Another Breed Thread - Dobermans

[c-natalie]

Sorry for posting another breed related thread once again, I know I must be close to boring some of you half to sleep

Well me and my partner were pretty convinced to go with a Brittany and then I called my Dad for a chat, who has owned dogs his whole life and trained them at one point too and he said that he doesn't think a Brittany would be a good fit for us especially considering the semi long coat + very tick prone farm land is asking for more trouble then we need. So we've reassessed and decided we need something with a short coat.

He suggested we look into Dobermans - as he knows we are willing to enrol in obedience training from day one and that I personally believe in sound training from puppyhood which apparently works well with dogs like Dobermans. He said that despite their reputation they are actually very intelligent and loyal dogs - and the perception people have of them will actually be an advantage to me if I decide to walk he/she alone :p

So - does anyone have any experience with Dobermans? Once again we are looking for a dog that would be happy in both a suburban and farm environment (would be walked for up to 2 hours a day during the week and then plenty of run around on country on the weekends). Ideally I would be able to take the dog riding with me - i.e have it walk alongside the horse, so it needs to be a breed with fairly high energy levels I think.

Anyway, any thoughts would be appreciated. We certainly don't want to buy an "aggressive dog" but if what I've been told is true, they sound like a perfect breed for us!

Edited October 28, 2011 by c-natalie

[Maxiewolf]

http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/99740-dobermann-thread/ All the Dobermann'ness you can handle.

I myself think Dobe's make good farm dogs, but only based on my own Dobe who doesn't have any interest in chasing livestock or other little animals. Not sure how he would react to a horse though.. probably hide from it knowing Brutus.

Whatever breed you choose, how they handle situations will of course largely depend on training and upbringing... of course I'm biased so I say go with a dobe. But you do need to keep ontop of their intelligence. they will start sussing you out for "loopholes" very quickly lol.

[sandgrubber]

I've never owned a Dobe, but have shared homes with them on two occasions, and looked after several in kennels.

Dobies are wonderful dogs, particularly if you like athletic, precise, obedient, trainable, almost military attitude in a dog. They are loyal, clean, and in my experience, non-destructive. The ones I've known haven't been cuddly, but not stand-offish either. They are what I'd call manageably protective. Their attitude tends to be one of guarding, but the ones I've known are quick to recognise who is a friend of the family and 'allowed' . . . as contrasted to the insanely protective dogs who make a life project of trying to get the mailman. People find Dobies frightening, which enhances their value as a guardian, but may cause social difficulties.

One of the Dobes I have known well was supposedly bred to be non-aggressive, and was the most gun-shy, skittery dog I've ever met. If you dropped a frying pan, the dog would be found quivering under the bed on the second floor. This is not at all typical of the breed. Point being, do screen for temperament.

Dobermans suffer from some serious genetic diseases, many of which can be tested for. If you do decide on a Dobe, make sure you understand these, and only consider a breeder who tests. Look for a pedigree of long-lived dogs.

Edited October 28, 2011 by sandgrubber

[Bluefairy]

We have owned a Dobe x GSD (more Dobe than GSD), he was the most gentlest and lovable dog we had owned. There were 4 of us kids from aged 13 down to me aged 6. Nero lived with another dog, a cockatoo, lots of lizards and other pets brought home by my older brother. He never had a problem with them or us, he wasn't into being destructive play, but loved to be taught tricks and trained.

I have also sadly met a pedigree Dobe that lived permanently outside, the families children would sometimes go out and play with him. His food bowl was a gigantic bowl, more like a bucket full of dry food (I guess so the owner didn't have to go outside too often). I was surprised this dog wasn't going insane with the lack of any training or socialisation.....but he was also a very gentle dog, when I was introduced to him. He totally craved attention, it broke my heart to see him trying to get as close to the sliding glass door as he could. I was just amazed that even with the way he was treated and ignored he was still this lovable gentle dog.

They are a wonderful dog, and if I was ever to get another larger dog it would be a Dobe.

Lynn

[Purdie]

I used to be one of those people who were afraid of Dobermans;untill i actually met one.My daughter and her partner share a house with a couple and thier Doberman.He is well trained but he will get naughty if he thinks he can get away with it as the men in the house spoil him .My daughter only has to look at him and he will get off the couch and go to his bed.He is walked twice a day but is always up for as much exercise and attention as he can get; If you put your shoes on or go near the front door he is there in antisipation..He is no guard dog;dosent even bark when someone comes to the door.He likes to chase cats and once ate an entire possum.He gets so focused on you that sometimes he walks into things.Perhaps also look at Dalmations;they were bred to run alongside horses and carriage.

[jacqui835]

I've never owned a Dobe, but have shared homes with them on two occasions, and looked after several in kennels.

Dobies are wonderful dogs, particularly if you like athletic, precise, obedient, trainable, almost military attitude in a dog. They are loyal, clean, and in my experience, non-destructive. The ones I've known haven't been cuddly, but not stand-offish either. They are what I'd call manageably protective. Their attitude tends to be one of guarding, but the ones I've known are quick to recognise who is a friend of the family and 'allowed' . . . as contrasted to the insanely protective dogs who make a life project of trying to get the mailman. People find Dobies frightening, which enhances their value as a guardian, but may cause social difficulties.

