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New pup!

2K views 13 replies 10 participants last post by  melbrod 
#1 ·
I just got my doberman puppy!!! His name is Kash. He's five months old. He was brought back by his first family and we were able to get him. He's an absolute joy! Super sweet, smart, and fun.

His ears are what we believe to be done. According to the breeder his ears have been standing for a couple of weeks now, and they've been standing for two days since he's been back. The only time that they "fell" was after a nap and it returned to being perfectly straight after 10-15 minutes. When he runs the only parts of the ears that "bounce" are the very tips I'd say top 1/5th of the ear. Any thoughts? We were thinking of posting them again for good measure but based on the info it might just be overdoing it.

Looking for advice on a couple things though. First and most importantly I am looking for a good vet that has dobe experience. I live in CT by Westport and Norwalk. I googled a couple but good reviews or not not every vet is equipped and understands the health needs of a dobe.

When it comes to training Kash he has been great... when I am holding treats. He listens extremely well when a reward is in play, but I've been struggling to get him to sit/down when there is no incentive. He comes immediately when I call him and he waits at doors when I tell him so I can go first. Just looking to get him to be a little more pro active when treats aren't around. Any tips?

Lastly, he's very strong willed on the leash. I purchased a harness as to not hurt his esophagus. What we've done so far is when he pulls ahead we immediately stop him say no and prevent him from going forward. Then, we only begin to walk again until he stops pulling on the leash and were side by side. It's very tedious but I'm hoping consistency will pay off.

I also got him an elk antler that has been split in half. Im mixed on how I feel about it because many have said they've been great while others are afraid they may damage his teeth. I only let him have it for short periods of time.

Am I missing anything, or is there anything else you all have found to be helpful.

Couple pics below more will be coming!
 

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#3 ·
HI! Welcome to DT from Colorado!

Yes to what VZ says! :2smile:

Changing directions rather than just stopping is what seems to work best for me. If he pulls ahead and puts any tension on the leash, you immediately turn on your heels and head off the other way; if he goes left, you go right and so on; keep it snappy. You don't need to say anything negative to him—the point is that he learns to pay attention to where you are moving; that's his job on a leash.

Are you planning to participate in some obedience classes with him (some kind of formal teaching, I mean—maybe it's virtual these days??) I think at his age that would be a good thing for you guys, and it's a wonderful way to build a bond.
 
#7 ·
Congratulations!

To pick upon what ECIN and falnfenix wrote ^^^^. In my opinion, you should really keep posting Kash's ears. He has a daily long crop. There's a good chance that the will fall at some point and you will have much better results if you keep posting now as opposed to playing "catch-up" i a month or so.

Best to you and your boy

John Lichtwardt
Portland OR
 
#8 ·
Welcome to Kash!

As far as training, I highly, highly recommend getting into a class. They can teach you how to teach him :) Remember that he's not stubborn, or strong willed...he's simply a puppy doing what comes naturally to dogs. It takes a lot of patience and repetition to train a dog, and a lot of reinforcement!

Walking on a leash is a hard skill to teach. Stopping, turning around...those things are great, but are you reinforcing him for being where you want him to be? Lots and lots of treats for being in the position you want will make it much more rewarding for him to be there, than for him to be out at the end of the leash, which is far more natural for him. Walking at our pace, next to us, is really, really unnatural for a Dobe!

Again, definitely get into a class. Local is great if you can (at least, that works better for me), but if you are a good online learner, the Fenzi Academy has great classes (https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/) and so does Online Dog Training University (https://onlinedogu.com/)
 
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