So you're getting a Great Dane puppy! 

Bringing a Great Dane pup home is an exciting occasion for any family. These furry friends are renowned for being gentle, loving, and exceptionally beautiful. However, with great size comes great responsibility, and though these lovely creatures may enter your home smaller than they will end up, the responsibility you bear for them will remain large throughout their life. Therefore, it’s important to know what to expect from a Great Dane puppy. 

Once you’re in the swing of things, looking after your Great Dane pup is a walk in the park, but it helps to get off to a strong start. In order to help you and your canine companion get off to the best beginning possible, we’ve put together this Great Dane Puppy Care Guide to support you in providing the perfect home. 

Basic supplies for your Great Dane Puppy 

Once doggo makes it home, it’s good to provide them with a steady and regular routine. This will help them to settle in, and become accustomed to living with you and your family. In order to help you do this, it’s a good idea to stock up on some Great Dane puppy essentials before little Hamlet arrives. 

Avoiding puppy formula dog food is a must, and it’s important that you buy a high quality dog food formulated for giant-breed dogs. Given the enormous size of Great Danes, their unique developmental process, and their vulnerability to digestive health problems, it’s important that you buy the right sort of food

A large crate and a large bed are good investments; while Great Dane pups might develop rather quickly relative to other giant breed dogs, they do a great deal of growing in their first two years.  Buying beds suitable for their eventual size will not only offer them a sense of comfort and continuity as they grow, but also save your wallet!  It’s also sensible to buy them an adjustable raised platform for their food and water dishes. 

Great Danes are gorgeous animals, and extremely intelligent, therefore they respond well to positive reinforcement. They are very fast learners. Bear this in mind; this is a vital piece of Great Dane advice.  Keeping a good supply of tasty and nutritious treats in the house will help you to start their training early, and hopefully save you from a 140 lb ball of loving chaos showing up further down the line. 

Those are your essential purchases but it’s also a good idea to buy a brush, nail clippers (or nail dremel) and a few chew toys to keep your puppy healthy, happy and pretty! 

Organization for bring home your Great Dane Puppy

Great Danes, much like children, thrive with a healthy routine… you can even show your children that we’ve written this in our Great Dane puppy guide if they don’t believe you! By understanding the needs of Great Dane pups, you can properly organize your time to make your family’s newest member feel safe and welcome. Great Danes are family dogs, and should be treated as a member of the family. 

Great Danes need to exercise every day, so you should allocate times and/or family members for this task. Preparing for this before your puppy arrives is a great way to ensure that their needs are met, and that they won’t be overlooked due to a clash with prior commitments. However, it’s worth noting that while Great Danes are growing, they are susceptible to developing growth related bone and joint issues. Short, gentle walks on grass, or even going for a swim, are excellent ways to keep your buddy moving safely.

Times and people should also be designated to feed your Great Dane puppy. Great Danes need to be fed twice a day. Given the shape of Great Danes, over-eating threatens to cause bloating (a painful, life-threatening stomach disorder). This is amongst the most dangerous of the possible Great Dane issues. By feeding them smaller meals throughout the day, you can allow your furry friend to get the nutrients he needs, whilst keeping his stomach safe.

It’s also sensible to designate somebody to oversee your Great Dane puppy’s training - not to mention training the humans it interacts with on a daily basis. As Great Danes tend to mature physically before they do so mentally, they carry the potential to have quite a destructive teenage phase. As loving as they may be, having a Great Dane unexpectedly jump at you or develop a case of the zoomies can cause disastrous effects. Therefore, having somebody in your family who can research and take charge of toilet training, leash training and socialization will save you a lot of pain in the long run. This person can also help the rest of your family by keeping them up-to-date with the most important Great Dane puppy care tips. Be warned, however, that even with the best training, Great Dane owners tend to get covered in a lot of drool! 

Helping your Great Dane puppy feel at home

Like the rest of us, Great Danes need to feel welcomed, loved and safe in their home. Great Danes are renowned for being gentle, and often develop into couch dogs, during their younger years they can be excitable and occasionally anxious. As such, there is lots that you can prepare in your home to help your dog to settle in. 

The first thing is to allow time for your puppy to become accustomed to a typical, but quiet family routine. You should continue your usual work and school routines so that the puppy can become normalized to spending time alone in her new home. That said, when you are home, lots of gentle loving attention is ideal to help her feel supported and safe. Strokes, cuddles and telling her that she’s a good girl are great ways to do this. This is true for all the family, though small children might require guidance on how to be loving without smothering the young pup. It’s also sensible to wait a couple of weeks before inviting friends and family who aren’t part of your daily household to meet your new companion. Before they do come over, it’s a good idea to instruct your visitors on how to prepare for a Great Dane puppy, so that they can reinforce rather than detract from your training. 

If you already have a furry family at home, it’s sensible to allow for a gentle introduction. There may be some tension at first, but showing your other furry friends that they are still loved, and helping your puppy to respect their territory and toys can help to build firm furry friendships.

Placing your Great Dane’s bed in the living room or other family spaces can help them feel loved and included. When learning how to prepare for getting a Great Dane puppy, consider their need for comfort and security. If your puppy seems to prefer their own space, placing the bed somewhere more private can also work well.

Finally, taking some preventative measures is an essential part of understanding how to prepare for a Great Dane Puppy. Great Danes respond best to positive reinforcement, so it’s better to avoid “bad boy/girl” moments where possible. By keeping certain doors shut and special vases out of reach, you can minimize the chances of accidents and focus on fostering good behavior.

With this guidance in mind and a clear understanding of how to prepare for a Great Dane Puppy, you should be perfectly well-equipped to welcome a kind, beautiful, and loving soul into your family!

For more Great Dane puppy care information and goodies to make your new friend feel at home, please check out the Love Margot website. Equally, for your daily dose of Great Dane joy, checkout our Instagram and Tik-Tok!