Needing a second opinion

[Hades]

So Hades is turning into a smashing doggo, however Hades is over the top with other dogs, it's almost always a play thing however he can go way over the top to the point of causing a nasty fight, of course he does not mean this and he has seemed to settle down a bit with a lot of training, but even on a walk he can go way over the top and fases you out completely even a high value treat like chicken does not bring him down to earth. But I've assumed it's an age thing that he'll calm down as long as we keep up with training.

However one night my partner says to me it might help getting him snipped, and though we have no plans to breed him I'm concerned it would effect his ability to do protection work as he would make a fantastic protection family member when he hits the age that he is Abel to learn the skill.

But I would love to here some of your opinions!

Man to think he's almost a year in august..

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[MischasMomma]

Neutering will not change temperament. This is a common misconception! Chances are if you neuter him, this will not settle down his behavior- you are correct in thinking training and him maturing will. Hes still a puppy and has puppy energy and a puppy mindset, he needs to learn when it is and is not acceptable behavior.

 

[My2Girls]

How old is Hades? On leashes walks are you correcting the unwanted behavior? I'm sure more experienced owners will chime in but for me it's about reading their body language and correcting the behavior before they get into that zone.

 

[Archer]

This is a breed thing and is normal play style for a Doberman. Neutering will not curb this as it doesn't change tempermeant.

What you need to do is remove him from the situation BEFORE the play energy escalates. Leaving him in the situation will allow energy to build and spike which is a recipe for a dog fight. You are just asking for one to happen by allowing him to play in this manner. You as his owner are responsible to teach him what is respectable and appropriate behavior and what is not. You need to learn how to read animal behavior and confidently know when to remove him from the situation before it escalates. He is becoming (if he isn't already) a reactive dog. Let him say hello to the other dog and then move on. If the reactivity continues, I advise seeking the help of a liscensed veterinary behaviorist.

If he is ignoring your request to remove his focus from a high value item or a distraction to you, you need to go back to basic obedience. Has he been to obedience class? If not, you need to enroll in one that is willing to teach you to work under distractions and how to proof. He is at an age where this is only going to get worse, so you need to start working with him now.

 

[JanS]

I don't have anything to add but I was going to say I can't believe he's almost a year already...

 

[Viemarangelrock]

I agree, it's all about reading his body language. Dobes play rough, period. Sounds like he's getting way to excited, far to quickly. His play escalates to a level that is unacceptable.

I would definitely watch him closely, keep check on his posture, any signs of escalation I would remove him from the situation and do some obedience. Get his focus back on you.

As for neutering, I'm in agreement with all the other replies. Hang off, till at least 18 months old. Early neutering can cause the leg bones to grow unevenly. This leaves him
more vulnerable to hip dysplasia and torn ligaments. Also, by neutering later it allows his reproductive hormones time to do their valuable work.

 

[Hades]

I did have my doubts when my partner said it might help if he was nurtured, granted we could do more to curb his excited out burst before it were to arise, as we have been trying to redirect attention as we walk past dogs n such, keeping him on heel n such which is still very much a work in progress but he's good as gold with bikes n joggers whizzing by so I know we will get there one day.

I get quite stressy sometimes as well so that definitely does not help one bit

As for classes and stuff yes he is fantastic there but he does not quite understand that he needs to apply this outside those classes...I'm not sure if that relates to his youth.

We have been at this for a few months now and sometimes I feel like I've made no progress and that I've failed him as an owner but I doubt I'm alone in that thinking but he has come so far, it's just the dogs and cats.....I Sware he thinks they are small sassy dogs

 

[My2Girls]

It's also that age. They're in their doberteens and will test your authority. At least mine does.

 

[Regalis]

As for classes and stuff yes he is fantastic there but he does not quite understand that he needs to apply this outside those classes...I'm not sure if that relates to his youth.

Dogs don't associate like humans do, that's why training is never ending. Training in a "classroom" is great to start, but at some point that training needs to move onto real world situations.

That said, Kaizer is still pretty reactive to other dogs. It takes time and consistency. He's made improvements, but he still reacts to reactive dogs. For him, I've found that treats simply don't work. He's not a "foody". Instead, we use a toy. I can literally shove treats in his mouth and he'll spit them out, but his squeeky ball? That usually breaks his focus. The goal is to redirect him before he reacts. The second he fixates on something, correct. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work as sometimes the stimuli comes out of nowhere. In those cases, I usually opt to remove him from the situation as quickly as possible as there is no learning going on at that point. Once we get far enough away that I can gain his focus, we do some basic obedience. In a matter of about a month, he's gone from not even being able to see another dog without reacting to usually only reacting if they are barking at him. But that's with almost daily walks. Prey items are another story, which is where cats fall. Worth a dog's sense of smell, there is no way he's mistaking a cat for a dog.

If you can't make progress on your own, I would recommend finding a trainer who knows how to work with not only working breeds, but reactive ones. Unfortunately, a lot of trainers have no experience with this breed and training them can be a bit different. I personally avoid trainers with a one size fits all approach. Positive only, for instance, is not suitable for all dogs.

 

[sgourle]

Neutering certainly wont solve that problem, as previously mentioned. In addition to being partially caused by age, it really sounds to me like you need to do some threshold training. Plenty of information is available online; I particularly like the article on thresholds on the Pawsabilities blog. But anyway, you saying that he completely phases you out and will not respond for high value treats tells me that he is way over threshold, at which point he is learning absolutely nothing.

 

[Tropicalbri's]

It's also that age. They're in their doberteens and will test your authority. At least mine does.

On a daily basis too!!

 

[Drogon]

Like others have said, neutering won't help. Also like others have said you need to see the signs and make the correction before it escalates. It is very important for you to get this under control. Not only for his safety but for the breed in general. Dobermanns already have a bad reputation and we all need to do our part to help rectify that. We don't need people seeing the escalation and then going home and telling their family and friends about this 'vicious Dobermann'.

 

[Doberman Gang]

Protection training starts the day they come home at 8-9 weeks of age. Waiting till they are older is a bad misconception. The way obedience is trained as a puppy will be different than your average pet home doberman. We train our dogs thru engagement and make ourselves the most important thing. If we are out in public, my dog is focused on me and not other people or dogs, I am the most fun thing and nothing else can be more exciting than the possibility of playing with me. Confidence building and being able to perseve a threat is shaped as they mature. It is true most serious bite training does not start until after teething around6 or 7 months but Obedience foundation work should be started by then. You will need to find a trainer to work with and not a pet obedience class.

 

[Brioddy]

Brinks is a rough player. To the point of being a practical bully, I have to watch him closely when he's out loose with my older pit and my moms pit mix. If my pit was younger she'd give him a run for his money, but he is just so much taller and faster he definitely uses it to his advantage. He backs down when corrected but it's been an issue since he was younger, he's now not yet a year and a half and it has gotten better. He is intact and I don't believe I will neuter him. I don't plan on having another dog, my female dog is spayed, he doesn't mark, we don't go to dog parks and is otherwise a respectable citizen. He can be reactive to other dogs while walking, I've found if we are jogging as opposed to walking he is MUCH more likely to assume it's none of his business and to keep on. I also use a prong collar on outings and it has been a blessing.

 

[Kaiser2016]

Protection training starts the day they come home at 8-9 weeks of age. Waiting till they are older is a bad misconception.

There is so much misinformation out there about puppies and having to wait for so long before taking them out for classes. These are things new puppy owners should learn when they get their dogs licensed!