SearchWhere did you buy your Doberman puppy from?
I am new to this forum and I must say that I LOVE it! I took the notion to research the Doberman Pinscher breed back in August and in a few short months I have found there is sooo much information out there! I am happy to find somewhere where it's all on one site. With that being said... I am obviously doing all of this research in the hopes of eventually finding a great well bred Doberman puppy. I am not in a hurry to find my new ball of pure evil ;) I am planning on waiting at least until the Spring but I am prepared to wait longer for the right companion for my family.
Alright before I get off the original topic, I thought it would be nice to know where you all who already have Doberman puppies, teens, and adults got your babies from. I'd also like to hear your story on how you became owned by your Doberman and how you knew they were right for you or how you were right for them.
Thank you so much and I am looking forward to reading all of your stories!
Hello Big Momma! ;D And welcome to the forum.I grew up in the 70's and 80's in Knoxville Tennessee in a house full of Dobes.My father was a breeder before the term backyard breeder or hobby breeder was thrown around so loosely. He had some of the most incredible animals I will ever see. He used to draw crowds at the local parks and even instructed the local police k9 on protection work. I think I will always have one myself.My father does not breed anymore and is happy to just have his one Dobe also, but because I could not get a puppy from his old line, I started looking for dogs all over the country and even Canada. I looked for the Sire and Dam first and when I found the right pair, I then looked at the breeders. I eventually found the right pairs and now have a great little buddy from Family Dobes in Scottsdale AZ. The breeder there works with European stock and actually sent his dam there for the breeding rather than have the semen shipped. I ended up paying a lot more than I planned, but without a doubt I got the pup I wanted. Dobermans are wonderful dogs but like a lot of full blooded dogs they can have health issues. Your doing just the right thing. Take your time, research the breeder, research the dogs and research the dogs parents and grandparents.Look for any pattern in health issues.Even with all the research, problems can rise, but then you will know that you did all in your power to prevent it. Good luck.
Hello and Welcome to the forum... :)
I have no idea on why my heart became set on having a doberman but it did. I barely had any exposure to them growing up. I just thought they seemed like wonderful dogs and the more homework I did the more I realized that this was the breed for me....
I actually did not want a Doberman Puppy. I wanted to adopt and I had contacted my local rescue and was filling out adoption applications and going through the procedure of getting home visits etc when my honey made the argument that he did not want an 80 plus pound doggie stranger living in the house and I gave in. He initially was not too keen on the idea of a Dobie and felt more comfortable with the idea of raising a puppy and bonding with puppy before it was big enough to tackle him. Our Golden Retriever was about 8 months old and pretty well behaved and needing a friend so I started my puppy search. (What was I thinking? ???) I had contacted a breeder who lived on the other side of the state and he put me on his waiting list. He was more of a hobby breeder who was absolutely all about his Dobermans. He and I got to talking and he did not think he was going to have a litter till the spring. I continued my search and almost got a blue girl in the meantime from a different breeder when he called me us to say they were having puppies. He asked me if I had any preferences in color or gender. I said female since my golden is male although he did not think it would be a colorful litter I said red. When the puppies were born he called me and said there is one red puppy, a girl. I knew she was mine. We went up to meet the doggie parents and they were wonderful, friendly, well behaved. Momma dog had no problem with anyone being near her puppies and I got my first look at Soleil. Couple weeks later I was back and bringing her home. ;D
Thank you all for such a warm welcome! Great stories by the way. I can tell that all of you are so proud of your dobermans. It's good to know that dobermans are easy on the allergies, I didn't know that and since my oldest son has allergies that would be something important to know.
I am looking at a couple of breeders in Indiana so if anyone knows a good breeder here please let me know. I read somewhere on here that someone got their puppy from Indiana but I can't remember who... So if they read this, I'd love to hear your story. I have also looked at the family dobes site and they looked promising. If I were to have my puppy shipped, I'd fly myself to the breeders state and fly back with the puppy. I'd like to meet the breeder in person even if it is just for a cup of coffee. Has anyone ever done this? I'd like to hear that story too : )
Just discovered this site. It is an amazing resource. My husband and I are looking to add a dobie to our family. No kids, lots of land, and time to spend with the pup. Anyone recommend a good breeder in Northern California?
Just discovered this site. It is an amazing resource. My husband and I are looking to add a dobie to our family. No kids, lots of land, and time to spend with the pup. Anyone recommend a good breeder in Northern California?
I would go to the DPCA breeder referral and look up breeders around that area. Michelle Santana of Foxfire Dobermans (she has a website you can google) is Oregon and she has fantastic dogs beautiful to look at and awesome temperaments. I've bred twice back to her lines because I love her dogs.
The idea of this particular thread is awesome. I'd like to contribute here, too. First, like to mention it is pleasure to be on a site that is so friendly. I've participated in a variety of forums; military, nursing, car enthusiast. I feel fortunate to have found this site.
