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644 Views 4 Replies 4 Participants Last post by RedFawnRising, Oct 21, 2011

TrainingWillow

Discussion Starter · Oct 21, 2011

First off, I'd like to thank everyone who uses this site, I've found it more helpful than many of the websites I've visited within the past couple months. My name is Kristen and I have been researching dobermans for approximately 2 years now. My late father had a doberman when he was young, so I've always felt a connection to the breed because of dad's many stories. For the past several months I have been back and forth between dobermans and german shepherds, but have finally decided to get a dobe. (I currently own a schnauzer/poodle, Douglas, and a lovebird, Chi.) There's a breeder not too far from where I'm located, and I've been out to visit several times for the past couple of months. (She currently has a litter, 4 weeks old tomorrow.) I've decided on getting a red male dobe, and she's been very helpful by answering questions, and letting me get to know the parent dogs. My training teacher, LeeAnn, also has a red dobe whom I've known for the better part of two years. He's a wonderful dog who I've worked with several times. (I work as a trainer and go to college with hopes of either pursuing a masters in vet med, or a program in dog training, grooming, boarding, etc.)

I've dubbed my pup 'Tay-oh', but I am unsure of how I plan on spelling it (Theo, Tayoh, Teo). He'll be coming home on November 4th. I've talked with LeeAnn about dog foods several times, and I'm thinking Blue Buffalo Wilderness Puppy, but am open to suggestions. How much should I expect to be feeding the puppy at 2 months, 3 mo., 4 mo., and so on? I'll more than likely be neutering him around 12-18 months, and he will start training as soon as he's comfortable in his new environment. What kinds of toys should I get for a puppy? (While I've owned many dogs, I've never actually purchased a puppy, I've always rescued adult dogs, and they've usually been small breeds, and I'm certain that their needs are different.) I may eventually switch over to a raw diet, but because of the lack of people I know who feed raw (I know none, actually) I don't have any personal opinions on the raw diet. Is it better for the puppy/dog? Any other information that could be useful would be most appriciated.

Thank you all, once again.

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Adara

· #2 · Oct 21, 2011

TrainingWillow said:
First off, I'd like to thank everyone who uses this site, I've found it more helpful than many of the websites I've visited within the past couple months. My name is Kristen and I have been researching dobermans for approximately 2 years now. My late father had a doberman when he was young, so I've always felt a connection to the breed because of dad's many stories. For the past several months I have been back and forth between dobermans and german shepherds, but have finally decided to get a dobe. (I currently own a schnauzer/poodle, Douglas, and a lovebird, Chi.) There's a breeder not too far from where I'm located, and I've been out to visit several times for the past couple of months. (She currently has a litter, 4 weeks old tomorrow.) I've decided on getting a red male dobe, and she's been very helpful by answering questions, and letting me get to know the parent dogs. My training teacher, LeeAnn, also has a red dobe whom I've known for the better part of two years. He's a wonderful dog who I've worked with several times. (I work as a trainer and go to college with hopes of either pursuing a masters in vet med, or a program in dog training, grooming, boarding, etc.)
.

Is your breeder aware you currently have a male dog? Has she/he discussed male/male aggression in the breed? This is a very big issue in our breed and not one to be taken lightly. If it occurs, it isn't something that can be "trained out."

I hope this doesn't sound harsh and I say this in hopes of providing information not bashing. Is this a responsible breeder - health testing pedigree, showing/working her dogs, temperament testing. Or is it someone just breding 2 dogs together because she owns them? If it is the latter, I'd skip this litter and do a bit more research. Has she provided you with pedigrees and 3 generations of health testing (hips, thyroid, CERF, cardiac testing). Has she gone through the longevity of the pedigrees? What have the other dogs dies of? Any wobbler, cancer, liver issues? What was her goal in bringing these 2 dogs together? Pros/cons of dam and sire?