One of the Dobes I have known well was supposedly bred to be non-aggressive, and was the most gun-shy, skittery dog I've ever met. If you dropped a frying pan, the dog would be found quivering under the bed on the second floor. This is not at all typical of the breed. Point being, do screen for temperament.

Dobermans suffer from some serious genetic diseases, many of which can be tested for. If you do decide on a Dobe, make sure you understand these, and only consider a breeder who tests. Look for a pedigree of long-lived dogs.

I'm not sure that I would describe dobermans as non-destructive... It took a lot of training, and he still has urges, he just represses them now or redirects onto his toys etc. And he destroys every toy. The soft ones are decimated, as are the kongs and everything else.

I agree with the rest. The doberman is very cuddly with his family - mine thinks he's a lap dog and also if you say hug time and hug him, he will wrap his head around your shoulders to hug you back. He welcomes my friends to our home, and has an excellent memory. But he is a one person dog, and so he's not overly affectionate with strangers.

The longevity issue is a big one. I ended up with a mixed breed just because (and this was before DOL) the breeders I met were proud of their dogs that made it to 6... I have a dog now where his family are 13+, but his father has both rotty (a rotty grandparent) and rhodesian ridgeback. Mother is pure dobe though.

[erinonthefarm]

Hi, just PM'd you. I agree with Jacqui835, they can wreak havoc (like many dogs) when they have the opportunity and I too go through many dog toys, but they balance it out by being velcro dogs and big goof balls most of the time.

Health is a big issue but a good breeder screens for Cardio Myopathy and Von Willebrands which are the biggies. Wobblers is less of a genetic thing and harder to avoid.

If you are in Brissy you should try and go to one of the Dobermann Club Shows to meet some, because all Dobe owners think their dogs are perfect, so maybe we are a little biased ;)

[mita]

I've known 2 pet Dobes, both males and they were lovely laid back gents. Both raised from puppyhood & came from registered breeders.

The first was the runt of a litter & a youngish married couple offered to take him. And he repaid them a hundred-fold.

When they had their children, this boy was a real trustworthy nanny dog. He was a loving family member until the children reached their teenage years.....so he had a good long life. And there was huge grief when he finally went to doggie heaven.

The second is owned by a builder whose wife owns a tibetan spaniel. Both raised from puppyhood & great mates. They form a great security team. If there's any noise of someone come on to the property, the alert tibbie hears it & gives a warning bark. The Dobe wanders out to take a look & is a visual deterrent. What an intruder wouldn't know is that he's a big loving wuss and as equal a housedog as his tibbie friend.

Edited October 29, 2011 by mita

[Nekhbet]

I love dobermanns. They are excellent companions and active enough to go with you jogging etc.

If you don't know much about them go visit some breeders or shows and meet some dogs. Thats sometimes the best way to guage if a breed is for you or not, also which breeder would be good to get a dog from. Working line dogs, definately out of the question ;) PM Monelite here on DOL she's a breeder with some fabulous dogs

[Bisart Dobes]

We breed dobes - so biased there totally but we also have a Brittany. The dobes are alot easier overall, the Britt is gorgeous, we love her and has her moments of being a total angel but overall the dobes are a breeze in comparison. Good luck with your search.

[Remarkabull]

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

[SmoothieGirl]

Had a Dobe and loved her, she was an awesome dog, such a perfect sweetheart. Very intelligent, very loyal (read velcro dog), easily trained but you need to remain vigilant throughout their life. Remember the saying 'give an inch, take a mile', I'm sure it was coined with Dobes in mind. She was only destructive with her own toys, everything that we told her wasn't hers she didn't touch. She would even cry if her ball rolled into the vertical blinds as she knew she wasn't supposed to mess with them, we then had to rescue her ball for her.

I often spent weeks farm sitting and she LOVED the farm and was good with the horses, poultry and cats. The farm owners previous dog was a Dobe too and she was also a great farm dog and horse riding companion.

I'd say if you are prepared for their attention seeking nature, enjoy training and exercising a dog they could be for you. But if you have any plans of a family in the future (not sure of your exact situation) then perhaps reconsider, they won't appreciate any loss of attention once they get used to a certain level.

p.s. Yes, great dog to walk by yourself. But, be prepared for everyone to cross the road to avoid you and numpties thinking they can ride up close behind you on their bikes in the dark (they only do it once though).

[c-natalie]

Thank you everyone for your replies! Thank you for the breeder suggestion Erin, I have e-mailed them

I appreciate everyone's opinions and honesty regarding the breed - the more research I do the more I am convinced it would be a good fit. We are going to contact our local dobe club and organise to meet some local ones as well as look into local obedience classes well in advance. We want to be 100000% prepared so even though we won't be "doggy parents" for months we want to make sure we know everything about the breed and that it will be 100% compatible.

We intend to socialise the puppy both with other dogs and a variety of humans at a young age - which includes our horses, livestock and our feline.

We have no intention of having any human babies for a loooooooooooooong time (talking ten years + if ever) so no problem with that!

Edited October 29, 2011 by c-natalie