Getting Your Great Dane Puppy Crate-Trained
Crate training has long been treated as a solution for housebreaking puppies. However, crate training has other benefits besides your dog going potty outside. Training your puppy correctly is essential to this training technique offering the maximum benefit.
How to crate train a Great Dane puppy?
You’ll need to introduce your puppy to his crate in a way that makes him treat it as a safe space for relaxation. A puppy won’t knowingly soil an area he sleeps in, making the crate an excellent tool.
Introduce Your Great Dane Puppy to His Crate the Right Way
One of your first steps should be correctly introducing your Great Dane puppy to his crate.
The last thing you want is for the puppy to resist entering the crate.
If your puppy has a chance to check out the crate and see that it won’t hurt him, this will make things go more quickly. You may consider bringing your puppy into the room with the crate a few times before putting him in it to check it out.
Your puppy’s first interaction inside the crate should involve opening the door so he does not feel trapped. Praise him and offer a few treats when your puppy goes inside the crate. After you’ve done this a few times, he’ll know he’s being good.
Making the Crate Your Puppy’s Happy Place
Your Great Dane puppy needs to see his crate as a safe place where things happen that make him happy. One of the ways to give your puppy a positive association with the crate is to feed him in the crate while sitting just outside.
Placing toys inside the crate will help make spending time inside more enjoyable. You may want to try tossing toys inside the crate and praising him every time he goes after the toys.
To increase your puppy’s comfort level, it’s essential not to use the crate as a place for timeouts or punishments. The crate won’t be a safe zone for your puppy if he associates it with unpleasant things like punishments.
When you start confining your puppy in the crate, gently close the door while he is eating and keep him in for five minutes. You’ll want to gradually increase the time your puppy stays in the crate by five minutes at a time until you reach 30 minutes.
Leaving Your Great Dane Puppy Alone While Crated
The next step for your puppy will be leaving him alone while crated when you are elsewhere in the house. As with when you initially introduce your puppy to the crate, you will want to increase the time that you spend out of sight gradually.
When your puppy stays in the crate with no complaint for 30 minutes, your puppy can remain crated when you’re out of the house. The most important thing to remember is not to make a big deal of things when you’re leaving or returning.
In an ideal situation, you’ll want to avoid attention five minutes before leaving and five minutes after returning. If you keep calm and don’t make a big deal of things, your puppy won’t associate being put in the crate with your leaving home.
How Does Crating your Great Dane at Night Change Things?
Because Great Danes are so big, even as puppies, they have better bladder control than most other breeds. One of the things essential to keep in mind about these dogs is that they should have ample chance to exercise before they are crated for the night.
Keeping the crate somewhere your puppy feels safe will help make it easier for him to adjust to staying in the crate overnight. Your bedroom could be a good place if the idea of dealing with whining at night doesn’t bother you very much.
A potty break just before your puppy goes into the crate for the night will help so he doesn’t wake you up to go out in the middle of the night. Taking your puppy’s water bowl up two hours before he goes into the crate also helps eliminate this problem.
Using some time before your puppy goes into the crate for the night for a play and exercise session will help him decompress enough to sleep through most of the night.
If your puppy gets into a pattern of barking or whining, do something to get his attention and help break the barking cycle. Follow up with this by waiting until he has been quiet for a few minutes before letting him out.
How Do You Crate Train a Great Dane With Separation Anxiety?
Separation anxiety can be a problem in dogs of any age, and puppies are no exception. Great Danes are such large, strong dogs that separation anxiety is a significant problem if their separation anxiety causes destructive behavior.
One of the ways to make crate training work more effectively for dogs in this situation is to attach a playpen to your Great Dane’s crate. Your puppy will have more room to move while accessing his “safe space.”
Does Crate Training Work for Great Danes in Apartments?
Great Danes adjust to living in apartments quite well, despite their size. These dogs need exercise but are relaxed enough indoors that apartments work well.
Taking your puppy on a walk or providing a play session will help calm your puppy down before placing him in the crate for the night. However, you’ll benefit from having a plan to calm your puppy’s barking if it becomes a problem.
Can You Crate Train a Great Dane Puppy Without Treats?
Crate training your Great Dane puppy without treats can be a good idea where these dogs tend to have digestive sensitivities. Regardless of whether you incorporate treats as training rewards, it would be best if you chose your treats wisely.
However, in most cases, you are better off using treats to train your puppy anyway. The training process will go more smoothly and take less time. You’ll find the treats one of the most helpful tools at your disposal.
Toys and verbal praise can be effective for owners who prefer not to use food treats. However, taking this path will require more repetition and time for results.
What is the Best Timeline for Crate Training Your Great Dane Puppy?
Most Great Dane enthusiasts feel that eight weeks is a sufficiently early time to start crate training your puppy.
One thing to remember is that the whole housebreaking process could take as much as six months. One of the things that you want to avoid is leaving your puppy unsupervised and loose in the house too soon.
You’ll want to allow your puppy more freedom as he shows that he can stay in the crate without accidents. If you’re diligent about getting your puppy out for potty breaks, he will learn that he doesn’t use your home as a bathroom.
Starting the crate training by 16 weeks at the latest will give your puppy the advantage. Although dogs can learn crate training later, your puppy will have the best results when crate trained earlier.
Are There Any Consequences from Not Crate Training Your Great Dane Puppy?
Some owners may feel crate training a Great Dane puppy takes too much effort. The issue might be that an owner feels crate training isn’t necessary if the dog will sleep in their room.
Others might have a dog door and think they don’t require crate training if their dog has access to the backyard. However, neither of these ideas is true. Dogs with bedroom and dog door access will benefit from crate training.
For example, your dog may have times when they are recovering from a surgery, like a spay or neuter, and will do the best resting in a crate. Crate rest is also a solution for some types of injuries. A crate-trained dog will adjust to confinement more readily.
Crate training is a winning situation all around. Dogs accustomed to having a crate as their “den” area are less likely to have accidents in the house. Even if your dog uses a dog door, he will still benefit from having had the crate training.
We all need a place to relax and “chill” when stressed. Our dogs are no exception; a crate is easy to make a place where your dog can relax. Crate training your Great Dane will keep him more well-adjusted and happy.
Some owners feel crating is inhumane if the dog is left in the crate for extended periods, such as while at work. Once a dog has been crate trained and understands that he needs to go potty outside, he can be loose in the house.
If used for initial confinement when housebreaking your Great Dane puppy, crate training is a humane way to make your puppy a better household member. Your dog will have a place of his own for relaxing, which is always beneficial.