Personal protection for real, not for sport, is a whole different ballgame. My humble opinion, they are great watchdogs, but few have the nerve to "bark forward" and take pressure.
had to use an ecollar to put a stop to it or he'll create a new solar system.
I had to hit "funny" when I read that. Almost spewed my coffee.
from what I've read about nervy dobermans (or any working breed) is that they'll work if you just want a great display of threat but when pressured will fall apart. Whether that be high level IGP or real world.
I've seen several GSDs that had this nervy look, one was a pet and a bad bad fear-biter. Bit anyone who got close except for the owner. Owner thought it was "protective". It was a disaster. The other was about 7-8 months old at an IGP training, a nervous looking puppy. They were wanting him to experience different people offering play (because that's how the tug and eventually the sleeve are presented - as play). Since the dog had never met me they asked if I'd offer the tug to play and I said sure. The handler gave me a tug and I barely bent forward and wiggled it at him and the pup came unglued lunged at me barking then ran backwards barking. He was a total nerve bag and had no play about him whatsoever. He did go on to get an IGP1 I think, but was what I thought very unreliable and totally unstable. Sometimes when they "fall apart" due to nerve it's not running away, it's in unpredictable fear biting. A different IGP
3 GSD lunged at and almost bit the judge in his tracking review. Level 3! The judge was nice enough to give the handler a minute to re-group with his dog, approach again for the review, and again the dog lunged hard at the judge, who was just standing there with his clipboard. He was DQ'd and can't trial again until he passes another BH. I don't know anything about the dog if he was just having a really bad day or if he's always a trigger away from biting someone.
If Dutch shepherds are so reactive they attack their handlers and are known for it, as well as belgian malinois... how are they better than dobermans?
Those two breeds (basically come from the same stock generations back, one just has stripes) are incredibly intelligent and they are natural biters. We've all seen those videos of mal puppies hanging like ticks on someones pants legs. Like border collies, they think and act fast, they want to please and they want/need a job. If you get a bitey dog with tons of drive, you better have the energy to keep up with them and a step ahead. The dutch that lives here will come up the leash if she thinks you're being unfair, but is the most kind loving dog on the planet, never met a stranger. My dog is totally opposite, acts like she'd kill a stranger, but no matter what I do or how hard I've had to be to her in training, she's absolutely never had a thought of biting me. GSDs are all over the board, I don't know them well, but I've never met one that made me want one. Even the best of the best working dogs with a decent personality off the field, or the best of the best pet GSDs, I just don't care for them. Or the hair. The hair would make me scream.
It's all apples and oranges. A mal is different than a GSD by miles, but they are both herders. A Dobe is like neither one so no sense in comparing. I think if you're seeing Mals and Dutches "being known" for attacking their handlers, it's just like Dobermans back in their popular days: Bad breeding because they got popular and it was a money-maker and pet owners getting them because they are "cool" dogs, not having a clue how to train or handle them. A recipe for disaster.
Just remember, there is a reason you don't see many Dobermans in bite sports or as police K9's or in the military any more. For the most part they just don't cut it. When they do it's because they have a trainer who totally knows how to deal with their personalities and thinking, because they don't train like herders do. And especially decoys or helpers.
Edit to add: when they do they also are almost always bred specifically for working in addition to having a knowledgeable trainer/decoy/handler.
Hopefully today I can watch the rest of that video and also you said there are previous clips of this Doberman as a youngster?