Raising a Great Dane Puppy: What We’re Doing Differently with Juniper vs. Lucy

Raising a Great Dane puppy is different than raising most dogs. Giant breeds grow fast, carry more weight on developing joints, and require a more intentional approach to training, socialization, and daily routines.

In this post, we’re sharing what we’re doing differently raising our Great Dane puppy Juniper, and what these early months can mean for your dog’s long-term health, behavior, and confidence.

When we got Lucy, she was already two. And those two years hadn't been easy for her.

She was unsure of the world, but doing her best to figure it out.

At the time, we didn’t think much about what we had missed. We were just focused on loving her, learning her, and doing right by her.

But looking back now, we can see it clearly.

We were playing catch-up.

Catching up on confidence in new environments. Catching up on exposure. Catching up on structure. Catching up on helping her understand how to move through the world in a body that was already big, already powerful, and still figuring itself out.

Lucy was an incredible dog for us. She’s the reason this company exists.

But now, raising Juniper from the very beginning, we’re seeing just how much that early window matters.

Not in a pressure-filled, get-it-perfect kind of way.

But in a this-is-where-everything-starts kind of way.

Training a Great Dane Puppy: Why Calm Matters More Than Commands

With Juniper, we’re not trying to raise a perfect puppy.

We’re trying to raise a steady, confident, capable adult dog.

And that shift in mindset has changed how we approach everything.

In puppy preschool, the biggest wins haven’t been commands.

“Sit” is easy.

What’s harder, and far more important, is a puppy who can lie down and relax while the world moves around her. A puppy who doesn’t feel the need to react to every dog, every person, every distraction. A puppy who can simply exist calmly in an environment that used to feel overwhelming.

That’s what builds a steady dog.

Protecting Great Dane Puppy Joints: Exercise and Growth

We’re also thinking a lot more about her body than we did the first time around.

With giant breeds, more activity isn’t necessarily better. Smarter activity is.

It’s easy to assume a tired puppy is a good puppy. Run them more. Play harder. Burn off the energy.

But with a dog that’s going to grow into a giant, that approach can work against you.

So instead, we’re focusing on controlled movement. Avoiding repetitive, high-impact exercise. Letting her grow into her body without overloading joints that are still developing.

Because the goal isn’t just to get through puppyhood without pulling our hair out.

It’s to support her body for years to come.

Socializing a Great Dane Puppy: Building Confidence the Right Way

We’re also being more intentional about how she experiences the world.

Not just checking the box of socialization, but paying attention to how she feels in those moments.

We want her to learn that new environments are safe. That she doesn’t need to react to everything. That she can look to us when she’s unsure.

Confidence like that doesn’t come from exposure alone.

It comes from guided, thoughtful experiences.

Creating Routines for Giant Breed Puppies That Last Into Adulthood

And maybe most importantly, we’re building routines that will actually work later.

Because what works for a 4-month-old puppy has to work for a 120+ pound adult dog.

The way she eats. The way she settles. The way she moves through the house. The expectations we set now.

None of it stays small.

It all grows with her.

Lessons Learned Raising Great Danes

Here’s the truth we’ve learned between Lucy and Juniper:

You don’t need to be perfect.

We weren’t with Lucy. And we won't be with Juni.

But if you can be intentional early, even in small ways, you make everything that comes later easier.

And that’s what we’re chasing with Juniper.

If You Are Also Raising A Gentle Giant 

You’re not just raising a puppy.

You’re raising a future 120+ pound dog.

And the habits, structure, and care you build now will shape how they move, how they handle the world, and how they age.

The early months go fast. And they matter more than most people realize.

Start where you are. Stay consistent.

And remember, you don’t have to get it perfect to get it right. 🐾