Great Danes Relationship With Kids (Plus 7 Important Commands)

Great Danes are the sweetest mastiff dogs; they are loyal and kind while also being powerful, large, and protective of their family and territory.

Many people assume that because they are large dogs, it is not safe to allow your children to approach or play with them.

In this piece, we’ll go deeper into the relationship that great danes have with children.

So read the entire piece to get all the details.

Are They Good With Kids?

Experts say Great Danes are safe for children; they get along well with children and form deep bonds with them; they are genuinely humble giants.

However, their ridiculous size is the main concern. Even if your Great Dane’s purpose is simply to play with your child, it may wind up hurting them.

The bones and enormous paws of a Great Dane are pretty powerful; if it jumps on your child to play, it will not be good.

Even adults have difficulty controlling Great Danes, let alone children.

Experts advise keeping a watch on your child whenever they are near your Great Dane.

Can You Leave Them With Babies?

Leaving your baby with your dog—whether it’s a Chichua or a Great Dane—is never a good idea. Babies are very delicate and frail.

Pediatricians recommend separating dogs from infants for a minimum of two to three months.

No matter the age, breed, size, or disposition of the dog, the American Kennel Club (AKC) recommends that a small kid never be left alone with a dog.

Dogs can still have predatory impulses while being domesticated; they are unpredictable animals.

Thus, never let your dog stay with your infant.

Have Great Danes Ever Attacked kids?

Because they are part of the mastiff family, great danes have a strong guarding instinct. Mastiffs are renowned for being powerful and protective.

There have been numerous accounts of Great Danes attacking children; however, Great Danes do not target their own family children; rather, they attack children or persons with whom they are unfamiliar.

Great Danes that haven’t been socialized or trained typically take actions like these. Socialized Great Danes do not assault people for no cause.

In Portland, Oregon, a 6-year-old boy was savagely mauled by a great dane; regrettably, the boy died as a result of the attack.

In a different incident, an attack by a great dane in a dog park claimed the life of an 11-year-old boy.

Great Danes have attacked children on numerous occasions, so it’s not a good idea to fully trust any breed of dog because, at the end of the day, dogs are animals.

Commands You Need To Teach To Make Sure They Stay Good With Kids

It is absolutely essential to train your great dane because otherwise, it may become uncontrollable, attack someone, or even harm your children. Here are some basic commands that you can teach your dog to start with.

1: Sit Command

One of the primary instructions you may teach your great dane is the sit command. This command is simple, yet it is really useful in controlling your Great Dane.

This command will keep your dog calm when children approach it.

There are various postings and videos on how to teach this command; however, I cannot write the steps in this post because the post’s purpose may be diverted.

You may watch this video or read this post.

2: Stay

Another vital and fundamental command that can help keep your dog calm around children and other people is the stay command.

Using this order will keep your Great Dane in one spot, preventing accidental jumping and knocking over children or other people.

3: Down/Off

This is yet another instruction that can assist you in preventing your great dane from jumping on children. This command aids in the safe interaction of your great dane and children.

4: Leave It

Because of its effectiveness, the instruction “leave it” is becoming more and more common these days.

When your dog is playing with your children, you can use this command to get them to stop.

Dogs may refuse to give up their toys or even approach the one your child is holding. If you don’t stop your dog, it could end up hurting your child.

Instruct your great dane to give up the toy it is grasping or attempting to grasp by teaching it the leave it command.

5: Gentle

Great Danes have a strong prey drive and will chase practically anything moving. When you have a dog breed with a high prey drive, gentle command becomes essential.

To avoid accidentally nipping or causing discomfort, teach your great dane to be gentle when taking toys or sweets from your children’s hands.

6: Come

An essential command for calling your dog back to you is the “Come command”. It is helpful when your great dane is getting too close to a child or into potentially dangerous situations.

7: No Jump

This is yet another extremely important instruction to instill in your Great Dane since, despite their size, they can accidentally injure people, especially children. You can help your dog learn when it’s okay to jump using this instruction.

Some Extra Tips

Train Your Kids

Yes, it is critical to train and socialize your dog, but it is also critical to educate your children about the differences between dogs and humans.

Inform kids about the importance of respecting a dog’s space and not disturbing a dog while it is resting, eating, or carrying puppies. I’ve seen several dog attacks where the error was made by the child, not the dog. 

So, when teaching your dog, make sure to educate your children too.

Cut Nails Of Your Great Dane

Your great dane’s long nails may accidentally scratch your children, and long nails are bad for a dog’s health too since they can break or chip.

Use a Muzzle When in Public

If your great dane is still untrained, hasn’t been properly socialized, or has previously attacked people, you should muzzle it in public.

A muzzle can help keep your dog from biting others and save you from unneeded issues.

Because Great Danes have a bad reputation for being involved in dog attacks, muzzle training is essential.

Final Words…

Great Danes are great canines who are generally sociable with children and adults, especially when properly trained and socialized from a young age.

However, because great danes are mastiffs, they are powerful dogs with a defending instinct, so you can’t trust them completely.

Great Danes are also one of the largest dog breeds, making them tough to control. They have powerful bones and paws that might injure someone if they jump on them.

Kids cannot handle a great dane because they are simply too powerful for them, and they might accidentally injure children, therefore it is always necessary to keep a watch on your great dane when it is with your child.

Furthermore, leaving your newborn with a dog, whether a Great Dane or another breed, is never recommended.

I hope you liked this post.

Thanks for reading!