Doberman

So I would fall in the category of why a Doberman isn’t for everyone . I had a handsome pup from a reputable breeder (GBP 1400) . His lineage is European – so working dog and then some in its DNA. Got him at 8 weeks and by around 12 weeks we were exhausted. By 8 months we had to give him back to the breeder as per contract.

Why did I go for a Doberman? I grew up as a child with Dobermans and other breeds – had two girls and a boy but not at the same time. Being from India we had the space and domestic helpers to assist. The dog/s were happy having all the time in the world, leash free, running around the compound in a large fenced off area for hours on end throughout the night. In addition, my father used to take the doberman on his walks in the morning and evening. By the time I woke up I had a well exercised Doberman at my bed side – silent, sitting and waiting for me to pet him. I experienced all the good stuff without the hard work that went before it. I grew up and moved to the UK.

Lesson 1 - Just because you had a great experience with a doberman in one location and during another time doesn’t mean you will have the same experience in another location or in your current circumstances. India is huge and spacious, UK is small and congested (South East). In India you can have more people to help you. In the UK one needs to be a millionaire.

Lesson 2 – If there are no leash free runs everyday - you’re done for. It’s almost like they have a constant rechargeable battery installed. He needed to be physically and mentally exercised all the time. We didn’t take leash free into consideration – so how often could we find an area to exhaust him. Also Dobermans grow like weeds. It was almost like he grew every day – size and strength. So then it was a case of catch up.

Lesson 3: High Intelligence could end up being a disaster if not managed. I have 2 kids, in secondary and primary. At some point between the 11th and 12th week he figured out that my youngest was possibly at the bottom of the household food chain . It was obvious he inserted himself in between my son and the rest. So he would nip and mouth my son if we were in the vicinity however left alone with him – my son and the dog were the best of friends.

Lesson 4 - Be careful what you wish for in terms of companionship. He needed to be around/ see us all the time – so it didn’t help that my wife went to work early and the kids went to school - and then return late and kids on social media . Even though I work from home he needed all of us. 20 minutes here and there is not enough – the family needs to put in a lot more time . What this meant was since I was the only consistent factor in his life he didn’t like me leaving him even to go upstairs – so since I got him and then for the next 8 months I lived with him downstairs.

Lesson 5 - Having small children may not be a good idea if thinking about a Doberman – This is purely based on your situation – do you have the space or access to open spaces, how do you live your lives and so on. Alot of consideration needs to be placed on this - as it is easy to be swayed by the elegance and intelligence of a Doberman.

Lesson 6 : Expenses - one positive thing we did was follow the advice of Raw feeding. The Vets will always try to dissuade you from this as according to them it’s not regulated. However Raw Food experts will tell you that Vets will say this knowing the health benefits of Raw food and so could end up having less visits to the Vet – and thus less money in the Vets pocket. A Raw diet really shows – a beautiful, shiny coat, clean teeth, poo that doesn’t smell and so on. However Raw is expensive – my bill was around GBP 160 – GBP 180 a month . In addition to this there’s Insurance. They charge more for pure breeds so that was another GBP 130. So really I was averaging close to GBP400 a month which is not something I put a lot of thought into.

Lesson 7 : Trainers - I had around 4 trainers in the 8 months trying to work out what we could do. My experience is that there are many trainers available who are making a living out of easy , small breed varieties. They will use all these modern – “make the right choices”, positive reinforcements nonsensical statements. This probably works on smaller, toy dogs. What you will need for a Doberman is a traditional trainer. They may appear harsh with their tone– but very assertive . I believe the Doberman respects that – as he needs a leader – if not will take the leaders place. The very first trainer I went to was traditional but I was so appalled by his tone that I stopped it - I now regret that. The breeder reminded me that a Doberman is a dog , needs to respect boundaries and requires discipline with a firm hand.

So, in conclusion a Doberman probably like most other large breeds needs a lot of stimulation. I think the lack of leash free runs was the root cause of our problems . He was probably frustrated with the pent up energy – even though he was out in the garden and on walks. This frustration culminated into my son getting bitten. Which is why we decided to give him back – more for his sake than ours. You need to cross the T's and dot the I's when considering a Doberman because a Doberman deserves it.

I have a 2 year old doberman, and I can honestly say I can't see myself not having at least one dobe in the future at all times.

They are the most loyal breed you can find, and despite their tough reputation, they're enormous cuddlers and real babies. They're one of the most intelligent breeds on earth, so obedience training is quite easy, even for a first time owner as long as you stick to positive methods. Ignore anyone who talks about dominance or being pack leader as these sorts of 'trainers' are using outdated, dis proven theories. Positive is the only way to go. You don't want to raise any dog with fear and intimidation, but rather mutual co-operation; make them see that doing what you want is more rewarding than not!

