Training Your Broholmer

What Training a Broholmer Is Actually Like

Training a Broholmer is a slow burn, not a sprint. These Danish gentle giants are friendly and eager to please, but they’re not quick learners. Ranked in Coren’s Tier 4, they need 25 to 40 repetitions to grasp a new command, and they’ll only follow that first instruction about half the time. That’s not stubbornness—it’s just how their brain works. They’re bred to be independent thinkers, originally guarding large estates where they had to assess threats without constant human direction. Pair that with low energy and modest mental stimulation needs, and you’ve got a dog who’d rather lounge than rehearse sit-stays all afternoon. Don’t expect flashy obedience. Instead, focus on consistency, early socialization, and building trust. They respond best to calm, confident handling. If you’re looking for a dog that excels in agility or competitive obedience, this isn’t your breed. But if you want a loyal, watchful companion who learns steady, practical skills, the Broholmer delivers—with patience.

Training Timeline

Start at 8 weeks. That’s when their socialization window opens, and it closes fast at 12 weeks. Expose them to kids, other dogs, traffic, and different surfaces—safely and positively. By 16 weeks, they should be enrolled in puppy class, but keep sessions short. Around 6 months, you’ll hit the second fear period (weeks 56-72), so avoid forcing interactions. Let them observe and approach at their pace. Adolescence kicks in at 8 months and lasts until 20 months, when they finally mature. This is when their size becomes a real factor. Leash pulling, door charging, and selective hearing will test you. Focus on loose-leash walking and impulse control. Crate training and basic manners are non-negotiable by 12 months. Full obedience training should be spread out—daily 10-minute sessions work better than hour-long marathons. By 24 months, most Broholmers settle into a calm, predictable routine.

Breed-Specific Challenges

First, their size. At 120 pounds, even a playful lean can knock over a child or an adult. Teaching polite greetings and body awareness from day one is essential. Second, their independence. Bred to make decisions alone, they’ll often pause to assess rather than obey instantly. This isn’t defiance, but it can look like it. Third, their slow maturity. Waiting until 20 months for full emotional development means you’re managing puppy-like impulses in a near-grown giant for nearly two years. And fourth, their rarity. With little standardized training data and few breed-specific resources, owners often have to adapt methods on the fly. Missteps in socialization or correction can lead to overcautious or aloof behavior, especially if mishandled during fear periods.

What Works Best

Use an adaptive mixed approach, blending positive reinforcement with clear structure. Keep sessions to 5–10 minutes, twice a day. They won’t tolerate repetition well, so vary commands and end on a win. Food rewards work, but so does praise—they’re affectionate and bond deeply. Because their energy and mental needs are low, overstimulation backfires. Train in low-distraction environments first. Use a calm, steady voice; harsh corrections erode trust. Leash training should start early—consider a front-clip harness to manage their bulk. Focus on practical skills: recall, leave-it, and calm indoor behavior. Consistency across all family members is key. One person letting them jump while another enforces “four on the floor” will only confuse them. Stick to the routine, respect their pace, and you’ll build a dependable companion.

A Broholmer needs a 48-inch crate minimum, even as a puppy, because they grow fast and hit 120 pounds on average. You can use a divider early on, but don’t count on it lasting past 5 or 6 months. It’s smarter to buy the full-size crate upfront and fold blankets or towels behind the divider to block off extra space. These dogs aren’t hyper, but they’re not delicate either — get a heavy-duty wire crate with a pan latch, not plastic, because they’ll knock it around when they’re young.

Broholmers are generally calm and biddable, so they tend to accept crate training better than high-energy breeds. Their 2/5 energy level means they’re happy to settle after moderate activity, but their watchful nature means they’ll alert you if something feels off outside. Start crate sessions when they’re home with you so they don’t associate the crate with loneliness. They’re loving and bond closely, so if you leave them crated too long, they’ll whine or chew on the crate pad out of stress, not mischief.

Adult Broholmers can handle 6 to 8 hours crated if necessary, but puppies shouldn’t exceed 3 to 4 hours without a potty break. Even as adults, don’t make it routine — their size means they need to stretch and relieve themselves regularly. They’re not prone to excessive barking in the crate, but they will let you know if they’re uncomfortable.

One quirk: young Broholmers might chew on crate mats. Use a thick, chew-proof pad or a rubber base like a Kong EZ Pad. And keep the crate in a quiet corner — not the middle of the kitchen. These dogs are observant and can get overstimulated if the household is too busy. A dim, calm space helps them relax. Be consistent with timing and routine, and they’ll see the crate as a den, not punishment.

