[caitegrace]

Hey hey I'm new here and am preparing to get a doberman within the next three months providing I can find a good breeder in my area with reasonable prices. I have a lot of research to do and I have a lot of questions already.
For one thing I would like to get a few books on doberman training, development, behavior, health etc. The more books the better.
Some questions:
I've read online that dobermans have a lovely "switch" between active and non active. Does this have to be trained, is it innate, or something that has to be reinforced from time to time? To be more specific I guess I am also curious if it is something that happens when the owner is calm or whenever the dobe decides?
If the switch is a reaction to my activity is it their nature to react if something happens that I am not ready for?

Is it their nature to anticipate something (such as a walk, or game) according to past experiences or stay generally alert and ready for anything?

Males/females: which tends to be more playful? More loving? Protective? Gentle? *i am not going to discriminate against one or the other but it would be nice to know for other reasons

Other animals:
I have a young cat. She is very playful. Unless I am in bed she is spending her time enticing me to play with her. She gets inventive. Knocks everything off the coffee table. Brings me her toys purposely plays with things she knows I don't want her to play with (plants, glasses, tv, chess set etc.) Bats me and runs away, does this really weird hoppy thing I have never seen any other cat do...you get the picture. Obviously dogs have predatory instinct and everything, but how does a doberman that was brought up with a cat treat it when it gets older? Tolerant? Member of the family? Dog toy?

I visit my family very often and they have a German shepherd, a very submissive lab (shed a rescue we get the feeling she was abused but she loves other dogs) and a golden retriever lab mix. How does a dobe fit in with other dogs it has been socialized with? Still people oriented? I have totally seen those videos on YouTube. I would very much like to read your stories though
That's all I can think of right this minute, thank you!

 

[Hank]

Before you buy
http://www.dobermantalk.com/breedin...rst-helpful-breeder-breeding-information.html

I always suggest Leerburg to people wanting to learn about training
Even though they are more about working dog training, their pet training articles and videos are fantastic.
Leerburg Directory of Information on Training Puppies

other sites about training
ClickerSolutions Training Articles Contents
Nothing in Life is Free
Alpha Dog Theory - Debunking the dominance theory, alpha dog myth, pack leader
Properly Socialized by Pat Schaap. Socializing by the rule of 7's
Raising K9: Socialization Ideas

males vs females and vs other dogs really comes down to the individual dog and its temperament.
If anything you dont want two unneutred males together or two unspayed females etc.

Raising a dog with a cat and its outcome depends on you and how you raise them together.

I dont have many dog training books. I have lots of websites booked though lol
I have this one though, it is really good
http://leerburg.com/9002.htm

 

[caitegrace]

About the dogs my concern lies with the German shepherd my stepmom seems to think he would be to big to play with a doberman. (hes is he size of a kitchen table) he's just goofy though not mean or anything...

 

[Hank]

About the dogs my concern lies with the German shepherd my stepmom seems to think he would be to big to play with a doberman. (hes is he size of a kitchen table) he's just goofy though not mean or anything...

If you raise them right together, and your new puppy has a stable temperament (and the GSD) there is no reason there should be any problems.

Doberman standard size is about 27 inches 60-90 pounds.

 

[Beaumont67]

A doberman can take advantage of a weak owner, as they can be pushy, (like a child)...so be a leader with love and calmness.
- take obedience classes...not just puppy ones, that has limited teaching

A puppy and a cat, would be little concern for me...however, an adult dog with a bad cat experience, thats a diff. story.

My first dog was a girl pup in 1977. I didn`t want a bigger male, while I was learning, how to train...as a newbe, I didn`t want to fail or be scared.
- smaller girls, are lighter lap dogs and take up less space on the bed...lol
I have easily handled 200 lb. dogs, but I had to start somewhere...and a girl at first, gave me confidence...in the beginning.
Looking back, a male pup would have worked equally well...but I did not know what to expect.

My girl can read me like a book, they are the smartest breed, in my mind...take your pup everywhere, to socialize early.
She also is around two 7 lb dogs frequently...the little ones do not get injured...playing with a sentitive GSD should be fine.
Remember, to communicate often...they loved to be touched and spoken to...all good attention, they need...through life.

 

[MeadowCat]

Hey hey I'm new here and am preparing to get a doberman within the next three months providing I can find a good breeder in my area with reasonable prices. I have a lot of research to do and I have a lot of questions already.
For one thing I would like to get a few books on doberman training, development, behavior, health etc. The more books the better.
Some questions:
I've read online that dobermans have a lovely "switch" between active and non active. Does this have to be trained, is it innate, or something that has to be reinforced from time to time? To be more specific I guess I am also curious if it is something that happens when the owner is calm or whenever the dobe decides?
If the switch is a reaction to my activity is it their nature to react if something happens that I am not ready for?

