SearchConsidering a Doberman.
Hello, Most of my experience with dogs has been with mixed breeds. Now that I have my own place, I'd like to get my own dog. I'd either like a German Shepherd or a Doberman. I know a little about training but am not an expert. I've heard that German Shepherds and Dobermans can be stuborn and hard for people who don't know alot about training and the owner needs to be very thorough to prevent aggression. I realy like German Shephers but their coat sheds alot. How is the Doberman's coat? I've heard it sheds equally as bad but is shorter so it's not as difficult to care for. I've also found some breeders from both breeds but they seem suspisious. I went out to see some German Shepherds. They kept all their dogs in a kennel/barn and their male while I was there nearly killed one of their cats. They said the guy they got him from tought him to kill rabbits or something. I'm looking for a house dog though and i have a cat. That another thing that worries me. If I get a dog that kills my wife's cat - I'll get a divorce. ;) I've only contacted one Doberman breeder. From what I have hear elswhere on this site though, advertising colors is a bad sign and this breeders does in the paper. She also says she always has puppies available from the best Dobermans in America. Any guidance would be apreciated. Thanks..
I'm new here, so this is alittle late in responding. A dobes coat sheds, but very little. They also are good in the house because of low "dog" odor and they are a medium size breed.
Welcome to Gentle Doberman horseluvr! You're not late at all. Our forum is just getting started so it's not busy yet. Hopefully it will come to life soon. And your certainly right, the Doberman is a nice smelling dog.
Don't they smell good? Ha Ha! Its called "dobe luv"!
Dobermans shed, all dogs do. When buying a Doberman go see the sire and dam, that is a major clue how the pups are going to be. Check the guarantee the breeder offers, what is covered what is not. If there is no guarantee I would not even consider buying the dog. What health issues are there in the lineage of the dogs? Cardio, hip dysplasia. Have the sire and dam been checked for vonwillebrands disease? This is probably one of the most common afflictions of the Doberman. Any reputable breeder will have had their dogs checked. Last, where are the pups being raised in the home or a barn or kennel? Many problems can develop with barn dogs, I have seen it, agressiveness, timidness, shyness and other anti social behavior. Puppies like babies need constant human interaction to develop properly and adapt to humans
Good points Avortman. Socialization is the key to a well tempered Doberman and raising them in an out building certainly does not allow this to happen. Puppies need to be raise in warm, busy, noisy, homes - with cats to sniff, a TV on, people dropping things and using tools, children dropping food, and a front door for friendly people to enter.
Health checks are important too. Health guarantees are nice, but only worth the breeder who prints them. As for Von Willebrand disease, this is not a present danger to the Doberman.
Von Willerbrand is a blood clotting disorder that has a genetic marker we have found. you can test the Doberman's DNA which will result in CLEAR meaning not having it, or POSITIVE which means they have and will display the disease. The test can also show if the dog is a carrier. This means it has half the genetic material so if bred with another carrier or a positive can produce more positives or carriers.
The thing with Dobermans is, with all the Dobermans that are positive for Von Willerbrand, non of them have any blood clotting problems. The reason many people avoid breeding Dobermans positive for the disease is the fear that it may pop up as a problem in the future. Really, there are a lot of other problems better worth our trouble. I think the popularity of avoiding Von Wilderbrand is simply because you can test for it.
If you're looking for a pet.... Don't even worry about Von Willerbrand, especially if the parents have docked tails and cropped ears and if the puppy has a cropped tail. A bleeding disorder in this line, as with the entire Doberman breed, would certainly be displayed apparently if it were a problem.
In simple terms, Von Willerband is a bleeding disorder. Many Dobermans have it. No Dobermans have bleeding disorders and you wold know it if they did from cropping and docking.
I agree with 90% of what you said Horse , with one exception. Years ago I almost bought a Doberman that was positive for vonwillebrands, I was knowledgable enough to have in writing I could return the dog if it tested positive. This was before the VetGen tests and was done with the Cornell assay test. I do not know if you are familar with that test. I believe 100 and above was clear, there on down to about 30 was a carrier any thing below was afflicted. This particular puppy was a 3. My vet had never seen such a low result. Before I even had a chance to return the puppy, the breeder contacted me and informed me there might be a problem as a puppy that underwent an ear crop died, as did several others. They tried to blame the vets doing the cropping. I informed her that she obviously had a problem with her breeding stock and asked if she ever had the dogs tested. Her reply was - "I didn't think I had a problem" That being said I agree with you in regards to any puppy surviving a tail dock and an ear crop will be a fine for a pet. The sad part is there are so called breeders out there breeding two afflicted dogs, or carrier with afflicteds which certainly is not improving the breed. I actually know of some in my area
That is interesting. Perhaps what we usually know as a positive Doberman for the disease is only a slight positive because we have essentially removed Dobermans positive enough to display a problem. There's one more reason I'm in favor of docking and cropping.
Hey, anyone from the UK or other countries where cropping and docking is banned, are you seeing any actual bleeding problems with Von Willebrand disease? (This should be a new topic! Ever see a bleeding problem from Von Willebrand disease? UK?)
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Hi JakeGerm,
If you are willing and able to train consistently and take a puppy to obedience class, you should be fine with a Doberman. Doberman puppies can be stubborn, but if trained properly, this “stubbornness” is what makes them so obedient, as it turns around and works for you.
You should also understand that one does not prevent aggression. Dobermans are supposed to be aggressive. This doesn’t mean vicious. One focuses and harnesses the Doberman’s aggression for the work or play the Doberman is intended for. The Doberman is like an athlete and likewise aggressive as a dedicated athlete should.
Shedding depends a lot on blood lines. Our Dobermans don’t shed hardly at all and when they do it is only temporary, sort of a cycle. The Doberman coat was made by man for easy keeping.
I’d stay away from the breeders you’ve described. You’re right to be suspicious as they are showing bad signs. You need to find a good breeder who raises the puppies around other small animals like cats.
Have you taken a look at this section of the site Buying a Doberman Puppy?
This will give guidance in finding and choosing a breeder. If you feel like you’re being sold a puppy, stay away. It should feel more like a job interview.