Doberman - Working Line Breeders

[MonElite]

Monelite I am not sure if you can remember or not but what was the name of that red bitch that was trialing in Schutzhund around 4 years ago? it started with a M from memory, I think she got up to SCHII in Victoria?

Nevermind it came back to me her name was Mali.

I think it more then 4 years ago tho.

Ive heard that she got rehomed after as she wanted to eat the owners newborn kid. And that she had pretty bad separation anxiety.

[erinonthefarm]

There are a few Dobes that track here in WA with TrackWest, I hope to do that with my Dobe too.

Start now When they are little it is easier I think

[moosmum]

Both of my bitches wrap the legs around whoever has the tug toy. The young one a lot more.

Yet they are not tough dogs at all.

I did not mean for that to be the sole indicator of a good working/tough Dobermann.

I will from now on

but it was something I noticed when pressure was applied the Dobermann of old would take the fight to the decoy by wrapping there legs around the decoy fighting through the bite. Seemed to be a trait that I have not seen in Dobermanns I have tested with pressure applied in quite sometime.

How very strange that my "pathetic" show dogs do it and the working ones dont. I wonder why.

I would love for ONE puppy buyer to come to me and say - I want to compete in something with the dog, Im yet to find one like that...... everyone wants a pet, not interested in any dog sports AT ALL.

This is a real problem these days for Dobe breeders.I believe the only answer is to actively seek out such homes,or do it your self if possible.

A long,slow process but needed if the dobe of old has any chance of coming back to its former glory.

Imports can make a huge difference,but my understanding is that there are few over seas,even of old lines actualy working in P.P and living as true companions,unconfined but relying on training and stability instead.

Videos and titles are great,but can can still be very misleading when you have very definite ideas of what you want and can't afford mistakes.

If a dog is gaining titles due a high prey drive complementing more standardised competion,IMO its no real indication of "Old style " working ability so lines used need to be very carefully considered.

I came across a pup that I thought perfect for security. 2 security guards looking for pups were convinced by their trainers not to take her.

This pup was a big girl,afraid of nothing, very dominant and lots of fight drive.She took on dominant pups twice her size till they would avoid a confrontation with her.She seemed very independent untill she was rolled on her back and held there till she stopped struggling and only then was she interested in following people.

Her eventual owner told me she had the 2 samoyds dominated by 3 months of age and that her fearlessness was a real worry as she ingnored all warnings by other dogs or people.

She got a good,responsible home as a companion/P.P dog,where training is taken seriously,but it seems such a waste of potential where her strengths won't be seen and recognised.

Its a catch 22 atm.but I have seen signs of this changing with a more pro-active approach by breeders.

[MollytheDobe]

Do you think that breeding a more 'docile' dobe has changed non-doberman people's perspective of the breed for the better? The attitude towards the breed seems to have changed to me in the last 10yrs. Its gone from from fear to friend??

[Jonny]

Try one from Schutzdobe good and hard.

Another few reasons why they are not popular in Sevices

1. They don't transfer well. In the services, dogs are moved from one handler to another. The working dobes I have met do not bond well to to a new pack without testing the new owner. The problem is some of these good dobes see themselves number 2 after their original owner/family. Everyone else is below them and they will let you know. Thats why the good dobes want to dominate the decoy. They see themself as above anyone/anything else.

2. Slow to mature. 3 and a half years old and the dobe may mature properly to work rather than being a goofball. A malinois can take as little as 12 months to be ready to be serious enough to work. GSD about 2 years. The services want an extended service life of their investments(dogs)

3. Health. Dobes have been plagued by genetic problems such as DCM, Wobblers and von Willebrands. Many working breeders got out of them due to them succumbing to these diseases. You cant work a dog with a health prob.