24/12/2022
So you want a Doberman - Part Two
Can you handle the high energy balance?
👉Let’s talk separation anxiety and high demands for attention first. Have you ever had your Doberman get in a room and accidentally shut the door? They feel trapped and destroy everything? Crate training is key to avoid this. They are called Velcro dogs for a reason. If they can’t see you, or they know you’re leaving, they can become very destructive. How many of you have had leg cramps because you’re Doberman is on you and you don’t want to move? Dobermans are associative thinkers. Engineers. They see you pick up your keys and they know you are leaving and may begin to panic. Most of them know what you’re going to do before you do! This anxiety will lead to either destructive behavior or self injury. Keeping your dog safe in a crate is key. Also, fill a king with wet food, cottage cheese, peanut butter, liver sausage, a bone- whatever you have…and freeze. That’s the treat when you leave. Be careful though as the large hole in the kong could get your dogs jaw stuck.
👉High exercise requirements the need for a task. So you want a Doberman? They need a daily walk. Not 10 minutes, mile(s). Stimulating exercise and brain games. Hide toys and tell them to go find them. Put the food in a puzzle bowl. These are working dogs. They need socialization and generalization (walking on different surfaces). Throwing a ball in your yard is great- but they need more. I train my dog all day. We get up and we do our good morning ritual. She waits to walk out the door and waits for me to go down the stairs first. Then she sits to go outside. Comes in and sits and waits to eat. Then we lead up and walk. She sits for her lead to be attached and on our walk we do all kinds of obedience training. During the day - move- to move out of my way. Out- to get out of the kitchen. Up to go upstairs…you get it. She always knows what happens next. She was an abused rescue and her fear was high because she never knew what would happen next. Now she knows everything.
👉Intelligence level along with stubbornness: They will manipulate you, con you, and watch how you do things such as open doors, to open cabinets, even figure out how to open a garbage can that has a sensor! Ever feel like your talking to your wall? If you have a Doberman you do! If you don’t state clearly what you need and have a reward…good luck. You also need to change your voice tone. Never “ask” your dog- “tell them”. This is a dominant breed and they will push you. And I mean PUSH YOU!
👉Perception and judgement of our breed: you’ll notice people walking the other way and pulling their dogs away from you. Which makes socialization hard.
The perception of the breed is dangerous. Insurance, housing, or locating a roommate because of the breed. Cropped and docked - you may hear negative comments about how you mutilated your dog. Or flopped and tailed- you may hear what a shame it is you left your dog natural. My favorite comeback to this is just to educate people. No one wants to be confronted kindly or hear your thoughts. I’m very kind and treat the situation as a learning opportunity. 99% of the times, people end up petting your dog and have better insight.
👉Diseases to consider: DCM/Wobblers/VWD
The new statistics are stating 58% of Dobermans contract Dilated Cardiomyopathy. Bloat.
👉It’s no fun till you’re over one. Train. Be consistent. Keep a militant schedule. Ever wonder why most owners send Dobermans to rescue who are under 2? Because you must be committed to train and not coddle for the first year. You are the owner. Do not allow any poor behavior. You will have to start over again if you are not consider. Once they are 8 months old- the behavior is extremely difficult to change.
👉No free rides. Want to eat? You need to sit! No furniture or beds. If you must then tell the dog to come up and get off. Everything is a job in their life. Want a pet? Sit. Want to play ball? Lay down. Want to go for a walk? Stay and settle while I lead you up. Make sense?
👉Socialize. Socialize. Socialize. Fearfulness comes into play if you don’t properly socialize. You’ll forever have a dog that will be reactive to anything new. And then you, as the owner, will tense up and send more fear down the leash to your dog and your dog becomes guardy and possessive. Take your dog to training. Not one class. Several classes. Training is forever not a one-time event.
If this is all too much for you, adopting of an older Doberman is your best bet. Adopting an older dog gets you out of that puupy stage. Nothing like a 6 year old Dobie!
Add your comments please. We welcome all comments as this is a Facebook group who loves our breed and wants to educate others.
