Brewster320

Hey I haven't posted on here since my first post awhile back trying to figure out what breed of dog I'm looking for. Well my father wants me to get a lab or a mix along those lines but as much as I like the breed they are just to common to really spark my interest. I have been looking at doberman's a little bit though as they seem like really beautiful and fun dogs. There are just a few things I am unsure about with them that I'd like to figure out.

How socialable should a well socialized Dobbie be? Would it be ok to say bring to family parties with other dogs and children their or would it protective instincts or wariness of strangers kick in? Would it be ok with people constantly coming in and out of the house as well?

I've heard they can have male on male aggression in the breed that is so bad to the point of a male Dobbie killing another male dog.

How are they with children? I don't have any kids but their are kids in my family that would be around from time to time and would be around the dog and I'm not going to lie may be pester it.

How are they about going out in public or wherever and doing anything from the park, hiking, the beach, out with the friends, ect?

How are they about meeting new people, if of course they are properly socialized?

And how would one compare a Dobbie to a more common dog breed like a lab that everyone knows their personality, temperament, and such?

Any other important things you think I should know about the breed would be good also. Not a definite for anytime soon but I just want to have an idea about it as a possibility. Thanks

Bigboy

Hi Brewster quite a bank of questions here which is good! Iam not a trainer but hopefully will try and answer some of them for you! Obviously some breeds are better suited to live in a home enviroment than other breeds. Have you done any research on line for the breed characteristics/tempermant etc? Early Socialisation is SO important and any unwanted behaviour nipped in the bud straight away and not left to escalte And with proper training should be ok with children any dog shouldn't not be left unsupervised with a child/toddler/baby and if a child etc is taunting/pestering a dog should a dog have to put up with it with out intervention from a adult? Accidents can be prevented by not allowing children to pester, pull etc at the dog! Meeting other people again should be fine so long as early socialistion has been kept going training never stops IMO. So have a long think about it and do some more research in to the breed and look for reputal breeders where both parents and living conditions can be seen etc, etc let us know any updates please

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Brewster320

Thanks for the info! I have researched the breed online and have found everything varying from "If well socialized they should get along with everyone" to "Their protective instincts make them untrustworthy with people outside the family." Which obviously leads to a lot of confusion. I do know a lot of aggression has been bred out of the breed so a lot of the bad rumors about them come from 20, 30, 40 years ago. So I just want to here the truth from a dobbie's owners mouth if you will.

Also I would never allow kids to completely pest one of my dogs, I was just curious how much they would put up with incase I takes me some time to notice or I'm not the adult on the scene. For example a lab would put up with a lot more from kids than say a Chihuahua would.

And thanks again. I just like to throughly research and figure out every detail before I go into it.

Bigboy

No Problem! And I respect your huge efforts to find out as much as you can on this breed A lot wouldn't go as far as you have and just have a Dobbie purley based on it's looks it does happen I am sure there are Dobbie owners on here and that's the breed they hae always had or members that have had them as pets as a one off breed that's passed away and they have gone for different breed the next dog they get. It's good to hear coments on both sides too

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DeeLind7

Brewster, my Sister had two dobies. A male and a female. The male was a show dog, and her female was top notch in obedience. Both of her dogs were nothing more than big babies. It's all about the training. Early socialization is key for any breed. That means introducing them to children in a supervised environment, other adults, dogs... car rides. Doberman's only look mean, because of their cropped ears and docked tails. They look like a completly different dog with a long tail and floppy ears. Reguardless of what kind of dog you decide on, he/she will be exactly what you train it to be.

Kaos

This isn't strictly true. Whilst early and ongoing socialisation and training are vitally important, and will have a huge impact on the dog you end up with, genetics are also important and can not be overlooked.

Any guarding breed will typically need more socialisation than a non guarding breed, and some individuals will still not achieve the same level result. If your number one criteria is high sociability to all strangers in all situations, then I wouldn't advise you to choose a guarding breed. You might get lucky, do a very good job with socialisation, and end up with what you want, but you also may not. Certainly I know examples of dobermans who are highly social with strangers and would cope with family party scenario, but it is not a guaranteed outcome.

Dobermans are a large athletic breed, who can be fairly high drive. Again, this is not something that will suit all pet homes, so make sure if you choose this breed you are very committed to significant amounts of exercise and training. Does this suit your lifestyle?

