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Will Great Danes Jump Fences?


If you have a Great Dane, you are familiar with some of the challenges that come with having a dog as tall as they are.  These dogs, while fantastic companions that tend to be friendly and gentle, can be harder to manage than smaller dogs.  Since they are so tall, they can jump fences much higher than other dogs, anywhere from five to six feet tall.  

Will Great Danes Jump Fences? Even though Great Danes are not the best jumpers, since they are so big, they can clear fences that are up to six feet tall.  They can very easily jump over fences that will hold other dogs in, but that doesn’t mean they can jump every fence.  

So, if Great Danes can jump much taller fences than other dogs, how can you stop yours from hopping the fence every time they get bored or experience a new, interesting smell?  This may be an even more important question and one that will be addressed later in this article.  

Will Great Danes Jump Fences?

Why is Jumping Fences Such a Big Deal?

Even though it might not seem like a big deal at first, fence jumping is actually a huge issue for more reasons than one. 

 Most people are concerned with their dog escaping, but there are some reasons this is especially dangerous for a dog as big as an average Great Dane.  

Since these animals are so much bigger than other dogs, there are some special considerations to keep in mind.

The first reason that fence jumping is dangerous for Great Danes is the fence itself.  While most Great Danes are big and athletic, that also means they are heavier than other dog breeds.  

If they try to jump the fence and don’t make it all the way over, they can be seriously injured when they come crashing down onto the top of the fence.

Even if your dog makes it over the fence without getting hurt, there are plenty of risks once they are out of the yard.  

The most concerning of these is traffic.  If you live in a heavily populated area, there is likely to be a lot of vehicle traffic around your house.

The busier the streets around you are, the more likely your dog is to get hit by a car after they escape your yard.  This is a major concern for obvious reasons, but especially with a Great Dane.  

Their size can make them easier for drivers to see, but it also makes them harder to avoid once they are actually on the road.  

How are Great Danes Able to Jump So High?

In addition to being taller than almost any other breed, Great Danes are athletic.  

Once they get past their development period, where they can be clumsy as they try to figure out exactly where their legs are, they are one of the most athletic dog breeds.  

This athleticism, paired with their size, means they are able to jump higher than many other breeds.

Even though they can be incredibly clumsy at a young age, Great Danes usually figure out how big and strong they are a year or two after their growth spurt.  

After that, watch out.  Since they are so much bigger and stronger than other breeds, they can wreak havoc if they have a lot of energy and haven’t been trained properly.  

Most Great Danes can easily clear a five or six-foot-tall fence, even though this is a size that would keep most other breeds in the yard with relative ease.  

And anything shorter than this, like a fence that is three or four feet tall, is so small that they may even be able to step over it once they have reached their full size.  The size and athletic ability of this breed make keeping them in your yard a special challenge.  

How Can You Stop Your Great Dane from Jumping Your Fence?

With all of the reasons to keep your Great Dane from jumping your fence, you’re probably now wondering how you can prevent this from happening.  Luckily, there are some easy ways to stop your dog from planning its next great escape.  

There are two incredibly easy ways to stop your Great Dane from jumping the fence, plus a few more that will take more time and effort.  

The first is to simply build a bigger fence.  While a four or five-foot-high fence is perfectly fine to keep most breeds from escaping, Great Danes need something taller to keep them in the yard.

Building a fence that is more like seven or eight feet tall is a relatively easy way to stop your Great Dane from escaping.  

The problem is that this is a relatively expensive and time-consuming solution.  It is also possible for your Great Dane to figure out a way to get over this fence, despite the added height.  

A solution that is much cheaper and may be better in every way is to use a long leash that is fixed to a tree, your house, or a stake that has been driven into the ground.  

These can be pretty much as long as you want them to be, with 50-foot leashes easily found on the internet or in most pet stores.  

Pairing this with a pulley system strung between two objects off the ground can give your dog even more range.

Using a pully system like this, sometimes called a run, can be perfect.  It gives your dog almost as much freedom as a fenced-in yard while making it much harder to escape.  

Dog owners around the country use some version of this in place of, or in addition to, a fence.  

Probably the cheapest, safest, and potentially most effective ways to stop your Great Dane from jumping the fence is to train them not to jump in the first place.  

This method takes time and patience but, when done correctly, can stop your dog from ever even considering jumping the fence.  Great Danes are gentle animals by nature but can be duller and more stubborn than other breeds.  

Even though Great Danes are not the easiest dogs to train, they are certainly not the most difficult.  They are thought of as moderately easy to train by most trainers.  

Other than the basic commands learned by pretty much every dog, like “come,” “sit,” “stay,” etc., Great Danes need to be taught not to jump on people from an early age.

Because of their size and initial clumsiness, Great Danes can hurt themselves or other people by jumping on them and being too eager when they are young.  

Many Great Danes can be successfully trained not to jump on people, a skill that can be extended to your fence.  Using a training tool such as an electric fence or shock collar can be helpful for this kind of training.  

A Tired Dog is a Well-Behaved Dog

If you’ve tried a taller fence, a long leash, and trained your dog as well as you possibly can, there is one more thing to try before totally giving up.  

It turns out that tired dogs don’t usually have any interest in trying to jump the fence and escape.  It really is that simple.

All dogs need to be exercised every day, especially if they have a lot of energy, and Great Danes are no different.  

Most dogs only escape if they are bored, anxious, or have too much energy, and exercise is a great way to solve all of those problems.  

If your Great Dane keeps escaping, try taking them for a longer walk.

If walking isn’t your thing, or if it doesn’t seem to be enough for your dog, try other activities that tire them out.  

Playing fetch with a tennis ball or Frisbee, tug of war with a rope or other toy, or building them an obstacle course to play with and train on are all healthy ways to get out some energy.  

While it’s hard to play fetch inside, especially with a big dog, giving them plenty of toys to play with can help get more energy out even if they’re stuck in the house.  

Dog toys come in all shapes and sizes, and it is usually pretty easy to find one that your dog likes.  Having a variety of toys will make it less likely for them to get bored and start misbehaving.  

If you don’t have time for these activities, or if the weather is too bad to take them outside, try mental puzzles to keep your dog busy.  

Food puzzles are a great way to challenge them mentally and can provide hours of entertainment.  These are a great option if going outside is out of the question.  

In the end, it doesn’t really matter how your Great Dane is getting exercise as long as they are getting enough.  

The more tired they are, the less likely they are to try to act out for attention or escape just because it’s something exciting to do.  Exercise is important to all animals, but especially with those as tall and athletic as a Great Dane.  

Tom

I started this site because I am a dog lover. Most of my social feeds are full of dogs and I am always learning more about them. I also have a lifetime of experience with dogs packed with tactics, tips, and funny stories that I want to share with the world!

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