picky eater, leave their food down for them to eat for only 10 minutes. And make sure you time it. Once that 10 minutes is up, take the bowl away and put it up somewhere so the dog cannot reach it. If you are feeding raw and there is still food left inside the bowl, simply put it in the fridge and add it to the top of the next meal. If feeding kibble, cover with a bag and leave up high. This encourages your dog to eat when it is time to eat. If any point during your dog’s life, you need them to eat at a very specific time for one reason or another, you have already taught your dog that mealtime is for eating and nothing else.
*If feeding raw and your puppy has only had kibble, the best way to transition is either one meal raw and the second meal kibble 12 hours apart or simply fast your puppy from food only for 12 hours and then continue to feed raw. Discuss with your breeder for further details on which is the best way to switch. If your puppy has already been introduced to raw with the breeder, then you have no worries and can continue to feed as normal.
House Training:
Which brings us to house training. Consistency is gold! As soon as your puppy wakes up, they need to be taken outside on a leash. Always bring them out on a leash during potty breaks so they can learn that it is time for potty and not play. Puppies get distracted very easily and with being on a leash, you can keep redirecting their attention to the task at hand (this includes training as well). When doing potty time, pick key words such as “go poopin' ”, “go pee pees” as examples to cue your puppy it is time for bathroom breaks and not play. Use any word but be consistent with whichever words you use and always use the same words just as you would teaching a puppy to sit or stay. Having treats on hand also work wonders for potty training. Once they do their business, happy, proud exciting voice is the way to go with lots and lots of praise. Your voice and physical praise (petting, scratches...) are number one with giving treats here and there. If you do give treats, make sure to give them AFTER your puppy has done their business. The trick is to have the treat ready to go in your hand and as soon as they are done, BAM! Treat time!
Training:
It is never too early to start teaching your puppy their manners and best way to do this is training. Obedience training classes are the most effective way to train your puppy what is acceptable behavior and what is not. It is also amazing for building confidence in your puppy and one of the biggest bonuses is the boned training helps build and strengthen between you and your puppy.
Here is a little story that is a great read and shows why researching a dog breed before you buy is sooo important! This is also shows that when dogs are crossbred or mixed breed, you NEVER get the best of both worlds and health issues do NOT magically disappear! The health concerns that are in both breeds are now potentially ALL in that mixed puppy. We can train behaviour, we CANNOT train instinct. What the dog was bred for and I am so glad that it is a mixed breed in this story, is what makes their instinct.
Here is the story:
"The art of training a dog owner.
Dog owner tells me: Hi, my dog pulls on the leash and runs into the woods after deer if I let it off leash.
Me: Okay. What's the breed?
Owner: A siberian husky mixed with a coon hound.
Me: Okay, so you have a musher mixed with a hunting type of dog?
Owner: yes.
Me: ok, what are these breeds bred to do?
Owner: well, half of the dog should be pulling and the other half run into the woods and hunt.
Me: Yes. And your problem was?
Owner: it pulls on the leash and runs after wildlife.
Me: yea, it appears that you have a dog meant for pulling and hunting.
Owner: yes, that's correct. Can you train it out of the dog?
Me: Do you have any interests?
Owner: Eh, yea sure I do. I like to paint and watch movies.
Me: can you consider quitting doing that?
Owner: no, I don't think I can. But what does this have to do with dog training?
Me: would you consider doing something else that gives you the same pleasure you get from painting and watching movies?
Owner: I mean, sure I can do other things but it's not as fun.
Me: ok. And what can you offer a musher that is more fun than pulling and a hunting dog that is more fun than hunting?
The dog owner is silent for a while.
Owner: That's a good question. I don't know.
Me: neither do I.
Owner: perhaps I should had gotten myself a PlayStation?
Me: haha, yea if you don't like hunting or being a lot outdoors training perhaps this dog isn't for you.
Owner: yea, one should perhaps read up more before getting a dog. But it's awfully cute!
Me: yes, I understand that.
Owner : it sheds a lot too. My husband goes crazy of all the fur everywhere.
Me: mmm, that's something you have to deal with.
Owner : yes, it was even hairs in the stew last night.
Me: yea that's not uncommon.
Owner : but you know what? I met a husky when I was 12. It was so beautiful. Ever since I've always wanted one.
Me: too bad you didn't meet a PlayStation instead.
Owner laughs: alright, I think I'm starting to understand that it's not the dog that has problems but me.
Me: haha, not much of a "problem". What you are saying is very common. People with guarding dogs gets angry when their dog growls at strangers. People with sighthounds gets frustrated when their dog comes home with a baby rabbit. People often know too little when they get a dog.
Owner : thanks for the chat. I have learned a lot in 10 minutes.
Me: good luck in the future. There's a lot we can do to help you in your training with the dog. But The dog will always have a need and joy to pull and hunt.
Owner: yes, I can understand that now."
