Doberman owner's...some questions

I'm a firm believer in doing proper research and finding out of a certain breed will fit into the lifestyle you have.

If you've "wanted one for awhile now" why are you just asking these questions now, potentially a few weeks away from getting a puppy?
You should already know the answers to all of these because you've read up on the breed, been in contact with several breeders, and other owners and asked all of those questions and worked out if this breed will fit into your lifestyle and if you will be the right sort of owners.

It also sounds like "someone selling a litter" is a backyard breeder and not a registered breeder, otherwise any legitimate breeder would have already made sure you were a suitable owner and you would already know the answers to these questions. Plus with a backyard breeder you'll have no idea what sort of dog you are really getting in terms of possible temperament and health.

If you are going to a own a big dog, that is intelligent and strong and capable of doing someone a serious injury if they are not trained and handled properly, then you have a responsibility not only to your kids, but also to both of the dogs to make sure you know everything before you make a decision...not just ask a couple of questions on a general message board, you need to be in contact with legitimate, registered breeders and other long term owners.

Check with your home insurance company as they may have a breed blacklist which may include dobermans

I wanted a Samoyed for a long time (since I was 16) and didn't finally get my first one until I was in my 40's. So I know what you mean

I only know one person with a dobie and her boy is awesome. But they live across the state from me so I don't know him personally. I would do an internet search for dobie message boards (in addition to asking first hand here). I'm on a German Shepherd Dog message board and it's a really good place to get breed specific answers and really see what your breed owners are dealing with on a daily basis

Please truly understand what you're getting into. One of my old neighbors used to rescue Dobermans - and the vast majority of time it was because their owners did not understand the inherent characteristics of the breed. These dogs were bred to guard and protect. If not properly socialized - they will guard and protect in ways that are problematic. They also have a HUGE need for exercise or can become destructive.

I'm a Doberman owner. Mr Finch is 9 years old & is stuck to me right now! I haven't been anywhere in my house without him. He is a retired show dog & I got him when he retired at 3. He gets along great with my Rottie & really gets along with my 3 cats. He had his own cat, Marlene for years & she died, he was so sad.

They has a tendency to pick one person to "protect" but will protect the whole family! Mr Finch is a family dog but likes to pick his own friends, he doesn't like my parents dog so they don't hang out together. Nobody comes into my house without calling out his name so he knows who is coming in. I live on 6 acres so he has plenty of room to run but I will admit he has torn up the grass in the backyard. I'm not as bothered by this as my DH is. I figure it's the least I can put up from him bc he is such a great dog & great companion for me, the Rottie & cats!

This Doberman has been one of the best dogs I have ever had. He is so loyal & happy, clown like. I have always had large breed dogs, If you haven't had one before then you find out quickly that they are awesome but think they are lap dogs!

Mr. Finch is red with a white blaze going down his chest. He truly is a stunning boy.

delil

I don't own a Doberman myself, but my best friend has one. I totally LOVE that dog, but I would never want to own one. First, she's HUGE - around 96-110lbs (depending on the season) and her claws are incredibly large and strong - when she plays, she slaps at you with her paws - not an animal I would feel comfortable having around children younger than about 14. She's also very clumsy which makes her unintentionally destructive. Thankfully, she's very well trained, but my friend has trained quite a few dogs in her time and said that the Doberman was the most stubborn and difficult to train out of all the other dogs she's had.

Something else to consider, Dobermans aren't born the way that they're depicted as the breed standard. You'll have to make a decision on whether or not you want to have their ears clipped and tail docked (some people see that as mutilation for cosmetic purposes). The ear clipping can be quite an ordeal. It wasn't an inexpensive procedure when all was said and done - Poor baby had her ears taped for MONTHS which required weekly vet visits and caused all sorts of infections and other issues. And now, two years later, her ears still don't stand up the way they're "supposed" to.

It honestly doesn't sound like you're ready for a Dobie in your family - at the very least, you and your DH should be on the same page before deciding to take in a dog.

Read everything you can about training a dog BEFORE you get the dog. Be ready to be the alpha dog, not the dog itself. Train the dog every day, from day 1. Yes, you can train an 8 week old puppy. 5 minutes at a time, short and sweet. Don't let the puppy do anything that you wouldn't let an adult dog do, including mouthing in play and jumping on people. Say what you mean and mean what you say. If you tell the dog to come, you are going to have to get up and make the dog come to you EVERY time. I don't know much about dobermans, but for my lab, I carry treats in my pockets at all times. I want her to obey me instantly, without hesitation. That's the only way I'd have a big dog (and I'm a big dog fan--just labs and goldens are my wheel house.)

We had a chow mix for about 7 years before we had DS. She was VERY protective of him--almost jumped in the cradle the first time he cried the day he came home. But she was protective all through her remaining years--too much so. We would have to crate her or close her up in a separate room anytime anyone came over that wasn't part of the family.

HUGE POOP.

Seriously!!!

They are somewhat stubborn, but are very trainable.

We loved ours so much!