Is it their nature to anticipate something (such as a walk, or game) according to past experiences or stay generally alert and ready for anything?

Males/females: which tends to be more playful? More loving? Protective? Gentle? *i am not going to discriminate against one or the other but it would be nice to know for other reasons

Other animals:
I have a young cat. She is very playful. Unless I am in bed she is spending her time enticing me to play with her. She gets inventive. Knocks everything off the coffee table. Brings me her toys purposely plays with things she knows I don't want her to play with (plants, glasses, tv, chess set etc.) Bats me and runs away, does this really weird hoppy thing I have never seen any other cat do...you get the picture. Obviously dogs have predatory instinct and everything, but how does a doberman that was brought up with a cat treat it when it gets older? Tolerant? Member of the family? Dog toy?

I visit my family very often and they have a German shepherd, a very submissive lab (shed a rescue we get the feeling she was abused but she loves other dogs) and a golden retriever lab mix. How does a dobe fit in with other dogs it has been socialized with? Still people oriented? I have totally seen those videos on YouTube. I would very much like to read your stories though
That's all I can think of right this minute, thank you!

Some Dobermans have a better "off-switch" than others. It took Shanoa almost two years to learn how to relax, and it took a lot of work to actually teach that to her. There are quite a few training things you can do when they are young to start helping them learn how to relax. A lot depends on your pup.

The amount of prey drive your dog has will really affect how well they can live with a cat. Shanoa has a HUGE prey drive, and it's been a significant challenge since we had her, even though she's grown up with cats. The cat's personality is a factor, too. If your cat is the type to stand up to a dog, rather than flee, that seems to work better. I would be working with your breeder to select a pup with a lower prey drive, and preferably a breeder that can socialize the pup to small animals from very early on.

Same sex aggression is common in the breed, particularly in males, though in females, too. That might be a factor in how well your dog would get along with others. Socialization is critical, but sometimes as they mature they stop tolerating certain dogs, even if they've known them from puppyhood.

Good luck!

 

[Tperkins]

There is no such thing as an off switch as many people think. A dog with drive will always be a dog with drive. The switch as people refer to is made through lots of training and reinforcement. The degree of separation your dog makes from work and rest will be based on their drive/temperament and the work you put in to distinguishing the difference. Leerburg has some good stuff on that subject. Not sure what type of dog your wanting, that is as far as drives, and what you want to do with him/her. Most people referring to a switch are using it in reference to some pretty high strung working dogs. Most pet dogs this will not be an issue.


Hank offered some great sites to get you started on obedience.

A doberman from a size activity level can hang with any animal playing. I wouldn't be concerned about a GSD the size of a table tiring out the Doberman.

Good for you doing some research, good luck.

 

[caitegrace]

There is no such thing as an off switch as many people think. A dog with drive will always be a dog with drive. The switch as people refer to is made through lots of training and reinforcement. The degree of separation your dog makes from work and rest will be based on their drive/temperament and the work you put in to distinguishing the difference. Leerburg has some good stuff on that subject. Not sure what type of dog your wanting, that is as far as drives, and what you want to do with him/her. Most people referring to a switch are using it in reference to some pretty high strung working dogs. Most pet dogs this will not be an issue.


Hank offered some great sites to get you started on obedience.

A doberman from a size activity level can hang with any animal playing. I wouldn't be concerned about a GSD the size of a table tiring out the Doberman.

Good for you doing some research, good luck.

I recently got robbed so I would like a dog that will protect me if something happens. I am more aware of dangerous situations, but I am still a 22 year old girl in all alone in a small-medium sized city. I would like a dog that will accompany me in my active lifestyle (I tend to jog and walk everywhere, I do have a car, I just like to stretch my legs) and play but lay quietly while I am studying.

 

[caitegrace]

Before you buy
http://www.dobermantalk.com/breedin...rst-helpful-breeder-breeding-information.html

I always suggest Leerburg to people wanting to learn about training
Even though they are more about working dog training, their pet training articles and videos are fantastic.
Leerburg Directory of Information on Training Puppies

other sites about training
ClickerSolutions Training Articles Contents
Nothing in Life is Free
Alpha Dog Theory - Debunking the dominance theory, alpha dog myth, pack leader
Properly Socialized by Pat Schaap. Socializing by the rule of 7's
Raising K9: Socialization Ideas

males vs females and vs other dogs really comes down to the individual dog and its temperament.
If anything you dont want two unneutred males together or two unspayed females etc.

Raising a dog with a cat and its outcome depends on you and how you raise them together.

I dont have many dog training books. I have lots of websites booked though lol
I have this one though, it is really good
Leerburg | The Focused Puppy

These websites have been very informative