Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Good Morning:

I acquired a Merle Great Dane female from a friend and have some questions for you experienced Great Dane owners.

1- How can I switch my puppies sleeping schedule from a day sleeping pattern to an evening sleeping pattern? Boy howdy - I have literally gotten four hours of sleep every night since Friday when I brought her home.

2- I can not locate an EaglePack supplier (recommended dog food for Danes I guess) within 100 miles of my home. I purchased another brand of dog food that is 22% Protein, 12% Crude Fat, 4% Fiber and 10% Moisture - is this ok or what would you recommend?

3- My puppy already shows signs of dominance over my miniature wiener dog, is this typical for such a young pup (6 weeks old) and if yes what can I do to start a regime for this now while she is growing?

Thank you for your help.

>>Good Morning:
>>
>>I acquired a Merle Great Dane female from a friend and have some questions for you experienced Great Dane owners.
>>
>>1- How can I switch my puppies sleeping schedule from a day sleeping pattern to an evening sleeping pattern? Boy howdy - I have literally gotten four hours of sleep every night since Friday when I brought her home.
>>
>>2- I can not locate an EaglePack supplier (recommended dog food for Danes I guess) within 100 miles of my home. I purchased another brand of dog food that is 22% Protein, 12% Crude Fat, 4% Fiber and 10% Moisture - is this ok or what would you recommend?
>>
>>3- My puppy already shows signs of dominance over my miniature wiener dog, is this typical for such a young pup (6 weeks old) and if yes what can I do to start a regime for this now while she is growing?
>>
>>Thank you for your help.

>>>>>>>>>>>>

Six weeks is too young for a pup to leave the mom and littermates. It's their job to teach the pup to inhibit aggression toward other dogs and humans. Your small dog could be toast later if this pup doesn't get the right handling now. Best thing would be to get her back into the litter.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series at www.veterinaryforum.com

I phoned the breeder and all of the puppies have found new homes - so that is not an option. My friend got one too and hers is not aggressive at all. I met both parents on the property and they are wonderful. The owner was not home when we got there and the dogs did not even bark at us and greeted us very friendly. Also, according to the breeder, their mother stopped feeding them at 5 weeks old. I have been correcting my weiner dog (and Jack Russell) prior to her showing aggression but since seeing her behavior I am going to keep an eye on her and allow the other dogs to teach her what is acceptable and not acceptable. Do you think this is appropriate or can you recommend another approach? I am definitely going to take obedience classes as well and possibly consult a behavior specialist if I can find one in my area and if I need to in the future.

Thanks again for your help.

Hi! Congratulations on your new pup! It's already been stated that 6 weeks is too young to bring your pup home so I will just comment on the food. Without knowing the brand or ingredients, the food you bought sounds okay. You should look for a food that has meat (it will be chicken usually) as the first ingredient and is under 24% protein. Don't buy a food over 24% protein, or one that has corn, animal byproducts, some sort of meal, etc. as the first ingredient. Good luck with your pup!