TRAINING:
We believe in lots and lots of training. A dog who is socialized early and who is well trained and well behaved is a pleasure to be around. A Great Dane that is not well mannered does not set a good example for our breed.
We started our training with conformation classes at three months old and continued on until Jewel was almost one year old. We continued to go to class simply to keep her among a variety of breeds of dogs. Jewel obtained her Championship at this point. We also took The Canine Good Citizen Test at this time and she earned her CGC.
Next we decided to start obedience classes and went weekly with regular classes until she had completed her Open level instruction. We did take short breaks now and then as well as over the summer. We would either be in a regular class or a drop in class to be sure to keep her in the habit of being around all types of dogs. Jewel completed her CD and is ready to go on and work towards her CDX.
We have joined a dog club that does both obedience and conformation and sometimes we will just drop in to watch the other dogs. This teaches her to sit and be patient. She will watch what all the other dogs are doing and not bother them as they come and go.
I believe in positive training with food. I am very strict though and consistant. If I don't want my dog barking endlessly or at my kitchen table at meal time then I must enforce this all the time not just part of the time. Whatever your guidelines for your home are you must keep them the same so your dog can understand what you expect from them. They are so much like kids: Give an inch and take a mile:)
We are going to be at our club once a week to help with instruction and Jewel will be used to show examples on how to train your dog to sit, down, stay and recall etc. At this time we haven't decided if we will do any training in agility but it is a possibility. If you continue training your dog beyond the basics you are challenging them to continue to think and learn. Mental exercise as well as physical exercise is good (in my opinion only) for both you and your dog.
Over the summer of 2001 we spent our time outside training in the art of tracking. Jewel is ready to trial for her TD in the fall of 2002. She very much enjoys this type of activity. It certainly gives her both a physical and mental workout. I too get the benefit of the physical workout with her.
Our latest puppy Cleo has been going to agility lessons once a week since she was about nine months old. We don't have her jumping or climbing anything high but have introduced her to all the equipment and commands. We have been using the "clicker training" method for this and have been very pleased with the results.
HOME:
I don't believe that a Great Dane should be kept outside all the time. They love to be around their family. They have very short hair and cannot tolerate the cold weather and I find that on hot days our girl wants to come inside and enjoy the air conditioning. Great Danes need soft cushions, bedding, mattress or even your sofa to lay on. This will prevent any sores developing on their elbows and because of their large bones it is much more comfortable for them to always lay on something soft. We have a few large papasan cushions scattered throughout the house.
Jewel is fed from an elevated food and watering dish. She is fed twice daily. She always has clean water available. When she was a puppy we fed her three times per day until approximately six months of age. Because bloating has been a common problem among some Great Danes it is advisable not to exercise them before and after eating. This includes play time in our house. I tell the children to leave her alone and let her lay down and relax after each meal for at least an hour. Some people keep them quiet longer.
I trim her nails weekly. I prefer the dremel to file the nails rather than cutting them. I find that even though I do them weekly it is hard to keep up with the growth and they can easily grow to long quickly. If you should choose to use a dremel just remember to only file a few seconds on each nail at a time and keep rotating the nails. If you don't the nail becomes hot and this will hurt your dog.
Jewel is crate trained. She was trained to go into her crate as a puppy. We decided to give her free access at six months to the house because she didn't appear to have any bad habits, such as chewing or house training problems, and I am a person who works from my home so most of the time I am around the house. I do think it is important that they learn the crate training in the event that they are sick or injured and need at some time to be confined to a crate. I have my crate at our dog club and every now and then I give her a bit of time to lay and watch from her crate just to keep her in the habit of going into it and understanding that it is not a punishment.