However, much as I love this breed, I wouldn't necessarily recommend one to just anybody. They're not an easy breed, and particularly as youngsters they can be extremely trying. If you want a calm, quiet, biddable, social butterfly of a dog that will approach any stranger with a waggy tail, choose a different breed.

Dobermans are high energy, to start. They require a lot of exercise, particularly when young/adolescent. A half hour lead walk is nothing more than a warm up for a dobe, and will not tire them out or make them feel fulfilled. You ideally want this dog to have off lead exercise in the form of running, ball games, jogging, bike riding, whatever you can.

That doesn't mean you have to be on the go all day, but just bear in mind that if you want a dog to trot around the block for 20 minutes, this isn't the breed for you.

My boy gets either an hour of free running, where he'll clock up miles, every day. Or a combination of free running and a long, varied lead walk, every day, and he'd still go for more if I wanted! I mix obedience work in with this (even if its just asking for a sit or other command before throwing the ball, always make them work for what they want).

One also has to realise what this dog was bred for, and what drives were bred into it. You're not getting a pug here; you're getting a serious working dog. Dobes are, or should be if bred for correct temperament, a drivey, strong willed, tenacious breed. They approach everything in their life with determination, and an aggressive 'take no prisoners' approach.

Do not misunderstand: this breed is NOT VICIOUS. Aggressive does not mean vicious, it simply means firm, confident, decisive, determined, and passionate. Whatever a dobe does, it does 110% with complete head-strong confidence.

This alone can mean some folk are simply not suited for the breed. Can you cope with a dog that will use its own brain and opinions on issues sometimes? Dobermans are not a breed that will do anything you ask just for the sake of pleasing you. They DO like to please, but they also are so intelligent they can make their own decisions sometimes, and those decisions may not be the ones you want to make! This breed would not have made a very efficient personal protection dog if it were not confident, intelligent and able to work on its own initiative.

Young dobermans are extremely mouthy, ie, they bite. All puppies bite, of course, but dobermans are one of the most nippy and mouthy breeds as puppies. Many of them remain mouthy dogs for life, in some capacity or other. This is a breed bred to use its mouth, so be aware that a doberman puppy is a ball of needle teeth, and will latch onto clothing, hands, any body part, and chomp down. Not in malice, of course, but simply through young dog play. Perhaps not ideal if you have small children.

Dobermans are also prone to dog on dog aggression, particularly same gender aggression. It is recommended never to have a male dobe alongside any other male dog in a household as fighting is almost inevitable. Male dobes just generally do not co-habit with other male dogs peacefully, even if raised with them. They may be ok for a period, but aggression is almost always the outcome. Females seem to be able to co-habit with less problems. And of course, not all dobes will have aggression issues with other dogs when out and about. My boy is 2, not neutered, from working lines, and he is absolutely fine with other dogs, and always has been.

Also be aware that this breed is prone to leash-reactivity, so its important to work hard on their manners to other dogs on lead from a very early age.

This breed is a guarding breed, bred to guard its human. You do not have to teach a dobe to guard; it comes naturally. Some dogs are more guardy than others, it would depend on their genetics and individual temperament. A properly bred and raised doberman should be aloof with strangers; this is not a dog to run up to everyone who enters your house and want licks and cuddles. Dobes are naturally suspicious of new people until they either get to know them, or realise their owner is ok with the person, so they should be too.

Note the term is aloof, not vicious. If you welcome someone into your home that your dobe hasn't met before, he will likely keep his distance, not approach, keep an eye on them, watch how you interact with the person, and will likely approach for a greeting only when he's sure the person isn't a threat.

Some people think they need to socially isolate their dobe pup from the outside world and other people in order to make them protective of the family. This is rubbish; never do this. All this will achieve is to create a dog that is FEARFUL of everyone outside the family, and cannot tell the difference between a real threat and its own paranoia. A doberman that is fearful does not make a good protector; a good protector is confident and assertive. This breed needs to be extensively socialised from a young age. The best and most protective dobermans are the best socialised ones; these are the dogs who know enough about the world to know when something is normal, and when it isn't, and thusly make the best decisions on when to guard and when to be at ease.

This breed can happily accept other household pets if raised with them and properly trained. My boy lives with 3 cats, including 2 young kittens, and sleeps with them and grooms them as he was raised with cats from a young age.

