What Drew You To The Doberman Breed

[MyBuddy]

Cody runs in big circles casting a glance my way two times per circle. He's making sure I don't get lost. He sure is fun to watch. Powerful and graceful at the same time.

They certainly are fun to watch! That horse-like, graceful movement is one of the things that drew me to the breed. The Velcro, wanting to be with you, is another! I used to hide behind a tree when my first Doberman took his eyes off of me. Oh, boy, did that teach him to always know where I was! lol Don't do it so much that you make him anxious, but just enough to teach him to keep an eye out for ya!

When I call his name, he drops his front left shoulder to initiate the turn back to us, it looks so neat. He always runs in left hand circles, do Dobies in the southern hemisphere run in right hand circles?

Hmmm, I've never noticed if Buddy always turns in one direction. I don't think he does. It all depends on where he's at or whats in his way as for the direction of the turn.

This is our first Doberman, little previous exposure to them. Wondering if his exercise needs are normal?

Dobermans are not couch potatoes. Even one with a lower drive. They still require a lot of exercise to keep them happy and out of trouble. lol That pent up energy will go towards mischievous behavior if not spent of something worthwhile. Buddy needs to run every day. If I'm being a couch potato that day, he'll let me know!

 

[WMBigs]

I used to hide behind a tree when my first Doberman took his eyes off of me. Oh, boy, did that teach him to always know where I was! lol Don't do it so much that you make him anxious, but just enough to teach him to keep an eye out for ya!

That sounds like a great idea!

 

[katie's mom]

when I was little, there was a family in our neighborhood who had two dobermans. I never saw them set as much as a paw out of their yard..Long before the days of Invisible Fencing.. They were a little intimidating, but always perfectly mannered, and very politely let you know not to trespass onto their yard. I loved their grace, and their intelligence!! years later, when I took my own children back to the house I grew up in to see my mom, some different neighbors down the street had gotten a female named Heidi. No one ever told Heidi that we had arrived, but after we all took our stuff in and unpacked, there she would be on the back stairs She spent all day every day being with our children...they ADORED her, and she never let them out of her sight. We would go to the store, or on a little trip, and Heidi would always be on the porch when we left, and in the same spot when we returned.. Late at night she would still be waiting outside, and we got permission from her owners to feed her, since she would NOT go home.. The funny thing is, when it was time for us to go home to Birmingham, she would wait by the car while we packed and said our goodbyes, and as we drove off the last thing we would see would be Heidi going back to her house....like she knew this was not just a store run....we were leaving for real this time! We have many pictures of her, and our youngest daughter always knew that a doberman was the only dog for her....How we came by her is another long story, but suffice it to say she is the best, most beautiful, smartest and most loving member of our family.

 

[JanS]

We would go to the store, or on a little trip, and Heidi would always be on the porch when we left, and in the same spot when we returned.. Late at night she would still be waiting outside, and we got permission from her owners to feed her, since she would NOT go home.. The funny thing is, when it was time for us to go home to Birmingham, she would wait by the car while we packed and said our goodbyes, and as we drove off the last thing we would see would be Heidi going back to her house....like she knew this was not just a store run....we were leaving for real this time!

That is so touching and tear jerking at the same time. I just love our breed!

 

[empress62]

Grew up with Dobermans. Our dogs were fairly large for the time, unneutered and aggressive toward other dogs and people not associated with us (as far as the dogs knew). My parents let them run pretty wild. With us as small kids up into highschool, they were loving, playful and good with other kids that came to our home. People loved them. I like a neutered male if you aren't into breeding. Eliminates many issues....leg lifting, crotch sniffing, etc...

As an adult I have had two dogs. We have loved them both. I know people feel differently on the issue of the large "Superior" size or "Gladiator" dogs, but we love a large dog and have plenty of property. The young male we own now, Chacon, is part of our family. He loves our grandchildren and is on alert for the distress of any kid who comes over to play. Heck with the adults! Some kid screams or makes an alarming sound and Chacon is there in moments to see what is distressing the child. It's amazing. He has done this since he was small. Last summer, when my youngest grandson was not quite a year and a half old, he was walking around our pool. Of course, I was following him, but when Chacon came around the corner of the house from the front yard he immediately trotted over to meet the baby at the corner of the pool and gently blocked him from the water side. They both stood there several moments until my grandson started walking back my direction at which time Chacon walked slowly along with him on the inside so the baby could not get to the water if he had wanted to. It was so sweet.