Why Dobes for me? No one specific reason. Their strong, lean, athletic appearance is matched by no other breed. Back in the 80's decade Dobes were far more popular than today. Yet, even back then this breed is like no other. Always been partial to the red/rust color Dobe. IMHO, the lines & curves are easier to see in the red/rust. Although, any color healthy Dobe is beautiful.
My first two Dobes were back in the 80's with about four years lapse in between (presently on #3). I was unable to keep due to life changing events. While deployed to Iraq (APR 07 - JUN 08), the Internet when available, was one of our few modes of entertainment. I did a search for Dobes in Central Texas. Found Britton European Doberman Farms in Smithville, Texas. Less than a year later and back in the US we adopted Sage the only red/rust male in the litter available at the time. My wife was very apprehensive since she grew up with Greman Sheperds and knew nothing about Dobes. Also, she could not believe I was willing to spend $2K on a puppy. Actually, the initial price was over $2500.00. Travis shipped his Dobe puppies to new owners all over the country. I think he was relieved to sale a puppy on site at his kennel. I was able to talk him down to $2K, to include a crate. I see on his website the puppies are all over $3500.00, which did tell (warn) me ahead of time. Now, Susan loves Sage without any reservations.
I'm planning on having Sage around until the day he dies, which I hope he lives a long & healthy life.
I think one great resource is a list called Doberman talk forum. It is a very reputable doberman talk forum with people who really know what they are talking about. They have great resources for checking up on different breeders.
Well, to expand on my previous post with more focus on meeting an out of town/state Dobe breeder in person such as over a cup of coffee. I located my breeder, Britton Farms European Dobermans (BFED) on the Internet. He definitely has a "shipping" policy to send out his Dobe puppies all over the US. He breaks down the exact shipping cost on his site. I was able to go to his kennel in Smithville, TX. It just so happened we were already planning a move back to Texas (via Iraq/FT Lewis, WA) less than 2 hour drive from Smithville. Seems like the stars all fell into the proper alignment. I do have a Facebook friend that lives in the Northeast that flew down to BFED to hand pick his puppy.
Anyway Big Momma, please keep us posted on your little Dobe quest.
I "had" a doberman when I was baby, more my father had one. Lucifer had to be put down before I could even form memories, he was riddled with cancer, couldn't walk up or down stairs anymore, and stopped eating. So sadly I never truly knew my first doberman, but from his pictures, he was beautiful. Black and Tan, cropped and docked, about 100lbs. Just a beutiful beast, and gentle. I have been told that I would be put on a blanket out in the yard, rolling around ( I was prrbably 6 months old) and Lucifer would lay down at the edge of my blanket "and not even let a fly near you" as my Grandfather told it to me...I have pictures of my grandfather and me on my blanket, in the yard, and at the edge of the picture you could just make out an ear/ snout and tan fur of Lucifer's chest.
Mom was deathly afraid of any dog over 30lbs (including Lucifer) so needless to say, our family only owned Pugs, just until 2009. My husband and I adopted our Harley last April. He is every bit as beautiful as I imagine Lucifer was. Have you every really looked at a freshly washed Doberman coat? How shiny and soft? Haha I love it. My Harley does not have cropped ears tho.
As much as I would love a little pot bellied floppy earred googie faced, big pawed clumsy dobie pup, I don't know if I can help bring more animals into the world, when there are TONS of homeless animals in the shelters. It breaks my heart. I am SO PROUD of myself for adopting and rescuing my gentle giant, my Best Beast, my Huginton (Ton of Huge, haha) the nicknames go on and on. I come from a family who has only purchased from breeders for the past 10 years. My father's first pug, Kim (he got when he was 2 and had til he was 18 or so) and my first two pugs, Molly and Annie (RIP), my sweet baby bears, were all pure bred, AKC registered pugs from breeders. Lucifer and Harley our two Dobies, are rescues. Our current pug Jackson, is "rescued" or found on Craigslist, but he was a breeder pup. It makes me feel so good to know that my Googie, my Oogen McDoogal, is in my house, on his rug with his blankie and his meaty bone or fisty bone (nyla bones) and not trying to get himself confortable on a concrete floor with chain link all around him at the pound. BUT I digress again...
Also, I don't know if I could handle the teen years. Harley is 6 and is still a goon. He is goofy and he is ALOT of dog. I can't even imagine how he was at 2 or 3. He can distroy anything, ANYTHING, in minutes. He normally doesn't but the power and ability is still there. And peepee poopoo issues??? I can't even imgine potty training him! Luckily he came to us well mannered and well behaved. No jumping, mouthing, uneccessary barking, no getting on furniture, not begging.
