SearchPossible New Doberman Owner??
Hello everybody,
Me and my boyfriend are going to get a puppy. He has always wanted a Doberman, personally i love all dogs. My parents have a ridge back a really great dog. We do have 2 cats, so its important to get a dog that will get along with them. We plan on putting our dog through puppy classes as well. I want to make sure that whichever dog we get i have done my homework on the breed and its the right one for us. So any information you can give me is really appreciated.
I would like to know if it would be okay to bring a doberman puppy into a family with 2 cats, also i was told that dobermans pick one alpha is this true? Will a doberman trained appropriatly respect and listen to both me and my boyfriend or only one of us?
thanks a bunch for helping us out!!
Thanks for the info, that really helps! I know that Dobermans are really protective, if i had visitors over would that be an issue? Or does it depend on how the dog is raised?
Um, it's been a while since I was on the site, so you might have gotten an answer already. Dobes are pretty sensitive to body language. When somebody comes over, Scout usually hangs back a bit to see how we react to the visitor. Once she realizes that we're cool with this person being around, then she'll come over and make friends. She is not cautious, just observant. She'll sit at my feet when the pizza guy comes to the door. She doesn't try to make friends with him because I don't. When friends come over, she pauses just long enough to see who it is and whether or not they are friendly, and then she's all wagging nub and happy puppy. No worries.
I agree that it is partly how they are raised, but even the happy go lucky friend to all dog can change if your attitude changes.
A story on a Dobe friends of mine had and their teen age daughter. We were all members of a volunteer organization, and there was a member who was a hugger/groper that no one quite knew how to handle. At at event at my house he attempted to hug my friends teenage daughter as she was coming from the kitchen into the living room but she deftly ducked under his arm and went on as if nothing had happened.
A few months later, I was over at my friends house when this individual came by on some business that could have waited. The girl's reaction alerted the dog who stood in front of her, rump touching the girl, glaring at the individual, ears back, hackles up, and let him measure the length of her fangs. No growl, no snarl, no bark, just the display about 12' from him. In a few minutes he left and everything was back to normal. I never saw Mandy display like that for anyone else that came over. Her father commented a few minutes later that Mandy had earned her keep. They no longer had any concern of their daughter being home alone.
BTW - a few months later the individual was asked to leave the group.
Thats why i love Dobermans.......
so inteligent and loyal
what a great story, and shows that girl as a credit to the breed, the owners and the breeder.....
my girls would do the exact same, just stand there with the top lip rolled back......it would stop anyone in their tracks
the shame is the boy i have now is all bark and hackles......he hasn't discovered just a show is enough for most people to walk the other way ;D
rich
Well...
If you read enough posts on here I think everyone will concur that Doberman puppies are truly evil. They get big quickly and it takes a while for them to coordinate with their bodies. In other words, you will have a hyper, huge, mischevious monster on your hands for a while. But, every bit of it is worth it. Our Scout is the most loving and friendly floppy-eared, scared-of-the-dark bag of fur I've ever met.
I wouldn't worry about the cats. He'll just want to play with them. The only problem we have with Scout and other dogs is that they will get tired of playing with her long before she's ready to quit. Sometimes she gets growled at for being annoying, but she takes it in stride.
My wife had a little trouble at first when trying to train her. She would listen to me and not her. Just make sure that you work with the dog just as much and as often as your boyfriend does. You may have to be a little more assertive too. I'm tall and strong, so at her worst, Scout couldn't move me. She could drag my wife down the street with little effort. She had to learn quickly that she had to pop the leash and use a commanding voice to get the dog's respect. Now that she does this, Scout pretty much listens to us equally. She actually likes her better because I'm not as liberal with treats.
Get the Doberman. You might lose some carpet, but you will love the dog.