Lucky Nucky Pie

I agree. You can't socialize past what genetics gives you. A genetically shy dog will never be as bold as a genetically friendly/confident dog.

The only Doberman I know personally (as in, came up to it, interacted with it, and talked with its owner) is a puppy about 6 months old and has major issues with stimulation of any kind being too much. She will literally go into panic attack mode and is always stressed. Her owner is doing her best and did everything on the checklist of what to do with a new puppy (except making sure you got your puppy from a reputable source). Her dog's issues have become the norm to her, so she just seems checked out about how big they are. Beautiful dog, but her quality of life seems very low to me. If you like all about how a Doberman should be in theory, make sure to get from a reputable breeder or get a rescue.

Monkey

And not only that, a doberman require a lot of walking and mental stimulation, running in the backyard will not be enough for this kind of dog and that will create issues right there esp in the socialization part. My second rescue was a doberman, now he came from very stable lines and despite severe abuse he was pretty easy to fix. However this was in Sweden, I don't know the american lines very well, but Ive met a few dobies as a trainer, a couple have been great, a couple have been jumpy. My intact male dobie (In my country we dont spay and neuter) got along with everything and everyone, but his great grandma scored full score on the mental health test we do in my country. Dobies from such lines are not very common.

If I were you If you really want a doberman, look at WORKING line dobies, go and visit the breeder, if the parental animals are nice and social, if they don't react to sudden noises like gun fire, fire crackers etc, then take a chance. But know this, you will have to walk and socialize a dog like that 3-4 hours a day for the first 2-3 years when he's maturing to ensure he turns into that kind of dog you are describing. And the male dog on dog aggression I can not guarantee, if attacked it will defend itself and after that any dog can change. If he grows up with the family dogs it shouldn't be a problem with them, if you have more male dogs in your family I'd recommend to get a female..

Dobies are a lot of work and be prepared when they don't get what they want they will whistle and whine through their nose and sound like a teapot.

I remember whenI got my rescue, I spent 4-5 hours out in the snow covered woods working with him and his trust issues.. It was cold!! But you choose such a dog all you can do is bundle up. Now I have a little pitbull who's much lazier than previous dobie and rottweiler, fits my busy life much better..

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FrenchFace

How socialable should a well socialized Dobbie be? Dobermans can be very social. My boy loves most people. Not all dobes are like this, but most that I have met love people.

I've heard they can have male on male aggression in the breed that is so bad to the point of a male Dobbie killing another male dog. - yes males can be same sex aggressive, neutering and lots of training and training classes helps.

How are they with children? my dog likes kids, but likes to lick them too much and scares most of them. generaly dobes are very very good with kids when well trained.

How are they about going out in public or wherever and doing anything from the park, hiking, the beach, out with the friends, ect? My dobe does good with this, but only because he has been to about 5 or 6 different training classes and because I watch EVERYTHING. owning a doberman is a lot like walking around with a loaded gun. no matter how much training you do, they need to be treated as such. I never trust him around ppl I don't know, unless I am right there, I never ever let him go up to dogs I don't know. This might just be me being overprotective,but this is not a dog for a first time owner, they are tough, fast and need constant training and sociliazing.

How are they about meeting new people, if of course they are properly socialized? excited.

And how would one compare a Dobbie to a more common dog breed like a lab that everyone knows their personality, temperament, and such? hyper, loving, loyal, goofy, loveable, tough, determined, can be stubborn, but very smart.

Any other important things you think I should know about the breed would be good also.
again, not a breed for a first time dog owner!!! can be stubborn, but very smart. they need to constantly be working and they need to know who is in charge in the house and repsect that at all times. never, NEVER, let them think it is ok to growl, bark or snap at you or they will walk all over you and it will not end well.

with all that said, I love my doberman and will never be without one, they are the most goofy, loveable, trainable dog I have owned.

Intense. that is a good word for them......

FrenchFace

[QUOTE=Monkey;392483]
If I were you If you really want a doberman, look at WORKING line dobies, [QUOTE]

I actually would not recommend this..... these dogs are very "up", high prey drive, and can be very very hard to live with.

I would contact a AKC show breeder and get a pet quality pup out of a high quality litter.