Great Danes need early, consistent training because their size makes bad habits dangerous
A Great Dane that jumps on people, pulls on the leash, or ignores commands is not cute — it is a 150-pound dog that can knock over a child or elderly person without meaning to. Training works best when you start young, use the same commands every time, and reward the behavior you want to see again. Great Danes are intelligent and eager to please, which makes them trainable, but they also have a stubborn streak and can lose interest in repetitive drills. The goal is short, frequent sessions that keep their attention and make obedience feel like a choice they want to make.
The foundation of Great Dane training is understanding that they respond to consistency, clear communication, and motivation. Unlike smaller dogs, a Great Dane's mistakes have real consequences — a jumping puppy becomes a jumping adult that can cause injury. Starting early and staying consistent across everyone in your household prevents these problems from taking root in the first place.
Key Takeaways
- Start training as soon as your Great Dane comes home, even at eight weeks old, because size and strength make early obedience non-negotiable.
- Use high-value rewards — small pieces of chicken, cheese, or a favorite toy — because Great Danes are food-motivated and will work harder for something they really want.
- Keep training sessions to five or ten minutes, two or three times a day, because Great Danes tire of repetition and will tune you out in longer drills.
- Teach "sit," "stay," "come," and "leave it" before anything else, because these four commands prevent the most common dangerous situations.
- Be consistent with your commands and rules across everyone in the household, because Great Danes will test different people to see who actually means what they say.
Start with the four commands that prevent injury
Sit is the foundation. Hold a treat close to your Great Dane's nose, then move it slowly up and back over their head. As their nose follows the treat, their rear naturally lowers. The moment their bottom touches the ground, say "sit," give the treat, and praise. Repeat this five times, once a day, for three to five days. Then start saying "sit" before you lure them into position, so they learn the word comes first.
Stay builds on sit. Once your Great Dane sits reliably, ask them to sit, then hold your hand up in a "stop" gesture, take one step back, wait two seconds, then return and reward. Gradually increase the distance and time. If they break the stay, do not reward — just reset and try again with less distance or time. Stay prevents them from bolting through doors or toward other dogs.
Come is the hardest command for Great Danes because they are independent, but it is also the most important for safety. Start indoors in a small space. Get down to their level, say "come" in an excited voice, and reward heavily when they reach you. Never call them to come and then do something they dislike — like nail trimming or a bath — or they will learn that "come" means something bad is about to happen. Practice in the yard before you ever trust it off-leash.
Leave it stops them from eating something dangerous. Put a treat on the floor, cover it with your foot, and wait. When they stop trying to get it and look at you, say "leave it," then give them a different, better treat from your hand. This teaches them that ignoring the thing on the ground gets them something better. Practice with increasingly tempting items — a sock, a piece of chicken, a dropped pill.
Use rewards that actually motivate your Great Dane
Great Danes are food-motivated, but not all food motivates them equally. A piece of kibble from their regular bowl will not hold their attention the way a small cube of chicken breast or a lick of peanut butter will. Identify what your dog will work hardest for — some prefer cheese, some prefer hot dog pieces, some prefer a specific toy — and save that reward for training only. If they get it any other time, it loses its power.
Keep training treats tiny. You are rewarding the behavior, not feeding a meal. A piece the size of a pea is enough. This lets you do many repetitions without overfeeding, and it keeps the dog focused on the next opportunity to earn a reward rather than chewing for a long time. Praise matters too, but not as much as the treat. A happy voice and a pat on the head feel good to your dog, but they will work harder for food. Combine them: treat plus praise every time, so your dog learns that doing the right thing brings both.
Keep sessions short and stop before they lose interest
A Great Dane's attention span is about five to ten minutes. After that, they start to tune you out, and you end up repeating yourself without getting anywhere. Instead, do two or three short sessions spread through the day — morning, afternoon, and evening. Each session covers one command or one small piece of a command. Stop while your dog is still engaged and wanting more.
If your Great Dane starts to ignore you, yawn, or walk away, the session is over. Do not push. Ending on a success — even a small one — means they will be eager to train again tomorrow. Pushing past their attention limit teaches them that training is boring and pointless. The frequency of short sessions matters more than the length of any single session.
