Great Danes And Babies: Tips On How To Introduce Them To Each Other

Last Updated on July 18, 2024

There’s just something so special about babies and dogs growing up together – Aside from the beautiful memories created, you get to witness an unbreakable bond forming in front of your eyes.

However, a harmonious life with dogs, especially with one that is as big as a Great Dane, and babies doesn’t just magically happen overnight. Both Great Danes and babies must be properly introduced with each other.

And with the proper introduction with each other, dogs can live together with babies in harmony, and with love.

So, if you’re expecting a new addition to your family, there are a lot of things you can do to properly prepare your pooch for the arrival of your tiny hooman.

Continue reading to discover tips that will make the introduction of Great Danes and babies to each other a lot easier.

Preparing Your Great Dane Ahead Of The Baby’s Birth

Introducing a Great Dane to a baby can happen even before the baby is born. As a matter of fact, preparing your dog ahead of time is a lot better. This way, the actual introduction will be as smooth sailing as possible.

Dogs are sensitive animals. They can sense emotions and energy better than humans can. So, your Great Dane will be quick to sense changes. However, they will be unable to interpret the situation properly.

So, here’s how you can prepare your Great Dane ahead of your baby’s birth.

1. Training

Basic Command Training

Basic command training is vital to the growth of a Great Dane. And you will find that it also comes in handy when introducing Great Danes and babies with each other.

And as a responsible Great Dane owner, you must know how important this kind of training is. Given the sheer size and strength of Great Danes, teaching them basic commands become indispensable.

So, we’d like to assume that by now, your Great Dane has learned to follow basic commands such as “sit”, “stay”, and “down”.

Now, with the arrival of your baby, you will have to revisit your Dane’s basic command training and teach them new commands.

Here are two basic commands that will come in handy when your baby is born:

“Leave” And “Let Go” Commands

These basic commands will prove to be important during interactions between Great Danes and babies. The Great Dane must be taught to withdraw from any situation involving the baby when need be.

How to teach the ‘leave’ command:

At times, Great Danes are unaware of how strong they can be. So, by teaching them the ‘leave’ command, they will learn to back off from any situation that you think might harm the baby without hurting them. Here’s how you can teach them this command:

• Put a treat on your hand, and utter the “leave” command.
• When you see your dog not taking the treat and backing off, immediately praise your dog and/or offer them a treat from your other hand.
• Continue doing this until your dog associates the word “leave” with backing off.
• Practice this regularly until your dog gets used to it.

How to teach the ‘let go’ command:

It is natural for dogs to be curious about new things at home. And having a baby means buying new items that they will need. Naturally, you will find your Great Dane sniffing around the baby’s things. So, in such situations, the ‘let go’ command will come in handy. Here’s how you can teach your dog this command:

• When they’re sniffing through baby items they shouldn’t, calmly call out to your Great Dane.
• Say the ‘let go’ command.
• The moment it starts to leave things alone, reward it with a treat or give it’s favorite toy to play with instead.

This might take sometime but practice is the key to discipline your Great Dane dog.

Obedience Training

If you observe reluctance in your Great Dane when following commands, this can be a real problem and must be solved before the baby’s arrival.

Just imagine, your Great Dane not willing to listen to you when you tell it to leave the baby alone or to let go of the baby’s bottle – it would be a total disaster!

This is why obedience training is also important and goes hand in hand with basic command training. Your dog must learn how to obey you when you give them commands, especially when the baby is around.

Furthermore, proper training will help curb a Great Dane’s aggression and behavioral problems. So, you can start or restart obedience training with these simple tips:

• Sit on a couch with a lot of treats beside you.
• Call your dog’s name and say the command “come”.
• When the dog acts on the command, simply give it a treat and praise it.
• Repeat this until the dog learns to associate the word “come” with approaching you.
• You can start to advance with the training by doing the same things, but with a different command. For example, you can do it with “sit” this time.
• Once it sits down after hearing the command, give the dog a treat and praise it again.
• Practice this regularly until your dog learns how to associate commands with your desired action.

2. Setting Up Boundaries

The second most basic yet important preparation when introducing Great Danes and babies to each other is setting up or establishing boundaries.

Before the baby is even born, make sure to provide your Great Dane with a cozy, peaceful, and secure space at home that s/he can call his/her own.

The easiest way to establish your Great Dane’s boundaries is by providing them with a crate big enough to accommodate their size and needs. Also, make sure that the crate is furnished with a comfortable bed and some of your dog’s favorite toys.

The crate will serve as your Great Dane’s safe space where you can ask them to retreat to when necessary.

Setting boundaries for your Great Dane goes beyond not allowing them near your baby when needed. But it helps mold their good behaviors and teaches them what they can do and cannot do without your supervision. So, when they meet new people, in this case, your baby, they will learn how to remain calm and well-behaved.

