SearchDobermann and 2 year old?
Hey everyone,
my partner and I feel we are ready to add a dog to our family, and we are in love with the Dobermann. We have a 21 month old son who is a very confident and sure child (that's not code for brat! He's very loving and independent)
We have met with breeders who are also parents and read extensively on the subject. We have both owned dogs but never any of the larger breeds. Basically we want a Dobie but we really want to hear from people who have youngsters to make sure we are as informed as we can be before we take the plunge.
I am a stay at home mum doing a degree so I guess that'll make me the primary carer of our dog. Can any of you maybe tell me some stories about your family dynamic and offer any advise? We're receptive to anything you have to share on the subject.
Thanks all x
Hi,
I am new here. I found this site today.
I have grown up with Dobes. One was my best friend all through childhood. He became part of the family when I was 18 months old. He was the most gentle, loving play mate and friend.
I am now the proud owner of my own Dobe; Remus. Remus arrived the day my now 5 year old started to walk. We have never had an issue. They love and adore each other. They play really well. Remus is very gentle with my son. He can alwasy sense if he is sick and will spend hours lying quietly at his side.
I am a work from home parent and Remus is almost constantly by my side. He is certainly a people dog.
Over the years we have had 7 Dobes- some together and all with kids either myself, my sister and now my son.
I think they are great for kids and families. I would not have another breed.
I have found with well trained Dobes; they are loving, loyal, protective and great foar a family.
Photo Gallery
My DogsPet Profiles
I brought Snoopy home when he was 18 weeks old. I then had a 6 yr old boy and a 2 yr old boy in the house. I was kind of almost scared myself to bring a dog into the family. Not because I was worried about the kids, but more so worried about what my kids would do to the dog. I was very diligent with my older son learning how to be around dogs because he was at the age where he could grasp the concept of the rules with dogs in the house.
Snoopy saw the 2 yr old as a baby, and proceeded to leave him alone most of the time. My oldest son was considered a "playmate" or chew toy at first. We definitely had to address the issue of mouthing very quickly. We are still in the puppy stage so it is still a work in progress(snoop is about 19 months old) but Dominik(my oldest)really stepped up to the plate with treating the dog with respect and we have had to put rules in place when dealing with the dogs.
My youngest son who is now 3 yrs old does pretty well. He does not yet understand all of the rules in place so we as the parents just have to be extra diligent in supervising the interactions between him and the dogs. Both of my kids have come a long way. The one most important thing we stress is the dogs space as well as the child's space. Both of my dogs must sit before getting any type of reward whether it be affection, treats, or even to be let outside.
In my household my family and I reward calm behavior with the dogs, and that has helped us out tremendously. The way that has worked so far for us is that we all as a family have a specific way of doing things so that we do not confuse the dogs or the kids. The way we all interact is the same way and that also helps. Open communication and daily updates on what happened thoughout the day is also very helpful.
Now that the kids and the dogs have bonded and the dogs know what is expected of them as well as the kids know what is expected of them, things usually tend to run smoothly.