thea2003

What about gating him into a room with a big yummy bone, or chew of some sort? Then he has something to do while you are gone.

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kpal4978

I am no expert by any means... but what I gather from the responses here is do not EVER leave him outside while you are not home. If he cannot be trusted to run free in the house, start crate training him. Whenever I have to leave the house without my boy, he goes in the crate. This mights also help when the baby is here... to have a place inside, where he can still smell, hear, and see you, to keep him if he cannot be running around like mad around an infant.

I do not believe you are neglecting your dog, or that he is not trained, or that you do not adore him... I just think you have a misconception with what is acceptable for him as a doberman. As stated before, these are NOT outside dogs, even for a couple of hours.

Start working on things like settle, away, and other things that will give him an idea of what behavior is and is not acceptable with you anymore because of your condition, and these commands will help you once you have a cute little baby.

Not only is it probably very scary for him to be outside alone, it is not very safe. There are all kinds of things he could ingest or hurt himself on, and there are stupid people who like to screw with the big tough dog on the other side of the fence.

What area are you in? Perhaps someone here knows of a daycare of playgroup or something that may help you.

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Toby'shuman

Welcome to the forum.

My what a pickle you are in.

Damned if you leave him outside, damned if you leave him inside.

I have lived in just such a situation as you, where our house adjoined another with paperthin walls where you can hear such things as a dog barking.
It's not easy.

If there is no creche/doggie daycare in your area, and now we understand you are in Ireland then I would be blooming surprised if there was. (Europe has a great way to go to catch up with the US etc when it comes to such facilities) might you have someone, a family member or friend who might be able to pop round and stay with your boy whilst you are away.
Might you be able to find a dogsitter?
Yes the latter would involve paying someone, but it isn't going to be an everyday thing? Just when you are off to the hospital for your pre-natal check ups etc.

If your neighbours took to complaining to the authorities about your dog barking it is unlikely they will be very understanding, they do not care that you are 6 months pregnant etc, they care that your dog is making a nuisance of himself and will likely fine you or worse.
I understand you feel we are picking on you, believe you me, we are not, if you re-read your initial post it doesnt quite read how I think you think it does. It sounded as if you leave your dog outside and he is barking because of.
Dobes as you are no doubt are aware do not do outside, they like to go out there for toilet and maybe a sit in the sun for a little bit, but they don't like being locked out. Even if you provided him with a centrally heated kennel with a four poster bed for him to snuggle down on it isn't inside with his human. Dobes want to be with their humans and do not understand you have to go to your pre-natal class or appointment or you wish to go visit someone or go shopping.

You say you exercise him much the same as you have always done. Really? Not wishing to cast doubt on this, but I doubt very much you go quite as far, with as much gusto as you used to. This is not a criticism but rather it is an observation, made through experience. Before I was pregnant with my first son I walked my dog 3 miles in the morning and 3 in the afternoon. Why, because the village was this distance from my house and I would walk there so she had her exercise. However, when I got pregnant it became harder and harder as I got bigger.

For most dogs the answer really is more exercise, but because of your pregnancy maybe conventional exercise isn't possible. (it seems nowadays the doctors tell you to do a whole parcel of things different to what they told me when I was pregnant. My daughter-in-law was told when she was pregnant not to eat eggs or liver, I was told when carrying my son, (her husband) to eat them), which leads me to asking have you looked into using a flirt pole.
Yes you have to be careful he doesnt zoomie or jump into you when you are playing with him with it, but it is one sure way of getting a untireable dog, tired. And a tired or at least one less pent up with frustration because he knows you are about to go out is less of a problem than one who is wound up tighter than an overwound watch spring.

When you leave your dog inside you say he barks, do you have a room which is furthest away from the neighbours, (bit hard if you are living in a terraced house I grant you) where you can place him with maybe a radio or tv for company playing away so the house is not so empty.

I am with my dogs 24/7. But I often put them in another room so I can wash the floors without a Doberman trying to help me by killing the mop. I put the radio on in that room so it distracts them ever so slightly from hearing me crash around and now they settle to have a sleep with little to no problems.
Perhaps you could try popping your boy in a room in which he can firstly see you, (babygate), followed by closing the door, first for a few minutes. Slowly increasing the time till you can leave him an hour or so, a bone or kong is a wonderful distraction during this time so perhaps you might like to try something along these lines.

There is no quick answer to this problem, but I hope what I have written is of some help and know we do not judge you, but are trying to help.

lolonurse

hi ... exercise itself is only part of the issue. Intelligent dogs need more than physical exercise. Puzzle toys are useful, but I think you should consider adding other training into your dog's life. We made our own (VERY basic and unfancy) agility equipment - my husband made the stuff out of scrap lumber, old benches, whatever - and our dogs just love to run and jump the little course he made. One of our dogs also loves to chase and 'catch' bubbles,... there are all sorts of amusements that stimulate their minds and tire them out mentally.

But I agree that proper crate/barrier training can also be helpful - our dogs were crate trained from pups - never left in for very long, always with a toy or treat, until now the doors aren't even on the crates - they just go in for a nap, or for some 'privacy', because they see the crates as their own personal hideaways, not as punishment.

