5 Great Dane Leash Training Tips Every Parent Needs to Know

Last Updated on March 19, 2023

Great Danes, like all other breeds, need to be trained. And Great Dane leash training is one of the important trainings they should have to learn in their life.

To enjoy a peaceful walk around the street or even a memorable camping, you need to leash train a Great Dane. You might be worried that Great Dane leash training is a hard job, but it’s really not. Just follow the steps, be patient and you will be able to do just that with your puppy.

Only the huge and gigantic existence of a Great Dane dog is enough for people to pay heed. Although, the dogs are revered as Gentle Giants in the canine world.

The Great Dane is even a record-holder in The Guinness Book of World Records. Zeus, a Great Dane, is entitled to be the world’s tallest dog having the height of 111.8 cm from shoulder to paw.

However, the Great Dane dog has a relatively shorter life span as compared to many other small dog breeds. They only live between 8 to 10 years. Though, some can only live 6 to 7 years and a few can reach the age of 12.

But for outdoor activities where the dog will be around people, it is not recommended to keep the Great Dane off leash. And this is where Great Dane leash training comes in the picture.

Moreover, if you are inclined towards admiration and encouragement, there’s a great chance that your dog will learn things sooner.

At this age, they can learn a lot of things as compared to adult Great Danes.

As the Great Dane grows with age, it can be quite challenging to train them. Here are two reasons why:

1. The dog has grown into a large dog, huge and strong enough to intimidate people by its presence.
2. When a Great Dane is old enough, it would have developed habits and behaviors of its own that are difficult to break. This is why it’s a lot easier to train the puppies rather than the adult dogs.

Remember, if you have a Great Dane dog to train, you have to be persistent and diligent. It is not impossible to train them, but it is rather laborious.

Great Dane Walking

Generally, it is reasoned that the Great Dane dogs are naturally good at leash walking. However, given their huge size, it is still important to train them just like other dogs.

Great Dane leash training is very important. Whenever you are off to any outdoor task or activity like going for a stroll or picnic, a leash becomes crucial. Smooth walking on a leash for a Great Dane can be difficult without training.

See below on how you can make leash training with your Great Dane on a leash a walk in the park.

5 Tips for Great Dane Leash Training

A dog’s owner can begin teaching a Great Dane leash walking by following the tips below:

1. Prepare your Great Dane

To start the Great Dane leash training, get a leash and collar for your dog and let them understand what a leash is. The Great Dane puppy must first get acquainted with a collar and leash in order to learn walking on a leash.

You can do it during your fun time. Let the Great Dane puppy wear its collar and leash when you are playing. But remember to put its leash and collar on for little intervals. Furthermore, you can also use treats to create the Great Dane puppy’s leash training interesting and happy.

2. Give Signals or commands

When the Great Dane puppy has gotten the idea of a leash and collar, it’s time for for you to start signaling your Great Dane.

Choose a certain word which would be used as a signal or command that you want your dog to register. The chosen word would be used as a command and that whenever you say it, the Great Dane would respond to accordingly.

For easier and better response, the signal or command word could be your Great Dane’s name, or something associated with the dog intimately.

You can then use the signal word or command while your dog is wearing a collar and a lease. And you can use treats in this step of the training. For example, you can hold out its favorite snack while saying the signal word (let’s say, the puppy’s name) while asking them to come to you on a collar and leash.

Training environment

Another thing to keep in mind during the Great Dane leash training is the selection of the training place or environment. It must be done in a quiet place with minimal distractions like the backyard. This is to ensure that your Great done can hear your voice (and therefore, your signal) clearly.

3. Check your Great Dane’s reactions to your signal

During this step, make your dog come to you using treats or any form of reward while on a collar and leash. When your Great Dane starts walking towards you and gets the idea of the training, you can start making the training session gradually complex.

For example, when the dog starts accepting your signal and coming towards you in response, you can increase the distance in between you and your Great Dane.

4. Be consistent with the training

Practice makes perfect when it comes to Great Dane leash training.

Your practice or training with the Great Dane puppy must be regular and most importantly, short. As dogs, especially puppies, have short attention span.

It is suggested to practice indoors first. Once the Great Dane puppy is trained enough to walk on a leash, you can consider leash training in your backyard.

5. Check your Great Dane’s leash walking skills

If you think the training is going well and your Great Dane is doing a fantastic job walking on a leash in your backyard, you can start taking them outside.

The initial strolls outdoors with your Great Dane are most troubling. During these times, there will be plenty of distractions for your dog. Since there might be unexpected distractions outdoors, it is better to keep your walk outside short. You can gradually increase the time spent walking as they get used to walking outdoors.

If you ever face problems during outdoor walks like your Great Dane getting distracted by a certain smell, this is where your signal word or command comes in the picture. If they hear your command, they would start coming towards you. And of course, you can always use a form of reward when they start behaving well.

Generally, a dog or puppy would pull on its leash when it gets attracted towards something.And if you refuse them, they’re going to pull their leash and you would also do the same, while trying to restrain the dog.

So, here are a few things you can do to stop this:

1. When your Great Dane starts pulling, simply stop and give him his signal so they can start walking towards you again. Your dog should understand that it is you who decides where you go to, and not them.
2. Do not pull the leash, because this will make the dog aggressive and more stubborn.

Our Recommendation

Great Dane leash training should be a necessity to Great Dane dog owners. As the Great Dane is considered a smart breed is possible. You need to make your dog understand that its leash is crucial to its outdoor activity. And if you have a Great Dane dog to train, you have to be more persistent and diligent.

It is not impossible to train a Great Dane dog to walk on a leash, but it takes a lot of effort. So it’s best to train them while they’re young. Because adult Great Danes have a lot of behaviors that might already be difficult to correct.

Furthermore, get your Great Dane a dog collar which can handle its hugeness, and is easy to attach and detach the leash.

In a nutshell, Great Dane leash training is important and is best done while they’re still puppies.