I have always wanted a great dane and after years of nagging hubby he finally let me have one!
2 weeks ago we got a 15 week old harlequin who seemed to settle well in the first week but is now driving me barmy to the point that i dont think i want her in my house anymore!
I have tried everything to settle her on a night but she is destroing my home and i cannot go out during the day without her out of fear what im coming home to!
My husband (who works away all week) has told me that i have to put up with it but im getting to the point that i dont want her and im feeling bad!
She gets plenty of play from myself and 11 year old son so she cant be bored but im just losing it!
Would be grateful of any advice!
Oh i also wanted to put her in a crate on a night but hubby and son wont let me so thats out of the question!!

I was jsut going to suggest a crate, I think it is the only way to prevent your house from being 'eaten'!  Unfortunately she is being a typical puppy and they do get up to naughty tricks, demand attention, cry if left but we have to teach them. 

I am actually a little lost for words at the moment because I can't ever imagine wanting to get rid of a 15 week old pup, but then I have come to know what pups want and need, they are babies at the end of the day and will not behave like angels!

I no but she was up till 3 in the morning and she has wrecked my door and eaten my kitchen flooring then went and did all her nasties on my living room floor (which she hasnt done before) im just at my wits end!

Unfortunately many people have this problem and most over come it by introducing a crate, tell your hubby and son that they are not a punishment or bad - how would they feel if they came down one morning to find she had electrocuted herself by chewing through wires, of choking on a bit of wood etc because not only does her chewing ruin the house it can also harm her a great deal - a crate is the safe option.  You can not expect her to be clean 100% at such a young age, she will have accidents and if she is getting stressed at night this won't help.  Crates keep dogs safe, help with their toilet training, help them settle as they see it as a 'den' and gives you and her time out if need be.  Once introduced properly they are fantastic ;)

I have only just taken my crate away from my 16 mth as he was a real chewer, he is very good now but in the mean time happily went in the crate, I just have more space now but he goes in a crate in the car / out and about  / shows etc :)

You must realise also that she is at the teething stage and thats not going to help. Try giving her a strong large knuckle bone so she has something to chew on instead of your furniture.

Yes and stuffed kongs, plastic bottles, toilet roll tubes, knotted socks - give her a variety of toys, alternate them, make them fun :)

got a huge tough bone but wont entertain it!

shes got them all its just when i try to leave her she gose barmy

You need to be careful as seperation anxiety can be auful!  It may be worth doing a search on it here - you need to knock this on the head now or you will have far larger problems at a later stage :(

Thanks he was going to build her a run onto our shed at the weekend so when i leave her in the day she cant harm herself or anything!

So whats the difference with a run and a crate - still shutting her in?  What about at night?

Thats because she is insecure and unsettled....

Danes are very sensitive and they love their humans. At 15 weeks she is all of a tizz wondering what is going on. Its also the time she should be socialising with people so you don't end up with a nervy dane on your hands.

What is she being fed on?
Do you know who bred her?
How long is she being left for when you go out?

Danes are big dogs and often folk don't realise that the damage they can do is significant - I know, I have 2 of them. You need to do some training with her to occupy her mind, get her out and about meeting folk, introduce her to a kong, get her in a good routine and spend as much time acclimatising her to you and you to her as you can.

I am taking her out and she is meeting lots of different people, im feeding her on pro plan and mince (as the breeder did) and when i go out its for an hour or two tops just to go shopping!

She also needs to nmeet, play and interact with other pups, I would deff go to some trainign with her - she will love it :)

Why are your family so against crates? It appears that a crate could be the solution to your problem.

If a crate is totally out of the question, then you need to look at why she's chewing so excessively. Destructiveness is often a symptom of anxiety as well as boredom or teething.

I've got a 16 week old pup and he's teething like mad at the moment with a very sore mouth so this Dane pup may well be as well.

Marianne

Even if you absolutely won't use a crate, the pup should not be allowed access to more than one room at night.  They need to learn to behave first to earn the pirviledge of more freedom in the house. :) Bit like kids really! Also playing with the pup isn't enough, you need to start actual TRAINING -at 15 weeks there is plenty to do, such as sit, down, stand, stay, come etc. Training will actually wear a pup out a lot more than play or walks as they have to use their brain. :) Your very best bet is to find a good training class and start going there. Then you will get help and tips, and can practice at home in between the weekly sessions.