I have only known our Doberman pets to be family friendly, protective, loyal, playful and loving. As a side note, Chacon does have a bed in our room but often chooses to sleep in another area of the house where he can see everything. When my husband is away on business (I first noticed this while we were keeping our youngest grandchild for an extended period), Chacon would sleep on the hard floor at the top of the stairs outside of my room. He will also help with yard work.....go figure! If I am pulling on a difficult plant or tree, he comes and pulls too. He has been much help to me as I am quite small and he is bigger than me!

Dobermans do shed more than most people would think, but at least their hair is short and sleek. I love the speed and body style of the Doberman. Beautiful and elegant. So smart.....great problem solvers (which can sometimes get them into trouble)! Many people have a preconceived idea that the Doberman is mean. That is so untrue in almost every dog I have encountered. Chacon is large and frightening looking with his long cropped ears and big body, but that is about all you need for protection. Not many criminals want to tangle with a ferocious looking dog. They don't know that he sits on my lap, beside me on designated chairs (not the fabric covered ones). He thinks he is a tiny lap dog. I have sweet pictures of the babies lying on his back or reading their little books. Chasing him around (he pretends to be fast). I can't think of a nicer dog to have as a family pet.

 

[DoberMink]

Man, some of these stories have me all choked up! Makes me wish I had a better ine myself.

To be honest, I have zero history with this breed. The closest I ever got to them was once upon a time in a pet store an older couple had a pair. One was cropped and one wasnt. I talked to them for only a few minutes but the dogs were magnificent. Other than that....I only ever saw them in movies as 'bad guys' or in a show ring (usually on Thanksgiving day after the parade).

I've always been a small/medium dog owner and a rescuer. Never saw myself hunting down a breeder or with something 'pure bred' as I always just kind of fell into my pets. I always thought that if I got a purebred, it would be a doxie. Especially since all my life as been lived in an apartment. Never considered myslef much into 'big' dogs.

Well, we bought a house! Then I found out we had some unsavory neighbors and almost had an anxiety attack in the drive way. I do suffer from both anxiety and depression. My mom saw this and we had a talk about what would make me feel safe. Never before have I really looked into animals as a function, just companions. But it just made so much sence to get a large dog. Even if they weren't trained protectors, their size alone wpuld be a detourant.

So, my brain went into overdrive researching breeds. Not just size, but temperment, trainablity, intelegence, actuvity level, and protective instinct. Also, what breeds were known to be more intimidating.

This brought me to about 3 different breeds. German Shepard, Belgian Malimois, and the Doberman.

From those 3 I really dove into my reading. I was pretty set on a Belgian Malimois but they seemed to boast an energy level beyobd what I would be capable of, and several breeders I looked into only sold puppies to law enforcement, military, or high activity working dog type homes. So those were out. Then the German Shepherd was next. The only con I could find in them was the fur. And I was actually looking for a shepherd/husky mix more than anything as I find that mix beautiful and knew they stay on the smaller side.

But the more I read about Dobies the more I was just amazed. They are a bit more high energy than I'd normally like, but I am also into agility, rifing my bike, ect, and they seemed great. Not to mention they are so strikingly gorgeous!

I had a breeder all picked out, but his next puppies weren't due for 6 more months, and I am impatient. I'm always on craigslist for reptile supplies and other good deals and BAM...there he was...a 10 week old black and tan, registered puppy. He was just screaming my name!

I texted the owner right away, and then we texted the whole say I was at work (and thia is a sunday btw). After a few hours of talking to the guy, I decided I had to have him. The owner lived 2 hours from where I live, but only an hour from where I work. So the guy drove an hour to me and we met at my job. I left a bit early to meet him in the parking lot. From there the deal was done and I (rather unexpectedly to be honest) had a new puppy!

Turns out he was still a 'rescue' as the owner lied to me about his shot records and health. Poor baby only had 1 set of shots and was severely malnourished due to poor diet, lack of sunlight, and being confined to a kennel too much. This has caused the poor boy to have rickets.

I still have alot of learning to do, and tons more experience to catch up on, but all ready...I'd love to see myself with another down the road lol.

