Board and train for large and giant breeds

Growth plates and exercise

Large and giant breeds grow for longer than small dogs, and their growth plates, the soft areas near the ends of long bones, can stay open well past the first birthday, sometimes up to eighteen months or more in giant breeds. Until they close, repetitive high-impact exercise, such as long runs on pavement, lots of jumping or endless ball chasing, is often discouraged by vets.

Training is a good fit for growing giants because it tires the brain without pounding the joints. A stay’s mix of short sessions, sniffing, enrichment and matched play when ready suits that, and anything that involves jumping or climbing is paced to the dog. Ask your vet what exercise is right for your dog’s age and breed, and share that advice at the assessment.

• Favor sniff walks and free movement on soft ground over forced running
• Avoid repeated jumping in and out of cars; use a ramp for young or heavy dogs
• Keep stairs and slippery floors to a minimum for puppies
• Build distance slowly, and stop before your dog is exhausted

Bloat-aware routines

Large, deep-chested breeds such as Great Danes, Standard Poodles, German Shepherds and many mastiff types are at higher risk of gastric dilatation-volvulus, or bloat, a life-threatening emergency in which the stomach fills with gas and can twist. Vet guidance commonly suggests avoiding vigorous exercise right before and after meals, often for an hour or more after eating, along with smaller meals and calm feeding.

The research on exercise timing is mixed, but rest after meals costs nothing, so it is a sensible habit. Mention your dog’s feeding routine at the assessment so the day can be planned around it, and learn the signs of bloat: a swollen belly, unproductive retching, restlessness and drooling. Bloat needs an emergency vet immediately. Some owners of high-risk breeds discuss a preventive gastropexy with their vet.

What a stay can and cannot do for a big dog

A stay can teach a big adolescent to walk nicely, greet without jumping, wait at doors and settle on a bed, and it can show you how to keep those skills with a dog you cannot physically control. It cannot change the dog’s size or strength, so the skills must be practiced for life, especially through the adolescent stretch, which lasts longer in big breeds.

Space is a fair question. Ask at the assessment about suite size and how your dog will be accommodated. If your big dog guards, growls or has bitten, the stakes are higher, and Gabby may suggest a longer behavior-modification program instead.

At home: plan for the dog it will become

Train for the adult size, not the current one. Never encourage a puppy to jump up or put its paws on your shoulders, and practice calm greetings with every visitor. Use the place cue in the kitchen so a counter-height head is not resting by the roast.

Breed pages such as Great Dane board and train cover breed-specific sticking points, and the go-home coaching shows you how to handle your own dog’s strength safely.