Marianne

I have been leaving her in the kitchen but last night i let her out cause of the damage she did

The trouble is, if you allow her more space she will do more damage.  If your hubby is willing to build a run why not have a crate instead, that way she can sleep in it at night and be put in there when you pop out - I really think it is the best thing, that and training - do you also have any books on pups / training etc?  Is this your first dog btw?

I havent had a dog for a long time but its my first great dane!

It is also worth contacting your breeder as she / he will be able to give you advice, of course they will know the breed very well.  As was said, danes can be very nervous but if giving the right time, understanding and traingin they can be the daftest fantastic dogs, my mums friends had a brindle and she was as brill, sill but brill :D  You do need to get her to some kind of beginners / puppy training class, not only will you get help and assistance there you will also help your pup to read other dogs body language, have them bark at her, sniff her etc - all things that may not necc happen in he park :) 

Thanks everyone for the advice i love my pup to bits but i dont like her very much today! I dont want to get rid of her im just going to have to take your advice and get help lots of help. And persude the other half of the family to get a crate!! Wish me luck

Good luck, feel free to post again if need be, keep us updated :)

Hi,
My pup is now 16 weeks old, and don't I know it, she digs holes in the middle of the lawn,
just tryed to repair it, before Hubby comes home yet again egh!! She is a Samoyed, and was black
has just had yet another bath. She has one nearly every day at the moment, to black and dirty to come in the home if not. Runs off  with anythink she can drag or carry. Has a chew at the legs of the oak chairs in the veranda. So she can go out with the others to course trouble. She has lots of toys, chews ect; just a little minx!! But !! I love her to bits it does get better, she's a baby! you can't stop babies putting things in there mouths or chewing things. They are also like babies will do anythink to get your attention.
Don't give up!! Its only like a child you know! 
Regards
Denese

Sorry but reading your post has made me quite frustrated!

All these people are giving you advice and you seem to have an answer for everything....

Why did you get a puppy?

Surely you knew what to expect, everything you have listed is typical puppy behavoiur and is to be expected.

I think you need more patience and get a CRATE or you will have now house left!

And I would like to repeat that TRAINING is an absolute must here, just playing is definitely not enough.

Marianne

I agree, it does sound like this puppy is bored and some mental simulation will do it the world of good.

Crate train immiedetly , if your husband and son detest then tell them to fix the problem themseleves. Crate training is the most humane and effective way , if your husband doesn't want to do it he can replace his big screen tv or stereo set your puppy teared apart!

At the end of the day its not the dogs fault, if you are giving it free reign of the house what do you expect? and a dane puppy is not like a little pup, i went to the shop for a pint of milk, came back and my 3seater was only fit for 2!!
(I have pictures! if you dont believe me!)
They can do considerable damage in a very short space of time, but obviously you know this as this would most definitely of been one of the main points to think about when researching the breed.
If it is too young to go out then play with it before you go shopping, mentally exhaust it so it will be tired then put it in a room where damage can be minimal (if none at all) but to be honest i would invest in a large crate it will be cheaper in the long run.

I learned a lesson i can assure you.

My puppy is not bored i can assure you! And i know its not her fault but i havent had a pup for quite some years and certainly not a great dane so i appologise for looking for answers! The people that answered my post at the beggining were very helpfull but the last few posts have offended me, i only came onto hear for advice and to which i now feel worse and wish i hadnt bothered!
Thanks alot

It doesnt matter if its a dane or a poodle its just a puppy, sorry if i came across as rude have you bought any books? How about the perfect puppy by Gwen Bailey? or one i could personally reccomend is Great Danes Today by Di Johnson that should tell you everything about danes.

Try to persuade hubby on safety terms! Stupidly i left the hoover plugged in whilst cleaning elsewhere (you know how it is something catches your eye like slobber in my case and off i went) while the youngest dane was quite happily chewing through the hoover cable! Nasty shock he got! not to mention me!

The moral is if you can't watch it crate it! :)

A few thoughts are to use some bitter apple spray or similar, even oil of cloves, on walls, skirting boards etc to prevent chewing there. Test before applying.

