Doberman Forum : Doberman Breed Dog Forums banner

Doberman help

2K views 10 replies 8 participants last post by  Sam1491 
#1 ·
Hi I am looking for some advise.. we have a 9 month old doberman which we have had since 12 weeks old. He was an absolute gem until he hit 9 months old and since then it has been a nightmare. From 6pm until 2:30am this morning he growled barked ran around he jumps all over us on sofas etc, really bad mouthing still to the point can't even stroke him, never listens to a word that's said. We have tried a lot of training tactics but he just does not listen when he is told to do something. He is really wearing me down, I do not want to give up on him but all I seem to do is chase him around for pinching things he is not allowed or stopping him from jumping and mouthing at me.. really need some help or some details of someone who can. Thanks in advance, Jade

Here's my handsome boy


Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk
 
See less See more
1
#4 ·
^ this.

A tired dog is a good dog. My boy was a monster at that age if he wasn't properly exercised EVERY DAY. They need to be stimulated, mentally and physically. Every day.

Get involved is some group classes to challenge him. Learn some new skills and teach out boy new things.

Getting frustrated will not solve anything, neither will sitting by debating getting rid of a dog that you committed to care for until the end of its natural life.
 
#5 ·
Being a teenager put a long line on him I would not be chasing him around say come one time reel him in if he does not comply the 1st time you call him.Have you tried NILF Nothing in Life is Free google it incorporate it in to your day. Crate him at night if you have too if being a brat just be nice but firm with him. Long lines are heaven sent use one even a tab on his collar about a 4-5 inch leather tab you can get a hold of if he is ignoring you. Good Luck most on DT suggest having a drink or two to get though Doberteen months.
 
#6 ·
Hi thank you all for your reply.. our boy does get exercised but this doesn't seem to have any effect whether it be long walks or a good blast on the beach.. it all seems to be from 8clock at night he asks up.. like tonight he has only been home an hour from over an hour walk and he started within half an hour. Its just constand jumping up bmouthinf barking etc.we can't crate him at night as he barks so bad when crated and we also have a 2 year old at home. I am in Northumberland x

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk
 
#8 ·
They are hard at this age, we feel you!.

Is he in a crate for any period of time? Have you tried crate training? I remember back around this age my boy sometimes had a hard time knowing when to rest. I often had to place him in his crate for an hour or two a few times a day to get him to nap, otherwise he was overly tired and acted out.

If he barks in the crate it is never too late to teach him it is a positive thing. Google crate games and start feeding him in there. It may take a bit but you can teach him the crate is a good thing :)
 
#9 · (Edited)
Hi from Essex. Your boy is lovely. Dont despair, I've been at the end of my tether with my girl too. She's not like the other Dobes I've met, she's completely mental and impossible to wear out. A good trainer/behaviourist has taught me a lot about her plus changing her food to grain free made a big difference. When she had maize in her diet she was like a kid on smarties. Exercise - at least two hours a day or she's doing shuttle runs through the house. God she's exhausting.
Our toughest period was definitely around 9 months. In fact it was searching the Internet for help and advice (probably while sobbing:grin2:) that led me to this forum. Don't give up, it'll get better.
 
#10 ·
An hour's walk will earn me 15mins of peace at most in my house. I am going through something similar with ny dobie boy. He seems to have endless energy and i have another dobie girl to entertain him by rough housing with him for hours. Till my girl is clearly exausted, he is still looking for playtime. I usually crate him or throw him outside when the girls are looking for peace. I was curious of how much energy he has and tested out one day without crating or sending him out. He went on for 8 hours straight without an off switch. Did not lie down for more than a minute througout the 8 hours. What i am trying to say is that they do have tons of energy. It has been 3 months now and things are starting to get better. He now takes 30mins nap intermitently, still not long enough but at least i see change. My advice is crate training him. It worked wonders for me. He will always drag his sorry ass into the crate but will settle down once he is in there. But he should receive tons of exercise too and not be too reliant on the crate alone. Another example is i took him out to play with 4 dogs, followed by a 2 hr swim. He came back and did not settle till 3 hrs later.
 
#11 ·
Not much to add to the great advice above beyond saying that I don't "walk" my dogs....all a typical walk is, to my girl especially, is a warm up. I come home tired and she's ready to conquer the world.

Do a training session, nose games, or give her a puzzle toy however and she's happily passed out after.

Now I'm not saying this to advise against walks and outdoor time, of course that's a wonderful thing to do for a dog and I do take them out to explore and have fun, but the point rather is to point out how much mental stimulation plays a far bigger role in tiring out a very smart dog.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Caleb Cox
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top