Author unknown
Jealousy
Bringing a new puppy home is exciting and fun for everyone in the family…. except maybe not your dog that is already a part of your family. Like a new baby can cause jealousy with an older child, the same thing can very easily happen between dogs and a lot of people do not realize they have either caused it to happen or have made it worse. There are many things you can do to ensure you do not have to correct an issue with jealousy as it is much easier to avoid than it is to correct.
When your new puppy comes home, have your resident dog meet the puppy in an open and safe space. You will want to avoid public spaces because your new puppy is not fully protected yet not being fully vaccinated. If you have a relative that you know well and they have a secure yard, that is a great place to allow the two to meet for the first time. Avoiding the home as small spaces can lead to insecurity which leads to fear and there you can experience aggression. You do not want your resident dog feeling trapped or cornered. It is not a great feeling for anyone and can lead to lasting resentment towards the new puppy. You want to bring the resident dog to the puppy, not the other way around.
Now, the nitty-gritty. After you have introduced your resident dog to the new puppy, here is where it really matters on what you do. Everything you do with the dogs; you do with the resident dog first. THEN the puppy. Jealousy is created when everyone flocks to the puppy and the resident dog gets pushed to the backburner. SO, we make sure that does not happen. Resident dog gets addressed first, let outside first, fed first, petted first, gets to walk out of the house first. Now, when I say first, I do not mean first from everyone. They need to keep their place in the family below the people. SO, when going for a walk for example, the people go outside, then the resident dog and then the puppy. This will ensure and comfort and reinforce to the resident dog that the new puppy is not above them in the pack and to help teach the new puppy where their place is so when that puppy does hit puberty and starts pushing boundaries, there is a lot less of a chance that there will be altercations between the resident dog and the now adolescent teenager puppy.
Puppy Pimples
At any point during your new puppy’s life, and generally more often when they are babies, they will get red, puss-filled bumps on their chin that look like pimples you would find and may have had as a teenager yourself…..the dreaded pimples. It is absolutely common for this to happen to your puppy and can happen quite often in the younger years and last for as long as until they are 3 years old. The best course of action to help your puppers prevent these is to make sure their food and water bowls are either stainless steel or ceramic. If feeding kibble, make sure you wash and disinfect their bowls every few days. If feeding raw, their bowls should be washed and disinfected after every meal. To give them relief from these annoying little bumps, after they eat and drink, wipe their face. The best thing to use for their face is to go to the Dollar store and pick up a bottle of Rubbing Alcohol and a package of UNSCENTED baby wipes. Open the baby wipes and pour the ENTIRE bottle of Rubbing Alcohol into the package of baby wipes and mix it around. Now, a few times a day, especially after eating and drinking, wipe their chin and lips with a wipe and it will not only help prevent them pesky pimples, but it will also help get rid of the ones that make it through.
Crate Training
Crate training your new puppy is not bad or cruel! The first couple of nights it is a great idea to have the crate right next to your bed. This is so you can comfort your new puppy during the night. Remember, they went from sleeping with their siblings to being alone. When your puppy stirs in the middle of the night, do not jump up to let them out. They sleep through the night when they were still with the breeder so with that in mind, all you need to do without saying a word is stick your hand or fingers into the crate to let your puppy know they are not alone. This is a great way to ensure your puppy is safe when you are not able to watch and mind them and to make sure they are not getting into anything when you are too busy to mind or not home. The other bigger benefit of crate training is that if at any point your puppy needs to go to a boarding place or even have any kind of vet work done that, they would be required to stay at the vet longer than a couple hours, they will be put into a kennel, which is essentially a crate. No one wants to work on healing and getting better while having to work through a situation that has never been experienced and can be very stressful for a dog that has never been in a crate. Crates are taught to the dog as being a safe place and not a place of fear or punishment. Much like you when you think of your bedroom. Crates are also great in families with children and teaching the child boundaries of the dog. When the dog is in their crate, they are to be left alone. It gives the dog a safe and clear way to let everyone in the household want to be left alone. We all have our times we want to just be left alone, and a crate helps clearly communicate that to everyone in the house that they are in their room because they want to be left alone and this ensures the children and the dog are safe from any miscommunications that can result in any unpleasant or scary experiences.
Threshold Training
The dog must wait to be invited through the threshold. (Car door, house door, crate door....)
This has nothing to do with being PACK LEADER it has everything to do with safety.
Crates are also mobile. They’re often used in cars so yes it’s still important to make sure the dog never rushes out the crate.
Another reason for dogs to respect thresholds is so they don’t come out like a bat out of hell.
Puppy biting for example is such a common problem we get asked about. Puppy biting is most prevalent when the pup first wakes up and is energized and when the pup is over tired. So waiting for calmness before the pup exits the crate also can help reduce puppy biting.
Next using the crate regularly can also prevent and help with the following:
Separation Anxiety
Destructive Behaviour
Toilet Training
Begging for food
Counter surfing
Excessive barking
Recovery from surgery.