So far, while a total terror about 90% of the time...he is soooo sweet and totally my type of dog the other 10%, that I can't regret ny decision. Like me...he has alot to learn as well.

Sorry for the mini novel lol.

=D

 

[Lucian]

I grew up around dogs, so dogs were not something that you were to be afraid of really. We had German Shepherds and my Grandparents had Malamute Huskies.

One summer my Dad took us all camping and he and I went for a walk to gather fire wood. I remember coming up this hill along a dirt path and all of a sudden my Dad froze and put me behind him and told me to be still. I still remember peeking out around my Dads legs to see what it was he was hiding me from. There walking down the path was the most beautiful dog I had ever seen.

My Dad and I stood still as the dog approached us. I can still see him holding out his hand as she came up to us. She was so pretty! Her coat was black and shiny. I asked my Dad what kind of dog she was. I had never seen a dog so sleek and beautiful. This makes me smile now as I drift back to the time when this all took place. He got down on one knee and lowered his voice to almost a whisper and said.. this is a Doberman.

She spent the next four days with us at our campsite, sleeping outside the tent at night. I kept asking and asking can we take her home with us, but my Dad said a dog like that has an owner somewhere. If she was still there when we got up in the morning he was going to try to find out where she came from but that morning when we woke up she was gone. She had no collar so there was no I.D tags.

Now that I am older I wonder what the heck she was doing out there in the middle of no where. Dad was the kind of person that when you went camping it was camping out in the middle of the woods where the was no campsites or houses around. Poor girl, I sure hope she made it home okay.

But, yeah, she was the reason that I fell in love with Dobermans

 

[DD4MSpock]

Was reading through another thread this evening and saw a post by @VonDoom (Post number 109 in the thread "Advocating Cropping & Docking") What a genuine reflection of his love for this breed. So that reading prompted this thread.

My reason is similar, having to do with the physical aspect of these rascals. I have fostered and adopted for a good while. Living the urban life, to me, did not provide what truly high energy dogs needed, space. My fostering had restrictions that I felt were appropriate for the environment. After settling on these acres, the second foster was a Dobe "Timber". Wow could that bugger run, he was a black and tan beauty. After Timber left I swore I would keep the next one. And yes I did, Bidgie came here at about 15 weeks of age. Currently it is just the two, Bentley and Bidgie (both are dobes).

So, what drew me to the breed was.....the way they run.

In my case, it's pretty much the "family" breed. My paternal grandparents had a pair of reds they named "Duke & Duchess." Unfortunately, Duke had passed before I was born, but I do recall Duchess to an extent. I'm told she took very good care of me as an infant... guarded me well in the back yard, etc.

Subsequently, we had a series of three black dobies when I was growing up as teen. The first, I didn't know well as he was killed in an auto accident. The second lived a long time (and we got him when he was like 3 or 4). He is the dobie you see in my avatar, "Mr. Spock" (due to the particular crop he had). He lived to be 14 or so, but we had to put him down due to cancer. The third was a playful one with a gentle personality. He was called "Miguel." But, by the time he came around, I was already off to college.

When I'm able to, I'd like to get a dobie of my own, and maybe a black lab to go with him. We'll see.

 

[LifeofRubie]

I had actually never met a Doberman until I was well into college. A friends co-worker had this massive black and tan intact boy and he was so calm and so gentle around his toddlers and just beautiful to look at. He'd been trained in German and I was impressed with how obedient and loyal he was. I eventually rescued a Doberman, a little 7 month old gal, and she was just as goofy and friendly as they come but my ex bought a lifetime license under his name without me knowing it so legally, I had zero claim to her even though I took her to the dog park and I paid all her vet bills and I paid for her adoption fees and I took her to training. Really quite a shame. I rescued my second Doberman and he gave me the most magical 1.5 years before he passed. Little Rubie we got from a breeder as a puppy (my first experience posting!) and it's been quite the ride. I hope to never not have a Doberman in my life. We also get approached everywhere we go and I love spreading the good work about the breed.

 

[Oh Little Oji]

I grew up around dogs, so dogs were not something that you were to be afraid of really. We had German Shepherds and my Grandparents had Malamute Huskies.

One summer my Dad took us all camping and he and I went for a walk to gather fire wood. I remember coming up this hill along a dirt path and all of a sudden my Dad froze and put me behind him and told me to be still. I still remember peeking out around my Dads legs to see what it was he was hiding me from. There walking down the path was the most beautiful dog I had ever seen.

