What you teach your Great Dane is really entirely up to you and your family. If you want a Dane that pretty much just knows his name and is a great family dog – that’s fine. Or maybe you want to do competition obedience, rally or even agility with yours. These factors are what ultimately decide what you teach your Dane. However, along with these, there are a few behaviors that really should be taught to every Great Dane. The following are the top 3 cues to teach your Great Dane for safety reasons.
#1 – Off
Due to their giant size and their tendencies to be eager greeters, an Off cue is very important for all Danes. Even if you don’t mind if your Great Dane puts his front paws on your shoulders, when greeting other people it’s important that they can keep “four on the floor” if needed to avoid injuring or scaring strangers. Hard to believe, but there are some people out there that don’t like dogs and your happy Dane pushing them over will not help change their mind.
#2 – Leave It
Leave It is a great cue for your Great Dane to know for a few reasons. One, it can keep them from chewing your shoe or stealing your dinner. Two, it can make walks more pleasant – you can ask him to leave the trees he has sniffed for the hundredth time or all the people he wants to greet. Third, and most importantly, it can save your Dane’s life if he is about to eat something dangerous, including toxic human foods or something unsafe he comes upon during his walk.
#3 – Come
A solid recall is important for your Great Dane if he is ever off leash in public areas (where it’s enclosed and allowed!) or even to avoid a headache in a big backyard. In addition, a solid recall can save the life of your Dane if she bolts out the door toward the street. It’s just a good basic cue for any dog to know.