The reality when it comes to thresholds is simple. If the dog ignores it, it can die. Death is worse then a door being closed on them.
Also this doesn’t create a negative association to doors or crates or other thresholds. The dog associates the door closing when they rush out, they soon learn that permission from you, means the door doesn’t slam shut.
Proper Socialization
This is key for a well-balanced adult dog, to start socialization early...but not too early. Let me explain. :) When you bring your new puppy home, everyone is going to be excited and thrilled and rightly so as it is an exciting time. At the same time, you also need to keep in mind important things to ensure your new puppy stays safe during an exciting time and a time you want to show your new puppy off to the world. Do not worry, you will get through it!!!! I promise! There are certain new situations to which all puppies should be exposed, if possible, preferably during the first 16 weeks of life, and the good news is that most of these can be accomplished in and around your own home. Each positive experience builds your puppy’s self-confidence. These exposures include:
- Different surfaces: grass, leaves, concrete, gravel, linoleum, carpet, wood, sand, etc.
- Different sounds: think of all the everyday sounds around your home, including hairdryers, phone ringtones, radios, vacuum cleaners, and more. There are even recordings of sounds like thunder and other dogs barking that you can download for your puppy to hear. Be sure to make each noise exposure a positive experience by acting happy around the sound and associating the sound with yummy treats and watch your puppy for any indications of stress. **If your puppy shows signs of fear and stress, DO NOT immediately stop the sound but lower the volume so it is not as loud and praise your puppy for calming down and be relaxed and quiet with them. Even just calm strokes down your puppy's body is a great way to reassure them and calm them down and slowly work towards the sounds getting louder and louder.
- Other dogs: this can be done if you have other dogs in the neighborhood, you know and trust to be safe and well-mannered with your puppy. It will be important for you to know the other dogs’ owners as well; the best-case scenario would be to have a trusted, healthy friend who is also a dog owner, as you could then arrange safe play dates with the other dog while maintaining a safe distance from the other owner (more on this below). Another good way to socialize your puppy is letting them watch dogs walk by while they are in their own yard and not letting them greet the other dogs as it is not safe before 16 weeks of age. This is a great way to teach your puppy to be calm around seeing other dogs they do not know and that they learn they do not need to greet every dog and with that this is also great to do with them people watching. Calmly and quietly, so when they are full grown, you know they are fine with strangers being around both people and dogs.
- Other people: this may be the most difficult of all at this time, but there are still ways to achieve this exposure for your puppy. Certainly, have your puppy socialize with all the members of your household who are healthy. You can also let your puppy look out the window of your home as other people go by, and let your puppy see you act happy about those people. Also, consider all that your puppy can see and hear from the safety of your own car.
Treats and Manners Training
Ah, yes. The world of treats. Such tasty little morsels. The biggest thing to remember when it comes to treats and your canine bestie, regardless of their age, less really is more! Here is what I mean. Treats are something that should be seen as something of great reward and value. Not something you want to hand out willie- nillie! You also want to keep your treat options a wide variety. The uncertainty of what the reward is, is the best form of training as that is what treats will be used for in the beginning. And with a wide variety of treats, your puppers never knows what is coming and this will help keep their attention. Remember the most important part about training is the length of time you are actually doing the training and keep the time in mind with the age of your bestie. The younger your bestie is, the shorter amount of time they are actually able to concentrate and keep focus. We need and must set them up to succeed as much as possible! The best rule of thumb for how long your sessions should be is really on each individual puppy. Do not try to do training while they are bouncing off the walls full of energy as they will not be able to focus on anything in particular as their minds are literally all over the place and trying to any kind of formal training at that energy level will only be frustrating for you both. No matter how long you do your sessions, always and I mean ALWAYS end them on a good note for both you and your puppers. It is VERY important you do not get angry to your puppers for making mistakes or acting up. They do not know yet what their new rules of the house are and you must give them the opportunity to clearly learn those rules without punishment. Mistakes are not bad and not the end of the world. Punishment can cause a puppy to be fearful if not done in the right context. Best rule of thumb is this: for every action there is a reaction. Your reaction is what determines the future of that action. There is no such thing as balanced positive training. Watch a dog correct another dog or a mother correct a puppy. It is simply speaking in a language the puppy clearly understands. If you need any more clarification on how this works, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Here are some great treat options:
(these are best cut into small pieces)
Hotdogs
Cheese
Cooked Chicken breast
Small cooked plain meatballs
Freeze Dried Liver/ Chicken/ Lung/ Lamb/ Cheese/ Salmon/ Duck
Roll Over products as some you can cut the size of the treat yourself
Their kibble
Zukes
Don’t forget about frozen carrots for when your puppy starts teething!!!!
And any small morsel that your dog really enjoys and will have no problem and willing to do tasks for a piece
Of course your physical praise (petting) and verbal praise (good boy/ girl/ puppers….)
Also a favourite toy, but if you are going to use a toy, make sure it is not a toy they have free access to
