Dobermans as pets.....

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Vicstress

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My housemate looks likely to move out in a few months and will be taking her lab bitch with her.

My boy has really changed (for the better) with another dog around and I think he's better with another dog in the house. He also suffers from separation anxiety and although I work from home there are days that I'm out all day.....if I leave a bark collar on in the room he won't bark, but I just don't see the point in stressing him out if I can keep another dog.

Once I'm on my own in the house, I'd like to have something a bit bigger to make me feel a bit safer - i'll be living on my own in a 4 bed house and it's always nice to have something that will scare (and not lick) any possible intruders :D

I was considering a Dane a while ago but I just don't think that's practical until I have a much bigger car, so wondered what Dobies are like as pets? I've got a friend with a boy who is amazing but he's an outside dog, so not sure what they're like as house dogs.

Any advice welcomed.

Thanks
 
Great dogs in my experience if you are willing to put in a lot of training.

They are far far different from owning a spaniel and it comes as quite a shock.
 
My boy is the first spaniel I've had - had JRT, Manchester Terrier and Great Danes in the past.

Happy to put training in but just wondered if they were major chewers etc....will do some more research on them! :)
 
all the dobermans ive had have been fantastic, had my own pub where i was alone alot of the time and they were very loyal. my bitch (fav one ive ever had) was such a sweetie i used to let here sleep on bed when ex other half went out drinking when he came home drunk she wouldnt let him near room!! lovely nice quiet sleep and she didnt poop in bed either!! honestly would recommend lovely dogs but do need training.
 
They're fab but they need a lot of stimulation or they'll eat your house :D A good friend of mine had one and didn't give the poor fella enough to do and he literally ate her utility room and she has no garden anymore, just a muddy, hole filled square :rolleyes: The ones Ive met have all been great family dogs as long as you watch them round little 'uns - not because of aggression but coz they send them flying :D
 
My uncle has one; poor boy is eleven now and slowly going off his back legs but was a superstar in his day, I'd be happy to ask him any specific questions you might have. My greatest impression is that they can make a good house dog but with a very strong guarding instinct.

My uncle's wife was walking him once, alone, when a 'flasher' approached her and waved his bits at her - sensing her fear, the dobe bit the bloke on the arse and had to be restrained from chasing him further. :p
 
blackcob said:
My uncle has one; poor boy is eleven now and slowly going off his back legs but was a superstar in his day, I'd be happy to ask him any specific questions you might have. My greatest impression is that they can make a good house dog but with a very strong guarding instinct.

My uncle's wife was walking him once, alone, when a 'flasher' approached her and waved his bits at her - sensing her fear, the dobe bit the bloke on the arse and had to be restrained from chasing him further. :p
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Hee hee!

My friend has two GSD's and walks them at any time of the evening totally without fear that anything will happen to her as they're quite protective.....I think it's just the thought of having a dog that would protect you if someone broke in!
 
I have one, he's a pussycat! Fine with the cats, chases the horses if they start to canter (they know he's a dork and don't care) until they turn round and then he legs it out of the field. :rolleyes:
Very easy to house train, but quite territorial, however always comes back to call. He didn't do any chewing damage, but them I'm about all the time, and he's happy to roam the farm and sleep in the sun or beside the fire in winter.
I'd have another like a shot. :D
 
The ones I know are very headstrong and just take themselves off if the fancy takes them, IE will be doing excellent heelwork, then say 'sod this, I'm off' and start galloping round the field, which is funny to watch, but could be worrying in certain situations - so I would say training early and often!
Also no sense of self-preservation, flinging themselves over fences with a foot to spare and jumping from the top of the A-frame, also very sensitive to any correction, which can be good and bad (IE one at club, got a pop on the neck for something a while ago and now is iffy with recall because he thinks it might happen again), and can be quite nervy.
 
As CC suggests, the ones I have experienced have also been very head strong, they are very energetic dogs with great stamina and need alot of exercise, they are tempremental and naturally warey of strangers, their WHINGE is unbearable, they are very single coated to cherish the heat, they can unlearn something in no time that has taken u along time to master:rolleyes:
Echo the galloping off around fields, I have not met a one with bad recall as such but def ones that take the P and stay just out of reach whilst sticking the V's up:rolleyes:
IME yes they can suffer from seperation issues and can be more noisy with this than destructive, but the noise is horrendous, they do love human company and are very loyal to their own, but can be very scatty.
They also come with more than their fair share of health issues, so def go to a good breeder and have a read up on their health issues, most of the ones I knew died very young compared to other breeds with heart and liver problems, they can also suffer from skin problems.
 