Potty training a Broholmer takes patience, mostly because you're working with a giant body that still has a puppy’s bladder. At 120 pounds on average, they’re not going to squat in the living room out of spite, but that size doesn’t mean early control. Their bladder capacity develops slower than smaller breeds, so expect to stick to a strict schedule of outdoor breaks every 2-3 hours during the day, including overnight wakeups until they’re about 5-6 months old. Even then, full reliability takes longer—think 7 to 9 months, sometimes beyond.

Broholfers are ranked in Coren’s Tier 4 for working intelligence, meaning they need 25 to 40 repetitions to learn a command. They’re not stubborn in the obnoxious sense, but they’re not eager-to-please dynamos like a Border Collie either. They’re friendly, loving, and watchful, which means they’ll pick up on your routines and moods, but they’ll also take their time deciding to comply. Consistency is non-negotiable. If you waver on the schedule or let one indoor accident slide, they’ll remember—and repeat it.

One real challenge with Broholmers is their size combined with their calm demeanor. A small dog might squirm or whine when they need to go, but a young Broholmer might just quietly walk off and relieve themselves in the same corner where they napped. They’re not hiding it out of defiance—they just don’t feel urgency to communicate. That’s why supervision and timing matter more than waiting for cues.

When they do go outside, reward them heavily but not with food alone. This breed responds best to a mix of praise, gentle petting, and a small treat. They thrive on connection, so your happy tone and physical affection are worth more than a handful of kibble. Stick with the routine, stay calm, and they’ll get there—just don’t expect overnight success.

Leash training a Broholmer isn’t about preventing frantic lunging like you’d see in a husky, but about managing the sheer mass of a 120-pound dog who decides he wants to stand still or stroll where he chooses. These dogs were bred to guard estates and move with purpose through open land in Denmark, so they’ve got a calm independence that reads as stubbornness on a walk. They’re not high-energy—maybe two 20-minute walks a day—but they were built to be aware and watchful, which means distractions like unfamiliar people, dogs, or noises will make them pause and assess, not sprint toward. That’s not defiance, that’s function.

For equipment, skip the standard collar. Even with moderate force, a full-grown Broholmer can create dangerous neck pressure just by stepping forward into a distraction. A well-fitted front-clip harness is your best bet—it gives you gentle steering control without encouraging pulling. Avoid cheap, narrow straps; this breed needs broad, padded support across the chest and shoulders. A 6-foot biothane leash offers durability and manageable range.

Common leash issues aren’t about speed, they’re about inertia. You’ll fight more “I’m done now” moments than pulling, especially in unfamiliar areas. Their guarding instinct makes them hesitant to approach new stimuli, so forcing movement backfires. Instead, use treats or play to lure them forward, not yank.

Trainability is moderate—Brohollers are willing but deliberate. They respond best to calm, consistent cues and positive reinforcement. “Good” leash behavior here isn’t a perfect heel. It’s a dog who walks beside you without freezing or leaning into the harness, who checks in periodically, and who moves forward when invited. Progress is slow but steady. Respect their pace, and they’ll trust yours.

You’ve got a Broholmer, which means you’re raising a 120-pound gentle giant with a built-in watchdog instinct. Their socialization window closes fast—weeks 3 to 12—and that overlaps directly with their first fear period at 8 to 11 weeks. That’s critical. During those weeks, a negative or overwhelming experience can stick. So you can’t just throw them into crowds and call it good. You’ve got to be deliberate, calm, and controlled. Expose them to new things—people, sounds, surfaces—but keep it positive and gradual. A scary dog park at 10 weeks could haunt them past maturity at 20 months.

Broholmers were bred to guard estates and take down big game in Denmark. That means they’re naturally watchful. They’ll default to caution around strangers and unfamiliar situations. That’s why they need more exposure to people—especially men, people wearing hats or uniforms, and folks moving unpredictably. You’ve also got to normalize kids early. Not just because they’re big, but because their guardian instinct can tip into overcaution if not shaped right.

They’re not aggressive by nature, but they are suspicious. Left untrained, that suspicion becomes reactivity. A poorly socialized Broholmer isn’t just shy. By adulthood, they can become overprotective, shutting down or stiffening around guests, barking at delivery people, or tensing up in new environments. That’s not training failure—it’s a direct result of missing windows.

Common mistakes? Assuming their friendly demeanor means they’re “fine” when they’re actually holding back. Or waiting until they’re “bigger” to start socialization, which is too late. Another is confusing exposure with socialization—just being near something isn’t enough. It has to be positive.

Get this right, and you’ve got a calm, confident guardian who’s warm with family and polite with strangers. Skip it, and you’re managing reactivity for life. Start early, go slow, and stack the good experiences high.