They are not aggressive by natural instinct--those you "see on TV" that are all gnashing teeth are trained to be that way (aggressive).

They are wonderful with kids as they get acclimated with one another.

The entire family should partake in training too.

    Exactly! Not only do you want to do your research about breeds and know absolutely for sure that this breed is right for you-you should by the time the puppy arrives have read at least 2-3 books on dog training and know how to train the puppy before day 1 ever arrives. I know that sounds over the top, but it isn't. It's what good owners do to end up with well behaved dogs that are a joy to live with, not dogs with annoying habits and problems. It's not the dog's fault, it's the owners because they didn't know any better. You have to know how to respond right away when the puppy starts jumping on you each time, every time (consistently is THE key in dog training) so that it doesn't become a life long happy when the puppy grows into a huge dog. This starts the very first day the puppy comes home. 

If the puppy is home a month before you read a book, or take him to a puppy kindergarten lesson to learn the jumping on people is forbidden how confusing is that for him when for an entire month he's been getting away with it and has had mixed up signals and incorrect ones? 

I'm not trying to make it sound like getting a puppy is a tough, impossible job to do-it isn't. I'm just trying to let you know from experience that doing the extra work now beforehand will pay off a thousandfold in the future. A few good books are "The Art of Raising a Puppy" by The Monks of New Skete and "Mother Knows Best-the Natural Way to Train Your Dog" by Carol Lea Benjamin. These might not be the newest books, but they are classics. I used them to raise my German Shepherd Dog Holly back in 1994 and went on to train her in obedience, advanced obedience. and off leash work. We were just starting to train for search and rescue work when I became chronically ill  and had to discontinue that work. It was so sad, she would have been perfect for it.

Holly was the first dog I trained like this-I did it myself with the books and a combination of classes. It taught me that having a well trained dog was worth every bit of time and trouble. Of course you don't have to do any where near the extent I did with Holly-she was a special case. But even a little bit-Puppy Kindergarten and Basic Obedience I believe is what every dog should have. Knowing what to expect when she first came home to us after reading those first two books really helped me a lot.

Debbie in MD.  

I think you have got good responses on choosing a dobie, doing research, training so I will just tell you about ours. We had one for 11 years. We got her from the neighbor who had two full-blood females and one was visited by the male dogs, so the puppies were not a full blood but also were not from a backyard breeder. We don't know the dad (could have been my mutt). Ginger was the biggest sweetie and scaredy at the same time (the other female wasn't very nice to her). We got her around 8 weeks and she was my baby. I had never had a big dog before and she was fine. Easily trained. She was destructive in her 12-24 month stage, but what dog isn't. I was a bit apprehensive when we had kids because she was a little timid and toddlers scared her with their noise. Well, 6 months of checking out the non-moving baby was all she needed to decide that baby was hers! I'm biased because since Ginger, I just kept going bigger. She was about 65 pounds. My dogs since then have been 90, 110 and now 60.

Because I was just talking about our sweet daub, I thought I'd add a pic

my co-worker and his partner have one.
Backyard breeder/friend - don't even start with me cuz he heard it all from me.
Anyway, they have an older Boxer and he wanted a puppy.

I recommended puppy class (and going thru it now with our pitty rescue pup) - that got ignored.
His puppy chews ...everything, including I found out a crate we gave him to borrow, which he had to buy from us.
His puppy barks (it's now a year old and the neighbor has reported him) - and barks and barks.
He got a trainer - I suggested a class because of socialization aspects (he's a good dog, but needs a JOB and training). Nope, they got a private trainer. I think he's come out twice.
Now dog goes to doggy day care so the neighbor is happy.
Said doggy day care costs more than my child's day care cost (back in the day).
Dog comes home, is tired (sorta) and doesn't irritate the neighbor.
$850+ a month for part time day care.

They are dogs that need a job, need training (every day), and need boundaries.
My co-worker has the dog that ends up at the shelter because of issues because neither one is a pack leader, they don't do training, and there's no boundaries.

If you're prepared to make training a priority, set boundaries and be that leader, then the dream dobie will be awesome. We had a neighbor years ago, and his Dobie was incredibly trained - he was awesome to watch just obey a simple hand movement and he loved his owner.

Meanwhile, we're in pitty puppy (part horse thing) training class hell - puppy thinks its fun to leap into arms - so we're working on it too. And its hard when you're tired at the end of work.

 ETA - I'm ordering that book!!

This came up on Yahoo today. I could have had many of the same pics with our doberman.


www.onegreenplanet.org/news/this-little-girl-and-her-doberman-share-the-most-amazing-bond/

I forgot about that - yes! My uncle's Doberman could be scared by the poodle if the poodle asserted herself... Also was scared of thunder... This was before Thundershirts, and you always knew when a storm was coming because she'd get a poor me look on her face and would ask/try to climb onto your lap... She needed a lap, arms around her, and you talking to her to keep her from shaking... Fearless when she needed to be, but at home and around 'safe' people she's show her vulnerability... It was endearing...