Thinking of getting a Dobermann

[VirginiaCreek]

Anyone had one? What should I expect? What are they like with kids? Off-lead? Male or female?

thanks

The Doberman that lived near us was a nightmare because the owners hadn't trained it properly. It definitely regarded itself as the pack leader.
The lead was always taut as it took the husband for a walk. Howled and whined whenever left alone (all day, relentlessly, when the family were at work ). Don't have one unless you are a really good dog trainer.

Ahh that face, so mischievous! Beautiful girl, you couldn't be cross with her for too long! 😍😂

@Lingoflaming Extremely! Have just gone downstairs to three lots of post ripped to teeny tiny pieces.

The kicker is - we have one of those wire baskets to catch post for that reason. So DH got the post out of that and left it on the hall table at dog height. I think I need to train him as much as the dog!

Oh I loved my dobie! I was 7 and little brother was 3 when we got him - first dog zero experience (don’t think my parents thought it through lol). He was just gorgeous, so kind and patient with us all, we had no problems with him. Only thing is they’re very protective of their owners and we had a few hairy moments in that regard but then again we didn’t train him properly. Do it!

Their intelligence and loyalty mainly.

Do you want a dog that's intelligent or one that's biddable?

A dog that's biddable will generally do as you ask most of the time - a dog that's intelligent will figure out it's own entertainment and will be constantly trying to find out ways to outsmart you

I walk dogs for a living and much prefer the biddable ones to the intelligent ones! An intelligent dog needs a lot of mental and physical stimulation - they get bored easily, often hate being alone and need jobs.

Whereas a biddable dog is generally easy to train, but won't eat your house because you've not worked it hard enough beforehand!

Pretty similar to a dobie in that respect - they are if you don't know what you are doing (or get unlucky with genetics).

I think what @coffeecupsandfairylights is saying is true. My Dobie is intelligent & my spaniel is biddable & he’s the easier of the 2.

I read that they don’t use Dobermanns in the police anymore as they question things too much 😂

i think biddable is what I need - are Leonbergers more biddable?

@Leonberger is the poster to ask! Hopefully she sees this and pops up on the thread soon!

For biddable I would look at breeds like Labradors, retrievers, spaniels - gun dogs who are bred to work alongside humans, basically!

I do like the look of the flat coated retriever, I popped into the toilets at the park a few weeks ago and could hear a woman in a cubicle talking to what I assumed to be her child - when the door opened this beautiful flat coat emerged, followed his human to the sinks, stood whilst she washed her hands and then she walked out with him (no lead in sight) promising him an ice cream after his lake swim ❤️ I might have fallen in love with him …

Flatcoats are stunning but there are quite a few health issues so make sure you research the breeder!

There's one near us and I once gave her a treat when I was putting my dog walking dogs in the car. She's never forgotten and makes a beeline for me every time she sees me - and woe betide me if I haven't got any snacks for her 🤣

Leonbergers will do what you ask in their own time if they decide it’s worth their while 😄

If you motivate them right they will go to the end of the world for you but if they don’t see the point there’s no convincing them otherwise! Mine did competitive obedience and were reasonably intelligent but they don’t have the motivation levels of a Doberman!

Thanks Leonberger, I’m on a Leo Facebook group and the biggest complaint is them running off to greet other dogs (often breaking the bones of their owners in the process!) - it’s putting me off a bit! Is there any training them out of this?

If you want a gundog that looks a bit like Doberman (same lean build) how about a viszla? If I went for a another breed that's what I would have, especially the wire-haired type.

I have Dobermans. We've always had them. The breed has certain characteristics that are common to all of them in my experience - they are velcro dogs and need to be at your side at all times. They don't like to be left alone, they need a really strong bond with their people. I've never had a Dobe who only bonds to one member of the family, mine have been fine right through me being a child, being single, just me and him, to meeting my husband, having a first and a second baby (not all the same dog, btw, because they're unfortunately not long lived).

As others have mentioned there are some health problems, which can be partly mitigated by choosing a professional breeder who does the correct screening, but not 100%.

They're great with their own children, not always with visiting children. They do need plenty of training and socialisation but once past the teenage years most of mine are happy to spend a large part of the day lounging on the sofa. They're not outdoor dogs, they like to be inside and comfortable.

Overall you do have to put a bit more work in with Dobes than you do with some other breeds, but I'd argue you also get more back from them. It just depends what you want out of them.

I got my first dobermann when I was 7, I'm 51 now and have never fallen for another breed. I've had quite a few over the years and all were wonderful. They are highly intelligent, need training and activity or they get bored, all that I've had loved children, were unbelievably gentle around them, I've had some that I paid huge amounts for and some that were rescues and they all just wanted to be loved, they get extremely attached to their family and are so happy to lie up on a sofa snoring beside you when they are a but older, younger dogs need to burn off energy so a large garden is essential in my opinion as well as walks. We are down to one now, having had 4 a few years ago and the one left is 12 years old, he's a rescue who arrived in dreadful condition (I was feeding him tiny amounts every three hours because he was so underweight), he's about 9 years with us and was trained as a service dog before we got him, he can open all our doors (both directions), can unlock the front and back door if the key is left in the lock, empty the washing machine, if one of us lies on the ground he tries to help us up and if that doesn't work he cuddles in beside us to keep us warm, I could spend the entire day singing the praises of this breed but remember to research the breeder, ensure that all health checks were done before breeding took place, take out insurance, as they age you can face costly vet fees.

She's gorgeous!!

@VirginiaCreek its a hard one to answer as they are all so different.
Some Leo’s love everybody and will rush off to greet them. Others are more aloof and are happy to stay with their people, mine are the latter. With proper training I can’t imagine it’s impossible to train out of them.

Personally I keep mine on a lead around others because they have no idea of their size. A small dog will easily be crushed and if something was to start a fight and mine retaliated (which I can’t imagine would happen but still) the other dog would have no chance. They will knock a grown adult flying and as mine run with their eyes closed it’s not sensible for me to let them off unless there’s nobody around.

People can get very arsey about an 80kg dog running up to them but so can other dogs. Even the friendliest of dogs can be intimidated by the size.

If you want a dog with an instant quick recall I don’t think they would suit. Mine will come back and stay close but they won’t whip round and run back like my GSD. They more look at me, think about it and then plod back in their own time 🙈

We had a Doberman that lived to 14 1/2! Brilliant dog with a lovely temperament. We got him before we had kids and the kids arrived when he was a little older. He was the most gentle dog with the kids. I have a photo somewhere of my son asleep on the sofa and the dog curled up next to him with his head on his bum! He was good with commands but not the best with his recall but that was our fault really. He used to bark when the door went but just wanted fuss off people. He would usually shove his nose up peoples bums when they arrived to say hello 🤦🏻‍♀️. My husband had a bitch Doberman growing up and she was very temperamental with people she didn’t know. You’ll have good and bad stories about both!

@itsallbullshit the nose up the bums 😂 Thats definitely a trait, my girl does it to males & females, straight between the legs, up skirts, shorts the lot. Luckily she only does it in the house, but I do have to warn new visitors! Pic because she is very beautiful.

@Offredismysister she is beautiful!🥰. Anyone visiting our house would generally grow a few inches trying to get his nose out of their crotch 🤦🏻‍♀️

My half Dobie / half GSD I posted earlier in the thread also does this.

Usually to me when I'm wearing a dress and almost always when there's someone at the door I don't know. She then proceeds to panic about the dress being over her head and flashes my entire knickers up to the waist band to everyone.