Shurrup! I love em! Think they are fabulous dogs! They actually share alot of breed traits with Vizzys oddly, only the ones I have had dealings with have been slightly easier than a vizz which is prob why I think they are so fabby! Caylas right in all she says...these are just traits I appear to like in a dog :rolleyes: :p :D
 
CAYLA said:
I have not met a one with bad recall as such but def ones that take the P and stay just out of reach whilst sticking the V's up:rolleyes:
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Hahaha, you want to see a big rufty tufty, huntin', shootin', fishin' guy, and three hard-as-nails dog trainers running away, skipping, jumping, rolling around on the ground, squealing like girls, with us hanging over the fence calling 'Use the liver! Run the other way! Pretend you're looking at something really interesting on the ground!' while dobie stays juuuuust out of arm's reach with his tail flying and a big grin on his face :p
 
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My uncle's wife was walking him once, alone, when a 'flasher' approached her and waved his bits at her - sensing her fear, the dobe bit the bloke on the arse and had to be restrained from chasing him further.
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LOL! How stupid would you have to be to flash someone walking a doberman!
 
We have one, a brown bitch and she's fab, but..........

They do need constant stimulation an esp when young, such as educational games, walking miles, playing with and of course lots and lots of training.

When Rowan was younger and by younger I mean up to the age of 3yrs, we used to take her everywhere with us even if it was just a car ride to the local shops, because she needed the brainwork and this was just as tireing for a young Dobe as an hour in training school.

They do not like being the only dog in the house and will be on higher guard if they have sole responsibility for the familys security, add another dog to the equation and they'll drop it a notch.
They also do not like being left all day, this just doesn't work.

There is good breeding and very bad, so if I were to offer any advice, I would say find your local Dobermann club, there are quite a few around and they are a great source of education and research.

PM me if you would like web addresses etc.
 
Thanks guys for the fab advice!

I'm afraid that nothing is as embarassing as doing your first working trial with your gundog only for him to do a text book blind retrieve, get within 5 feet of you then decide to bugger off, have a wee while walking around then go and sniff the judge (who was complete with microphone) infront of a crowd. No breed has selective recall like a spangle! The worse bit is that he's so adorable! Luckily he looks like a pup so everyone thought it was just puppy jinx
 
I have a very close friend who adores the breed and has 2. She is also involved with doby rescue. I would just reiterate about the health issues - her lovely big boy has all kinds of health problems and really suffers. He is only 7 but has spent a lot of time at the vets and in fact, is back in tomorrow to remove yet another tumour. Interestingly she has always had 2 dogs which bears out the company issue and when she and her hubby lost their other dog earlier this year, the doby pined so badly it became a real issue to find him a friend again (and far more quickly then they wanted themselves)
 
Hahaha! Hope you mean a field trial, never seen a spangle at a working trial :p although you will have a better competitor at working trials if you do get a dobe :)
Sounds like you've come a long way with Archie, well done!
 
CaveCanem said:
Hahaha! Hope you mean a field trial, never seen a spangle at a working trial :p although you will have a better competitor at working trials if you do get a dobe :)
Sounds like you've come a long way with Archie, well done!
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Ah, that makes more sense, was just wondering why I had never heard of a blind retrieve in WTs.
They do love to show us up don't they Vicstress.:D
 
See what chance has he got when his stupid owner can't remember their discipline! I was researching dobes so had wt on my brain apologies!

Were starting our gundog course in a few weeks very exciting!

So at what age can I get my Doberman doing beating :p
 
I have one and she is amazing.
I have had Dobes since 1982 eek is that 29 years??
anyway, i would never have anything else.
very trainable, but do have to be trained from early age.
Agree that they are very sensitive, not sure what cc means by 'a pop in the neck' but i have never had to strike mine, they have always respnded to vocal stuff. too sensitive for anyone hitting them, they can be easily cowed.
Very intelligent and have to keep their mind stimulated.
Great house dogs, mine is sleeping beside me with her legs in the air, most ungainly.
Very affectionate
very loyal and protective and vocal.
mine doesn't whine, but is insistant with a funny wee growly noise to tell me what she wants. None of mine have been whingey.
be careful of your breeder, a lot hav ebrought in continental dogs for stud and their temperaments aren't normally as good.
Make sure their parents have been hip scored and their eyes checked. Mostly it is the diluted colours that have the skin problems. Never seen many problems with the black and rust.

way more good things than bad about them. My sasha lived til she was 14, but mostly between 10 and 12 is sort of the life span.
They are also very beautiful and lovely and gorgeous :D

ets ""So at what age can I get my Doberman doing beating""
i read that as ''give my dobe a beating'' lol
to answer that though, my dobe has an incredible nose, she will race off 100m or more to raise a pheasant, none of the other dogs have smelled it or heard it. So as long as you want it just for flushing you should be ok :D
 
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oh right, couldn't work it out. couldn't think why oyu would hit a dog in the neck lol, thought it was some GSD technique :p
never had a problem with that i must say, mine have never been THAT sensitive lol.
 
I had a x bred, Dobe x G S, Minka. I bought her as I wanted something that looked the part as I looked after 2 horses for friends down a rural dark lane. My JRT used to bugger off rabbiting so got Minnie. She was lovely but god did she whinge! Very well trained dog, loved doing stuff, always with me at the yards I worked at and never worried she would do anything naughty. Lost her last yr, to heart disease, she died in the garden :( aged about 12. I wouldn't get another incase it was a whinger but saying that, the GS bitch puppy I bought is a whinger too!!! Beautiful breed, stunning to look at and if we do get our own yard I will prob get a couple.
 
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