DanaRVT

I'm researching breeds and trying to decide which breed is right for me. I am strongly leaning toward a Doberman (I'm stuck between a Dobe or a Ridgeback) and need some guidance. I am far from new to dogs, and have Doberman experience (grew up with Dobes, but not the same thing as having your own, or for my special circumstances).

I currently have a Mastiff. She is my assistance dog and while she does an AWESOME job and I really can't complain at all.... I don't want another Mastiff when she retires as my next partner. There are sadly logistical issues (her size is a blessing and a curse at the same time, great for doing her job, bad for airline flights where we don't fit in coach seating, restaurants where she doesn't fit under the table, etc) and I want to downsize for my next partner.

I need a dog with certain substance, he will need to be medium-large but strong, aloof with strangers yet allows them to handle him if need be, needs to be protective to a point but not aggressive. This dog will need to be highly intelligent and relatively easy to train, yet still be funloving A dog that is entirely focused on me, in tune with me and not easily distracted. The dog will have to be definitely larger than a Labrador and I don't care for GSD (sorry for those that have them). The docked tail on a Dobe is attractive because it reduces chances of accidents (tail knocking things over, or getting run over by carts, or stepped on).

I need a dog that will be good and patient with children who are well trained to treat dogs with respect

I would like a dog with little shedding, easy keeper, and in general nice attitude.

Is a Doberman for me?

Doberdog

I have my first Doberman so I'm not the best to answer this question. I can say that they are very active and need exercise, but they have all the qualities you are looking for. There are many experienced Doberman people on here that will see this thread soon and answer.
So are you are you a Vascular Technologist? I'm a RDMS. I manage the Diagnostic US department at the University of KY. We do the DVT studies after hours. We also do the Liver, Kid, panc TXP's all the time and Aorta, IVC, Messentaric vessals, etc.... You get my point, lots of vascular stuff. Welcome to Doberman talk and good luck in making your choice.

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Have a great day, Sheila-owned by Quentin (b&t,M, dobie), Maggie Mae(1/2 shar pei, 1/2 ?, F, from the pound), and Peaches (red dobie, F)

berkshire

Hmm...well, the properly built Doberman isn't going to be much larger than a lab with respect to weight. Probably a couple of extra inches in height, but they run between 65 and 85 pounds on average, depending on whether you get a bitch or a dog.

In my experience with both breeds, I think that Dobes tend to be more predictable when it comes to temperament...but I've only met a handful of Rhodies.

Have you looked at the breed standard and the description that the DPCA puts out? If not, here's a link:

DPCA - A Candid Look At Doberman Temperament

"Doberman Pinscer Club of America Illustrated Standard"

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~Candice

DanaRVT

Yeah I knew about the weight, Ridgebacks are right around the same there... but the extra couple of inches of height would be beneficial. I should mention that I live in Spain and the Dobermans here tend to be an inch or two taller than their US counterparts as well as weightwise, they tend to be about 5-10 lbs heavier.

I'm currently partnered with a 180lb Mastiff bitch who is 30", so a 28" male Dobe would be fine heightwise I think.

I definitely need a more active dog, I am limited in where I can go and how long I can be out, as my Mastiff, while an athletic bitch, can't go for more than an hour or so (I don't drive) without getting tired and she can't tolerate heat well Bad thing in Spain.

Actually no I'm not a Vascular Tech, I'm a registered Veterinary Technologist and Licensed Canine Nutritionist

dobermansrule

"Is a Doberman for me?"

If you have access to a park or somewhere where you can occasionally take the dog to let him run offleash to get it's yah yahs out, then yes!

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DanaRVT

Karma gets a day off each week where she gets to be "just a dog" and we go to a fenced in dog park and she runs and plays to her heart's content (usually all of 15 minutes, she's a lazy lump of a dog) but generally she gets a lot of exercise working. As I stated before, I don't drive, so we walk EVERYWHERE, to take the kids to school and back is roughly 4 miles a day plus grocery shopping, go to the bank, head to the post office, run other assorted errands etc, so it's a LOT of walking. Plus at home we play fetch (well I toss the Cuz and she goes and attacks it, it somehow never makes it back to me haha).

