The young Dobe does not need an electric collar at this point in his young life. I would strongly consider finding a different trainer.
It is hard to help over the Internet for specific training issues. If you go to the AKC website they can tell you where some training clubs in your area might be with qualified trainers. I don’t think it would be wise to give you dog to someone else to do the training. Sometimes training doesn’t “transfer” over. Sometimes dogs only obey individuals they see as leaders. If the owners are having issues with the dog, they need to be the ones learning how to teach the dog themselves. It enhances bonding between the dog and owner and is a fun journey for you to take together. A random person taking the dog might not be helpful at all. That and the fact I don’t trust most people that do that type of dog training. I have heard WAY too many abuse and horror stories. Dobermans sometimes get abused because of their perception as so called “tough dogs”.
When your boy was a young puppy, did you take him places, if so, where and how often? Socialization does make a difference, it also makes a difference what type of socialization and what you let the dog act like and do during those times. How you handle the situations. Dogs look to for guidance. We must be leaders and know how to lead. If a dog sees an object that bothers him, like a bag blowing in the wind, we as owners should encourage that dog to check it out, which builds confidence in the dog when they discover it isn’t anything to worry about. Watch how you react to your dog, do you get tense when other dogs come near? If so, you could be sending the wrong messages to your puppy. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, you think the dog is going to bark, your body language and feelings anticipate that, and it happens. Dogs tend to pick up on what we are feeling very quickly whether or not we are aware of that or not. There is a saying that our energy flows down the leash to the dog. That is why some dogs will perform wonderful at home and at the training club but once they get in a competitive setting where it is for real, they notice their owner is stressed and something isn’t right so they don’t do well either. Avoid mixed messages when you can. Actions and body language speaks louder to dogs than our English words.
It seems like your dog is shy from your post and is acting reactively. Young Doberman males should be confident and outgoing. Diesel definitely could use some more socialization, although it could be his breeding (hopefully not, this is also where the importance of a quality reputable breeders comes into play since they socialize their puppies from birth). Some dogs need more socialization that others too, Dobermans as a whole need tons and tons of it from puppyhood all the way through adulthood.
I think playing with the Cockers that you knew was a good step. You should socialize him yourself to the “real world”. Do not allow Diesel to scream until you “give in”. Your will has to be stronger than his or you cannot help him. He cannot always have his way. Leave the house if you have to, turn the TV up, or put on headphones. When puppies are crying in their crates, if you go to them they will learn that crying gets them attention and out of the crate. They got what they wanted and they remember how they did it. If you only go get them when they are being quiet they will be rewarded for being quiet, not for crying. It does make a difference. The dog has to learn to do what you want to get the reward. You cannot give in.
Dobermans do not well when trained for convenience. What I mean by that is you need to follow through on your commands and say what you mean and make them do what you say, no matter how long it takes. If you ask Diesel to sit and he doesn’t sit, don’t leave or repeat the command over and over until he walks away. Sit means sit, sit the first time, and every time. Dogs thrive on consistency. It confuses the dog when you say sit and don’t really mean it every single time. When you say something, mean it and make sure the dog does what you say before being rewarded. Sit doesn’t mean sit when you feel like it. Dobes pick up on “real” meanings very fast. That is why some dogs only obey one or two people in the family.
They need concrete rules they need an owner that will be very persistent to enforce those rules, regardless of it is convenient or not to follow through and make sure the dog is obeying.
The dogs are always being trained, even if it isn’t what we want and we don’t think we are training them. We are their life and they spend a lot of time trying to understand us. We have work, family, social lives, and school among other things that distract us, they don’t. Smart dogs like Dobermans learn very quickly how to manipulate to get what they want. Your behavior and what you allow can either turn the dog into a spoiled monster or help the dog turn into the companion you have always dreamed of.
You can help the dog build his confidence by exposing him to new situations. Maybe you can visit the hunting dog trainer and help him socialize your dog, that way Diesel can encounter new situations with you by his side. Do not leave him there though. Exercise is very important; you should give him an hour of your time per day broken up into increments. Fetch is a good activity to wear him out. A tired dog is a good dog. I think you will find the extra exercise goes a long way to help problem behaviors.
Does the dog follow your commands? Have you tried a nothing in life is for free type plan? Here is an example
http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm ,
http://www.samoyedrescue.com/nilif.htm,
http://www.k9station.com/NILIF.htm,
http://www.idahohumanesociety.com/caretrain/notfree.html
We do a modified approach around here. It does wonders for you in the eyes of a male Doberman. Most male Dobermans are quite pushy and have no problem assuming a leadership role if you let them. That is what I love about the males, among of things, their confidence. But this can become a problem if you don’t present yourself and everyone in your family as clear leaders. You mentioned the trainer thought you spoiling him, I think if you start to do the NILIF program you will see things improve.