Use childgates to keep pup safely in one room.

Train to "enjoy" separation from you by putting pup regularly behind a childgate with stuffed kongs and tasty chews, leave only for a few moments, ignre any attempts to get attention, but the moment the pup is quiet (I am talking almost milliseconds here, you shouldn't be waiting for ages or you are training anxiety) use the voice to praise lots and go to pup and get in with her, fuss and then let pup out for a bit.
If you often put pup behind there when you are in the  house, it will help a lot in to prevent anxiety when you go, as a pup with you a lot will get anxious when you are out.

Having said that as Chloe has said words to the effect of, it needs security so ensure a good mix of boundaries and attention :)

Also try a good pup class, try www.puppyschool.co.uk the tutors are trained by Gwen Bailey who wrote "The Perfect Puppy" amongst others.

Lindsay
x

Really now piggin , its unrealistic to train such a young puppy to be "good" by himself or unsupervised. Honestly you must puppy proof his own area and let him play there , let him free roam under your supervision. If crating is out of the question then how in the world are you going to stop her from eating up the floor? If it really comes down to it you may have to go out and buy 5 kong and stuffing toys to keep him busy for 2 hours.

If you want a dog with no puppy mischevous bhaviour then you should have went to a rescue! Your going to have to deal with the damage a puppy brings , alot of people have more dogs then me but i'll tell you that going through over 15 puppys in all my life my house has taken some extreme damage, extreme to the maximum.

-- just read through again , sorry if someone already brung this up. So you let him out of the kitchen because he teared it up, now you've given him acess to the entire house to wreck up! CRATE!!

Hi pigginfedup

I know how you feel, although my puppy wasn't very destructive he was an awful lot to deal with. I remember spending many days crying as I was getting no where with him and things felt like they were going down hill! I researched alot as to what I could do with him but he just didnt seem to be getting better :( He is 2yrs 7 months now and those days are way behind me, well... we have 'bad days but I look back and laugh now as it seemed so petty :p

I would reccomend you show this post to your husband and son as they will see how important a crate is for both you and you pup :)

Dont worry about negative coments on here ok? I'm glad you came for advice now rather than doing something alot worse... Most people on here would of had similar experiences where they felt at a loss with their pup :)

Keep your chin up, and please try again with the crate as it will make a huge difference..

Hi i can sympathise with you. only advice i can offer is to get a crate to put her in its not cruel in any way in fact they look upon them as their own space after a very short time. And also its a must that you get her out and about socialising with other dogs. good luck with her and try to be very patient with her she has to learn and at the end of the day she is no more than a baby
good luck and enjoy her she wont be like this forever

I have a lab who was a huge chewer, he chewed my kitchen. carpet, plaster on walls, shoes.  I was relunctant about getting a crate but after reading posts on here decided to go for it.  I can honestly say it was the best thing I ever did! My house was not damaged anymore and Alfie seemed to find the crate a nice place to go.  Often he just went in their of his own accord when I was at home.  It was like his den.  I have just stopped using it and he is 18 months old.  He seems to have stopped chewing and I now have more space in my kitchen.  Please get a crate, you wont regret it!

They do learn to love thier crates.  I put a big towel over mine and turn them into a den they love it as a refuge from a busy household.  You only need to shut the crate door when you need to know where they are and to keep them safe.

I agree that crate training is a good move. I have 2 large dogs(afghans), and I always worked on the premise that anything they destroy is MY FAULT. Pups only cause trouble if left unsupervised.....my motto has been that a pup should be in one of 3 places at all times:
playing supervised
asleep
crated if you cannot supervise.
In this way it does not experience the trashing of furniture and learns not to do this

Now to the really serious advice.....I am really quite concerned about some of the things you have said in your post...your husband "let" you have the dog after nagging. And your husband and son wont let you crate your dog.  When getting a dog it is important, vital even, that ALL  family members want the dog, and ALL are prepared to take on the responsibility of offering the dog training and consistency. You will not manage this alone.   You need to train not only your pup but yourself and your family too.  Take your pup and your whole family to a good training class as soon as possible and learn to form a united front. Get your family to understand the importance of this. Read, and get them to read lots of books on puppy rearing. A pup of this size will soon become unmanageable I am afraid.
If your family are not prepared to budge on this one then you may genuinely need to consider if your family are the right family for this pup. I hope it wont be neccessary and that your family start to become a bit more sensible about this
Good Luck,
Cathy, Delilah and Zorro

