Great Danes & Mouthing

Look, I know it might seem weird, but hear me out! When I’m a puppy, my mouth is my hands. I use it to figure out what things are, how they taste, and whether they’re friend or foe. Plus, my teeth hurt like crazy when they’re coming in. You try growing giant chompers and see how you feel!

Sometimes I get so excited to see you that I can’t help myself. My tail’s wagging, my whole body’s wiggling, and before I know it – CHOMP – I’ve grabbed your arm. Don’t worry, I’m not trying to eat you! I’m just saying “OMG YOU’RE HERE AND I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!”

Here’s the thing, though – I’m going to be HUGE. What seems cute when I’m 20 pounds isn’t so funny when I’m 120 pounds. Trust me, I learned this the hard way when I accidentally knocked over Grandma last Tuesday.

So here’s what we can do together: Give me awesome chew toys that are fun (not those boring rubber things), teach me what I can and can’t put in my mouth, and be patient with me. I’m a giant toddler for the first year and a half!

Remember, I’m just trying to love you the only way I know how – with my giant mouth!

Understanding the Causes of Mouthing in Great Danes

Woof! Let me tell you about why us Great Danes like to use our mouths so much – and trust me, there are some pretty good reasons!

You humans might think we’re just being playful when we mouth things, but there’s a lot more going on in our giant heads. When we’re puppies (yes, even us enormous dogs start small!), we mouth everything because that’s how we figure out the world. It’s like how you might touch things with your hands, except our “hands” happen to have teeth in them.

Sometimes I mouth because I’m super excited – like when you come home from work or when I see my favorite squeaky toy. Other times, I’m just curious about something new. And let’s be honest, sometimes I want your attention, and gentle mouthing usually does the trick pretty fast!

The worst part about being a puppy was teething. My gums hurt so bad that I’d chew on everything to feel better. I know I probably destroyed a few of your favorite shoes, but my mouth was killing me! It’s similar to when little kids need to chew on teething rings.

The good news is that when you understand why I mouth things, you can help me learn better habits. I want to make you happy, and with some patience and training, I can learn the correct way to show my excitement and curiosity. Plus, learning about bite inhibition is essential for me to interact safely with you and others.

After all, we Great Danes are pretty smart cookies – we need a little guidance from our favorite humans!

Developmental Timeline and Risk Factors

So picture this: I went from being a tiny potato-sized pup to a small horse in just 18 months. Talk about a growth spurt!

During my puppy days, everything was new and exciting. I’d love to learn about the world around me, and boy, did I put EVERYTHING in my mouth to figure it out. Sorry about your favorite shoes, by the way.

The first year and a half of my life was like being in puppy boot camp. My humans kept introducing me to new people, sounds, and places. At first, I thought they were just being mean, but it turns out they were helping me become a cool, confident dog. Who knew?

Here’s the thing, though – if we Great Danes don’t get enough practice meeting new friends or learning the rules early on, we can develop some pretty annoying habits.

Like using our mouths as hands (which humans seem to really dislike for some reason). I mean, how else are we supposed to grab things? We don’t have thumbs!

The good news is that when our humans understand how we grow and what we need during our awkward teenage months, they can help us become the gentle giants we’re meant to be. Proper training is essential for shaping well-behaved adult dogs, and it makes all the difference in our behavior.

Trust me, with the proper training and lots of patience, we’ll stop trying to “taste test” everything in sight. Eventually.

Health and Safety Implications

Health and Safety Stuff (That My Humans Worry About)

Here’s the thing about us Great Danes: our bones are pretty special, and apparently, all my chewing and mouthing around can mess with them. My humans keep telling me I might hurt my teeth or make them crooked if I chomp on everything I see. And trust me, I know A LOT of things I want to chomp on!

The worst part? Sometimes I don’t know my strength. I’ll be playing around, giving someone a gentle mouth-hug, and suddenly everyone’s like “OW!” I’m not trying to hurt anybody – I’m just being friendly! But apparently, my “gentle” is different from a Chihuahua’s “gentle.”

