It's a Dobie thing!

[TaylorB]

Really must get my pup around some water. I SO miss living right next to Puget Sound. I have this theory that salt water helps control fleas. Always felt good to think that anyway. The amazing thing is there was really no flea problem in that region. I bet that, like all things, will change for the worse. I know heartworm is expanding its reach across the country.

At any rate, the best thing we have here is a tributary to the Ohio River. I just look at that muddy water and wonder if it's at all safe to let a dog go in it. Anyone got any idea as to whether it would be safe? I'm thinking parasites and such.

I wouldn't put any living thing in that wretched river.
He might come out with an extra ear or some weird crap like that.

 

[Gretchen_Red]

Ha! I know many triathlons that have been cancelled because the Ohio river was too polluted!

 

[Oh Little Oji]

Man! How do I get my Dobe into some water then? To learn to swim and get good at it? I'm not paying to take him to some indoor facility. Hmmm.
[DOUBLEPOST=1426092782,1426091918][/DOUBLEPOST]I have absolutely no doubt that the Ohio River could be filthy. Who knows how much crap is dumped there by all the businesses, factories, etc. that are here and upstream.

I also know that Cincinnati uses an amazing amount of whatever salt/chemical mixture they dump on the roads in the winter. There are literally big piles of salt left on the road. Near my house there is a pile that is maybe 6 - 8 inches deep at its deepest point, and maybe 10 x 10 feet in size. What are these highly-paid City workers doing out there?

The tributary I was thinking, though, is around the little township of Mariemont near some hiking trails. I don't know if you have any knowledge of this body of water. I did run into a woman and her daughter there, and her dog had been swimming. She said she has been letting her dogs go in that river/stream for years.

Hmmm.

 

[David Ferguson]

Yes! As noted on page 1 of this thread........ Whining....
The Dobe I had for 9 years, and the Dobe I have no...... So whinny. Hahaha.

Always wanting to lay on you, have their heads on you, and be touching you seems to be common from my experience too.

 

[Gretchen_Red]

Gretchen likes water but doesn't like to swim, she only really likes to play. Maybe you can find a creek (or as you Midwest folk call it a crick ) or a pond? I forget you live exactly but maybe you can go to AJ jolly park, or maybe you know someone with a pond or a lake? There's East Fork lake, usually if you go to any hunting place, Like KY game and fish. Just make sure no one is fishing, that will piss them off quickly.

 

[rhea]

Excellent, are you also familiar with the 'arse perched on human shoulder' sofa position? Not all guests are comfortable with this one...

 

[MyBuddy]

The nose bump: With my last Dobie I developed a habit of placing my hand down to form a shield of over rather sensitive area when I would walk by him.

Very funny! I've learned the 'shield' too but mine is over my eye-balls I've had Buddy nose bump me to the face when I bend over to tie shoes or something and almost got a black eye once! Ouch!!! So whenever I bend over, it's a natural thing to reach out one hand to keep him at bay!

 

[JanS]

I know, a couple weeks ago when I threw my back out so bad I could barely bend over to get my boots Della was right there trying to lick my face so it took me forever just to get them on.

 

[Oh Little Oji]

Very funny! I've learned the 'shield' too but mine is over my eye-balls I've had Buddy nose bump me to the face when I bend over to tie shoes or something and almost got a black eye once! Ouch!!! So whenever I bend over, it's a natural thing to reach out one hand to keep him at bay!

Yes. Seems this pup comes and hovers over my shoes and his leash that I usually set on the floor in the same spot. I then have to bend down over that spot and grab my shoes from under him. I have started to set the leash in one spot and the shoes in another and so forth. Sheesh.

Actually, I have instituted the "Give me space" command. It works! Amazingly, I also have successfully put in place the "move away from her" command for when he is hassling my daughter or wife. He actually moves away from them. Then returns in about 10-20 seconds.

 

[Firestar Dobe]

We got Dauntless at 6 weeks, she just turned 8 weeks and has come up with a trick for attention. If you are sitting or laying on a chair or the sofa with a blanket over you, she gently grabs it and slowly pulls it off. If you start to move, she stops, waits until you are still and then continues. Once it is off of you she comes over all happy and waves her paw as if she is saying "Hi, I helped you get that thing off"! We are teaching her "leave it" and when we say that, she puts her little head down and whimpers! She is turning into quite a bright little girl!