My Dad and I stood still as the dog approached us. I can still see him holding out his hand as she came up to us. She was so pretty! Her coat was black and shiny. I asked my Dad what kind of dog she was. I had never seen a dog so sleek and beautiful. This makes me smile now as I drift back to the time when this all took place. He got down on one knee and lowered his voice to almost a whisper and said.. this is a Doberman.

She spent the next four days with us at our campsite, sleeping outside the tent at night. I kept asking and asking can we take her home with us, but my Dad said a dog like that has an owner somewhere. If she was still there when we got up in the morning he was going to try to find out where she came from but that morning when we woke up she was gone. She had no collar so there was no I.D tags.

Now that I am older I wonder what the heck she was doing out there in the middle of no where. Dad was the kind of person that when you went camping it was camping out in the middle of the woods where the was no campsites or houses around. Poor girl, I sure hope she made it home okay.

But, yeah, she was the reason that I fell in love with Dobermans

That's a beautiful story!
Maybe it was the ghost of a Dobe from that area. Who knows? Maybe she kept away a bear or a wolf or two that night?
You put me in an imaginative mood.

 

[Lucian]

It makes me wonder too Oh Little Oji
I'm glad I got to experience her even if for just that short amount of time!

 

[bomary]

It makes me wonder too Oh Little Oji
I'm glad I got to experience her even if for just that short amount of time!

That is a pretty awesome story! Glad I read it. How cool....and now, you will have a Dobe (or a few) in your life forever! Really cool story.

 

[Saltwatercowboy772]

Growing up my mom always fostered smaller dogs and I've always loved the way they present them selves and how sleek and athletic they look. My aunt had 2 dobes and i remember everyone though my mom was crazy for allowing that dog near me. When I was (2-3ish) but I would play with my hot wheels and he would lay next to me until i got up and moved.

My mom answered the door one time and let someone in( delivery man) ( it was snowing) the house and forgot he wasn't in the basement that poor delivery man was pinned in a corner.

It's hard to say what my favorite breed is. Its a dead tie between a doberman and a pit. I will not own any other breed. They are the best

 

[Oh Little Oji]

Growing up my mom always fostered smaller dogs and I've always loved the way they present them selves and how sleek and athletic they look. My aunt had 2 dobes and i remember everyone though my mom was crazy for allowing that dog near me. When I was (2-3ish) but I would play with my hot wheels and he would lay next to me until i got up and moved.

My mom answered the door one time and let someone in( delivery man) ( it was snowing) the house and forgot he wasn't in the basement that poor delivery man was pinned in a corner.

It's hard to say what my favorite breed is. Its a dead tie between a doberman and a pit. I will not own any other breed. They are the best

Welcome from Ohio!

Yes, a good Doberman and a good Pit – a tough call. Doberman wins out for me in terms of what is my favorite. There are a few reasons for this.

Then again, there are many breeds I admire and would love to have a good example of. Some of those breeds are disqualified for me due to drool though Pit's don't typically drool, I know, so that's great. We fostered an American Bulldog / Pit cross. Her head looked mostly Pit so tight flews and no drool.



Again, welcome!

 

[Saltwatercowboy772]

Thank you. I figured I'm on automotive forums so why not a dog one? Lol.

My vet said I lucked out with my boy hes quiet polite and mellow for a dobbie. And a big cuddle bug. I wasn't a fan of the pit bulls ( not for their rap) I just didn't like the stumpy big block head look. But my female is very smart , loving , she changed my views on pits . she's suposedly a pit/ dobbie mix I kinda see it.

 

[Oh Little Oji]

Thank you. I figured I'm on automotive forums so why not a dog one? Lol.

My vet said I lucked out with my boy hes quiet polite and mellow for a dobbie. And a big cuddle bug. I wasn't a fan of the pit bulls ( not for their rap) I just didn't like the stumpy big block head look. But my female is very smart , loving , she changed my views on pits . she's suposedly a pit/ dobbie mix I kinda see it.

You've got two perky-eared dogs there!

