DobbieLovie

Anyhow...I just wanted to ask the experienced dobe owners, well and everyone who's been through this, what are the differences between males and females when they get to their teens? which one would you consider more difficult to handle?

I'd love to hear stories too if you have some to share

Thank you all!

Paulina

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"The word for female dog is not dogette"

PatchworkRobot

I cannot tell you the differences but Dreizehn wasn't terrible when he hit his "doberteens." He was slightly more unruly and started getting into more things but it's not like he was ripping my house apart.

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Instant Noodle

Never had a female, but our 10 month old male is going through some changes right now.

You shouldn't be "scared," as it's just a part of growing up. I've noticed that he whines A LOT because he wants what he wants, right then and there. He's become a lot more vocal when critters, people, neighbor's pets get close to the house. He challenges commands by looking at you in the face as if to say, "what are you going to do about it if I don't?"

He hasn't been destructive, but the whining is what drives me insane. When the hubby comes home, I yell, "YOU'RE IT" and I go upstairs for my alone / quiet time.

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DobbieLovie

hahahaha this is too cute!!!

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"The word for female dog is not dogette"

NINKOjIN

I have to agree with being more vocal. When I tell Riley to sit when he has been doing something wrong, he'll look right at me and cry and whine and throw a tantrum of sounds while sitting there. He also started to whine again when I leave him behind a baby gate... he stopped doing that for a while, but it's baaaack!

He's starting to "look for" things to challenge. He patrols the yard growling at nothing. He started nipping me again while playing, if he doesn't immediately get his way. I've had to start having a leash on him again when we play outside, to save my clothes, and go back to some basic short time-outs. He'll mouth me too roughly when we're sitting together sometimes, and I'll have to make him get off the furniture, etc..

But other than that, he isn't too bad. Not like, running around stealing things and ripping things apart. He's always around me though, and I wish I had someone to take him off my hands for a few hours sometimes, damn! LOL!

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BellasMom2012

I think there's obvious differences, BUT the puppy months are sooo very important as a basis for behavior and manners. Have had both sexes and seems males are a little more challenging in certain situations (maybe it's just me). Either way, I think if you've bonded and can get desired results MOST of the time, that is half the battle. They do seem to take one step forward and two steps back at times, (just like real kids) but I think that's due to impulsivity in pups. If you stay patient and consistent, you will have the BEST dog ever. Dobes are intelligent and WANT to please you, so just hang in there and enjoy every minute. Good Luck.

Beaumont67

Had 2 girl dobes...first one born in 1977 - second in year 2000.
Boy or girl, a dog is a dog to me:
First girl Tanya was litter tough // second puppy girl Amy, was litter weak, confidence wise.
Guess what:
- confident FM #1 tried to be family boss, when she reached sexual maturity / but not on my watch
- insecure FM #2 knew her place and loved the confidence training I built into her...with daily play
Protection family wise: dobe #1 was weak // dobe #2 was the real deal, risking her life once to protect her Mom, her actions done in a split second.

IMO - I don't know the differences between males and females, when they get to their teens ??
As: Which one would you consider more difficult to handle?

From what I know, doberteens can or is a "farce"...see I train off-leash, from 8-9 weeks old and complete formal pup OB before 7 months old.
- largely, my training now eliminates the trouble youth period...my work has largely been done, before hand
- doberteens have been avoided with both my girls...but I invest tons of time & energy, mentoring & shaping the puppy stage...my favorite period
If I got a boy pup next, I doubt, I would ever saw a difficult period !! (this I know, or strongly believe)

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------------Kelly & (Amy - RIP @ 11.7 y/o)

kwhite30

This is EXACTLY what I do with Diesel and my SO. I'm glad I'm not the only one playing that game haha I need some me time every once in awhile especially with the constant whining.