Dobes are highly strung dogs, and some can verge on the neurotic, particularly if poorly bred or socialised/treated.

They can have problems learning when to settle down, as some of them feel the need to be constantly on guard and ready for action, meaning they can have a hard time learning how to just lay down and relax.

I recommend crate training any dog, but particularly a doberman, as this can help teach them about 'quiet time' and help them learn how to settle.

Also be aware that this is a breed with an undeserved reputation.

A lot of people are afraid of dobermans. Are you content to have a dog that people will cross over the road to avoid? Or make comments about? Or give you evil glares if your dog so much as glances at their child? Because that, sadly, can be the reality of owning a dobe. You need a thick skin to tolerate some of the comments and rubbish you'll hear from people who don't know the breed beyond movies and media scaremongering.

But this also means you HAVE to be prepared to put in the training for a dog like this. This breed has a poor enough reputation as it is, the last thing we need is poorly raised and poorly controlled dobermans running about making the image of the breed even worse. If you are someone who doesn't want to put real time and effort and research into training and raising an obedient dog, then get a different breed. If you own a dobe, make him an ambassador for the breed by showing everyone just how well behaved they can be.

Most dobes love food, or a ball, so use whichever works best to train your dog. Do NOT use prong collars or pinch collars, or any harsh or pain/fear inducing apparatus or methods: this is not training, and it doesn't work. No-one should have to use a prong collar on a dog to get it to stop pulling on the lead; people only do so when they are not intelligent enough to train correctly.

Get a clicker, learn to clicker train.

Dobes can excel at agility and obedience, so if you choose to compete, a dobe is a good option.

A doberman is NOT an outside dog. This is a dog bred specifically to be with people, they bond to their owners more firmly than any other breed, so they need to be part of the family. Locking them outside will do nothing other than create a miserable, isolated dog who will develop behavioural abnormalities as a result. Have this dog in the centre of your family unit, they are simply too bonded to their owners to be left alone and not bothered with for hours on end. When you get a dobe, you're not just getting a dog, you're getting a new family member who wants to be involved with everything you do. This dog will follow you around the house, watch anything you do intently, and be happy just to be at your side.

In a nutshell, this IS a high drive, high energy, high intelligence breed that needs to be part of the family, and needs to be worked with every single day. You can't lock them in a kennel, take them out for 20 minutes around the block, then lock them up again. They're people dogs who need to be with their people.

They're sensitive, intuitive dogs who, if raised and bred correctly, will defend you with their life if needed.

They're prone to a number of inherited medical issues, so its important to get a dobe from a reputable breeder who performs the relevant health tests, or a reputable rescue who can make you aware of any health problems the dog might have.

As with all dogs, the best diet is a raw food diet of raw bone, meat and organ. Avoid kibble as it is full of junk and chemicals and no good for dogs. Dobes take well to a raw diet, and it is far better for them.

A properly bred dobe will cost around £800. You get what you pay for. Sure, you may find cheaper dobe pups for half that price, but they won't have had any health testing, and none of the dobes in their family tree will have titles or have ever been worked, or heard of. It is worth paying more for a good pup from a stellar breeder than trying to save money and ending up with heartbreak and a sick dog further down the line.

Good luck, and remember, dominance theory is a load of junk and should never be used on a dobe. No chokes, prongs, hitting, intimidation, no stupid rules about dogs on the sofa or you having to eat first or walk through a door first, and so on. Positive, positive, positive, all the way. Your dog is a family member, raise him like you'd raise your child: encourage the good, re-direct the bad, be there when they're ill or frightened, push them to better themselves, live in a state of mutual co-operation rather than competitiveness.

As we speak he is trying to eat my trainers on my feet I love him more than life! but he is pushing me beyond anyone could imagine!! im at the urge of giving him up obviously not that I ever could! but can anyone give me any info and help me?

I'm starting to hate him :( x Please help xx

My Dobe is 8 months old. He is such a loyal, intelligent dog. We got him at 10 weeks old. He was fully house trained at 12 weeks old. He is soo good around my 8 and 6 year old kids. I would suggest if you work a lot or are out of the house a lot, that you seriously consider another breed. Jack, as well as other Dobes , are very big people dogs. They need to be around people a lot. Jack hates being left alone. When he's with us, he will not leave our sides. Actually, he prefers to sit or lay right on us. Love these dogs. Would never consider another breed.

