Dobermans

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sapphire210

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Hi - I am a newbie on H & H forums so a big hello to everyone here. Sadly I lost my GSD a month ago at a fairly young age and sadness has overcome me and my family.:( The lack of activity in our home and the silence when we come in is almost unbearable. Whilst we are in no rush we have decided that we don't want to go with the same breed again as we could never replace him. I've had dogs for 20 years but never known anyone who has had a doberman. We are very keen to discover more about this breed and your knowledge as owners would be greatly appreciated. I am aware of von willebrand disease and Dilated Cardiomyopathy following a chat with my vet. I am not looking for a dog with cropped ears as I'm not big on this but anything you can tell me about your experience of this breed as family pets would be much appreciated. Thank you :)
 
We had 2 dobes growing up as family pets and the were both excellent family pets very loyal and very good with all members.
These were bought as puppies and as my parents had no previous experience with the breed got one to one training so they had good training from day 1, she also helped with socialising then so they were very good and that respect too.
I would highly recommend them as a family pet if proper training is put in place as I think there to big a breed to not be well mannered. If your going to get a puppy go to a proper breeder and see both parents.
Dobegirl is a good person to speak to she also has rescue dobes.
Zoe
 
Thanks Zoe - lovely to hear that your family had a good experience when your parents had not had the breed before -yes I realise finding a decent breeder could be a challenge. Jusy noticed a thread by dobiegirl so thank you
for pointing me in that direction:D
 
My grandparents used to rehome retired police dogs. The first I remember was a liver-coloured Dobie who had failed the sniffer dog test for getting too playful with a cushion!
I remember it being a lovely thing, us grandkids were all aged between 6-0 at the time and we used it for pony rides, for mountaineering and all sorts of unholy things that nowadays I wouldn't dream of doing with even the most placid dog.
I remember one winter with a lot of snow and we were trying to build a snowman and the dobie kept spoiling our attempts by WALKING through the snowpile and breaking it apart.

They had a JRT at the same time and that was a holy terror. We learnt quickly that we couldn't play with her the same way!
My main memory of the two of them, was that the JRT would start all sorts of fights in the park and then run and hide behind the dobie for protection!
 
Hi Karran
I really smiled after reading your post................that's really cute being playful with a cushion when was supposed to be sniffing...aaaahhhhh!! I'm hearing a fair few good things about the breed and I do know that they can become a good reflection of how they are treated so with the firm but kind and loving approach we take with training we are likely to end up with a soppy lump that protects our family well!!
:)
 
Hi Sapphire

Ive owned 4 Dobes now who were all rescues and I adore the breed, they are not for the faint hearted and need lots of exercise,training and early socialisation. Most Dobes who go into rescue with behaviour problems are dog aggressive due to not being socialised but if you do this you will not have a problem.

They do need a lot of exercise but obviously not too much when they are young and lots of training, they need a firm but fair hand and respond by being extremely loving and affectionate. They are natural clowns and will take the p*** if you let them, all mine have been to training classes and my only bitch is very good at agility. My agility trainer also owns and competes a Dobe at quite a high level and there are also 2 others at my club who are higher up than me. They are extremely fast dogs and very agile and all mine have been ruthless killers of fur and feather. We dont have cats but if they are brought up with them they get on very well.

Go for the best dog you can afford one that is health tested VWD clear,hips elbows score low and that is bred for temperment. There are a lot of dogs coming over from the continent with uncertain temperments so that is something to beware of.

Chestnutnuttymare on here also has a lovely Dobe bitch and has had Dobes for many years, also Lachlandanmarcus has Monty and a few others so our numbers are growing.

They dont crop ears in this country and most Dobes have tails now, please feel free to ask anymore questions.:)
 
Our Daisy doberman is a super family dog- soppy and cuddly, great with children and nervous people.
At night time she turns into a very scary guard dog though and trots around our perimeter fences, barking loudly to let everyone know she is there.

She doesn't need much exercise at all, she is very lazy! She likes her walks but lies around sunbathing and sleeping for around 22 hours everyday :)
Compared to our German Shorthaired Pointer she is positively comotose!

She went to puppy socialisation classes and I would definitely recommend that as she is super friendly to everyone and I am sure that is from those classes.

