Important!

This page is about Great Dane training with the correction reinforcement method of dog obedience. While correction reinforcement will assure an obedient well-behaved companion, it is not for dog.

Before employing any training techniques we advise you evaluate your dog and consult a certified trainer to decide which training method best meets your needs. Correction reinforcement training is deemed "old school" by some and many trainers have now adopted positive "praise/reward" training techniques, or use a mix of correction reinforcement with positive training methods.

Let's get started..

Great Dane training by correction reinforcement will assure an obedient well-behaved companion. Basic dog obedience training is highly recommended with Danes as your playful puppy will soon become a big, powerful dog! If you're already owned by this giant companion you know first hand, the true power of an adult Dane.

Raising an obedient dog is not only smart, it's a necessity for this particular breed, you can trust me on this. Most people have never met such a big dog before and can be quite frightened if a Dane runs up towards them, if they only new he was coming to say hello:) With such an innocent action striking fear in the average person, you can see why obedience training is so important with Great Danes.

TIP: Friends, if you do not agree with coercive training methods and would rather learn about positive training techniques, please see our "Clicker Training" article on our Training Great Danes main page:)

That's not all..

Running up on people isn't the only thing an untrained Dane can do, lets look at some reasons why Great Dane training is so important, thinking now..

GREAT DANES CAN..

• •  Take you out for a drag around the block.
• •  Jump all over you and injure you by doing so.
• •  Eat most other dogs, not to mention the toy group.
• •  Break through a door if they feel like it.
• •  Scare the heck out of people just by running towards them.
• •  Eat everything on your counter tops and table.
• •  Drink from the kitchen sink, never mind the toilet.
• •  Bark loud enough to earn you a citation for breach of peace, and much more!

All Danes differ however and being honest.. I worked on dog obedience and correction training a few times a week with Bruiser between the age of 4 to 6 months, that's all he ever needed. After that, a random session here and there when his recall became rusty is all he ever needed.

Great Danes by nature can be timid and submissive to humans so before you read further I must stress.. Do not over correct your dog, every Great Dane is unique so please assess your Dane's needs before using this training method. If you are unsure, you can always start with positive reinforcement training and go from there.

Many professional trainers suggest the correction method for Great Dane training and obedience as they tend to respond quickly. Correction reinforcement is also widely employed by the schutzhund training community to train more aggressive breeds with great success. See our "schutzhund training" article for an overview.

Necessary Equipment

OK, your going to need a few leads, one six foot for close commands and a long lead, a 30 footer for recall work. Now choose from a variety of Great Dane collars, either a slip style training collar, or prong/pinch type. While choker collars work fine with a young Great Dane, for certain dogs they're not enough. If you're starting from scratch with a large full-grown Dane, the pinch or prong type collars work best for Great Dane training. Why? Correcting a 160-pound dog with a choker collar is really tough and most adult male Danes can pull right through the correction.

Basic Great Dane Training by Correction How It Works

Here's a quick overview of the correction method of dog obedience training. It's quite similar to other training methods yet unlike reward/clicker and positive reinforcement methods, we give a correction with the lead and collar.

TIP: There are other ways to give a correction that are not discussed here such as a spray of water, noise maker, e-collars and more.

What we are trying to condition with corrections is a desired behavior or action from the dog. If a command is given and the dog doesn't react in an desired way, a correction is given by a swift jerk on the lead, causing the training collar to give stimuli suddenly (the correction). Eventually the dog learns the desired response to the command and will obey to avoid correction.

TIP: Did you know? A mother dog uses a similar technique to correct a misbehaving pup, nipping its neck usually does the trick.

The Technique

When training a Great Dane new commands, use the popping technique along with physically helping the dog into the desired position. For instance, if your dog doesn't know the "sit" command, you would pop-pop-pop (gentler corrections on lead) upwards while pushing down on the his rear. Your Great Dane should learn what "sit" means fairly quickly. Once the command is understood then one quick correction will usually put him in the desired position. The dog should remain in the position until you call a verbal "release" command.

Great Dane training by correction method is effective but be careful, it's important not to over-correct your dog. Use simple one-word clear commands in the beginning. Say the command once, if he doesn't respond, give a swift correction while repeating the command. When repeating a command, wait a few seconds before saying it. Point being is we don't want to confuse our Great Dane to think "sit", means "sit-sit-sit".

Reinforcing a Recall

To train a recall, let your dog out on his 30-foot lead. Wait a while and let her attention focus elsewhere, now give your recall command with a quick correction. Your Dane should focus on you and come up to your heel. When you release her give awesome praises for her good work. Just as with all dog obedience training methods, the training collar and corrections can be weaned away from your over time once they are conditioned to obey your verbal commands.

Keep in mind that there are many correction and collar techniques for Great Dane training. Timing, force of corrections, and frequency of training sessions vary and should be structured to your Great Dane's individual character and temperament. A good example is the recall correction I use when training our dogs. This is the hardest correction I give, as my dog is expected to immediately focus on me and return to my heel. Compared this to my "sit" command, a lighter correction is given yet still strong enough to get the point across.

Practice and patience are keys to success with Great Dane training. Dog obedience by correction requires persistence, patience, consistent commands, and proper leash technique. You are developing a form of communication to instruct your Great Dane how to behave. Naturally, this all works in harmony with great praises, love and affection :)

Important!

This is only a brief overview of Great Dane training by correction reinforcement. Correction training works great with large strong dogs like the Great Dane but be careful, don't over do it. As mentioned many times throughout this website, Great Danes by nature can be sensitive creatures and this style of training may not be right for all Danes.

Our intent for these training pages is to provide information on different Great Dane training methods. Please take a moment to consider your dog and its needs to make an educated decision on your training regimen. When you have narrowed down you choice for a particular training style, research it fully before you implement it.

If you are a brand new dog owner that has no experience whatsoever with dog obedience training, it's a good idea to schedule at least 1 class with a professional trainer. Believe it or not, you will learn more from the class than your Great Dane. Awesome, now you will be confident in the leash techniques used with correction reinforcement and dog obedience training.

Although methods, techniques, styles and opinions differ, Great Dane training is very important! Choose the method that's right for both you and your dog and stick with it. Consistency and patience will pay off and reward YOU with an outstanding k9 citizen :)

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