Diesel hasn't been horrible really. He's more pushy and likes to test me but I think we're at the point now where he realizes mom doesn't play around. If I tell you to get your butt off the counter you get off haha There was a few months though I thought one of us was going to kill the other one. It can actually be a really fun time though. His personality really started to come through and he became an even bigger goof then he already was.

I will say though the need to steal my socks and underwear has drastically increased He's a sock hoarder I swear. I caught him creating a stack of socks in the family room and then laid on it to try to cover up the fact that he had them.

Just remember to stay consistent and don't let it get to you oh and a glass of wine is also helpful haha

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Lori Z

Eli was always difficult, no more so in his adolenscence. He did mature into a very good boy but I did work hard with him.

DobbieLovie

This is adorable!!!! I love these stories

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"The word for female dog is not dogette"

DobbieLovie

I'm reading more "difficult" boys than girls, dobegirls seem to be easier so far (pheeew!)

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"The word for female dog is not dogette"

VZ-Doberman

I didn't know which one of us was going to survive the doberteens.....

He wasn't bad, just a handful.

brw1982

Depends entirely upon the dog and how prepared/determined the handler is.

Fiona was a monumental pain in my *ss but she was as a baby too. As an adult, she's awesome, but she made us both work pretty hard for it.

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Old Drum's Crimson Crisp, "Fiona"
Old Drum's Fiery Rumors of Taliesin, "Tali"

ffltjeff

Thank you for this post, Ruger at times drives my wife and I crazy with the whining. I am so glad to hear others are and have gone through this faze. Sometimes we look at each other and ask what did we get into? We love him to death but oh my

lestat1978

Ivan is going on 17 months. If he had a Doberteen period I was oblivious to it. Then again, it could be because he's been a little snot from the beginning.

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Canine Aided Emergency Search and Rescue (CAESAR)
http://www.caesarinc.org

Rallypup87

at what age do you consider them "teens"?

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Zeblar

Oh man, I am pretty sure when Odin hit his, what's being classed as "Doberteens", is when I got my first white hairs. He never destroyed things, unless it was paper - he loves my paperbacks, but he constantly pushed boundaries and was finding new and inventive ways to drive me and my hubby around the bend. But I honestly don't think that was the worst stage for me, when Odin hit 18 months and his testosterone hit the roof is when our biggest challenges came about and I often questioned if it would ever end or get better. But it did and now he is amazing. Even if his whining drives me to distraction!

I suppose perseverance gets you through the behaviour and never giving up on them like so many people seem to do when they get to be a handful.

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thea2003

I got Saph at 18 months, intact female. She has had a god complex since day one. She has been difficult, but never destructive- if you dont count the one dog bed she tore apart. I think it depends on your personality as well as theirs. She challenges me, sees me as more of an equal than above her. If i tell her she has done something wrong and she feels that what she did was totally warranted, she flattens her ears to the side, turns her head and huffs and almost rolls her eyes... it is quite funny to be honest. Like she is saying i dont know why your getting so pissed off at me about that. That cat should not have walked into this room. I was just making sure he was behaving. If she does something wrong and she KNOWS she was wrong, she acts differently, usually she just goes and lays down or is very obedient and submissive like "please dont be mad" lol.

The puppy I have now is an 8month old male. He was the "weakling" in the litter, the one who was always picked on. He has been a breeze. I thought i was insane bringing home an male puppy that is just entering into the "if i only had a brain" phase. He has been SO EASY. NEVER tests me, a simple verbal correction like "dont chew that"(even in a soft voice) is enough for him. When I ask him to go to his crate he does it, he sits for his food. He is cuddly, he has his crazy zoomy moments, but is also content to snuggle all day like today when i am sick as a dog. He doesnt get into things like Saph does, he doesnt chase cats like Saph does. I think I hit the jackpot of male puppies LOL.

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RedFawnRising

With the caveat that blanket statements don't work well, and that every Doberman is different, I still think the old horse saying applies here:

Ask a stallion. Tell a gelding. Discuss it with a mare.