 

[Regalis]

This was a fun and interesting read

My first dobie was when I was 3 or 4. Yes, she was mine, though that was not the intention. My mom brought her home unexpectedly from God knows where. She was huge, 90lbs at a healthy weight. Cropped and docked. Black and rust and just gorgeous. No one else knew she was bringing a dog home. My dad got greeter at the front door by her

Long story short, my mom would take me to her obedience classes. It really ended up with me, this TINY girl working with her most of the time. After we got through basic obedience, we started on agility. I would set up jumps in the house. Tie a rope between two chairs and you have yourself a great dog jump. She NEVER left my side. She had a bean bag chair for a bed, we would curl up in it and watch movies, read, etc. Unfortunately, Samantha had a habit of not listening to my mom (my mom was not good with dogs) and would bolt out the front door on her, resulting in a neighbor calling the cops over a "vicious dog". She ended up rehoming her against mine and my dad's wishes.

Second dobie was when I was about 11. My mom decided to try again. She had been through I dunno how many other dogs at this point that just never fit or did something wrong, etc. (I wasn't kidding when I said my mom was not good with dogs). She ended up deciding to rescue a dobe. So her and I (I didn't even live with her by this point) drive to the rescue. Mom wanted a purebred female, cropped and docked. None available. The "rescue" owner kept all purebred females that came in. She steered us toward an 18 month old male. He came from a litter she bred so a vet friend could learn to crop ears (some rescue, eh?) He had lived pretty much his entire life in a crate in the garage, being let out twice a day to run (huge fenced in property). My mom finally agreed ( I was smitten, despite his bad crop job and thin build) and told me to take the dog with me to walk back to the truck to get her checkbook. I hooked on a leash and started on my walk. About half way there I realized this dog that had NO real training was in a perfect heal. I dropped the leash and he stayed right with me the entire walk to and from the truck. I rode home in the backseat with him. He was "my" dog. Or atleast, that's what he decided. Now remember, I didn't live there. He hung around just long enough for me to get to take him up to the local park a couple times before my mom returned him (he didn't listen to her, was not house broken, etc). On one walk a boy from school decided to come up to me. No clue why, we weren't friends or anything. As we were standing there talking he stepped towards me "Nitro" immediately stepped in front of me and his face went from happy to "I mean business" without making a sound. The boy ran off

I don't know how i ended up going as long as I did without getting another dobie. When I got my first dog at 19, I wanted a doberman but couldn't find any locally (and really didn't trust rescues at this point) and a husky was my second choice. I ended up with a husky who passed last year. It lasted two months before I was in the market for a new pup. With limited finances though, a dobie seemed unlikely. Then I found him, a tiny dobe/rott mix. Last male in the litter left. Price was right. I talked to the guy and learned that the parents were both pure bred euro imports. He didn't intend to have a mixed litter but the female (dobe) broke into the male rotts kennel. He wasn't the most knowledgeable, but he wasn't stupid and he just wanted to find the pups good homes. Even made sure to find out if I knew what I was getting myself into.

One day, when my kids are older and finances are not so tight I will have another purebred dobie. I don't think I will ever get another breed. Maybe a malinois, maybe. But I've been in love with them ever since that first female when I was a kid. She was my best friend.

 

[Oh Little Oji]

This was a fun and interesting read

My first dobie was when I was 3 or 4. Yes, she was mine, though that was not the intention. My mom brought her home unexpectedly from God knows where. She was huge, 90lbs at a healthy weight. Cropped and docked. Black and rust and just gorgeous. No one else knew she was bringing a dog home. My dad got greeter at the front door by her

Long story short, my mom would take me to her obedience classes. It really ended up with me, this TINY girl working with her most of the time. After we got through basic obedience, we started on agility. I would set up jumps in the house. Tie a rope between two chairs and you have yourself a great dog jump. She NEVER left my side. She had a bean bag chair for a bed, we would curl up in it and watch movies, read, etc. Unfortunately, Samantha had a habit of not listening to my mom (my mom was not good with dogs) and would bolt out the front door on her, resulting in a neighbor calling the cops over a "vicious dog". She ended up rehoming her against mine and my dad's wishes.

