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New Dobie Puppy Help!

2K views 18 replies 9 participants last post by  Vormund15 
#1 ·
Hello everyone,

I am new to this site and a first time owner of a beautiful dobie puppy. Her name is Jazz and she is 10 weeks old, we live in the UK, we have had her since she was 6 weeks as the breeders wanted to get rid of her.

All in all she is a good little pup, she was a little bit bitey but she seems to be getting past that stage now, and she knows not to bite our hands or feet and tends to chew and bite her toys etc.

We give her the whole run of downstairs when we go out, or go to bed, she is trained to go to the toilet on her puppy pads which are next to the conservatory doors (she can't go out yet as she hasn't had her second injections) she is very good, and doesn't have any accidents anywhere and so far hasn't destroyed anything or chewed any furniture when we have been out or asleep.

The only thing I am concerned about is I think she maybe showing signs of dominance? We let her on the sofa with us, as even though she has a nice big comfy soft bed, when we go to bed or out, she always gets up on the sofa and sleeps, which I don't mind, she hasn't ruined it, and she is behaved on there. But now, she never gets in her bed, she always has to lay with me and my partner, and when she does, she has to lay on top of me, or around my partners shoulders, she tries to get as high up as she possibly can.
 
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#2 · (Edited)
Welcome to the Forum and welcome to the world of being owned by a Doberman.

Dominance and velcroness are in my opinion are two different things and whilst some might construe what your girl is doing is the first signs of dominant behaviour I tend to lean towards velcroness. (not sure if that is a word but it suits so I will use it).
Dobes (or at least mine) have to be near you. Right now my boy is laid on the sofa opposite me, he is asleep at the moment but if I were to get up, so would he, if I go into another room, he follows. Periodically he has to touch me, lean on me, sit on my foot, just be with me in as close a position as he can. That is not to say he won't take himself off to sleep on the bed (I live in a one storey house) but he must be able to get to me, see me if I move around or his world crashes down around his ears. Granted my boy is not the cuddlebug some of the guys on this forum seem to have but he is close, loves to be close, is devastated if he can't be close. Which is what a Dobe lives for, to be close to his people.
At night when we go to bed he sleeps on the sofa, or in his crate, he chooses on a night to night basis. But whilst I am up, we both wedge on a 2 seater sofa and nothing you can do will budge him. Honestly his world ends if you ask him to get down. Yes he will sit on the sofa without me, (as he is doing now) but usually when we settle to watch some tv he has to be there.

If your girl isn't grumbling when you ask her to move, then dominance isn't (again my opinion) an issue, If she doesnt grumble when you go to sit down, (again my opinion) then dominance isn't an issue.

However, if you wish to have your space and lets face it one day when she is 65lbs plus you might well not appreciate her laying on top of you, then start to teach her, 'place'. Use only positive re-enforcement tecniques when teaching her to go to her bed or the like, (a crate is a wonderful thing for this, you place her inside with a toy or kong stuffed with treats, say, 'place' or 'go to bed,' and close the door. She may cry but if the kong is interesting enough then she is more likely to sit and chew/lick at it. As time goes on she will more than likely go to her place and settle, waiting for her treat, gradually you make her wait for it in her place and so on. I always reward my boy for going in his crate, he is now 2 years old as I believe it should be a nice thing, not a seperation thing and never is a punishment. His crate is his sanctuary when things are getting hectic, (like when my grandchildren were here) his little kingdom where no one interferes with him and that is that. I will add that Toby must be able to see me whilst in his crate, that has not changed since he was a pup but that is okay. This is why I got a Dobe, to be my shadow and I his I guess.

Good luck and where are the pics, we demand pics on this forum or we will get very upset and sulk.
 
#3 ·
Welcome!
As Toby's Human said, it sounds like you are describing typical velcroness, what we love in our dobies. Mine is also a puppy but because I knew that once on the couch/bed/in a certain room meant chances were it was the start of a losing battle to stop him making use of those places/things I haven't allowed him anywhere I do not want a large adult dog.
What I do instead is have a 'place' for him in every room we do stuff - it is either a blanket (bedroom) or a cushion (living room) or a crate (kitchen) or a mat (patio). He is perfectly happy with his 'place' and that's where he goes. If he is being especially good he goes straight to the place, sits and looks at me, and then investigates the rest of the room (but usually he just charges into the room and then only goes to his place when he is told...well, coerced...).
These dogs LOVE direct contact so I also spend time sitting with him on the cushion/blanket if I am reading/watching TV.
 
#4 ·
Thank you for your replies, I don't mind her being on the sofa with us, I just wanted to make sure it wasn't her showing signs of dominance, as I know this could be a problem in the future. She starts puppy training classes in two weeks as I am well aware we need to train her properly, it is my first time owning a dobe and I know training them properly is a must! Here are some pics x
 
#11 ·
My puppy is 15 weeks old, and it's not good enough to be near me, she's always climbing in my lap. I'll let her on the couch and pet her beside me, but instead she'll pull her blanket and climb ON MY LAP, lol. She has to be on me, not near me. I love it, and I expect the same when she's an adult too. She does the same with the rest of the family too. Part of why I love this breed.
 
#12 ·
I love it too, I was just worried as I had read on different internet websites that when dogs do this it can be a sign of dominance. And I was just worried I was encouraging her that she was the boss and not me. She can never sleep just next to me, she has to lay her whole body on top of mine and snuggle her face right into my neck, when she wants to play its always with my partner as he gets her so excited, but when she is sleepy she trots right over to me to get comfy. I'm glad this is normal!
 
#13 · (Edited)
Welcome & thanks for the adorable Jazz pics.
The more the bond grows from Mom & Dad's LOVE, the puppy wants nothing more than to be as close and in your face (lol) as possible.
Nothing to worry about, she is perfectly dober normal - you might see the dominance thing (showing aggression) come out years later, when she has to protect loved ones, a good thing...they don't want any harm to happen to their immediate family - their learning starts from the good puppy days.
- as in post #7, my last dobe liked to puppy sleep directly behind me on the couch & than even as a big old girl, soon you can't sleep without them
- years later she protected my wife from a dog attack, in the blink of an eye...the desire to act, started from the early foundation pampered life
 
#14 ·
It is a doberman "thing" to want to be near and on you. They don't think they invade your personal bubble, they know they complete it. My boy needs to be with me wherever I go, and is crated when I am not home to watch him.

This breed can have some destructive tendencies and ingest some pretty surprising things especially when mom and dad aren't home. Have you thought about crate training her?

As for your question of dominance, at her age it is nothing but your doberman loving you.

And yes, my boy groans every time he lays down and gets comfy.
 
#15 ·
Hi & welcome from snowy Essex. What a gorgeous little dobergirl Jazz is.

It sounds like pretty normal dober behaviour to me. Our boy loves lying all over everyone too, he doesn't care where your sitting, he just wants to be as close as possible to you. Trouble is it gets uncomfortable when said dog weighs over 70lbs. :D

Here's a couple of pics of hubby & his boy to illustrate the point.





 
#18 ·
Hi & welcome from snowy Essex. What a gorgeous little dobergirl Jazz is.

It sounds like pretty normal dober behaviour to me. Our boy loves lying all over everyone too, he doesn't care where your sitting, he just wants to be as close as possible to you. Trouble is it gets uncomfortable when said dog weighs over 70lbs. :D

Here's a couple of pics of hubby & his boy to illustrate the point.

Thank you for these pictures! This is so funny, because now I know Jazz is normal! I said to my partner it will be hilarious when she is big and still trying to lay on my belly (I'm 5ft and 7 stone) !!
 
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