How to Train a Great Dane Puppy to Not Bite
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Introduction
Your cute little Great Dane puppy is going to be a really large goofy Great Dane dog very soon. Teaching him not to bite now will set him up for good behavior in the years to come when he is a large dog. Great Danes can be intimidating to a lot of people, but they are incredible dogs. Your Great Dane is kind, gentle, sweet, and incredibly strong. Teach him now not to bite so he knows what is expected of him around friends and family when he becomes a giant dog.
Your Great Dane will protect your family in your home. It's built into his nature. He is a powerful, courageous dog. But he is also easy to train, loves to meet new people, will spend his time trying to please you, and he is incredibly patient. He will need to know, however, biting is not okay.
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Defining Tasks
Training your Great Dane puppy not to bite will start with teaching him your expectations of being gentle. There will be appropriate times for your puppy to bite or chew. He needs to understand the difference between biting a person and chewing on a toy to ease any pressure on his teeth or to naturally release energy through puppy playtime.
When puppies play together, they typically end up biting one another. This is completely natural for them in group play together. You will need to show your Great Dane puppy alternatives to biting during playtime and how he should be spending his time playing with you and other family members or friends. Doing this kind of training will take some repetition, some toys he is allowed to chew on, and beginning basic obedience training so you can set the role of leader of his pack. Redirecting your Great Dane when he's biting will be key in reminding him of positive behaviors when he is making poor choices and biting.
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Getting Started
Plan on having treats readily available to give to your puppy as you are training him when it's appropriate to bite and when it is not. Your puppy will need lots of chew toys, ropes, or tendons. Items he can tear into as he grows such as towels or blankets you can play tug-of-war with will help release this natural urge to chew and bite. Schedule some training sessions with your Great Dane pup and set him up to bite so you can redirect him and give him alternative behaviors.
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The Sharp Cry Method
Most Recommended
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Most Recommended
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Playtime
If your Great Dane puppy is biting you during playtime or even as you walk past him, try to play with him as his littermates did when he was with them. Spend a few minutes playing with a rope or other toy he loves.
Yelp
When your puppy bites you, make a sharp cry or yelp as another puppy would when bitten. Your pup is used to this sound as a warning that playtime has gone too far.
Gentle
When you yelp, your pup may stop playing and look at you for a moment. When he does, say a command you’d expect him to learn such as the word "gentle". Telling your Great Dane to be gentle is something you can tell him even when he’s bigger and is eating from your hands or playing with children or other dogs.
Keep it up
Keep challenging your pup to be gentle while playing. Each time he nips at you, even if it doesn’t hurt or is a gentle nip, yelp and give a sharp puppy-like cry to get his attention.
Reward
Eventually, you’ll want to start with positive behavior rewards. When you are playing together and you do not have to let him know he’s hurting you, give him a treat every now and again. When you have to tell him he’s biting, he does not earn a treat.
The Leader of the Pack Method
Effective
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Effective
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Reward behaviors
Start setting your place at the leader of the pack so your puppy listens well to you. Start by rewarding positive behaviors any time you see him doing something that shows a well-behaved pup and good choices.
Name
To start with simple rewards, say your Great Dane’s name and any time he looks at you or acknowledges you when you speak, give him a treat.
Basic obedience
Start training your pup some basic obedience commands. Start with 'sit' and then build his foundation of training with other simple commands like ‘down’ or ‘stay.’ Be sure to give him lots of rewards each time he is successful and follows through with the trick.
Play
When you play with your Great Dane puppy, take the toy from him every so often and get his attention. When he gives you his attention, give him a treat. Be sure each time you play, you are teaching him to listen to you, as you are the leader of his pack.
House training
House train your Great Dane as soon as you bring him home. It might take him a few weeks to catch on, but if you are the one showing your expectations and rewarding him, he will see you as his master.
Set the tone
When your puppy bites, be sure you are firm in telling him ‘no bite’ and ‘be gentle.’ Always reward him when he does well and redirect him when he needs to be redirected because of poor behaviors.
