Stupid rumor and myth ?

delawareDobe · 06-11-2008, 01:21 PM

Ok so I was at work today having what I thought was an intellectual conversation with a fellow co-worker, when we got on the topic of dogs and what our favorite dog was. I told him I was a big Doberman fan when he replied " well those dogs have a lot of problems, their skull is small and they have problems with their brain growing to big for their skull, causing them to be aggressive and turn" ...... Trust me, I almost wanted to punch him. Can anyone tell me if they ever even heard of this stupid myth. Please give me something good I can say back to this idiot!
(thinks he's a know-it-all)

JagerMonster · 06-11-2008, 01:24 PM

MYTH:
Dobermans may be good dogs when they're young, but when they're older their skull stops growing but their brain doesn't. Then their brain swells against the skull and they attack people.

FACT:
This is physically impossible. A Doberman is a canine just like a Golden Retriever. They have the same bone and nerve structure. When any canine's head stops growing, so does his brain.

MYTH:
Dobermans turn on their owners.

FACT:
When properly bred, raised, socialized, and trained; Dobermans are loving, loyal, family oriented dogs who will never think of doing such a thing. The only reason a Doberman would turn on anyone is due to abusive treatment. This is not something that is unique to a Doberman. Any animal, humans included, will defend themselves when threatened.

DISPELLING DOBERMAN MYTHS

**ellenm** · 06-11-2008, 01:24 PM

Unless you are pulling our legs...it is a total myth...read the DT archives for a thread on this!!

gracieface · 06-11-2008, 01:26 PM

I've heard it before, many people have, had prospective puppy owners ask me about it- what a crock, so much for intellectual beings!

**2gooddobes** · 06-11-2008, 01:30 PM

Along with the possibilty of with their brain growing to big for their skull they can also produce a lethal gas that can kill you with one wiff. Doberfarts are deadly and one should immediatly open a window a remove themselves to fresh air.

**dobermansrule** · 06-11-2008, 01:31 PM

tell him that it is as true as the 'myth' that men with protruding foreheads are less intelligent than men with flatter foreheads - and hopefully he is a one of the big jocks with a protruding forehead. But seriously, challenge him intellectually to walk through the thought process of how that happens and make him prove it with data if it is so true.

delawareDobe · 06-11-2008, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ellenm

Unless you are pulling our legs...it is a total myth...read the DT archives for a thread on this!!

Sorry if this is a repeat Thread. I tried to look in the archives but my computer at work is a dinosaur and it was being really slow. I just never heard of this before. Sorry again guys!

**dobermansrule** · 06-11-2008, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2gooddobes

Along with the possibilty of with their brain growing to big for their skull they can also produce a lethal gas that can kill you with one wiff. Doberfarts are deadly and one should immediatly open a window a remove themselves to fresh air.

indeed

**BlackandTans** · 06-11-2008, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2gooddobes

Along with the possibilty of with their brain growing to big for their skull they can also produce a lethal gas that can kill you with one wiff. Doberfarts are deadly and one should immediatly open a window a remove themselves to fresh air.

Well said!! I love it!

This has actually woken me up in the middle of the night from dead asleep being soooo bad! I thought that one of my pups had pooped ALL over the bedroom or something but no, it was just a doberfart!

Yah people that says these things just make me want to say

WorkingInSTL · 06-11-2008, 02:09 PM

Although I have always found this "myth" particularly hilarious, there is inevitably a grain of truth to everything.

There is a documented neurological disorder in canines (maybe someone else here can help me out and tell us what it is...Im not that smart) that causes extreme unprovoked aggression and an almost dementia-like mental state. The way I understood it, it was basically like a brain tumor. It usually affects older dogs. I believe that this condition occurs at its second highest rate in dobermanns. Ironically enough, the breed most disposed to this is the always benign and ever-loved german shepherd dog.

Provided all of that is accurate, it would only stand to reason that in 1979 and 1980, when dobies were the #2 breed in terms of registration numbers, it would only stand to reason that more dogs would have been afflicted with this disorder just because of the sheer numbers. Even at that, I believe it is a fairly rare disorder, and the actual number of cases is still so small as to be almost insignifigant.