The only BUT with Daisy is her single track determination to kill anything small and fluffy- she has killed countless pheasants, rabbits, rats, crows etc on walks and even once had to have a kitten removed from her mouth- thankfully still alive! :)
 
I currently have a cross, who I've been told has a lot of dobe personality & traits. I'd never had one before, but grew up with pyreneans & had experience of rotties too. I've found really a lot of the basic training is the same as with most guard breeds. Socializing & learning that you are pack leader are essential, & good training. Mines a fantastic family dog, now 9 & daughters 7 so grown up together, really couldn't have found a better dog for her to grow up with. Has had rocking horse tack & dolls on, she nail varnished his claws once & random other kid stuff. And he's not just tolerated it, actively goes to join in. At the same time, I know he'll act as a guard dog when required, but happy enough with strangers if I invite them in. Mines the exception with the cats though, will chase them but backs off if they stay still & hiss, but been round them a lot. Will chase squirrels, rats, rabbits etc but more likely to throw them up in the air than kill them.
 
Thanks so much to all of you for all the help, I never do anything lightly and you sure can't mess about with getting the right information when you've never dealt with a certain breed before so I am extremely grateful! Thank you.
 
Monty Doberman got diagnosed with cardiomyopathy today :-(( I know its very common in Dobes but he'd always been clear before (he's 8).

Ive read today its less common in girl Dobes so that might be worth considering.

He does like to chase cats/livestock so we have excellent fencing but as far as people are concerned he is absolutely perfect temperament (despite being a rescue at 18 months) - I would FAR more trust him with a wee one than our Border terrier!

If he gets something stuck in his throat you can just reach in and pull it out, if he goes to the vet he is perfectly behaved (as long as we can leave via the fire exit so he doesnt try and eat the rest of the clientele). Our vet is a great fan of his, and he's a long serving vet, but he really does rate Dobermans and Monty is a great favourite of his.

Unlike some guarding breeds most Dobermans have to be trained to show any aggression towards people, and I would say with the normal supervision you would exercise with children with any dog, they are very very suitable as family dogs.

Ear clipping has been illegal for years in UK and tail docking was also banned for Dobies a few years back so happily any Dobe you get should come with a lovely full set. Although that tail is set just at the right level to sweep spectacles off faces when people are sitting on sofas.

You will notice if you get a Dobe that
When happy they wag their tails.
When very happy their tail goes round and round in a circle
When really really happy their ears go all flat against their head and back so it looks like they have no ears!

I love them soooo much!! A real racehorse of a dog. Just hope I get to enjoy mine for a while longer (he's on Vetmedin from today)
 
lachlanandmarcus said:
Monty Doberman got diagnosed with cardiomyopathy today :-(( I know its very common in Dobes but he'd always been clear before (he's 8).

Ive read today its less common in girl Dobes so that might be worth considering.

He does like to chase cats/livestock so we have excellent fencing but as far as people are concerned he is absolutely perfect temperament (despite being a rescue at 18 months) - I would FAR more trust him with a wee one than our Border terrier!

If he gets something stuck in his throat you can just reach in and pull it out, if he goes to the vet he is perfectly behaved (as long as we can leave via the fire exit so he doesnt try and eat the rest of the clientele). Our vet is a great fan of his, and he's a long serving vet, but he really does rate Dobermans and Monty is a great favourite of his.

Unlike some guarding breeds most Dobermans have to be trained to show any aggression towards people, and I would say with the normal supervision you would exercise with children with any dog, they are very very suitable as family dogs.

Ear clipping has been illegal for years in UK and tail docking was also banned for Dobies a few years back so happily any Dobe you get should come with a lovely full set. Although that tail is set just at the right level to sweep spectacles off faces when people are sitting on sofas.

You will notice if you get a Dobe that
When happy they wag their tails.
When very happy their tail goes round and round in a circle
When really really happy their ears go all flat against their head and back so it looks like they have no ears!

I love them soooo much!! A real racehorse of a dog. Just hope I get to enjoy mine for a while longer (he's on Vetmedin from today)
Click to expand...

Im really sorry to hear your news about Monty, hopefully the drugs keep him stable and he remains a constant in your life. Please keep us posted and lots of luck for you both.
 
My only experience of Dobes was a bitch owned by my aunt and uncle when I was a child, dog-obsessed & dogless. She was a wonderful bitch, aloof but gentle, obedient - I used to walk her with my uncle, she would disappear into the woods, one tweet from the whistle and she would immediately appear - the kind of the dog that commanded respect (even as a young child, I felt it) and she got along fine with their two Siamese cats!:)
 
I have a female dobie. She is a lovely girl. The best behaved of all my 4 dogs. She is quiet and chilled in the house but loves to run and run and run outside :) she gets on well with other dogs and is a very affectionate girl. She thinks she is a lap dog :)
 
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