Hi you guys, I have a new now 7 month old Doberman. This is not my first rodeo, I had a Dobie boy who passed of DCM a couple years ago at 9 yo and he was a MONSTA (but very very loved).
My old dobie had pica, he would eat anything he could get his mouth on specifically rocks and branches but also cloth such as socks. We had to watch him 24/7 or have him crated if not. To go on hikes off leash he finally had to have a large soft greyhound mask on or he would eat rocks. Even then we had to duct tape some of the holes so he would not shovel rocks into his mouth and swallow them. I think towards the end he was always on leash as he was just too unpredictable with his pica. Nevetheless the dog was spoiled rotten in the years he was with me and my SO. He was immensely time and attention-consuming. So when looking for a new dobie I decided maybe girl easier and asked breeder for a quiet easy temperament (couldn’t find a laughing while crying emoticon to insert here)
This girl was doing ok not showing pica issues (which I know many Dobies have); she was nippy while her adult teeth were coming in and it was hard to get her to back off my hands but I did get her to stop. I was so looking forward to the teeth being in and a new calmer dog. Weeeeelllllllll...
Since she got them she is stealing stuff left and right to shred, especially shoes but nothing is sacred. I was very careful from the beginning to not let her get to shoes or other human possessions because I did not want her to develop the habit. NEvertheless she is FAST. ANd the habit just came out of nowhere, like one day I woke up to a shoes/clothes/you name it shredding monster. If I turn my back, if we go for a nap together on the couch, if I don’t notice she has swiped something on the way out the door, I will suddenly find some expensive article of mine shredded to bits. $300 worth of shoes in one week and an expensive cushion. An Arcteryx jacket (you all know how expensive those are). My last Dobie would also ping off the walls like a pool ball stealing things that were not his but he wouldn’t shred my things for the most part, his tastes were more specific for the pica, he preferred rocks and twigs.
I know about keeping your dog attached to you on a leash in the house to try to instill compliance. I exercise the heck out of her to bring her energy and hence, destructive tendencies, down. She only knows a few commands so far: sit, lay down and wait. She is obstinate to follow through with commands. Perhaps I need to resort to positive reinforcement/ treats and clicker. Her temperament is like a little burro, just very very stubborn. When she first got here I couldn’t get her to even move towards the house and she already weighed 40 pounds. I had to pick her up and carry her for several days, in and out. Yes she was scared but there is more to it, this is who she is. When she is sweet she is very sweet, when she is quiet she is very pleasant. But most of the time she is just a handful. I know she is young and to some degree handful is to be expected. I know, I know, I wanted a Doberman. This is not unusual. But please help me to know how to help her know this is not an option, to steal and shred my things. I have a catch-phrase “no stealing” and I will take away my thing and give her one of her things, but she is just so obstinate. Honestly I don’t think she is dense tho the appearance could be interpreted as not too bright (hey who is winning here, her not me so she is pretty bright). I think she is just extremely willful and obstinate, and I think this is what we run into with Dobermans and many smart dogs who are hard to bend to our will.
On the bright side the same strong will and not gonna back down thing is great for a protective guard dog, she has shown herself to be stellar at picking up on intruders and animals we love from a distance but don’t want to cuddle with like bears and things like that. She actually chased off a young bear on a hike the other day, I didn’t know what it was until it was waddling off.. She is a dog who will protect and defend fearlessly. But this other stuff is driving me crazy!!!!!!!
My old dobie had pica, he would eat anything he could get his mouth on specifically rocks and branches but also cloth such as socks. We had to watch him 24/7 or have him crated if not. To go on hikes off leash he finally had to have a large soft greyhound mask on or he would eat rocks. Even then we had to duct tape some of the holes so he would not shovel rocks into his mouth and swallow them. I think towards the end he was always on leash as he was just too unpredictable with his pica. Nevetheless the dog was spoiled rotten in the years he was with me and my SO. He was immensely time and attention-consuming. So when looking for a new dobie I decided maybe girl easier and asked breeder for a quiet easy temperament (couldn’t find a laughing while crying emoticon to insert here)
This girl was doing ok not showing pica issues (which I know many Dobies have); she was nippy while her adult teeth were coming in and it was hard to get her to back off my hands but I did get her to stop. I was so looking forward to the teeth being in and a new calmer dog. Weeeeelllllllll...
Since she got them she is stealing stuff left and right to shred, especially shoes but nothing is sacred. I was very careful from the beginning to not let her get to shoes or other human possessions because I did not want her to develop the habit. NEvertheless she is FAST. ANd the habit just came out of nowhere, like one day I woke up to a shoes/clothes/you name it shredding monster. If I turn my back, if we go for a nap together on the couch, if I don’t notice she has swiped something on the way out the door, I will suddenly find some expensive article of mine shredded to bits. $300 worth of shoes in one week and an expensive cushion. An Arcteryx jacket (you all know how expensive those are). My last Dobie would also ping off the walls like a pool ball stealing things that were not his but he wouldn’t shred my things for the most part, his tastes were more specific for the pica, he preferred rocks and twigs.
I know about keeping your dog attached to you on a leash in the house to try to instill compliance. I exercise the heck out of her to bring her energy and hence, destructive tendencies, down. She only knows a few commands so far: sit, lay down and wait. She is obstinate to follow through with commands. Perhaps I need to resort to positive reinforcement/ treats and clicker. Her temperament is like a little burro, just very very stubborn. When she first got here I couldn’t get her to even move towards the house and she already weighed 40 pounds. I had to pick her up and carry her for several days, in and out. Yes she was scared but there is more to it, this is who she is. When she is sweet she is very sweet, when she is quiet she is very pleasant. But most of the time she is just a handful. I know she is young and to some degree handful is to be expected. I know, I know, I wanted a Doberman. This is not unusual. But please help me to know how to help her know this is not an option, to steal and shred my things. I have a catch-phrase “no stealing” and I will take away my thing and give her one of her things, but she is just so obstinate. Honestly I don’t think she is dense tho the appearance could be interpreted as not too bright (hey who is winning here, her not me so she is pretty bright). I think she is just extremely willful and obstinate, and I think this is what we run into with Dobermans and many smart dogs who are hard to bend to our will.
On the bright side the same strong will and not gonna back down thing is great for a protective guard dog, she has shown herself to be stellar at picking up on intruders and animals we love from a distance but don’t want to cuddle with like bears and things like that. She actually chased off a young bear on a hike the other day, I didn’t know what it was until it was waddling off.. She is a dog who will protect and defend fearlessly. But this other stuff is driving me crazy!!!!!!!