 

[Oh Little Oji]

Tell me, does the following very annoying Dobie Thing occur in anyone's Dobe that is not from working lines? It has occurred in my last two, which have been from working lines.

When on leash, as soon as they get the slightest inkling which direction they think you are going to move, they launch in that direction. It's like: NO, I simply took a step that way. It does not mean we are taking off in that direction at a sprint.

This quality is particularly adorable in instances such as late last night as I was taking the trash and recycling cans up to the street. Of course I had Oji tethered to my waist by the horse lead because there is no way I could leave him inside the house as I went outside and did this quick task. He would wake the whole house barking. So there I am getting jerked different directions and knocked off balance simply trying to get a job done.

 

[Doberman Gang]

Tell me, does the following very annoying Dobie Thing occur in anyone's Dobe that is not from working lines? It has occurred in my last two, which have been from working lines.

When on leash, as soon as they get the slightest inkling which direction they think you are going to move, they launch in that direction. It's like: NO, I simply took a step that way. It does not mean we are taking off in that direction at a sprint.

This quality is particularly adorable in instances such as late last night as I was taking the trash and recycling cans up to the street. Of course I had Oji tethered to my waist by the horse lead because there is no way I could leave him inside the house as I went outside and did this quick task. He would wake the whole house barking. So there I am getting jerked different directions and knocked off balance simply trying to get a job done.

Prong collar will fix that real fast. I don't like giving many corrections or harsh corrections but if my dog bolts and corrects himself , he learns much faster that I am the leader and to stay with me.


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[Oh Little Oji]

Prong collar will fix that real fast. I don't like giving many corrections or harsh corrections but if my dog bolts and corrects himself , he learns much faster that I am the leader and to stay with me.


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I like the theory. I bet you it wouldn't work for us. My previous working Doberman overcame the sensation of the prong collar within 5 minutes and was back to his freight train self.

 

[Doberman Gang]

Oh trust me I have dogs with drive. Zeke would pull your ass down the street with a prong on when I first started training him. Some dogs have to learn to respect you in a harder way than others. This is for there protection as much as yours. Zeke has a few of what we call here as "come to Jesus meetings" where as for Redman, you can put two fingers on his leash and just slightly jiggle it and he complies quickly. Prada is even different from those two she is also head strong but will come up the leash and bite you, so balancing obedience, reward and correction requires attention on both sides you and your dog. She is just over a year old and likes testing your limits. She also is the sweetest loving girl at home and will give you constant kisses. Can't wait to see her full potential.


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[Gretchen_Red]

I like the theory. I bet you it wouldn't work for us. My previous working Doberman overcame the sensation of the prong collar within 5 minutes and was back to his freight train self.

Sometimes I wonder if that's how people are training. I watched a few youtube videos that encourage only allowing the dog to pull and feel the pressure and never "popping" them. That's great if it works on your dog but G. needs a "pop" every now and again to remind her who's the boss and that the collar is still on. It's just a quick yank, not enough to hurt but enough to make them not want another. Anymore she's pretty aware that can happen with the collar so it's rare that I need to "pop" her. @Tad were you allowing the dog to correct itself or did you "pop" them when they pulled?

 

[Oh Little Oji]

Oh trust me I have dogs with drive. Zeke would pull your ass down the street with a prong on when I first started training him. Some dogs have to learn to respect you in a harder way than others. This is for there protection as much as yours. Zeke has a few of what we call here as "come to Jesus meetings" where as for Redman, you can put two fingers on his leash and just slightly jiggle it and he complies quickly. Prada is even different from those two she is also head strong but will come up the leash and bite you, so balancing obedience, reward and correction requires attention on both sides you and your dog. She is just over a year old and likes testing your limits. She also is the sweetest loving girl at home and will give you constant kisses. Can't wait to see her full potential.


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So interesting to hear of the variety of personalities. Do these your three Dobes have different ancestry?

Well maybe I will throw on the prong and try it with little Oji. So far he seems to just about as drivey as my last boy.

