Remarkabull

Once a day only here. I'm surprised by how many people feed 2 or 3 times a day for adult dogs

I do and yeah it's pretty good. However, only the Dobe and the cats drink out of it, the other 2 dogs won't touch it. It's not as large as I would have liked but it looks nice and at least I know there is always water available to them inside if they really want it.

I had never even heard of the John Travolta movie with the Dobe so I looked at the link and am sitting here bawling! I'm not sure I could watch the whole movie, I'm such a sook.

JRT - 5yrs - female - desexed Maltese x Shih Tzu - 3yrs - male - desexed Doberman - 2yrs - male - entire Dobe loves JRT - she sometimes likes him back they play with each other on her terms, thankfully she is a real pocket rocket! Both Dobe and Xbreed males are real mummys boys and follow me everywhere, they are fine together but never play with each other, the little fluffer isn't much for playing. JRT prefers to spend all of her time 'hunting' geckos, lizards, bugs, beetles etc and when she isn't doing that she likes to sleep. If I could I would have another big dog (Dobe) so my Dobe has another dog around his size to play with as the little ones get cranky with him because he is such a big doofus.

Acheron has a gel cooling bed, right next to my side of the bed in our room. He also has an inner spring cot mattress in the lounge room and a wool mattress outside (he usually lays on the grass in the shade though). Flash has a pillow or her choice of any bed in the house. She often sleeps in one of the kids beds with them. Barkley has a Queen size latex mattress, that is the only place he will sleep (with us). All the dogs and cats (3 of each) have access to our bed but it gets to hot for everyone to stay on it and Acheron takes up too much room. ETA Pics of furkids in bed. This one is poor quality but is a common sight in our house

I can read them fine and that is why I'm yelling at them. The dogs that are running towards me are not under any control (usually owners are yelling at their dogs to no avail) and even if they appear friendly (which some of them do) I still don't want them jumping all over my dog and possibly having a fight start. I am trying to protect my dog from the many people who don't have a clue about dog body language. To me it is obvious that my dog is not comfortable in being approached by strange dogs but unfortunately there are a lot of dogs and owners out there who think that because there dog is 'friendly' that it is fine to run up to any dog it wishes. If a fight broke out or my dog did bite their dog I am terrified that because my dog is a Dobe that he will be the one blamed and I will lose him. Maybe if people had better fences, knew a little more about dogs etc then I wouldn't have to yell at them. BTW I rarely do yell, only if the dog approaching is out of control/ignoring it's owner or looks like it's intentions are questionable. My own dog has a great recall and doesn't approach other dogs when he is off lead, he listens to me and I have a fair bit of confidence in him but I don't know these other dogs and therefore I would rather prevent something from happening before it has a chance to.

Any size dog. He has been attacked by little dogs that have come from nowhere and latched on to his back legs. All while walking along a street and him on lead. We have had large dogs approach with tails and heads held up as high as they can get them, usually entire males of mixed breeding, but definitely alot of bull breeds up here and I'm not going to risk him getting into a fight with something that could tear him apart. When I first moved here I came across a dog fight in progress while out walking with my husband. I told him to take our dogs home while I ran to these 2 dogs to try and help. Both dogs were med size (one was a SBT and the other was a bull breed mix), the SBT had the other dog by the throat and had ripped a massive hole in it's neck. Both owners were standing there not doing much to try and stop the dogs (the owner of the SBT was telling off the man with the other dog because apparently it was all his fault). Anyway, I grabbed the back legs of the SBT and thankfully it was an older dog and was by this stage very tired so it let go. The young dog just wanted to get away from it and was relieved to be released and was not interested in fighting at all. Apparently this started because the SBT was off lead and approached the other dog (who was on lead) and a fight broke out. The SBT owners swore black and blue that their dog had never done anything like this before and was always friendly with other dogs. TBH she seemed like a bogan dickhead who wouldn't know her ass from her elbow but hey maybe it was the first time her dog had done this? So how am I to know what dogs are safe to approach mine if they can change their behavior in an instant? I certainly don't want my dog torn apart by a larger, stronger dog and I also don't want my dog to hurt a dog smaller and weaker than him. Just wanted to add that I saw this lady and her SBT a week later walking down the road, OFF LEAD. The dog it had attacked had sustained serious injuries that resulted in approx $2000 worth of vet bills. I don't think my dog would attack if approached by another dog but he may growl or snap at them if the got in his face and this could cause a fight to start which is what I am trying to avoid happening in the first place!

I yell at the top of my lungs at any dog that runs towards us as I'm walking my Dobe. It really seems to get up peoples noses but at the end of the day I'm trying to protect my dog. How do I know if the dog that is galloping towards me is friendly or not? Just because the owner says so? I'm not willing to risk it, hence I scream like a banshee. So far it has always worked and uncontrolled dogs have always backed away from us but if/when I come across one that continues to come at us I would kick it before it got close enough to physically touch my dog, I don't care if it is friendly. Just to add my Dobe has never attacked another dog, ever, but he has been attacked and rushed at more than once and is not comfortable with other dogs approaching him. He doesn't lunge or bark at other dogs while being walked but if a dog came up to him and was in his face, friendly or not, I don't think he would be ok with that.