BUT if I was going to adopt a puppy, I would go to Charistmatic Dobermans, located in Lake City, FL. See their website http://charismaticdobermans.com/
These dogs are beautiful.....next to Harley of course. Haha
BUT if I was going to adopt a puppy, I would go to Charistmatic Dobermans
I'm a bit of a quibbler, but if you were going there, you'd be buying a puppy, not adopting one.
I don't really mean to put you on the spot, but I don't see a lot of reasons to be interested in their dogs. They mention only minimal health testing - hips and vWD. Are they doing CERF tests? Thyroid panels? Cardiac ultrasounds? Holter monitoring? Liver panels? I'm thinking that if they were, they'd probably mention it. I don't see any evidence of them trying to prove the merits of their own dogs in any way, and it appears that all they do is acquire dogs and breed them. They don't seem to be showing their dogs to prove that their conformation is good, nor temperament testing, no obedience/performance titles, not even meager Canine Good Citizen evaluations. The pedigree of one of the dogs is a mishmash of European bloodlines and American puppy mill bloodlines.
There are breeders doing a whole lot more with their dogs beyond just breeding them. I'd rather support a breeder doing a lot more with and for the breed.
Glengate...tit for tat/ adopt buy whatever. ACQUIRE how bout that?
I appreciate your opinion. I think their dobermans look beautiful, they are a family breeder, and that is just where I would go. Maybe you wouldn't and that is fine. I would never get any pet, any breed or dog for show purposes. As long as the dog was healthy, which to a lay person, their dobermans seem to be just by looking at the pictures, I would be happy. Plus I like that they are animal oriented people, with a farm and dobermans and horses, maybe I am living vicariously through them, as that would be a dream come true...acres upon acres, with 4 or 5 dobes and a horse barn..
I have purchased a puppy, my last pug Annie, from a breeder in Sarasota, and by the conditions of the house, you could just TELL she was NOT a good breeder. Dogs where locked in a quest house area, feces everywhere, the woman could barely get around, as she used a cane..and later on down the years we saw my Anne was inbred, he great grandfather was also her father as per her papers....needless to say my Annie passed away suddenly in the night at the young age of 5 years old. Am I upset that I didn't do my homework? a little. Am I upset that I wasted money on a dog who last five years? Not at all. Am I upset that I supported a bad breeder, a little. But the time I had with my sweet Baby Annie was wonderful, she was the best dog, such a sweet loving baby girl. I'm glad I got her out of that place and she had a wonderful 5 years in a clean home, with a family who adored her.
Dogs come with issues, similar to people passing down unwanted traits to their children, maybe it's mental physical whatever, and people still breed, LOL.
I probably will never BUY (ya happy??) a puppy, like I said in my previous post, because there are too many unwanted Dobermans, as my Harley Horse was, and I'd rather save a life from the pound or death.
That's the problem with websites. Dobermans, in general, look beautiful. Even the ugly ones, lol! So, you need to delve deeper than surface pictures.
Yes, you're right - animals do pass unwanted traits to their offspring, which is exactly why it's important, if you're buying from a breeder, to buy from one that thoroughly health tests their breeding animals AND thoroughly researches the pedigrees and understands where/if the problems are so that they can attempt to reduce/eliminate them. So that the dogs don't die like your poor Annie at 5 years of age. Of course you don't feel that you wasted your money and you loved your Annie. That is normal, but really, Annie's breeder never should have been given your money in order to continue her poor practices. It's nothing against Annie! You say you're a little upset you didn't research better. I'd hope you'd be a LOT upset because it's the buyers that can change these situations by not supporting those breeders. If we'd all stop buying from them, there'd be nothing in it for them and they'd stop breeding.
When considering the purchase of a Doberman, I hope that everyone will spend some time on this resource
http://dpca.org/BreedEd/kb/index.php/articles/43-miscellaneous/362-buying-a-doberman-pinscher
DobieMom, that's my attitude as well. Even when we were breeding we always had rescue dogs coming though our home. Later on, when we have room, we'll only be looking at rescues.
glangate is exactly right about supporting bad breeders. Taking a puppy from a bad breeder, even though you're getting that one puppy out of a miserable situation, isn't good. It's financing the next litter.
I looked over the Charismatic website, and as far as Doberman breeders go, you could do a whole lot worse. I'm no expert on Doberman lines (my wife's job) but the lineage they have posted looks pretty good, for a pet. Their male has an OFA certification, but I didn't see anything on the females (getting that cert is difficult for breeding females).
How is getting an OFA certification on a female difficult? It's smart to x-ray their hips mid-way between seasons, but that's not what I'd call difficult. Somehow, I've managed to OFA every bitch I've ever bred, and some I haven't! I just fail to find it difficult.