You need to start leaving the house for 30 seconds, go back in before any crying starts, praise him, then gradually increase the time - just never re-enter the house while he's crying - wait until there's a break in the behavior, go in and praise him for the quiet - if you enter while he's yowling, he'll be rewarded for that behavior.

Does he also cry if you leave but someone else is staying in the house? Can you try it?

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StarlightDobe

There are times when even though I am home I need to separate myself and my dogs. I have a very clingy red girl who thinks I am abusing her in the worst way if I put a gate up or put her in a room where I am not. My black girl will whine for a short time then settle down and relax. The key is to let them know it is OK to be apart from you for a time, and do not give in to their antics, and trust me they will try all kinds.

What we did is to begin by putting Bella in a crate, for short periods, and let her know its not punishment, and treat her upon release for being good. She whined alot, and still did not get out until she was quiet. Now she is just put behind a gate, and will still whine but she doesnt get out until its time. It may take a bit of patience on your part, and working with the dog while you are there, to get him to be alone in another room or a crate while you are home, and to lay quietly but it can be done, start with small times and work up to longer, always praising him for being well behaved. Once you have gotten him accustomed to being crated or penned while you are home, work on leaving for short periods. simply put him in his area and walk outside, wait 5 or ten minutes then go back in and gradually increase the time alone each day. Within a week or so you should have made great strides toward a nice quiet dog while you are gone.
Good luck I hope you work out his issues.

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There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face. - Bernard Williams

R.I.P. Mysti 1/25/02-10/21/10

4Dobes

Whereabouts in Ireland are you?
I am very surprised if you don't have a local dog walker who could help.
If you let me know I may be able to put you in touch with a reputable person near you.

I also agree with the other posts regarding not leaving him outside.
One of my rescue Dobies refuses point blank to go outside in our garden even for the toilet. She has such a fear of me shutting her out and leaving her. If I so much as such the door with her outside she screams the place down like she is being murdered ... She will go out front but no way will she go in my garden !!

I also use baby gates through out the house that way I can distance myself and do household chores but the dogs can still see me and they soon learn to settle.
Once they settle I then start leaving them for short periods and built it up slowly. All of my rescues have had severe separation anxiety and destructive behaviour in the past but all can be safely left now. Providing they have proper exercise first.



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DobieGal15

All I can (reiterate) to you is he needs lots more exercise, both physically and mentally. And try crate training/ baby gate him into an area with toys and chews/ continue POSITIVE training methods and set him up for success, not barking and angry failure.

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snowywarren

Toby'shuman- When It comes to excercise I do some and hubby does most plus we have a football field beside us we walk to and let him off he can run circles for an hour. he's content there. Europe is a joke in many ways with dogs but Im defo getting a crate.

as for baby gates we never needed them I can leave him in a room in his bed with all the doors open and he wont move from there if Iv said stay and he wont go into any room he's been told not to. He will only come upstairs with us if asked

Toby'shuman

I am so jealous, my boys would so love to be able to romp on grass especially a football field sized patch.

I should have been more precise in what I wrote, what I should have said/asked is prior to your going out are you personally without help able to exercise him, both physically and mentally?
I mentioned the flirt pole because this is a way of giving him both without the need for you to go long distances etc on a walk which might be difficult for you now you are getting bigger.

I mentioned the babygates because some folk have a problem with getting their dogs to be in another room whilst they are home. If your boy is happy to stay in another room and not move when you have told him to stay then that is great. However, do you close the door behind you so he cannot see you, get to you if he were to move. If you can do so, then as has been suggested by another forum member, you could perhaps leave him alone for a few minutes, then return to him (if he has been quiet) gradually increasing the time you leave him alone till you feel confident he isn't going to bark the house down.

smudgeid

Baby gates might be a good idea at this point - not that you need them now, but it would be good to have dog & bone in one room & a crawling baby, or a baby on the floor in another room. If you start working with him now, he shouldn't have a problem when the baby comes & your attention is pulled between the two.

Have you looked at puzzle toys yet? I don't use them yet, but I think the idea is a good one - you could keep him busy & occupied without it taking a lot of your time or attention. Hopefully they would work as well when you are out as when you are busy in another room.
Kate

snowywarren

Well today went better we ran him ragged. Were gonna try the crate and work him into been alone gradually. Im looking into flirt pole sounds like something I'll find helpful. As for puzzle toys I'm getting some this week when Im in town see what he thinks of them. We do play games with him and we do different things and let him figure it out he enjoys that. We can close a door or leave it open when we leave him in a room but he hears the front door or the car thats when crying/barking starts he's far too clever.

Toby'shuman

Ah, the dreaded keys, my terrier is a little so and so if he hears any keys jingle. With Toby I have desensitized him a little by wearing a set on my belt. Doesn't help mind when Russell goes bananas.

And where are the pics? We love pics.

snowywarren

He likes the sound of keys and sound of his food bowl been filled..

thats a pic from bout a year ago and a pic of him bout 4-5 months old

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