Hi there

I can only reinforce what others are saying - at 17 weeks your pup is exploring his world - with his mouth !:(. This is perfectly natural to him but will be expensive and frustrating for you and your family if you do not restrict where he can explore during the times that you are not around to supervise. The only alternative to a crate would be puppy pen panels  to make a confined area but with a Dane you will need a good few panels and a good amount of space - in my opinion a more expensive and less effective option than a crate.

Mnay 'non doggy' folk dislike the idea of crates thinking that they are cruel in some way ( and indeed used badly they can be) but you are only popping out for a couple of hours and in this case they would be the solution to your problem. A dog naturally chooses a small confined area to sleep in and used correctly crates become their own personal place and refuge - my own dogs now use theirs to sleep  or just relax in and the doors are now never locked - they come and go as they please :D.

They are invaluable for toilet training as most pups will not soil their own sleeping area so if you put him outside as soon as you let him out of the crate he will quickly learn where to toilet i.e outside - NOT on your carpets !.

I do appreciate how distessing and frustrating a young pup can be - and often the image you have of how your puppy will behave is different to how they actually do behave. Believe me they DO grow out of this stage and you wll be rewarded with a beautiful loving and well behaved dog.

It is good that you have come on here for some advice - I would show the advice we have all given to your hubby and then go out and get a crate - and some peace of mind !.

Good luck :)

Yvonne

Thank you all so much had a much better night with Ruby last night let her stay in kitchen and dining room kept things quiet before i went to bed and she was as good as gold!
After getting rather upset yesterday my other half has decided that a crate maybe isnt such a bad thing, so when he gets home tomorow we are going to get one for her :-)
I feel so much happier today, once again thank you all so much for helping me through a real toughie of a day yesterday :-)

Have a look on ebay for a crate - it'll be a lot cheaper than your local pet shop!!

Yay...really glad you're feeling better about it all today :) Having a puppy can test you to the limits sometimes. I'm currently living the joyous experience of an adolescent and a giant breed puppy and I know that the nerves can get a bit frazzled at times but it gets easier (or so people keep telling me :P ). Remeber, dogs are very sensitive to our feelings and if we're feeling stressed, the chances are, they are feeling it too.

Good luck with the crate training. There are plenty of people on here who use crates and will be more than willing to give more advice if needed. Hopefully you and your family can really start to enjoy life with Ruby and you will all (Ruby included) benefit from a more relaxed environment. Keep us posted on progress :)

Also a good place to get crates from is www.prizepets.co.uk - they do the giant sized crates at a good price and they deliver pretty quick too :) 

I wish you every success with your crate training. I have real sympathies for what you are going through at the moment. I too have a 6 month old setter and, like yourself, my husband was sceptical about having a dog in the house. It is a strain, particularly when you take on all the responsibility yourself. And previous posters are correct in saying that it really should be something the whole family take on. However, I'm sure when your puppy is settled, and also will be a much happier person in the crate, you will have a real friend with much improved manners. It is something I find I need to remind myself at times - rearing a puppy is full on, and it is easy to underestimate it at times!! Stick with it, check out e-bay, and life at home will soon be better. (By the way, I bought my crate off e-bay at half the cost of the same at Pets at Home).  Do let us know how things develop. And remember, there are others in very much the same situation, feeling much the same as you.  Best of luck!!

Just wanted to wish you luck with the crate training and say well done for having the courage to ask for help. I did alot of research before getting my pup but it was still a shock to the system.
I'm sure once you've sorted out these problems you can begin to enjoy your dane pup :-)
Keep us updated

I too have a puppy a 13wk old GSD.  I bought my crate before I bought the puppy because someone suggested it.  I felt awful putting him in there the first night, but he took to it like a duck to water, he goes all night from 9 - 6 a.m. and in there during the day for his naps, make sure though that you never put him in there to punish him, make it a pleasurable thing for him, even giving him a few treats in there, then hopefully he will settle. I wish you good luck