With time
Spend lots of time training your Great Dane pup. He’s going to be a massive dog but with you as his master, he will obey and be a great friend to have. Practice letting him know his place in your pack and teach him not bite when playing or otherwise through various training methods and positive reinforcement.
The Distract Method
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Effective
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Engage
Engage with your Great Dane puppy, getting him to play. The more you play, the more likely he will nip and bite at you. He only means to do it playfully, but you know it hurts, so you need to give him something else to do instead.
Toy
Anytime your fingers are in his path while playing, distract him with a toy. Putting something like a toy rope that he is allowed to chew on in his mouth will give him something to do.
Loud noise
When your little guy bites, make a loud noise to distract him from you. You can yelp to get his attention or you can shake your keys or a jar of coins to get his attention. Make the noise loud.
Say his name
Stop while you are playing with your pup and say his name. Do this while he’s not biting to get his attention often. When he bites, say his name again, only louder and more firm.
Leave
If your little guy is biting you when you are together, get up and leave. It’s tough to sit with him and ignore him, but you can walk away, leaving him wondering why he no longer gets to play with you.
Poor behaviors
Any time you see your puppy biting someone, distract him with a loud noise, not letting him play with you, or by giving him something safe to chew on.
Good behaviors
When you catch your pup playing nicely and not getting out of hand biting, reward him with more play time and some tasty treats. With time, rewarding him for positive behaviors will teach him your expectations and what he gets for meeting them.
Written by Stephanie Plummer
Veterinary reviewed by:
Published: 03/21/2018, edited: 01/08/2021
More articles by Stephanie Plummer
Training Questions and Answers
klise
Saint Dane
Six Weeks
Question
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
dose these work with all breeds of dogs
April 23, 2023
klise's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello, Generally teaching a puppy not to bite is the same for all breeds, specific temperaments of puppies may respond better to one method than another. I find that the Bite Inhibition method (same as the cry method from the article you commented on) and Leave It method from the article I linked below work the most often with the largest number of puppies. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bite Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
April 25, 2023
Jake
Great Dane
Nine Months
Question
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
Jake gets walked every day. I play with him in the back yard with balls, Frisbee, and other toys. He gets bored of this and then will start digging or trying to go under the garden shed to pull out random things. For the most part he is very good. Still working on walking without pulling which is way better than it was. This is not my house so digging in yard is unacceptable. Thanks.
April 14, 2023
Jake's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1128 Dog owners recommended
Hello, I would start by teaching Out and Leave It commands. Out - leave the area: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-the-out-command/ Leave It section: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bite Even though the leave it method is for addressing biting, use it to teach the general concept of leaving something alone, which can later be used for digging also. I would use a remote collar with at least 60 stimulation levels, tone and vibration, and work with a trainer to find Jake's "working level" which is the lowest level he will respond to on the collar. Once he knows Leave It and Out well, go outside with him and spend time relaxing out there as well as playing. When he goes to dig, use your Out command and use the long training leash to move him away from the area if he doesn't obey. If he obeys, reward with a treat that was hidden in a baggie out of sight in your pocket. Practice this often until he will instantly stop digging when told Out or Leave It. Once he knows that, add in the collar on his working level, having spent a few days having him wear it around with it turned off so he doesn't suspect anything from the collar. When he goes to dig, tell him "Ah ah" or push the tone button on the collar and correct with the collar remote on vibration or stimulation, whichever you predetermined he responded to well and at the working level you found for him. Reward when he stops digging or if he considers digging and doesn't dig at a spot he usually would have dug at. Once he won't dig with you present in the yard, then practice from the far end of the yard, then right inside the door to your home, then completely out of sight, until he is convinced that digging has the same consequences whether you are present or not. Some people will also create an acceptable digging location for a dog who may have a naturally strong desire to dig, such as a large wooden sandbox type area, and allow the dog to dig only there. Redirecting the dog to that location as needed. You will still need to teach the dog not to dig in other areas too though. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
April 17, 2023