Rebanne, I have considered printing and laminating that article and attaching it to the gates at the dog park in the hopes that it may enlighten even just one dog owner to their dogs behavior and their responsibilities. Most likely it would either get ignored or ripped down by some idiot who thinks leash free areas are there so they can let their dogs run riot while they sit down and pay no attention to them.

The one near me has a sign at all 3 entrances saying that it is a 'controlled off lead dog park'. It is a huge area and is on one side of a large lagoon/lake, so although I don't like dog parks I sometimes take my dogs there to have a swim. I always go in the middle of a weekday when it is empty and if anyone is in it I wait until they leave before going in. My Dobe has a great recall and rarely moves more than 10m from my side anyway but he has been rushed at and attacked a few times (while walking on footpaths) by off lead dogs so I'm never sure how he will react to a dog rushing towards him. The last time I went there was a man and his 1 dog in there so I parked at the other end of the park and walked my dog (on lead as it was not part of the fenced off lead area) towards the entry gate, thinking that I would wait until the man left then I would take Acheron in. Anyway, about 50m from the gate his dog saw me approaching and froze, the man was about 20m from his dog and called to him but the dog ignored him and started coming towards the gate. I paused but figured we would be safe as there was a fence and a lake between us the dog so kept walking at this stage. All of a sudden this dog started running towards the gate and when he realised he couldn't get through that way he turned towards the lake, jumped in and swam around the fence up the bank and was running flat out towards me! At this point the bloke was yelling at his dog (dog was paying no attention at all). I stopped and put myself between this dog and mine and when it was about 20m from me I screamed as loud as I could at it to 'get away'. Thankfully it stopped dead in it's tracks and looked a bit worried about me, although it kept trying to find a way around me, I just kept yelling at it to go away until the owner arrived and grabbed it. He told me in a very annoyed tone that 'he just wants to play' to which I responded 'I'm not so sure about that, but anyway my dog might not want to play with him'. He then wandered off muttering about how this was supposed to be a 'properly fenced area'. I then watched as he took the dog back into the dog park and let him off with 2 elderly dogs that had just arrived and his dog (a young entire male Pitt Bull) was standing over them and trying to physically dominate them. Thankfully the 2 older dogs mostly ignored him and went about their business, but I can only imagine how badly it could have ended if he did come right up to my dog (also a young entire male, who can be reactive) and tried to put his head over him and jump up on him. As far as I know or am concerned any injuries that could have occurred would have been his responsibility to pay for as his dog was not under effective control and had left the designated leash free area. People like him shit me to tears and are the very reason why I don'[t go to dog parks if anyone else is in them.

Azrael & Nermal. They love each other so much! Acheron & Lulu

I agree with Pav. My old Dobe (rip) had 2 rose ears. It was never an issue for me, he was from a byb so never going to be shown or bred from. It wasn't until I started obedience and flyball that I found out that I could have done something about it by a Rotty breeder. She explained taping and even massaging the ear a certain way can help if you catch it early enough.

I've had Dobes my entire life (among other breeds) and they are 100% my favorites. Easy to train, very loyal and affectionate (with their people, not strangers), smart, athletic and easily the most attractive of all breeds ;) . As an adult I've owned 2, and they have been very different but also very similar in some ways. My first boy was from a BYB, she only had one dog (my pups mother) and it was her beloved pet and she decided to have a litter from her. I paid $200 for him and although I would never buy from a unregistered breeder ever again it was the best $200 I've ever spent, he was worth 100 times that amount. He was the best dog I've ever known, right from the start he was serious and desperate to please me and never behaved like a puppy. Everyone who met him fell in love and he was told by everybody that he was 'the best boy'. I lost him when he was 9 to cancer and it tore my heart out. My current dog is almost 2 now and is still a goofy puppy in a lot of ways but is such a loveable man. He is from working lines and he requires a lot exercise to keep him relatively calm and quiet. I take him for bike rides at least 4 times a week and he happily runs 4-5kms each time and would go much further but I worry about the heat and humidity up here getting to him. He sleeps inside (in my room, right next to my side of the bed) and he spends as much time as he can with us, especially me as I'm his human, and will try to follow me into the shower and anywhere else I go as his desire to stay with me overrides most things. There are other breeds that I would love to have one day but I will ALWAYS have a Dobe - they are my heart breed and that will never change

My 2 little dogs are left inside when we are at work (up to 9 hours a day) and the Dobe is outside on his own. I usually come home at lunch for an hour so they get swapped around then. If we are out at night then I lock my SBF (small black fluffy :D ) in our room and leave the JRT and the Dobe have the rest of the house. All 3 sleep inside at night as do the 3 cats and apart from some naughty puppy stage chewing nothing gets wrecked, although I do have to make sure the kitty litter is clean or the SBF will take a piece and devour it on my bed .