Because they have to be older than two years first, or at least they did years ago. And after they become pregnant, according to the vet, it's 'difficult' to get a very accurate opinion/measurement of hip health. When OFA grades the hips they have certain measurements and a calculation they follow. Puppies tend to ignore measurements during their stay in Mom. I'm not an OFA examiner though, and that's a good thing for me to put on my look-into list: pregnancy, accuracey, OFA, does it consider.
An OFA certification, as far as I'm concerned, is essential for any breeding large breed dog. It's tricky timing wise, and one of the corners I've found that mediocre breeders tend to cut, and something bad breeders fake or ignore. It's also certainly not the only 'difficult' thing good breeders manage to do. 
Hey DobieMom... Come to Baja...
You cannot drive down the street without seeing dozens and dozens of homeless dogs.It is so heartbreaking.. we have formed a coaliltion here in Bajamar were I live to pick up any stray we can.. There's a couple of vets that will innoculate,spay and neuter them for very little $ and try to find homes.. Granted.. it's not the ideal situation.. Mexican people certainly do not roll around on the floor with their babies, rubbing bellies, nicknaming them etc..but it gets them off the streets and stops them from breeding, and creating more strays subject to injury and disease..Parvo is rampant here.
A month ago there were over 100 spays and neuters conducted in Rosarito Beach over a single weekend.It was all volunteered by local vets done in sterile condition. All the dogs came from private homes.
People from all over, know Bajamar is a haven for unwanted dogs and cats.. at the last count, there were an even dozen on my block. All rescues. ( One lady with a huge hacienda type house has SEVEN !!!)
When Sofia was 'dumped' at the guard gate (almost one year to the day) it was obvious she had recently whelped...I cringed at the thought of someone selling her puppies on the street. She mourned those babies. We almost lost her due to grieving.. She's never stopped mothering anything she can cuddle..( including me)
I will continue my efforts to get the doggies 'fixed' here in Baja.. sometimes it seems like a hopeless task, but one dog at a time....
Thanks DobieMom.. adopt, rescue, aquire.. just get 'em!!
I'm sorry, but I still don't see getting an OFA certification as difficult. They have to be 2 years old. So? All one has to do is wait. Nothing difficult about that! They recommend that one x-rays bitches between their seasons. Ok, so your bitch goes into season and 3 months later, you go in for hip x-rays. Nothing difficult about that either!
My vet does OFA x-rays, hips and elbows, without sedation if the dogs are cooperative. All that takes is well handled dogs and patience. So, none of mine have required sedation. I've OFA'd 14 dogs that I can think of off the top of my head, 9 were bitches and no difficulties whatsoever.
When it was time to get my Princess, I did not go south 75 miles on I75 to get my puppy, but instead drove 930 miles north. I wanted a puppy that did not come from a large breeder but instead came from a breeder who only bred once in a while and raised the puppies in the house. That breeder has now made the same decision I did and no longer breeds.
I am very pleased with my girl from their last litter, she had been crate trained and came with a bag of pre-moistened puppy food that she had been weaned with. I also enjoyed discussion Dobermans with the breeder and meeting the sire in their home, even if he did bang me in the mouth with his head. (I had bent over him to give him a pet and he suddenly raised his head. He had the typical Doberman head - hard 
).
I then had a very special day and a half with the girl on my drive back home. The first night in a motel was very interesting with not wimpering from the puppy and no problems. She did cry in the middle of the night and I took her outside to do her business. When we went back in, she went right to sleep. I got to meet a very special home breeder as well.
I too, have made the decision that when it is time to add another, I will attempt to find a rescue in this area. I think that is responsible, and those who have adopted a rescue always comment on how grateful the dogs seem to be. I have a good friend who bred Min. Schnauzers for decades and now no longer wants to fool with it. She now has three in her home, one she sought out from another breeder and two rescues.
I grew up with German Shepherds. My best friend had 2 Dobies.
My wife is allergic to just about everything but we wanted a puppy. We checked out some Shepherds online, but she immediately got sneezy just thinking about the long hair. Online posts said that they were bad for allergies too. I then suggested the Doberman. We read online and got mixed info on the allergy aspect, but I remembered Shanna and Raven to be some of the most well behaved and friendly animals I had ever come across. We looked for some breeders online and found one a little outside of town that seemed to have a professional thing going on. We contacted them and Julie (the breeder) gave us a pretty thorough interview before she would even discuss the dogs. She had rules and made it clear that she wouldn't sell a puppy to just anyone off the street. That was definitely a good sign. She had a litter on the way and told us she would call when they were born. When the pups were about 4 weeks old we went out to look at them. (We were not allowed to touch.) A thunderstorm had damaged part of their kennels earlier that week so Julie had 6 adults crated inside the house. We went in and, well, no allergies! We put down our deposit and picked Scout up about 3 weeks later.
The website had testimonials from people that had gotten their dogs from them too. Julie also had pictures of owners with their new puppies posted on a wall in her office. Definitely better than the people who sell puppies out of parking lots on the weekends.