My last boy was kind of a machine. Not all that great a pet, though he and I got along fine. His sire was an 11 time Schutzhund III (at the time that I picked up my pup) and possibly going to become the national tracking champion. This was told to me in person by his owner/handler. He was still being campaigned at that point, so I don't know what all else he achieved before he died. One bragging point they told me about him was that he could re-bite in the air. That ability was passed on to my pup. I would see it when we would play.

So far our current pup seems to maybe be more loving and interested in being loved. Perhaps a more balanced breeding.

So Prada will actually go to bite you? Is it just under the influence of prey drive like what causes Oji to bite me when running on a heel? This I can't fault him for, but if he was biting me out of aggression toward me that would not be okay at all.
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Sometimes I wonder if that's how people are training. I watched a few youtube videos that encourage only allowing the dog to pull and feel the pressure and never "popping" them. That's great if it works on your dog but G. needs a "pop" every now and again to remind her who's the boss and that the collar is still on. It's just a quick yank, not enough to hurt but enough to make them not want another. Anymore she's pretty aware that can happen with the collar so it's rare that I need to "pop" her. @Tad were you allowing the dog to correct itself or did you "pop" them when they pulled?

Very good question. I was not employing any sort of intelligent training when I tried the prong collar on him, and I knew it. I just wanted to see what would happen if I put it on and took him for a walk. Actually I should say he blew off the prong collar in about a minute or two at the most.

I'm just fascinated (not that I'm not frustrated) by these Dobermans' drive to PULL!! Its why I let my first Dobe pull me on my Harley once. It's like, allright, dummy, you want to pull so bad? Then GO AHEAD!

 

[Gretchen_Red]

I can't even imagine how people deal with the working dobies! Must be a lot more patient then me! What made you decide you wanted a working dobie over a std./confirmation (not sure of the name really) dobie?

 

[Doberman Gang]

So Prada will actually go to bite you? Is it just under the influence of prey drive like what causes Oji to bite me when running on a heel? This I can't fault him for, but if he was biting me out of aggression toward me that would not be okay
[/QUOTE]

It is working her in drive, she has a pretty high fight drive so if she is amped up sometimes a correction will trigger her wanting to fight. People who use e-collars during protection training usually do it because it will bring out the fight drive in dogs that have it.


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[Doberman Gang]

Our dogs all have different parents, although Prada's dam is Redmans sister Rayna..


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[Oh Little Oji]

I can't even imagine how people deal with the working dobies! Must be a lot more patient then me! What made you decide you wanted a working dobie over a std./confirmation (not sure of the name really) dobie?

I go for working Dobes because, to me, the most important quality in a Doberman is its ability to do the work for which the breed was originated. Yes, being put together properly is essential (like a good conformation dog), and I sometimes see deficiencies in that area when I see working Dobes, but good working Dobes, despite their possible flaws, will be faster and quicker than most conformation Dobes. I've also found working Dobes to be stronger, especially pound-for-pound.

I just really admire the working ability. It's like watching a fine hunting dog do its work, or a thoroughbred race horse tear up the track.

My first Dobe was bred by a hobby breeder. When I got my second – from the serious working lines – I could not believe the difference. I'd always heard people brag about what breeding their dogs were from but I chalked it up to mostly talk. My first Dobe, I believe would back down in a fight with a determined attacker. My second didn't seem to have any back-down in him (though I know almost all dogs have a breaking point). Further, my first Dobe did not have the mental ability to full-mouth bite despite all my efforts. My second Dobe had it as a birthright.

I came close to getting a very nice conformation Dobe from some pretty awesome lines. I was actually surprised the breeder was considering selling to me. She said I could let her handle/show my dog which would have worked out pretty great since we live in the same city. One day I was walking home on my street and the snarly Rottweiler a few houses down that is never on leash growled and barked at me. I remember feeling with certainty that if I got that show ring beauty and that Rott ever came and attacked him, it would be a sad pitiful sight. But I remember feeling that if I still had my last Dobe I would feel like: Bring it on. This is the real deal.

Disclaimer: I'm not about labels or tribes here. We all love Dobermans and they're all pretty awesome.