Love
Love has been described as being patient, kind, and unselfish. Are you prepared to show love to your new puppy? Are you willing to be patient as they learn how to live in your people world? Are you willing to be kind as you teach them new skills and new commands? Are you willing to be unselfish and understand they are just puppies that are totally dependent upon you to meet their every need? If you can say yes to the these questions, you have the basis for a good training relationship with your new puppy. A puppy does not care how much you know (about life and the people world) until he knows how much you care. Remember as your puppy grows to love you, you will find he wants to please you more and more. Love is a key factor in successful training. So...love that little puppy...and reap years of benefits for doing so.

Consistency
The next key word in the training process is consistency. Puppies must have consistency in order to learn effectively. This means you have to say what you mean and mean what you say. One rule we have at puppy school is never say "no" unless you mean it. Once you tell a puppy "no," work with him until he understands what you are wanting or not wanting him to do. Remember to show love - patience, kindness and unselfishness - while you are helping him understand. The puppy must know what you want him to do before he can do it. Your faithfulness to communicate clearly and consistently will help the training go more quickly and smoothly.

What and when do I teach my new puppy?
The simplistic but most accurate answer is EVERYTHING and NOW. Your puppy is like a newborn baby. Even though he has graduated from the Mount N Great Dane Puppy School when he arrives at your home, he should be thought of as a little puppy sponge ready to soak up all the knowledge he can. It is your responsibility to see he gets the opportunity and encouragement to do so. The Great Dane puppy needs to learn to walk, play, eat, observe, and live.

Walking
This is a very important and necessary part of basic training. Your little puppy will grow to be approximately 160+ pounds if a female, 180 - 220 pounds if a male. Can you imagine holding on to a football player that has made a break for the end zone with a 1/2 " thick rope? Exactly! Now is the time to teach the puppy to walk, to heel, to stop, to stay, to wait, to know YOU are in charge. Your puppy needs to learn to never pull on a leash, to listen and wait for your commands, to be submissive to whoever is holding the leash. Keep in mind, different people of different sizes and different weights may need to control this Great Dane in their lifetime. Your Great Dane should be so obedient that a young child or elderly person can lead them without a problem. Leading is about submission, not about power or control. As you put the leash on your puppy, remember to work with them, not against them.

Your puppy will already be familiar with a leash when they arrive at your home. Your job is to continue working with the puppy until they learn proper leash etiquette. Please note that in most states it is not an option to use a leash, but the law. Your puppy learning to behave well on a leash is imperative to his survival in the people world. Plan short sessions, never longer than 15 minutes, when you take your puppy for a little walk on the leash. Since a new puppy needs to relieve himself often, you have a wonderful opportunity to leash train him while taking him out. Neither one of you should pull on the leash. You should lead. He should follow your lead. It will take time, but the two of you will get it figured out. Be kind, patient and unselfish and you will be surprised how quickly he learns. The fact is a properly trained Great Dane submits to the one holding the leash because they want to, not because they have to. If you will approach leash training with this understanding, you will find you and your puppy enjoy the sessions much more. There is an old adage that says you must learn to walk before you can run. This especially holds true in the training of a Great Dane. As you teach them to walk, they also learn sit, wait, stay, heel, run and much more. Remember to show love and consistency and the two of you will do fine.

Playing
What do you mean teach my Great Dane to play? Because of a Great Dane's massive size they must learn how and when to play. What is allowed and appropriate outside is not acceptable behavior in the living room. The way they play with the man of the family is not the way they should play with the three year old. Learning how to play allows the Great Dane to bond with the whole family in a comfortable, non-threatening way. The importance of knowing when to play will become obvious the first time your Great Dane gets his days and nights messed up. When he wakes you up at three a.m. with a Frisbee in his mouth, you will agree he needs to learn when to play. Teach your puppy when it is time to romp and play, and when it is time to be still and rest. Remember, he is just a puppy and must have time to do both.

Eating
Learning to eat with good manners will become more and more important the larger your Great Dane grows. Being a slob is unacceptable and unnecessary with any animal. Raising your Great Dane's bowl off the ground is not only important for their health, but it also helps them to be "neater" eaters. Your puppy should wait until they are served and invited to their table to begin eating. They should never be allowed to act territorial or irritable about their food bowl. If you will handle the bowl from the time they are little, and make them learn to be patient, many mealtime problems will be resolved. Your puppy should only eat large breed puppy food unless otherwise directed by your large breed veterinarian. Resist the urge to feed your puppy table scraps or get caught in the finicky eater trap. Teach your puppy good table manners from the beginning and you will be glad you did.

Observing
One of the qualities of a well-bred and well-trained Great Dane is that they are alert. Teach your puppy to be observant to what is going on around them. Not only will this help them in their relationships with others, but it could be an invaluable habit that could someday save their life. In addition, the more observant the puppy is, the quicker he will learn what is expected of him. When you are present, your puppy should be watching you to see what you are doing and what you desire of him. When you are in a training session, he should give you his full attention. Remember to start with short sessions to effectively build the puppy's attention span.

Live
Your Great Dane puppy will live his life in a people world. Learning how to live that life fully and abundantly is critical. For him to be successful in his future, he needs you. He needs you to lovingly and consistently teach him how to live.
Are you up for the task? If you are, the rewards of owning a well-trained Great Dane far exceed any monetary parameters. You will have a friend, a loyal companion, a partner to walk through life with. Not only does your Great Dane get to learn to live, but you will find he teaches you how to live...one loving memory at a time.