RedFawnRising

"A dog that is entirely focused on me, in tune with me and not easily distracted."

Well, I am not sure how many Ridgebacks you've known--maybe a lot, being a vet tech, but, erm, the above description you gave is, IME, not a typical Ridgeback.

Remember, they are sighthounds and keep in mind all that goes with that. (Sighthound lovers, don't bash me--I like them, just don't see them as enjoying service work.)

They also have a reputation for being a tad independent of their owners and also highly sensitive--which is not a trait that works well in service dogs--old ladies with big handbags bumping your dog's head, folks crowding you with their carts, loud voices, etc.

Now, me, I will admit, having said all that, I'm a tad biased.

I work a Dobe currently--he's a bit over 27 inches and that works great, as I'm tall. I have a two inch handle on the assistance harness.

My retiring dog is a Lab, and while he outweighs my Dobe by *twenty pounds,* I need a four to six inch handle to comfortably partner with him, as he's shorter than my Dobe.

The only potential pitfall I see in your plan for working a Dobe is the exercise thing. If you get a dog younger than four to five years, I think you'll have to amp up the "free run" time quite a bit from what you're used to.

I find, even after a few hours of work, my Dobe needs to go blow off the zoomies WORSE than on a day we've just sat around and held down the couch.

I liken it to needing a good game of raquetball after a hard day of concentrating at the office!

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It takes more than a baby and a box to make a normal monkey.—Harry F. Harlow

Crow

I've only had the one Dobe so I can't say definitively if his particular traits are typical of the breed (though from reading DobeTalk for a few months, it seems that they are). Anyway, the following observations:

He absolutely is not heat tolerant. Even in the warm-to-hot British summer he quickly becomes hot, panty, slow and on walks he needs plenty of cool-down paddles in the river, and water to drink.

He's a good boy but "patient" certainly isn't a word I'd use to describe him.

Even at 10 going on 11, he still needs a lot of exercise. He has around 90 minutes off-leash every morning and another 30 minutes off-leash in the late afternoon/early evening. If he doesn't get enough exercise, he boings around the house like a hyperactive rubber ball (as I experienced recently, when he wasn't allowed any walks for 5 days following some surgery on his foot).

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Charlie, smiling as usual

dobermandude

i agree with redfawn's description of the ridgeback. while they are very cool dogs, im not sure they fit your needs. my sister has two ridgebacks raised from pups, and they are a little independent and very sensitive and seem to get distracted easily. so far with my few months of experience with dobes, they seem so much more in tune with their owner and suited for work imo.

DanaRVT

As I am rather short.... 5'3"... that would put a standard sized Dobe right there where I need him without having to extend handles on my gear. Obviously my Mastiff's gear wouldn't fit haha but I'd like a dog that I can reach comfortably and considering here in Europe at least, the Labradors around here are MUCH shorter than the US dogs I am familiar with when I grew up Stateside.

I'm prepared to ramp up play time, I knew that ANY dog I get that is smaller than my Mastiff will need a lot more exercise So that's where kids, balls, frisbees, tuggies, and a hubby that jogs come in

That's pretty much what I thought about the Ridgebacks, while they are cool dogs, and I LOVE them and have always wanted one... with them being hounds, scents and fast moving objects might be an issue.

Since you also use a canine assistant.... what sort of timing would you suggest on choosing a new partner and starting training in regards to retiring the other dog? Mastiffs in general have a lifespan of 8-10 years and while I hope that Karma would live on past that, I have to be realistic. I had originally thought that perhaps choosing and beginning training with my new dog, that would in all likelihood be a puppy, I should plan on bringing puppy home when Karma's around 6ish so that the new puppy can be adequately trained by the time she's 7.5? What are your thoughts on that? I don't want to end up partnerless because of poor timing, but I don't want to bring a new dog in too soon either.

Thanks for the great insight so far, I think I like this forum!