Need Assistance with behaviour - Doberman Forum : Doberman Breed Dog Forums

MightyKites2417 · 01-03-2013, 12:47 PM

Hello everyone,

This is my first post here and I am very much looking for assistance with my brothers dog, Jax.

Jax is 1 year and 9 months old and is the second of two dogs in my home. My dog is a close to 2 year old alaskan husky named Micah. Both dogs get along very well (from what I can tell anyway) and play outside daily (rough play being big dogs

Micah is the dominant one, as he was in my house first. Jax came 3 months later and was so small, he could literally walk under Micah ha. They have never gotten into a fight or had any major issues. From what I can see, they seem to be good around one another.

Now for the problems... Jax is quite submissive. Actually...he is very submissive. I would go so far as to call him hypersensitive as numerous things scare him.
-While taking him for walks, he will often scurry to the opposite side while walking past a person.
-Noises seem to really effect him, even leaves bowling will scare him?
-We have laminate flooring in our home and he slips often which really scares him. We have since purchased booties for him which help A LOT but, without them, he will not walk in certain areas of the house.
-He craves attention all-day-long. Snaps at us while we are watching TV and paces in and out of the kitchen over and over. This goes on for hours sometimes and even if he has gone for a walk, he will wake up from a nap ready to go and will not give up!
-Living in Canada, it can be quite cold but when it is 0 outside, it is nice and we put them both outside...only to have Jax at the door 5 mins later whining till we let him in. It is either from being cold or boredom?
-He barks at just everything. He will often be seen by our fence, facing the house barking at...? We are not sure? It's almost as if he wants us to come outside and tell him to stop? When people walk by our house, he barks like mad. We have tried collars but none seem to work. He either wears them out in a week or while playing with Micah, breaks them.
-He is quite disobedient as well. Will never come in while called. Runs up the steps and stops...then turns around and runs away. We used to play with him as a pup and chase him (which he LOVED). He does not come when he is called at all.

We really need a lot of help! We do not know what to do. My brother is strongly considering selling him as both of us are out of ideas.

I will admit that we could do more. Place him into training, stimulate his mind, etc. We both work/go to school so we are not sure we are able to give him what he needs? We want him to live a good life and right now, he just doesn't seem very happy. I am not sure if dobes just need a lot of attention or if it is just him? My husky is fully content at sleeping during the day and going outside/going for runs. Micah does not need near the attention Jax does. Maybe it's totally normal?

Please help. We are quite desperate.

Thank you!!

Kevin

avianantics · 01-03-2013, 12:58 PM

Dobes do require much attention, exercise and mental stimulation. A walk around the block just doesn't cut it with these guys. They need at least an hour of off leash romping, and they won't get what they need in your backyard.

Also, Dobes have NO cold tolerance! Putting Jax outside when it is 0 outside, is like you going outside in your pajamas, barefoot! They are inside dogs and during cold weather only go out to do their business, or with a coat on for exercise.

I am not sure if you husky is a Male or not, but if he is a *he*, please research Male vs Male aggression. Dobermans are notorious for being same sex aggressive, particularly males. Even tho they get along now, one day they won't and you will have some nasty fights on your hands which inevitably end up in big Vet bills and even death.

Your puppy sounds totally normal. He needs training both at home and in a class setting and he needs more exercise and mental stimulation. It sounds like you have a full schedule, whereby this may be hard to provide. If that is the case I would seriously consider re-homing the poor guy.

If you do decide to re-home, please contact a rescue. A rescue will evaluate the pup as well as potential adopters to insure that the poor guy doesn't end up being passed from home to home.

Good Luck and Welcome!

KevinK · 01-03-2013, 01:11 PM

What kind of daily training, exercise, and mental stimulation does he get? Do you do anything ever to challenge him mentally?

Rosamburg · 01-03-2013, 01:22 PM

Where in Canada are you?

VZ-Doberman · 01-03-2013, 01:56 PM

Welcome to DT.

MightyKites2417 · 01-03-2013, 03:38 PM

Thanks everyone.

Micah is a male husky and their play fights do seem normal when I look at other videos online but...not gonna lie...we have always been afraid they would get too rough. Jax is very vocal when he plays. Growls and snaps but they have never had an instance where we had to pull them apart (thank God.) Good to know that Dobes are on the aggressive side with other males.

For stimulation, he hasn't gotten a whole lot lately. He is the first dog we have ever had who craved attention to this degree. We were quite honestly not prepared... Both dogs go to daycare twice a week for 4 hours each day. When I am home, in the summer I would try and take him and my dog for a walk (which was very difficult) as often as I could or my brother and I would take them to the park to run after one another for 30 mins or so. However, my brother is now going to school in a different city and I tore 2 ligaments in my knee a few months ago so he doesn't get nearly enough exercise. We have tried to place him onto our treadmill but he is just terrified of it and goes completely stiff on it. Lately we have been trying to get him to get more comfortable with the house. His self esteem seems to be low so my brother places his booties on and takes him areas of the house he is afraid of like down the stairs. In one day, he was running up and down the stairs and seemed happy but if we take those booties off, he will not go down the stairs. And for the past few days, my brother has been trying to engage his nose by making him sit while he hides a treat and getting Jax to find it.

How much exercise/training per day does a dobe need on average?

I live in Alberta.

Asmit · 01-03-2013, 11:51 PM

PLEASE research male to male aggression in this breed.

Rosamburg · 01-04-2013, 01:36 AM

Edmonton?

River · 01-04-2013, 10:48 AM

How much exercise depends on the dog, but Dobermans as a breed require a lot of exercise- especially when they're young. Your boy is about the same age Logan was when I adopted him. He got two walks per day, about 45-60 minutes each, plus some free running time at a baseball field near my house, and daily obedience sessions. If I didn't do that, he was wired and almost impossible to live with. He'd get bored and do things like open the kitchen cabinets, go dumpster diving, and other shenanigans. Lack of exercise isn't limited to Dobermans, either. My housemates at the time had a terrier X who wasn't run nearly enough, and she got bored enough to eviscerate our sofa so she could tunnel through it.

Just as a quick thought. If your Dobe has balance issues, have the vet check for Wobblers or another medical reason. I have carpets down on my hardwood because Griffin has that, and his balance is so bad he's fearful of falling. I first noticed it in our Nosework class, when he went from being eager and happy to work to refusing to walk on the floor in our training room. It wasn't a self-confidence issue, it was a medical problem. And your dog's a little young for it, but still, just to be safe.

Huskies as a breed are a lot more independent than Dobermans, which is probably why your husky is more willing to be by himself and chill. If you can't provide the exercise and mental stimulation your Dobe needs, maybe rehoming is a good option, as a last resort. You can try to work in more exercise and short training sessions throughout the day. Have a look at the K9 Nosework website, that's an easy thing to train at home and it really forces the dog to use his mind. Griff was always exhausted when we came back from Nosework class.

LindaH · 01-04-2013, 12:19 PM

If you or his owner can't take proper care of him, please turn him over to a proper rescue. Please don't sell or give him to someone who might just use him as a puppy making machine.