Did he meet other dogs? If so, in what setting? I don’t allow dogs to meet random dogs, not at dog parks and not while we are working or on outings. They have lots of socialization but only meet dogs in settings like at people’s homes. We travel often and they are allowed to play with friends and family members dogs and always get along really well. Proper socialization is the key; you should screen the dogs your dog is interacting with. Not all dogs play nice and some dogs don’t want to play at all. Some dogs don’t like other dogs in their face and I don’t blame them.
Do you let him "go say hi" to other dogs? If so, this is not a good idea. I used to let my male meet and greet other dogs if we were out and about and saw one. Or in obedience classes before class or before shows outside of the ring. It was building expectation in the dog. He expected to meet the other dogs whenever he saw them and was expecting to play with them. So every time he saw another dog away from home he would get very excited and possibly start barking/whining and doing a happy uncontrollable crazy dance with fast break play bows. Now that was embarrassing.
He was anticipating getting to play/meet the other dog(s). It was my fault. For some dogs this isn’t a problem, for this particular dog it was. I had to change my way of thinking; he does NOT need to meet every single dog he comes across. He doesn't need to meet any of them really. There is really no point for dogs to meet and greet each other anyway for short periods of time. It serves no purpose. This is one of my favorite articles that explain that thought in detail:
http://www.flyingdogpress.com/sayhi.html
When I changed that way of thinking and stopped letting him meet and greet dogs during shows, class times, or when we were out and about, the behavior eventually went away. He knew it wasn’t a possible “playtime” every time he saw another dog. It made a world of difference. I suggest visiting a dog club in your area and having them help you learn to how properly use a correctly sized and fitted prong collar. The major pet chains do not usually know how to properly fit and use such a collar. I used a prong to walk him and had a huge pocket or treat bag full of treats. Not just any treats, special high value treats that he rarely ever gets. You could use baked liver, baked chicken, or hot dogs. Something very smelly that he REALLY loves.
Whenever we would walk past another dog or person (he wanted to meet everything) I would make him focus on me, using the treat. At first I had to wave the treat in front of his nose, talk to him and feed the treats to him in rapid succession. I would tell him what a good boy he was. Communication is important of what you want. You have to let the dog know what is the proper response. It is more effective and better to give treats, feasible commands, and praise, than to say no and jerk the leash. I would keep the leash tightly in my hand, (not too tight with a little bit of slack), enough to not let him be able to lunge toward the other dog/person or get very close to them. We would keep on walking by while I was feeding him and talking to him, it was not a moment to sit and wait for what happens. Sometimes he would be required to sit or look at me in the eye when we had been doing the treat thing for a while. Eventually when he saw another dog or person he would start looking towards me for a treat or command and would be rewarded for that behavior. He needed me to help him learn what to do and he enjoyed the extra treats, extra walks, and extra time spent with him. It was a positive experience. We took walks in different places all the time so he could check out new environments and build his confidence at the same time.
This behavior modification approach did two things, one it helped this dog learn that other dogs meant something great, yummy treats. Dogs = delicious treats from owner.
Two, it helped train him to focus on me during distractions.
Treats and the prong collar are no longer needed after a period of time; you will know when that time is. But don’t be in a rush, this behavior didn’t happen on one session and will most likely take heaps of patience and training sessions to re-do. But it will be very worth it to have a dog who heels nicely beside your side at Petsmart, on dog show grounds, training classes, and during walks. That same dog that used to be reactive towards dogs now couldn’t care less when other dogs are around. I can talk to a person with a dog and he will keep to himself. We can walk crowded shows with dogs and people all around us and he will stay by my side keeping his nose in his own business. He only meets and greets people when given permission, which isn’t often. He is currently training as a therapy dog so it is good he keeps to himself and only interacts with those individuals who want attention from him. He wasn’t allowed to meet and greet random dogs for most of his life and he still loves all types of animals and people and gets along with them just fine.
Have you taken any obedience classes? If so, how long were they, how many did you take, and did he pass?
Once again go to the AKC website and check out training clubs in your area if you are not already in a good club.
http://www.akc.org/events/obedience/training_clubs/. Go without your dog and see if you can find a trainer that is able to work with your young male and the issues or see if they know someone who can help. Finding a good dog club can help your dog with his confident issues and can help build his confidence back up to where it should be.
It is hard to diagnose problems over the Internet, and is much easier if you are face to face and can see the interaction between owner and dog and dog and other dogs. Body language and behavior are very important when dealing with dog problems. He is a young dog and I am sure he will be able to come around with some help. Good luck and update us on Diesel and his progress.