The same goes to the baby. As it grows up, it needs to respect your Great Dane’s space and not be allowed to disturb your dog when it is in it’s own space.

Don’t forget that your Great Dane will not automatically love it’s own space. You have to do crate training with them to make this a success!

3. Gradually Update Your Dog’s Routine

Not all dogs love and appreciate a change in their routine. When their routine is abruptly changed, they almost always struggle to adjust to it, and end up becoming stressed or anxious.

However, with a baby on the way, updating your Great Dane’s routine will be necessary. As long as you change or update it gradually, then it will eventually work out.

In saying this, the gradual change in your Great Dane’s routine must happen months before your baby is even born. You should NOT change it only when the baby is born – that will stress them out and will lead to more problems.

The goal of these changes in your dog’s routine is to prevent your dog from feeling jealousy and anxiety. While a baby will need your attention at all times, you still need to make sure your dog gets enough attention so it doesn’t feel any sort of jealousy towards your baby.

You want your dog to love your baby as much as you do. So, you have to ensure that your dog is well-prepared for the change and understands that you are not neglecting them with the arrival of the baby.

In saying that, here are a few things you should gradually update on your dog’s routine in preparation of the arrival of your baby:

Sleeping Space

When the baby arrives, your Great Dane would not be able to sleep in your bed anymore. So, it is better to change this and start establishing their own space, with a crate and their own bed.

Feeding

This one might be tricky since most dogs remember their feeding schedule. However, with a baby’s arrival, feeding your dog right on schedule can be difficult.

You can gradually adjust their feeding them each day. So, for example if you feed them at exactly 12:00 PM for lunch, try to be five minutes early or late. Slowly adjust the time for when they eat in a way that they won’t immediately notice the change.

Exercise

Of course, it goes without saying that walking your Great Dane according to their schedule would be near impossible with a baby.

You can either slowly introduce a new walk routine according to your expected schedule when the baby arrives, or you can always choose to hire a dog walker for your Great Dane.

Travelling By Car

Sadly, with the arrival of your baby, your Great Dane will not be able to sit where it used to. You will have to slowly introduce them to riding in the middle seat or in the trunk.

4. Introduce Baby Noises

When preparing for the Great Dane and baby’s introduction, make sure to introduce baby noises to your dog. Play these sounds inside the house where your Great Dane can listen to them.

This will help them familiarize themselves with new sounds related to the baby. This way, when you bring your baby home and your dog hears him/her cry, it wouldn’t react negatively to it.

5. Introduce The Baby’s Scent

Other than baby noises, you should also let your Great Dane familiarize itself with the baby’s scent before formally introducing them to each other.

Scents that can be associated with the baby include baby lotion, baby powder, the baby’s blanket or clothing.

You can let your Great Dane smell the baby’s clothes or the blanket while you’re holding on to it. Guide your dog and gently tell them not to take away the item on your hand. This can go hand in hand with basic command and obedience training.

Or you can rub baby lotion or baby powder on your hands and let them smell it from you. This way they can also learn to positively associate the scent.

6. Recheck Your Dog’s Diet

Your dog’s nutrition can largely influence not only their physical health but also their mental health and can affect their emotions.

Before your baby arrives, evaluate your Great Dane’s food and overall diet and check if they’re getting proper nutrition. Because with proper nutrition, your dog will be a healthy, confident, and good-mannered dog.

7. Reduce Attention

It won’t come as a surprise that when the baby is born, your Great Dane will get less attention, since you have to take care of the baby. The same goes for the amount of playtime or exercise you have with them.

So, it will be important that you start slowly reducing the attention you give them. You should remember that reducing attention doesn’t equate to disregarding your dog, because those are two different things.

8. Try New Activities

Trying new activities might sound like something you don’t need with a baby on the way. However, doing so can still be beneficial and can go hand in hand with reducing attention.

For example, if your dog loves playing with other dogs, you can take them to a dog day care. This will prove helpful when you need to attend to your baby and have no time to exercise or play with your dog.

Furthermore, this helps the dog stay healthy and social with a new activity added to its routine.

9. Start Walking Your Dog With A Baby Stroller

Of course, with the new addition to the family, it will be normal to take a walk with your baby and dog together.

So, before introducing Great Danes and babies to each other, it’s important that your dog has learned how to walk with a stroller.

Even if your dog is leash-trained, being able to walk calmly beside a stroller is a different story. So, stroller training is still important for your Great Dane. You can start stroller training with these tips.

Of course, you must first let your dog get familiar with a stroller before anything else.

Always remember to do this with a stroller but without the baby. Like with any other training, you need to practice this with your dog until they begin to see the stroller as part of their walking routine.

The Importance Of Desensitization and Acclimatization

Preparing for the introduction of Great Danes and babies doesn’t end when you introduce your dog to new things and experiences related to the baby.

You can’t expect your dog to be introduced to these and immediately like them. And this is why desensitization and acclimatization during the process is important.

