To ask you to help me choose my DOG BREED? Doberman or Boxer

[SweatyYFronts]

DH and I are getting a puppy. We’re undecided between two breeds though ...

Doberman and Boxer

I’m autistic so tend to read a hell of a lot of info and statistics regarding stuff I’m interested in. Everything I’ve read tends to say that a Doberman has a more stable temperament than a boxer. Infact, boxers have killed more people than Doberman’s have and have also severely injured more people in attacks than Doberman’s.

DH is adamant that he wants a boxer “because they’re cute and funny” but the statistics are right there! I know the majority are lovely dogs and they are funny but as I say ... the statistics, research and info suggests that a Doberman would be a safer option.

We have a french bulldog already. So new dog would need to be “dog friendly” and again, Doberman seems better in this regard.

I intend to take the dog to training classes and socialising classes etc whichever breed we get but I’m thinking a Doberman will be easier to train? Not as crazy and a bit more stable?

I am in touch with breeders of both dogs. Both have puppies ready in a few weeks.

German pointer, quite big, lots of energy, intelligent.
You would probably prefer the black ones as they are not too dissimilar to dobermans.

staffy all the way

Siberian Husky.

That's the right answer. But you need to be very careful about letting them off the lead.

I don't know why PP are recommending JRTs, Weims and Vizslas for an OP who wants a dog with low prey drive. JRTs are ratters par excellence, and Weims and Vizslas are hunt point retrievers - the clue is in the name. You can manage the prey drive of an HPR, but it takes consistent training, and even the best-trained of them are known for legging it off over the horizon in pursuit of a hare.

@Gth1234 don’t be ridiculous. The Sibe hardly fits the OP criteria!

I would widen the search to Weimerana and Viszla too.
These breeders..... where did you find them please?

And German Pointers are bloody fantastic, intelligent, affectionate dogs but again, they're HPRs with lots of prey drive.

@ednclouda since when was a staff a big breed?

The Bull Terrier is another breed that has been ruined.

The caption for this one says
"It seems incredible that at one time the Bull Terrier was a handsome, athletic dog. Somewhere along its journey to a mutated skull and thick abdomen the bull terrier also picked up a number of other maladies like supernumerary teeth and compulsive tail-chasing."

I have had three boxers and they are the best dog breed as far as I am concerned. They are incredibly loving and full of personality.

My friend has an English pointer, doesn't seem to have much prey drive. Is generally a big soppy bound about type of dog
I grew up with GSDs so I like big dogs!

That German Pointer is beautiful.

@Vivavivienne

The Siberian husky is the best dog there is. Except for the bit about being careful before you let them off the lead.

Friendly, non guarding, lovely temperament, love both cool and the warm. And they aren't short haired, so although they might be the dogs bollocks, they don't display them to all and sundry.

Can get a bit wolf like when guarding their dinner, in which case gauntlets are useful. :)

In all honestly, I know you've decided on these 2 breeds based on bring family /dog friendly, however the 2 you are looking at are VERY different energy and stimulation requirements from your Frenchie! And this in its self can be hard to juggle. Might be worth extending your research into a wider range again focusing on the enegery levels and then put all your info together (which by the sound of it you wouldn't mind doing 😊) I'm speaking from experience of having 2 large breed dogs who are great examples of Thier breeds and both amazing family and general animal friendly dogs, but their energies are very different and it makes walks a nightmare lol I end up doing separate things with each to satisfy both their needs. I didn't realise at the time at all. Best of luck to you choosing. There's no rush or time limit so don't feel pushed or pressured because of what's on offer now 😊

@Gth1234 how on earth is Siberian Husky the right answer?!

She wants short coat for low maintenance (Sibes shed like mad) and most have an absolutely horrific prey drive.

I don’t think Siberian Husky is right for most families to be honest.

So I'm wrong.

I fancied a Basenji once, but I don't know whether they make good pets. Just had a look, and it sounds like they are worse than a husky!

So it's a West Highland White, or a Bichon Frise. Maybe a Finnish Spitz (what can I say, I like the Spitz/Husky look)

Aren't modern boxers rampant droolers? I wouldn't want to deal with that.

Yes @hopeless... that's my boy... All teeth and tail chasing

I would avoid going for a Doberman simply because of the dire state of health in the breed. Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) is endemic within the breed and its prevalence is only increasing due to the poor genetic diversity within the breed.

That's so sad. I knew it was a problem years ago, but haven't seen anything about it for ages, so hoped that screening and selective breeding had made it less common. I've just read that, while they've identified 2 genetic mutations that are linked with DCM, there have also been many cases of DCM in the breed where neither of the mutations have been present.

That kind of rules out preventive breeding and, having known someone who lost a dobe to this awful disease, I would not countentance getting one.

You said you wanted to do obedience OP, and I'm not sure that's quite the thing for a boxer! They are lovely and bouncy and funny, but they're not the brightest light on the canine tree. Because they're so exuberant, they're very easily distracted and imo lack the focus needed to be good obedience dogs (unlike dobes, who appear incredibly trainable - I know someone who trains dogs for film and tv, and she's had a couple of dobes).

They are lovely though. They're on my personal list of dogs I love but would never own: they're too strong, need too much exercise and I don't do drool!

If you are insistant on a doberman make sure you get one the opposite gender to the dog you already have.

I worry if your breeder is singing Dobies praises and not telling you the downsides, Dobes have a really high incidence of serious same-gender dog to dog aggression, I would NEVER put a dobe in the same home as another dog of the same gender, even a puppy.. they mature, then they fight, badly.. like, one will kill another.

The health of Dobes is dire, and temperaments bloody awful - a good one is a rare (and lovely) thing but too many people are breeding for what they think is 'suspicious of strangers' and 'willing to use aggression'.. and really thats FEAR of strangers and willingness to bite first, ask questions later.

I would look at the bigger HPR breeds - weims, pointers (of various kinds), for a big dog, likes lots of exercise, trainable, sensible coat but much healthier and better temperament with people/other dogs.

Aren't modern boxers rampant

Yes. And farters!

It feels about time there was a move to breed dogs back to how they originally were in those photos.

@Gth1234

Have you considered a Japanese spitz? A client of mine had one, and he was an utterly adorable dog: playful and friendly, but not in your face, biddable but not a wuss, wonderful with her children. I fell in love with him and I'm generally not a fan of the spitz type dogs.

Then I met one in town a few days ago and he was incredibly similar in temperament - a really jolly little soul, but not OTT at all and an absolute sweetheart.

I get the whole adoption question but the pure breed dogs need a family and a home too, they're both alive and for a price.
My cousin is a dog rescuers, neuters then rehomes, she is amazing, she got very angry when DSIS got a specific breed.

Ok, what about Great Dane?

I wouldn’t get a boxer. I’ve got a few friends with them and they drive me nuts! They have no sense and have enough size and weight to do real damage to your frenchie if they got over-excited and boisterous. All have had fab temperaments with people, but a couple of males were dog-aggressive. And although prey drive was low, their lack of responsiveness to training and distractibility meant recall was always dodgy. And finally life expectancy seems low, I’ve known one die of cancer and another of a heart condition before they were 10.

I love dobes, but would be really wary if you can’t health test for a condition really common in the breed.

Would a rottie fit the bill?