Be consistent so your Great Dane knows what you actually mean
Every person in your household must use the same command word and the same hand signal. If you say "sit" and your partner says "down" for the same behavior, your Great Dane will be confused and will not respond reliably to either. Write down your command words and post them on the refrigerator so everyone uses them the same way.
Rules must also be consistent. If your Great Dane is allowed on the couch sometimes but not other times, they will not understand the rule — they will just learn that the couch is sometimes safe and sometimes not. Decide whether they can be on furniture, and everyone enforces that rule every single time. Great Danes are smart enough to test different people to see who actually means what they say. If your partner lets them jump on the couch but you do not, your dog will jump on the couch with your partner and not with you, which proves they understand the rule but are choosing when to follow it.
Address jumping and leash pulling early
Jumping is one of the most common problems with Great Danes because people think it is cute when they are puppies. A 30-pound puppy jumping is manageable. A 150-pound adult jumping is dangerous. The fix is straightforward: do not reward jumping. When your Great Dane jumps, turn away, cross your arms, and ignore them completely. When all four paws are on the ground, when ready give attention and a treat. Visitors should do the same — ask them not to pet your dog until they sit.
Leash pulling happens because your Great Dane is stronger than you and has learned that pulling works — it gets them where they want to go. The fix is to stop moving whenever they pull. The moment the leash goes tight, stand still. Do not move forward until the leash is slack. This teaches them that pulling stops progress, but a loose leash means forward motion. It takes time and patience, but it works. Consistency from everyone who walks the dog is essential — if one person lets them pull and another does not, the dog will pull with the first person and not the second.
Crate training and housebreaking go together
A crate is not punishment — it is a safe space and a tool for housebreaking. Great Dane puppies can hold their bladder for about one hour per month of age, so a three-month-old can hold it for three hours. Take them outside when ready after they come out of the crate, after meals, after play, and before bedtime. When they go to the bathroom outside, praise and reward heavily. Accidents happen indoors — do not punish them. Just clean the spot thoroughly with enzymatic cleaner so the smell does not draw them back to that spot.
Introduce the crate gradually. Leave the door open, toss treats inside, and let them explore. Once they are comfortable, close the door for short periods while you are nearby. Never use the crate as punishment, or they will fear it and resist going in. A crate should feel like a den — a place where they choose to rest. This positive association with the crate makes housebreaking easier because your Great Dane will naturally avoid soiling their sleeping space.
Socialization prevents fear and aggression later
Between three and sixteen weeks old, your Great Dane is in a critical window for learning what is normal and safe. Expose them to different people, sounds, surfaces, and environments. Let them meet other vaccinated dogs. Take them to a pet store, a park, and a busy street. The goal is not to make them fearless — it is to teach them that new things are normal and not a threat.
A Great Dane that was not socialized as a puppy may become fearful or aggressive as an adult because they see unfamiliar things as dangerous. This is hard to fix later. Socialization now prevents behavior problems later. Keep these early experiences positive — do not force your puppy into situations that frighten them, but do expose them to a wide range of people, animals, and environments at their own pace.
Frequently Asked Questions
At what age should I start training my Great Dane?
Start as soon as they come home, even at eight weeks old. Young puppies can learn basic commands like sit and come. Early training also prevents bad habits from forming. You cannot start too early, but you can definitely start too late.
Should I use a professional trainer?
A professional trainer is helpful if your Great Dane has a specific problem — jumping, pulling, aggression — or if you are unsure how to teach a command. Group puppy classes are also useful for socialization and for learning from someone experienced. You do not need a trainer for basic obedience if you are patient and consistent.
Why does my Great Dane ignore me sometimes but listen other times?
They are testing whether you actually mean what you say. If they ignore "come" and nothing happens, they learn that "come" is optional. If they ignore "come" and you reward them anyway because you are tired of calling, they learn that ignoring you works. Be consistent: every single time you give a command, follow through until they obey.
Can I train an adult Great Dane, or is it too late?
Adult Great Danes can learn new commands, but it takes longer than training a puppy because they have already learned their own habits. The process is the same — short sessions, high-value rewards, consistency — but you may need more patience and more repetitions before the behavior sticks.
What should I do if my Great Dane snaps or shows aggression during training?
Stop the session when ready and consult a professional trainer or veterinary behaviorist. Aggression is not a training issue you can fix alone. A professional can identify whether the behavior is fear-based, resource-based, or dominance-based and give you a plan to address it safely.