Acclimatizing your Great Dane Prior To The Baby Introduction

With a new baby’s arrival, there will be major changes in the household, and your dog will not automatically be able to adjust to these changes.

This is where acclimatizing your Great Dane comes into the picture. This means allowing your dog time to adjust and become familiar with a new environment.

Remember, acclimatizing your dog doesn’t happen just happen overnight. You have to introduce baby-related noises and items associated with the baby several weeks before the baby arrives. And you also have to slowly make changes to their routine in consideration of the baby.

Desensitizing your Great Dane Prior To The Baby Introduction

Desensitization is very important when introducing Great Danes and babies with each other.

To desensitize a Great Dane, you have to expose it to elements (such as baby noise, the baby’s scent, items, etc.) associated to the newest addition to the family – but gradually and all under controlled conditions.

During this process, you need to reward them for their calm behavior every time they interact with the elements involving the baby. The goal is to reduce your dog’s anxiety, stress, or jealousy when the baby arrives.

When you see improvement, you can gradually start increasing the exposure. With practice, your dog will positively associate these elements and will also learn to be calm when exposed to these elements.

How To Introduce A Baby To A Great Dane

Your Great Dane has been desensitized and acclimatized! And your baby is here! Now what? Here’s how you can finally introduce Great Danes and babies with each other:

• When you return home, greet the Great Dane without the baby. Tell your partner to keep the newborn baby in the car with him first. This way, your dog will be able to release all its energy and excitement. This is because your dog will surely be excited to see you after a few days of being away.
• Do the introduction in a calm environment. In saying this, your dog must also be calm and comfortable.
• Make sure the initial greeting is brief and under controlled conditions. You can let your dog sniff your baby at a safe distance and with your supervision.
• Make the greetings brief until you are sure that your dog is calm and comfortable at all times when meeting the baby.
• When you see that your dog is more calm and collected while meeting the baby, you can gradually increase their exposure with each other.

With their sheer size and strength, an excited Great Dane can hurt you or your baby unintentionally. So, make sure that your dog is always calm and comfortable when they’re with the baby.

Interestingly, some say that you should let your dog see and sniff your baby’s bare feet so both of them can develop a strong bond.

As the baby grows up, make sure that his/her interactions with your Great Dane are always supervised, no matter how calm and patient your dog is.

What To Teach The Baby When Around The Dog

It’s important that as your baby grows up, you will teach them how to properly behave around the dog. How your baby behaves will determine his/her interaction with your Great Dane.

Although Great Danes are gentle and are good with children, their boundaries must still be respected.

As your baby grows up, you have to let them understand to respect your Great Dane’s boundaries and what is and what’s not allowed to do with the dog.

For example, you must teach your baby not to pull on the dog’s tails or ears no matter how tempting it is for them. Or for your baby to suddenly invade their personal space (aka their crate and/or bed).

Preparing Yourself For The Challenge Of Introducing Great Danes And Babies

With a Great Dane and a baby in the house, they’re not the only ones that need some preparation – you also do!

Here are some things you need to prepare and practice for the Great Dane and the baby’s introduction:

• Don’t reprimand your Great Dane for sniffing and checking out baby items. Dogs are naturally curious animals. So, it’s only natural to want to check out new things. Do not scold your dog for showing interest in your baby’s items. Instead, let them sniff through the baby’s items (with your supervision) so they can naturally acclimate themselves with the baby.
• Do not scold the dog when trying to get near the baby. Similar to the abovementioned point, scolding and reprimanding the dog satisfying their curiosity isn’t the way to go. When you scold them or reprimand them for doing anything related to the baby, they will associate the baby with negativity. Instead, praise and appreciate your dog every time it gently and calmly approaches the baby.
• Be aware of how you behave with the dog around the baby. If you are gentle and kind towards your baby but isn’t the same with your Great Dane, they’ll pick up on it and be jealous. So, when they approach the baby, do not drive them away immediately. Rather, assess the situation (if they can approach the baby or not), and gently tell them what to do.
• Do not separate the Great Dane from the baby or don’t only give the baby your attention. In connection to the abovementioned point, your dog will pickup on this and will be jealous of the baby. You want your Great Dane to think that the baby is an addition to the family rather than their replacement.
• Be prepared for challenges. If you recognize your Great Dane being stressed or aggressive early on, immediately address the problems before they develop into more serious problems.

Conclusion

While Great Danes are gentle and good with kids, their size and strength are something that should be considered, especially when around newborn babies and smaller animals/pets.

That’s why the most important thing when introducing Great Danes and babies is proper training and thorough preparation and planning. You need to be able to prepare for it before your baby’s arrival in order for your baby and dog to have a great relationship growing up.

Of course, not all introductions will be the same, and will not go without any challenges. So, you should also be well-prepared for these.

If you find yourself unable to teach and train your dog prior to the introduction, you can always look for a professional dog trainer to help you.