miko

To any Dobe owners that got them when there were puppies and had toddlers, how were those experiences? Male or female puppy?

Am I "bringing a loaded gun" in the house with a toddler? (As some of the media says about Dobermans)

I know all dogs have the potential of biting and the media blacklists certain breeds. I know there is a lot of misinformation out there about certain breeds of dogs, including Dobermans.

But as a parent, its hard not to absorb some of the media and fearing the worst. The few people I have know or have heard stories, have all said their Dobe was great with children. Its all very confusing for a newbie to the breed.

JavasMom

My Aunt had two Dobes on the farm when my cousin was born. The dogs slept in one of the tobacco barns (it was heated), but were very gentle with Laurie whenever she was outside. In fact, if she would head toward the front of the house one of the dogs would grab the back of her shirt and kept her from running off. (BTW - in no way were the dogs left to supervise her.)

You wouldn't leave two toddlers unsupervised (one might hit the other over the head with a toy truck), so nor should you leave a dog (any dog) with a toddler unsupervised. Toddlers can learn that your dog's crate is his special bed and when he goes there he needs to be left alone. Let's face it, some toddlers are little terrors and hitting a dog one too many times, especially if the dog has arthritis is going to result in a snap or a bite.

If you are raising a well-socialized dog then you probably don't have a lot to worry about.

CoAl-s-Mom

You have a toddler and want to bring in a puppy? Not sure if I got that straight.

My last Doberman, Cole I had from a puppy and socialized the heck out of him. When he was 2 years I gave birth to my daughter. He accepted her with no problems. 3 years later I gave birth to a baby boy. No problems.

Cole unfortunately recently passed and I adopted Peaches (3ish years old). So I have a 5 and a 2 year old right now. Peaches has been fine with them and all the neighbor hood kids that come over to play.

I have had to teach both the kids and the dogs what is expected of them. I don't allow my kids to hit, poke, kick, lay on my dogs. The dogs are much easier to train as to what is expected of them.

They say never to let them be unsupervised together, but I will admit I did with Cole. He proved himself over and over he was trustworthy so if I had to take a shower or take the trash out they were left together.

Peaches is still pretty new here, (3 months) so I will crate her if I take a shower.

Alot will depend on the individual dog and how he is brought up and how socialized he is.

One thing I have done with my dogs is get the child active in training as best as possible. My 5 year old daughter could down Cole in a second or tell him to leave it. He respected her. My 2 year old son will sit on the floor with a bag of treats and tell Peaches to sit and hand out treats.

It teaches the dog/puppy that they have to mind the children too.

Cole with my daughter.





Cole with my son




Peaches

BackInBlack

Co-Al's Mom, those pics just give me a lump in my throat. What sweet dobie's you have had.

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les strat

Hello Miko. I have just went through what you are talking about. I got Maggie back in June when my kids were 5 months old and a 3 years old. She is now 1/2 of a year the most tolerant dog with children that I have seen.

The big factors here are supervision and getting a puppy from a bloodline that is known for good temperments (look for titles, such as CGC, WAC, etc.).
Even sweet pups have sharp needle-like teeth that can shred the toughest of skin during play. You have to teach the children as well as the pup. Children must be taught what they can and can't do around pets. The dog must also be taught that it is subordinate to every human in the house - even the crawling ones.

IMO. I would trust a puppy I raised around my kids more than an adult from a rescue, because you don't know 100% of the background on the dog nor had the opportunity to witness his behavior over a long period of time. Other disagree I am sure.

You read stories of dobes being nervous around the noise of screaming kids and toys. Most of these dobes were never raised around kids and had this conditioned as part of their daily life. Maggie lets my kids cuddle play, touch, hug, wrestle.......whatever, and seems to thrive off of the attention!

I think a good natured, well trained dobe is possibly one of the best dogs to have around kids.

CoAl-s-Mom

Thanks. I am proud to have owned/own both of them.

CoAl-s-Mom

FWIW, CGC and WAC are certificates, not titles. I do think they are a good thing to have though.

The thing about going through a reputable rescue is the dog has been fostered and they will know what and who the dog is good with. They will know all of the dogs quirks and be able to fix them up with the right family. Peaches I knew lived with older kids in one of her foster homes and had been around smaller children in her other foster home. After hearing everything about her temperament and knowing how docile she is I didn't hesitate to adopt her. I did talk extensively with both of her foster homes. I didn't want to adopt a dog just to have to give her back. I wanted to make sure it was a good fit for my family and Peaches too.

I have done it with a puppy and with and adult and I have to say it's nice not to have to clean up any potty accidents.

les strat

Oops - I meant certificates!

Rebel73

I picked up Toro from a rescue when he was eight weeks old, and like has been said, it's all a matter of teaching BOTH the dog and child to respect one another. We did have an incident where Toro accidentally knocked my 3yo boy down, but I immediately made it clear that that is unacceptable, and he has been much better ever since. Now he limits himself to walking up to my boy Diego and licking his face. However, I still make it a point to never leave the two of them together unsupervised. Better safe than sorry, I think.

I agree strongly that it's probably easier to raise a puppy together with a young child than to bring in an adult dog.

Lexus

Like CM said, if you go through a good rescue, between the rescue and the foster parents, they will know the temperment of a dog through and through. I adopted Harley (my aussie) when the boys were 7 & 9 yrs. Not toddler age, but rambunctious, non the less! Harley has been perfect with them, and he was a year old when I brought him in the house. Very tolerant, and except for displaying some herding insticts when the kids would run ( little bite on the butt never hurt anyone LOL!!), he's been an ideal addition to the family.

I do think it is nice to not have pick up puppy poo

Either way, pup or adult, with the right training and precautions, you will have a great companion, for yourself or your children!

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