I have almost three years experienced with dobber man pinscher of germany , its a great dog having great sence to understand, very friendly with me but very aggressive as aguard dog, i think cia officers and others suggest good dobberman for themselves, the thing which always attract me to adopt dobberman again is its look,shape, the style, its looked like a commando dog, very active and ready for command, anyhow nice dog is

Our first doberman lived until he was 15 years 8 months old (I kid you not!). Considering he nearly died when he was 10 from a very serious nose infection where the specialist vet had to perform 4 life-saving operations including blood transfusions etc. So to think we had over 5 more wonderful years with him it was a miracle! We chose to have him put to sleep eventually as he was having too hard of a time getting up and down with his hind legs, God love him though he kept trying but we could see that we had to do the right thing by him and put him out of his pain as he also was on alot of pain medication. But even up to his very last day with us he was ever so loving! We got him when he was just 1 from a special needs Nanny who could not take him overseas with her. Long story short we wanted to get a dog from someone like this as we could not bring our dog from overseas when we moved as well. We did not have any special breed in mind as we had always had german shephards before and were open to other breeds as well. When the lady told us how she had special needs children come to her house and lay on the floor and play with Elliott that was it for us we just knew he would fit in with our 6 + 8 year old boys! Did he ever, they use to dress him up and play with him for hours. You can imagine the pain after all the years we had with him for him not to be here anymore. We work from home and he use to follow us from room to room and he lived inside on his own bed(s) in every room! The house was suddenly empty! Some people thought we were crazy morning over a DOG, but he was not just a dog but a member of our family! After much consideration we decided 10 months later to get another doberman as we missed Elliott too much. My 2 sons are grown up and in their early 20's now but they insisted we get a doberman so the 3 of us went out "just looking" while my husband was away (as he was not as keen as the 3 of us!). Well that was it we took one look at this tiny little runt of the litter and I could not get my check book out quick enough to leave a deposit! He is now 16 months old (we got him at 2 months) and we have named him EJ (Elliott Jr.)my oldest son was home for that first year so you have never seen a puppy get more love between him and his brother carrying him around (yes imagine still dressing him up) and again the best breed ever I can not imagine ever owning any other breed than a doberman. He is loyal, smart, loves people and other dogs too. Everyone that meets him comments on what a good dog he is and how loving he is. I use to think it was just our Elliott but now I know it has a huge amount to do with the Breed. I read once they call them the velcro dog, well this is such a true statement, if you plan on leaving your dog all day by itself do not bother getting a doberman as they love to be around you ALL the time, EJ has a bed in most of our rooms and constantly checks to make sure everyone is still around so he can relax and go to sleep. He has blended into our family perfectly and no matter what we are doing he is quite happy to be a part or just be near, so keep that in mind when you are planning on getting one. He has a fierce bark and so I suppose if you didn't know him he would be enough to really give you a fright, but once you know him (we have many delivery drivers come here) he just thinks everyone is here to see him! My husband says that it is a really good thing that he looks the part because he is really a bit of a softy and when he runs to the door with a teddy bear hanging from him mouth it does make you wonder just what kind of a watch dog he is!! hahaha

My 4 year old dog just died from a heart condition. He also could barely walk from severe hip and back dysplasia. During the first year of his life, he was treated at the dermatologist for mange - all from poor, poor breeding. I contacted the breeder multiple times, only to be told his medical problems were MY fault. The only saving grace was that my precious dog had the best medical care. His life, however short, enriched our lives. I pray no other family has to endure this tragedy. Please do not buy from this breeder.

I lost my second doberman one month ago at the age of 14. Our first dobie lived until 13. We have had two beautiful, faithful, loving dogs. They are eager to please and will guard you for life - when you least expect it! I have had 3 sons and both dogs tolerated the kids. I never left other children unsupervised around my dogs when my children were present. If other children chased after my boys our dog would get uneasy - perhaps because they felt their family member was in danger. Both dogs ate family leftovers even salad! They had shiny coats and I believe this is why. I so desperately need another doberman in my life. My husband thinks we should try another breed but I can't bring myself to do this. A doberman needs regular exercise. They like to be around people. If you work all day and are going to leave this beautiful dog alone for long periods DON'T get one. They deserve better.

I had some other breeds in the past, this is the most intelligent and loyal dog. With kids is the best, I own 4 dobys all of them love my 8 years old and my 10- month old baby, I have to be watching them not cause they will bite him but because they lick him, when he is out side on back yard my 3 years old female allways laid on where we set him.

My doberman fell dead tonight...within three minutes of letting her outside. I love my (Ripley) and as I sit here and cry I know when the hurts subsides I will get another one of these dogs. They are the best.

PS) Ripley was only 6-7..suspect heart attack or anurism