To really want a Doberman?

[ProgBannar]

Beautiful dogs, elegant, protective, intelligent - despite their rep I am obsessed with them and want one desperately.

I have owned German shepherds and Rottweilers in the past so I'm used to "strong willed dogs" but even so, everyone looks at me like I'm nuts when I say I want a Doberman! AIBU?

Well, I don't like them but whatev.

Much prefer German Shepherds.

I think they’re gorgeous dogs! I was raised with German shepherds and rotties. I love them. Beautiful creatures. But I just wouldn’t have one of either breed. I don’t know enough about them to know to raise them properly and i have children so wouldn’t want to risk anything going wrong.

Since you have experience with similar breeds then go for it, we had a Doberman German Shepard mix and he was a right softie. I don’t understand people who get chihuahua and pugs 😂

Once you get it people who love them will gravitate, I think most people appreciate a well trained friendly dog over all.

I have to say though, I honestly don’t know the last time I saw a Doberman IRL. Rotties and GSD yes but not a Doberman.

Very elegant looking dogs, I agree. But if you were my friend, I would not visit your house, let my children visit your house, or walk on the same side of the road as your dog. Too many people cannot treat or control potentially dogs properly and I would not go near one. Having said that, I don't know you from Adam so do what you want!

Potentially dangerous

They’re gorgeous dogs. But the aggression is a strong trait. You’ll have your work cut out for you, training wise. They are innately aggressive towards strangers (because they are highly protective of you). This could bring risk.

I have a chocolate lab-vizsla cross which often gets mistaken for a Doberman. All the beauty of a Doberman with all the loveliness of a lab and loyalty of a vizsla. Consider it! It could be a compromise... and an excellent one.

Or a German Pointer? Beautiful dogs. Weimaraner as well. Beautiful.

Is that you, Lynda? You can see why Robert is a bit unsure about a Doberman .

They are gorgeous dogs, I prefer Rottweiler's but both are lovely looking.

A compromise could be a miniature pinchesr?

I'm a vet and honestly I've never known a nasty dobie! As a breed they are nice dogs.

As long as you get them from a decent breeder, you’d be fine... badly bred ones can have decidedly dodgy temperaments though.

Another vet here and also have yet to come across an aggressive Dobie, although you don't actually see all that many of them these days which I think is a shame. They're very intelligent and need plenty of training and physical and mental stimulation but the Kennel Club describe them as 'excellent family dogs'. They have a natural tendency to guard but as long as they are properly trained and sensitively handed they are great dogs. The main concern I would have would be health; there are heart issues in the breed (dilated cardiomyopathy), and reputable breeders will heart screen breeding dogs regularly as well as one-off hip scoring and a DNA test for von Willebrand's Disease. Unfortunately DCM screening only tells you if the dog is clear at the present time, not if they will develop the condition in the future or pass it on to their progeny, but the more known family history the better:
www.ukdobermannpartnership.co.uk/dcm.html

Yanbu, beautiful dogs! There are a pair of them that live in the house next door to DDs school, I see them being walked occasionally and always admire them. I'd love to give them a fuss but their owner is not the approachable type unfortunately. As you have experience with 'strong willed' dogs, I say go for it if you can!

If you do decide to get a Doberman make sure all the right tests are done for the litter. My dog (a lovely mutt) has just been diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy and when I was researching it I found that almost 60% of dobermans (dobermen?) have DCM.

Lovely dogs, but please don't crop their ears and tails, and don't buy from a breeder who does. Cruel and unnecessary.

Cross posted with VetOnCall there, didn't realise there weren't any tests for DCM.

We’re lucky enough to live on the edge of a very large bit of doggy parkland.
There are dogs of all shapes and sizes and they’re all lovely.
There’s so much more guidance and knowledge available now.
Certain breeds may need a bit more input than others but, as long as you’re willing to put in the hard work, space and time to give the dog what they need to fit into the human world, you should go for it.

Dobermanns are much less fashionable now so good breeders are easier to find too.

We had two when I was growing up. One was lovely and placid, the other was really aggressive and had a strong guarding instinct. Especially around my step dad.

I would recommend researching breeders for family bred pups.

I once took my spaniel to a socialisation class for adult dogs run by a lady who bred and rescued Dobermans. There were about 5 Dobrmans in the class, some GSDs, Staffies, an EBT and my spaniel....guess which was the only one showing active aggression. Yep, it was my happy looking little spaniel. The Dobermans were immaculately behaved and beautiful. One of them was red rather than the usual colours, which I’d never seen before. The trainer did emphasise heavily that as a breed they need to be well trained and socialised.

Oh Jesus for a second I thought you meant those storage units and then I realised you meant ottoman.

I grew up with Dobermen, had my parents shit bricks when I as a toddler went up to Alpha, opened the mouth and grabbed the bone. Never been bitten or scared by a Doberman. Riesenschnauzer on the other hand were more aggressive in my experience. The one thing that the Dobermen I grew with had a lot of was training and exercise, long runs every single day! They are very protective, but when they know friends and family and brought up properly through socializing this would not cause a problem for people visiting.

Grew up with them.

The last one was my fave. He was a pansy. Hated :
Puddles
Hoovers

Loved;
Treats
Thought he was a lap dog
Cuddles
My mum
Eating horse poo. Ugh.

We trained him from a v young age so that we could remove and touch his dog
Bowl even if eating, not to beg , he and I used to spend time watching tv and he like to have his paw on my foot , my hand in his mouth and his ultimate fave was shoving his head in between your knees to demand ear
Massage.

He died at the grand old age of 13 and was utterly divine.

I miss him daily! He was the best and kindest dog even at 50kg. All loved him.

Dogs are only aggressive if trained to be
Or unloved. Neglected. Have known more aggressive Dalmatians or labs or ankle biters.

Also a vet, have never met a nasty Dobermann but only once met a nice miniature pinscher... virtually all of those are snappy balls of seething anxiety. Doberman have another common and heartbreaking health issue however, which is wobbler syndrome. If you can get a healthy one they can be magnificent.

We have a red Doberman. She is wonderful with the smaller dog and with the cats. Even the kitten could steal her food. She is very needy; lots and lots of exercise, Kongs and affection. We previously had Rottweilers and dobermans are very different!

YANBU, they are stunning dogs. Strong, loving and elegant. Since you already have experience of owning a GSD and a rottie, and presumably trained them to be well behaved pets, then I don’t see any reason why Dobermann would be an issue.