Adding a 2nd Doberman pup?

[bluelou]

I'm looking to add a new Doberman female puppy (5 months old) to our home. We already have a 12 month old male Doberman and an 8 year old female mutt. Both Dobermans are "European" and share the same sire.

Is a female Doberman a better fit than a second male Doberman? Also, there's going to be an issue with the sleeping arrangements. Our male Doberman sleeps in the bed. The female will be accustomed to sleeping in a crate. Any thoughts on how to handle the sleeping arrangements? I'd love to be able to fit the male back in a crate, but I'm not sure if it's possible. Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Tropicalbri's]

You definitely don’t want to get another male due to a possibility of SSA.

I would wait until your male is 2yrs old and has his obedience training completed.
It’s much easier when you have one dog fully trained before introducing a puppy.

 

[bluelou]

Thank you for your reply. What is SSA? Also, I ordered an Embark DNA kit to test for genetic defects, etc. Do you have any familiarity with these DNA tests. Thx again.

 

[Tropicalbri's]

SSA is same sex aggression.

We did DNA test on all our last 3 Dobermans. It’s good to do so you know of any genetic health issues in their line.

Just because DNA testing on some genetic diseases come back clear, it does not mean your dobe won’t develop a disease such as DCM.

 

[bluelou]

SSA is same sex aggression.

We did DNA test on all our last 3 Dobermans. It’s good to do so you know of any genetic health issues in their line.

Just because DNA testing on some genetic diseases come back clear, it does not mean your dobe won’t develop a disease such as DCM.

Thank you. The breeder offers a guarantee in the event there's a positive result. Hopefully, that won't be the case.

 

[Ravenbird]

I agree with @Tropicalbri's regarding a new puppy, better if the current male is 2 so you have control over at least one. Not sure what to say about sleeping arrangements. I did the Embark DNA tests too, and when you get your results online they let you know if anything should be sent to your vet and why. They also have an email where you can ask questions once you get your results back. I wouldn't call the tests positive or negative or defective, the genes are there or not - think of it as just finding out if your dog has genes that have been known to be linked to certain heritable diseases. Most are just a marker to let you know what to watch for. My dog is clear on the 2 marker genes for DCM but I will still watch for it and do heart tests later because it's not a guarantee of any kind. Hope this is helpful. Good luck with your plans!

 

[JanS]

I agree that you definitely want a female if you already have a male.

Also, there's going to be an issue with the sleeping arrangements. Our male Doberman sleeps in the bed. The female will be accustomed to sleeping in a crate. Any thoughts on how to handle the sleeping arrangements? I'd love to be able to fit the male back in a crate, but I'm not sure if it's possible.

Our older dog always has to earn the right to sleep in bed so if your older one is already behaving there, put the female in a crate and let her know she needs to get used to it but keep letting the older one sleep with you as long as it's already been allowed. Our 7 month old behaved in bed from the time she came home as a small pup so we gave her that privilege of sleeping with us and our older dog. The pup still needed to be crate trained but we just let her sleep with us.