My family watches me like hawks now. They’re constantly checking my teeth and making sure I’m not turning into some kind of dental disaster. And they definitely don’t want me accidentally chomping on my little human siblings too hard. I mean, I get it – safety first and all that. But sometimes a Great Dane just wants to mouth things without everyone having a meeting about it!

At least they still let me give kisses. Those are usually safe… unless you count the drool factor. Plus, my humans are always concerned about hip dysplasia because my chewing habits could lead to issues with my bone health if not monitored properly.

Management and Prevention Strategies

How can us Great Danes stop being such mouthy troublemakers?

Well, let me tell you what works for keeping our giant jaws under control! Here are three tricks that help:

1. Give Us the Good Stuff to Chew: Look, we’re going to put our mouths on something – that’s just how we roll.

So please give us those super tough chew toys that can handle our massive chompers! Trust me, your shoes will thank you.

2. Wear Us Out with Fun: We Great Danes might look like couch potatoes, but we’ve got energy to burn!

When our humans play with us and keep us busy, we’re way less likely to turn your arm into a chew toy. A tired Great Dane is a good Great Dane!

3. Reward Us for Being Gentle Giant: Here’s the secret – we love being good boys and girls!

When we’re calm and keep our mouths to ourselves, give us treats and belly rubs. We’ll figure out pretty quickly that being gentle gets us the good stuff.

Incorporating activities that provide mental stimulation can also help reduce mouthing behaviors.

The bottom line?

We just need a little guidance to be gentle giants instead of mouthy monsters!

We don’t want to be mouthy monsters – we just need help learning what’s okay to chomp and what isn’t!

Effective Training Techniques for Great Danes

Here’s the secret: I absolutely love getting treats and praise when I do something right! Seriously, forget about yelling at me when I mess up – shower me with goodies when I’m being awesome instead. My tail will wag so hard it might knock over your coffee table, but hey, that’s the price of having a horse-sized dog!

Make sure you use the exact words every time you want me to do something. If you say “sit” today and “park it” tomorrow, I’m going to give you that confused head tilt that makes you laugh but doesn’t get your couch cushions back in one piece. Consistency is key – trust me on this one.

Keep our training sessions short and sweet. I’ve got the attention span of a puppy sometimes, even though I’m a small pony. Five to ten minutes is perfect before my brain starts thinking about dinner or that squirrel I saw yesterday.

When I start using your arm as a chew toy, just hand me one of my actual toys instead. I’m not trying to be mean – I just forget how big my mouth is compared to, well, everything else in your house!

Stick with these tricks, and soon I’ll be the well-behaved, gentle giant who makes everyone say “Wow, what a good dog!” instead of “Why is there drool on my ceiling?” Remember, early training and consistent socialization will help me learn good manners and build confidence.

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Final Thoughts

So hey there, humans! Let me tell you something from us, Great Danes, about this whole mouthing thing.

Here’s the deal – when we put our mouths on you, we’re not trying to eat you (promise!). We’re just really, really excited to see you, or maybe we’re bored and your arm looks like the perfect chew toy. Sometimes we forget that our mouths are now big enough to fit a whole sandwich instead of just a kibble.

The good news is you can totally train us out of this habit! We want to make you happy, even if it means giving up our favorite hobby of treating your hands like squeaky toys. When you teach us what’s okay to chew and what’s not, we get it pretty fast. We’re big, but we’re not dumb!

Just remember to be patient with us. We’re still learning that being gentle giants means being gentle, not just giant. With some practice, we can turn our mouthy habits into sweet kisses instead of accidental chomps. Trust me, a well-trained Great Dane gives the best hugs in the world – no teeth included!

References

• https://peachonaleash.com/beyond-puppy-biting-when-mouthy-behavior-continues-into-adolescence/
• https://greatdanecare.com/stop-puppy-biting/
• https://iheartdogs.com/how-to-stop-a-great-dane-puppy-from-biting-a-comprehensive-guide/
• https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/common-dog-behavior-issues/mouthing-nipping-and-play-biting-adult-dogs
• https://www.dogsforgood.org/good-advice/why-does-my-dog-put-their-mouth-and-paw-on-me/