In your house, and in your car, your Great Dane needs a special place to call her own. A suitably sized crate can provide the security, the sound sleep and the travel safety she needs. That same crate may also be key to potty training your big puppy.
Her Safe Place
Your Dane’s crate, available at most pet stores, should be sturdy enough and large enough to handle her. Load it up with soft pad and toys and locate it in a quiet corner of your home. Leave the door open during the day so she came become comfortable with her new “den.” Soon, she will be comfortable enough to be latched safely in her den when you have to leave.
At first, leave the door open and coax her inside the crate with toys, treats and bedding. Give praise and treats when she enters -- keeping the door open to the crate when you are at home. Instruct children and visiting adults to never bother her when she is in her crate -- this is her safe den. Soon she will go to her crate often for safe refuge or to nap.
Her Secure Travel Space
Required for airline travel, a sturdy appropriately sized crate is the perfect way to keep any dog, including your Great Dane secure when she joins you in your car. It can keep her safe and will keep her from interfering with your driving. If she has to stay overnight in a strange place, the crate can be a security blanket.
Her Sleeping Space
When it’s lights out, coax your Dane into her new bedroom suite filled with her favorite toy and soft, washable bedding. Until housebroken, your Dane should remain in the crate in your bedroom all night. If you absolutely cannot put the crate next to you in your bedroom, place a radio playing soft music nearby to reduce the initial nighttime anxiety.
Key to Potty Training
Crate training your Great Dane -- making the crate her secure, safe place inside your home -- can be key to potty training her. It will support your housebreaking process and teach your dog to control her bladder, as she will instinctively not want to soil her den. A clean den is a happy den -- and house.