OMG he's gorgeous! OH looked at a couple of pics then walked away, he says he can't look at any more because he is so jealous and wants a BB puppy more than ever!

I have recently started my dogs on Eagle Pack. I was feeding mostly raw but I decided to go with kibble and RMB cause it's easier for me while I'm working full time. I may have to change to something else though as supply up here is not regular so I was thinking of maybe trying Nutro. The dogs love the EP and are looking great on so I would be happy staying with it if I could.

I have bonded more with all the male dogs I've owned better than any of the female dogs. I currently have 2 males (1 desexed, 1 entire) and 1 bitch (desexed) and both of the boys are definitely sooky la la's with me (if I'm not around then they look to the kids or OH for the affection, but definitely prefer me) and the bitch is much more independent and can be aloof at times although she can also be affectionate but only when it suits her. Breed may have something to do with it in m7y case though as the bitch is a JRT and is always very 'busy' hunting around the yard for things to kill. Both boys are very people focussed and would rather remain with me than do anything else. (1 is a Dobermann and the other is a small fluffy x breed who I was told was a Maltese x Shih Tzu but who I think has Schnauzer in him.) OH is opposite, he prefers bitches and is completely in love with our JRT.

I have a preference for B & T in Dobes and have no problems admitting it. I am currently waiting for a pup (bitch has been mated during the last week) and I will have a go at showing her so if by chance the best bitch in the litter is brown then I would accept that and still take her, but I would prefer it if she was B & T. I would not really be interested in having a blue or fawn Dobe - they just don't look nice to me (the colour, not the dog). Although that is probably more because the only adult Blue Dobe I've ever seen had health issues and had terrible skin and coat. In the litter I got Acheron from there were blue pups and they were a lovely dark blue and did not appear to have any skin problems at all, so I guess if they stayed that colour and had no issues because of the colour they were then I would be ok with that too.

Still a very ong wait for me but I got a msg today from the breeder that the bitch has just come into season so not too much longer now till puppies are in the oven!

I chose to have him desexed because we are getting a Dobermann bitch early next year and if she turns out nicely she will remain entire for at least a few years and as our male Dobe is still entire (he will have the implant when she arrives so no hanky panky between them) I felt it would be one less silly male to deal with when she comes in to season. I also usually keep my dogs entire but I'm trying to lessen the testosterone in the pack before introducing an entire female, thereby hopefully avoiding any 'issues' between the 2 boys.

I know that the above is a bit of a myth and that each dog is individual but this is not behavior that he has ever displayed prior to castration. There have been no other changes to his environment or routine and he is fully mature at almost 3 years old so I thought it had to be related to de-sexing in some way. Personally I have never had a dog 'get lazy or fat' after being speyed or neutered but I do believe that it can and does 'mellow' some dogs and this change is completely at odds with what is going on here. Anyway, it's a good change (I think, depends on how destructive he gets ;) ) He was always a strange dog so it's kind of nice to see some normal, playful behaviors from him.

I met my first at obedience many years ago. His owner was a 8 year old girl who had to save up her pocket money to pay for half the dog (she was pedigree, from a good breeder) and her parents paid the other half. Part of the deal was that she had to attend obedience classes with the dog and she (little girl) had to do all the looking after and training of the dog. I have to say the little dog was awesome and the little girl certainly kept up her part of the deal. She was at training every week and was a hell of a lot better than most of the adults that used to turn up. They were a great little team and went on to compete in obedience and agility.

Nope, nothing else has changed except him being castrated. It's a good change, it's nice to see him playing and being more of a dog but it was just unexpected. He's a funny little bugger. :D

A few weeks ago I had Barkley (almost 3 yr old Malt x Shih Tzu) castrated and I've really noticed a major change in his personality. He has always been a very affectionate and loving dog and is especially attached to me (a bit too much probably) and although he has always been good with other dogs he has never really been interested in playing with them or really any kind of play including with us people. Since he was castrated I've noticed that he is becoming very playful and energetic. He has even started to pick up the other dogs toys and do zoomies around the yard, growling and shaking the toy with glee. He has even started to play tug with the other dogs and is just in general becoming more cheeky and naughty! I came home today to find one of the kids merit certificates from school ripped up on the lounge and have also noticed on other days that my shoes will be in the loungeroom or any of my clothes that were within his reach have been dragged to different parts of the house. I know that there can be a difference in personality after castrating or speying a dog but isn't it supposed to make them quiet and lazy not turn them in to little rat bags Has anyone else experienced a change like this?

Thats pretty harsh. It might not be the dogs fault he is the way he is but that doesn't mean he's not a pain in the arse to groom. Bit out of line to make the leap from that to the OP being a groomer who doesn't like dogs. I agree with you Snook. I used to be a groomer and although I LOVE dogs there were a few that I can easily say that I disliked, maybe even hated. I really didn't think I could ever hate or not like a dog but there is a small number of them that make it really hard to like anything about them.