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MelissaRz

Not sure what the "teens" mean, but my Dobergirl is testing me ad infinitum! I have raised many puppies before, and she is by far the most headstrong and willful!! She is 18 weeks (4.5 months) and I've made sure she knows in no uncertain terms who's the boss around here. She barks at people and dogs on walks. She knows people are not looking to hurt her or me, and will willingly meet people she was just barking at, and will play with other dogs even though she barked at them initially - I think she's just got a lot to say, lol! I have been doing some basic OB on our walks such as heeling on a loose leash and sitting when I stop. My hope is that it will cement even more, that I am the pack leader and to be obeyed, but she's got other plans! She is table surfing and stealing items from our counters. She even turns the knobs on our gas stove from jumping up! The worst part is she KNOWS she's doing wrong, but yet continues with it anyway!! If I'm at the table and see her jump up I say firmly, "No! Off!" And she'll jump down, but if my daughter turns her head for a second, she'll clean her plate in 2 seconds flat! Left her for just a minute or two a few times tonight: first she grabbed a marker off the table and chewed it, then she grabbed a letter from school and ripped it up, then stole a package of Jolly Ranchers candy! This is one fearless girl that doesn't seem to care if I'm angry with her!!

I keep in touch with her brother's owner and he is completely the opposite - low energy, spoiled, listens well, completely house broken a month before her, and not protective either!! I was like , "Are you sure he's a Doberman?!" LOL!! His owner is real easy going and got a real moosh, and I'm the tough one who always sets rules and boundaries, yet my girl is MORE than a firecracker - she's a stick of dynamite!! Lol!! Whether sex plays a role in this I don't know, but I do know I was ready for a glass of wine tonight!!!! The thought of trying to make 3 batches of stuffed artichokes for Thanksgiving with this table surfer is simply scary!! Its going to take a miracle (or cause a nervous breakdown, which is probably more likely, ha ha)!!

Beaumont67

DobbieLovie - I never had a male, only female dobes, so my opinion/experience may be jaded ??
BUT, I do believe the "doberteen" period is not sex related IMPO, and can start with either 7 months old M/FM dog.
It is more a product of insufficient early play/socialization/training fundamentals/respect, between the age of 8-16 week puppy period, followed by limited or no proper OB training between 4-7 months old.
- and I am not talking about most useless puppy classes taken only / needed OB is right to the off-leash level
- the most time consuming and most rewarding period for me is in the first 2 months of puppy ownership
- if I invest my effort wisely, my dogs can & will miss the challenging doberteens, I am sure of this

At home, my pups:
- don't get leashed ever for outside potty breaks, from day1
- we play for hours daily (on the floor), learning they can only chew on given toys & learn clear boundaries & my expectations (early house manners)
- puppy supervised 24/7 and it can be exhausting since I don't crate, or use baby gates...dog will have complete access to main house floor
(I can't train a pup, if I don't give it a chance to make mistakes, and it critical it learns good from bad / right from wrong behavior, early on...is key)
- once the loving bond is fully shared & dependent on each other and eye focus is trained in, I start teaching basics without using treats
So for the first few months, usually much hard work, but quickly pays off, and I often can than get immediate results, from my body language and established voice...moving foreward. At this point, young dobe ownership is usually a piece of cake, so to speak...and doberteens are avoided.

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------------Kelly & (Amy - RIP @ 11.7 y/o)

Lanormande

I've come to the conclusion that the males are total drama queens. Back in the day when we were in obedience class, we had a boy in with us. He was around 14 months and that dog complained about everything. ( I also don't think it helped that he wasn't neutered and there was a striking red head in his presence) I've since seen him with his owner and he's turned into such a nice boy. =) Everyone seems to have a difference of opinion on the male/female issue. Personally, my first Doberman was a female and I've never regretted starting out with her. I believe they tend to be a bit more forgiving. Just my opinion though...every dog is an individual.