It’s long, sorry … 8 years of stress and frustration to get through …
Ive had big dogs all my life. Grew up with golden retrievers and Irish setters. I always had a thing for German shepherds so as soon as I was able to get my own dog I got my first german shepherd. Over the years I’ve had 3 German shepherds and a Rottweiler. Never any problems with any of them.
Then after a few years of not having a dog I decided to go for a dobermann. Did tons of research, I knew it would be hard work but I didn’t think it would be much harder than a German shepherd.
Well fuck me.
I bought a 10 week old dobermann pup - good breeder - a number of champions in the line … she was the PERFECT puppy. No chewing at all, housetrained within 2 weeks, fine being left for a few hours, excelled in all her obedience classes, did kennel club bronze, I started her in hoopers which she was brilliant at … then all of a sudden it all went tits up. Seemingly overnight she changed. She started being a nightmare in her classes … it was almost as if she thought to herself “what would happen if I don’t do what they say?” “What would happen if I attack that other dog?” “What would happen if - instead of obeying, I fight back?”
Long story short she was thrown out of her obedience classes due to how disruptive she became. Instead we were invited to one on one training … on the first session she bit the trainer (didn’t draw blood).
I took her to a behaviourist who said she was frustrated due to her very high intelligence. I started doing more mind games with her (was already doing a lot!) and she enjoyed them but if you wasn’t doing it all fucking day she got frustrated. I upped the exercise … 2 hour walks twice a day … the dog would NOT tire. No matter what you did she was like a machine. I took her to dobermann expert who said similar to behaviourist … exceptional intelligence but completely unhinged. By this point she had attacked two other dogs and was now muzzled which was adding to her frustration. … all this was within the first 5 years!!!
I was assured she would calm down when she hit 2 … then 3 … then 5 … she’s now 8 and exactly the same as she was at 1 year old. My whole life revolves around her. I can’t move without her getting excited, jumping up to her feet and going nuts throwing herself into walls etc
yet on the other hand I can leave her alone for 8 hours (I don’t but have on occasion been unexpectedly stuck at work) and she does not put a foot wrong in the house whilst I’m gone.
im tired. She wakes up at 5am and is immediately up and rearing to go for a full day of chaos. This energy lasts until gone 11pm. I can’t relax, she doesn’t settle. She gets so much exercise that I’m absolutely knackered myself but nobody else can walk her because of what she’s like.
Shes so intune to me that I only have to have a fleeting thought about getting up and she seems to get a telepathic signal and jumps to her feet. I find myself not even wanting to go to toilet because I know it will set her off.
I love her dearly but my god 8 years in prison would have been kinder to my mental health.
Not even sure why I’m posting, I’m just exhausted and needed to vent. This will be my last ever dog. I’ve been put off for life. I can’t even have visitors because she’s so reactive and unpredictable.
Anyone else ever had a nightmare dog?
(she’s had multiple medical tests, she has no physical health issues).