Second dobie was when I was about 11. My mom decided to try again. She had been through I dunno how many other dogs at this point that just never fit or did something wrong, etc. (I wasn't kidding when I said my mom was not good with dogs). She ended up deciding to rescue a dobe. So her and I (I didn't even live with her by this point) drive to the rescue. Mom wanted a purebred female, cropped and docked. None available. The "rescue" owner kept all purebred females that came in. She steered us toward an 18 month old male. He came from a litter she bred so a vet friend could learn to crop ears (some rescue, eh?) He had lived pretty much his entire life in a crate in the garage, being let out twice a day to run (huge fenced in property). My mom finally agreed ( I was smitten, despite his bad crop job and thin build) and told me to take the dog with me to walk back to the truck to get her checkbook. I hooked on a leash and started on my walk. About half way there I realized this dog that had NO real training was in a perfect heal. I dropped the leash and he stayed right with me the entire walk to and from the truck. I rode home in the backseat with him. He was "my" dog. Or atleast, that's what he decided. Now remember, I didn't live there. He hung around just long enough for me to get to take him up to the local park a couple times before my mom returned him (he didn't listen to her, was not house broken, etc). On one walk a boy from school decided to come up to me. No clue why, we weren't friends or anything. As we were standing there talking he stepped towards me "Nitro" immediately stepped in front of me and his face went from happy to "I mean business" without making a sound. The boy ran off

I don't know how i ended up going as long as I did without getting another dobie. When I got my first dog at 19, I wanted a doberman but couldn't find any locally (and really didn't trust rescues at this point) and a husky was my second choice. I ended up with a husky who passed last year. It lasted two months before I was in the market for a new pup. With limited finances though, a dobie seemed unlikely. Then I found him, a tiny dobe/rott mix. Last male in the litter left. Price was right. I talked to the guy and learned that the parents were both pure bred euro imports. He didn't intend to have a mixed litter but the female (dobe) broke into the male rotts kennel. He wasn't the most knowledgeable, but he wasn't stupid and he just wanted to find the pups good homes. Even made sure to find out if I knew what I was getting myself into.

One day, when my kids are older and finances are not so tight I will have another purebred dobie. I don't think I will ever get another breed. Maybe a malinois, maybe. But I've been in love with them ever since that first female when I was a kid. She was my best friend.

Amazing stories!

Since you have an affinity for the Malinios, I wonder if a working-line Doberman would suit you. In fact, I sort of consider Oji the Malinois of Dobermans. Not only because of the drivey-ness but because his is smaller and has a snipey snout.

 

[Regalis]

I'm a working dog person. I loved my husky, don't get me wrong, but they are just not a highly trainable dog. They have the smarts for sure, they just are not big for listening. If it was completely up to me, we wouldn't have our current lab. He's sweet and all, but dumber than a box of rocks. He will chase his own tail until he crashes into something or falls over.

Kaizer actually reminds me mostly of a working dobe. Just with slightly less energy. But he has the drive. Works out well for me since I think the energy of a malinois would kill me. I have days where excersizing a dog is just not possible due to health issues. I can skip days with Kaizer and he will effectively burn the energy off just chasing the lab around the yard. Malinois size is actually a downfall to me. I actually prefer the oversized dobies. I am seriously debating importing a dobe in the future, but that's a long ways off. We are at our limit (legally) with two dogs.

 

[Oh Little Oji]

I'm a working dog person. I loved my husky, don't get me wrong, but they are just not a highly trainable dog. They have the smarts for sure, they just are not big for listening. If it was completely up to me, we wouldn't have our current lab. He's sweet and all, but dumber than a box of rocks. He will chase his own tail until he crashes into something or falls over.

Kaizer actually reminds me mostly of a working dobe. Just with slightly less energy. But he has the drive. Works out well for me since I think the energy of a malinois would kill me. I have days where excersizing a dog is just not possible due to health issues. I can skip days with Kaizer and he will effectively burn the energy off just chasing the lab around the yard. Malinois size is actually a downfall to me. I actually prefer the oversized dobies. I am seriously debating importing a dobe in the future, but that's a long ways off. We are at our limit (legally) with two dogs.

Yeah, my wife's late dog was a Siberian Husky female (or as I dubbed her, an "American House Husky"). Her job was to make hair.

I agree on the size thing, though I personally would not go too oversized. I would be fine with a Dobe of up to maybe 105 lbs. or so as long as it was proportionate and structurally sound and all other factors were good as well. It is really a struggle for me that Oji is such a small male. At least he's full-height and proportionate. Well, I guess being too narrow is not exactly being proportionate.