to get a doberman puppy with a 7 year old child?

[macthekwife]

just that, would this be just the worst idea?

to train them as a family pet, with classes and not leave them alone together, but is it inherently a stupid idea?

we have cats as well and are trying for another baby.

You don't have to be a conspiracy theorist to mistrust those videos. Of course they won't show the dogs getting stressed and aggressive. I know two children who were bitten, thankfully not badly, by a small happy dog, just because they were left alone and couldn't stop hassling the dog. It would take seconds for things to go so badly wrong. But it does seem as if you want to get people worked up over your I'll advised plans. Let's hope that's all they are.

Absolutely this regarding play dates. And also a baby and a puppy is a terrible idea.

I grew up with a Doberman, they are lovely dogs. Just make sure you have the time ypu need to train them, walk them etc.

I grew up with a Dobie. My very naive parents decided that with small children and no prior dog owning experience, a Doberman would be great choice 🤪

He was the best dog ever. I still miss him. Intelligent, loyal, patient. Put up with all sorts of shit from my toddler brother and never became aggressive. Funny, prone to those weird fits of silliness where they suddenly go berserk and get the zoomed.

Downsides: the guard dog instinct is very very strong and he really disliked strangers/postmen etc.

But, that was my dog. They are powerfully build and strong dogs, and I wouldn’t have one around toddler DD or a baby just in case. We have a cockerpoo who is daft and gentle but even then she is never allowed to be on her own with DD and DD is monitored very closely to make sure she is being gentle and not irritating the dog.

My advice would be to wait and get one when your kids are 5+. Or to get a smaller and weaker breed. It just isn’t worth the risk.

I don't think you'll have cats for much longer if you get any dog, let alone a doberman...

NDN got a puppy, something non-fluffy, then got pregnant.
The dog was rehomed in less than a year.

You'd only be setting the dog up to fail.

With the 7yr old, maybe fine, but if it's not then it's the dog you will get rid of.
New baby, crying a lot, grabbing, etc, if the dog gets distressed then it's the dog you will get rid of.
If either of the kids trip, fall on the dog, and the dog snaps back, it's the dog you will get rid of.
Do you know how your cats will respond to living with a puppy/dog? If they cats are unhappy it's the dog you will get rid of.

Doberman aren't the easiest of dogs, not because of aggression but they need decent training with consistent boundaries. Train them well and they can be big softies.

I absolutely would not get a puppy while trying for a baby, even if you don't work.

Why does your DH want a Doberman so much?

Hey, I was around 5 when we got a doberman and my brothers were both in their teens. He was a lovely family pet, never had any issues with me or my brothers, I would snuggle up to him in his bed etc. However my mum did her homework and did a lot of training with him; classes, private dog trainer, loads and loads of socialisation etc. So I think if you are prepared to do this then there is no reason why you shouldn't have a lovely pet, however if you would rather not, then better to get a more docile breed as it's not worth taking any risks of things going wrong.

Have a look at a Manchester Terrier, great family pet and looks like a small Doberman.

Is your DH going to be doing all the training for the cute puppy on SM when it arrives? If not, stick to your guns.

Does he have a job where he could take it to work with him?

I wouldn't, I was attacked by a Doberman when I was a 1 year old and nearly lost an eye as a result.
I was strapped in my buggy at the time so not able to reach or touch the dog, and it went for me. I can only assume I was crying or something at the time and the noise maybe annoyed the dog but who knows and my mother's strange guilt or response around it means I don't fully know the story. The dog belonged to a friend of my mum and we were visiting the house one day

I agree with others though if you are trying for a new baby then focus on that for now it would be a nightmare trying to train a pup of any breed whilst also caring for a newborn and being sleep deprived etc.

Also have to agree with others re the breed choice. I've known a few and tbh they were nervy/skittish. Around young kids I think you should go for something with a more steady temperament.

I am that your husbands justification for this breed was watching a few YouTube videos.

No, we've had cats and dogs together a lot but they were always lurchers or mongrels. Our cat bullied our first whippet terribly and she had to be kept away from her.

Without proper training and boundaries, any breed of dog could/would be a dangerous choice. This is nothing to do with the doberman.

We have a Doberman, she was a year old when our son was born. She has always done a lot of the childcare. Respectfully, if you have to ask about dobermans, they're probably not the dog for you. They're so clever, and hungry for human interaction, and training. You have to be really into having one. They don't crave dog company in the way other dogs do. They want people to guard, and herd, and a large space to patrol. That is their nature. She is my second dog, my first lived to 16, and I would say dog training is a lifelong hobby. She is 50 kg, has never stood on our son, never growled, never knocked him over by accident, sleeps next to him in his room, but would attack and seriously bite, if someone broke in. They are a complex breed, the only breed I'd ever be interested in having. I hope I live with a dobbie until I die. People who think they are vicious are just ignorant. They were selectively bred to have a guarding instinct, and I trust ours with our family completely. Many smaller dogs come from a terrier background, specifically bred to rag small animals to death. Labs, collies and spaniels, all bred with animal retrieval and hunting in mind. Dobermans have a totally human guarding perspective. I honestly can't think of a dog more suitable to a young child.

Why, just why OP?

Yes, YABU

Puppies and babies don’t mix…. So so much hard work and the puppy ends up missing out. Dobermans are not inherently an issue - any puppy would be a problem!

We’ve had two dobes, one before dd was born, one when she was 10. Both different, excellent breeding, very intelligent, strong, loyal dogs.
But both needed lots of training, interaction and exercise. Both excellent with dd and ellderly dm but not keen on other dogs. Prone to zoomies. Need lots of input.

They're a very difficult breed to "get right". And that bouncy, bitey, playful, puppy stage lasts a long time. They can be over 30kg, and still throwing themselves around the room knocking stuff (toddlers) flying, play biting, with extra big sharp puppy teeth, and just generally being extremely hard to control due to their size. I used to look after a friend's dobe puppy when she was working once a week, and every week she'd drop him off, and he'd doubled in size. It got to about 7 months, and I could no longer do it. He was lovely, but he could scale my baby gates, would run off with toys and rip them up, knock my kids flying, and it was just generally exhausting. I also couldn't walk him anymore as he became too strong and it was dangerous trying to hold him back, with a toddler and baby in tow. He is a lovely dog now, but still not "calm" in anyway at 3 years old, and I personally couldn't ever own one. Smaller breeds are so much easier, as you can literally pop them one side of a baby gate, and they're contained, and they can't pull you over on the lead.

Please don't do it. I'm speaking from the experience of being a child in this exact situation and my heart thumps in panic every time I see a dog bigger than a handbag variety.

Completely insane. A family member has a young Rotty and she cannot be around children at all. She's a lovely dog but she's bouncy and massive with jaws like power tools and needs an incredible amount of attention. She can jump any gate. I wouldn't do it with a 7yo but with cats and planning another baby? Just why?

This is exactly what I mean though. This owner says the dog would attack and seriously bite anyone who broke in. How does the dog distinguish between a burglar and next door neighbours kid who just wants to retrieve their ball? It wouldn’t, and could attack and seriously bite them. Yes it may guard you, but you’d have to be such a selfish, ignorant idiot to have a dog who could injure someone!

I wouldn’t get a puppy of any type at your stage of life