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o0 sHaDoWoLf 0o

· #3 · Oct 21, 2011

Adara said:
Is your breeder aware you currently have a male dog? Has she/he discussed male/male aggression in the breed? This is a very big issue in our breed and not one to be taken lightly. If it occurs, it isn't something that can be "trained out."

I hope this doesn't sound harsh and I say this in hopes of providing information not bashing. Is this a responsible breeder - health testing pedigree, showing/working her dogs, temperament testing. Or is it someone just breding 2 dogs together because she owns them? If it is the latter, I'd skip this litter and do a bit more research. Has she provided you with pedigrees and 3 generations of health testing (hips, thyroid, CERF, cardiac testing). Has she gone through the longevity of the pedigrees? What have the other dogs dies of? Any wobbler, cancer, liver issues? What was her goal in bringing these 2 dogs together? Pros/cons of dam and sire?

I 100% agree, I was just like you. I had nothing but rescues and strays, I was ready to get a puppy and raise it coming from a brerder. Being that I was a newb to the breeder scene I had no idea that the litter I put a deposit on was indeef a byb. If it wasnt for this site to point me in the right direction I could have had a byb puppy with problems that could hace been prevented if the breeder did health testing.

there are some good threads here on this site that helps people with figuring out what an ethical breeder is compared to a byb.

this being said I took these peoples advice on this forum, backed out of the byb litter and found myself a wonderful breeder who did the ears, tails and dew claws before coming home and the shots as well.

good luck with yout research and hope you take our advice because an ethical breedet will have the ears done before they go home and they would not home a male dobe with another male already in the home

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RedFawnRising

· #4 · Oct 21, 2011

TrainingWillow said:
First off, I'd like to thank everyone who uses this site, I've found it more helpful than many of the websites I've visited within the past couple months. My name is Kristen and I have been researching dobermans for approximately 2 years now. My late father had a doberman when he was young, so I've always felt a connection to the breed because of dad's many stories. For the past several months I have been back and forth between dobermans and german shepherds, but have finally decided to get a dobe. (I currently own a schnauzer/poodle, Douglas, and a lovebird, Chi.) There's a breeder not too far from where I'm located, and I've been out to visit several times for the past couple of months. (She currently has a litter, 4 weeks old tomorrow.) I've decided on getting a red male dobe, and she's been very helpful by answering questions, and letting me get to know the parent dogs. My training teacher, LeeAnn, also has a red dobe whom I've known for the better part of two years. He's a wonderful dog who I've worked with several times. (I work as a trainer and go to college with hopes of either pursuing a masters in vet med, or a program in dog training, grooming, boarding, etc.)

I've dubbed my pup 'Tay-oh', but I am unsure of how I plan on spelling it (Theo, Tayoh, Teo). He'll be coming home on November 4th. I've talked with LeeAnn about dog foods several times, and I'm thinking Blue Buffalo Wilderness Puppy, but am open to suggestions. How much should I expect to be feeding the puppy at 2 months, 3 mo., 4 mo., and so on? I'll more than likely be neutering him around 12-18 months, and he will start training as soon as he's comfortable in his new environment. What kinds of toys should I get for a puppy? (While I've owned many dogs, I've never actually purchased a puppy, I've always rescued adult dogs, and they've usually been small breeds, and I'm certain that their needs are different.) I may eventually switch over to a raw diet, but because of the lack of people I know who feed raw (I know none, actually) I don't have any personal opinions on the raw diet. Is it better for the puppy/dog? Any other information that could be useful would be most appriciated.

Thank you all, once again.

Hi, welcome to DT, and thanks for the kind words about the community here.

There is, indeed, a TON of good information here, and lots of great folks willing to offer advice and help.

I understand you have lots of questions--a good thing, shows you want to do right by any new potential puppy.

But, in reading your post, folks are first going to be struck, as I was, by a much larger and more urgent issue--which is several red flags about where you're considering purchasing.

I know puppy breath is superduper hard to resist, but it's really better to do your due diligence on a breeder's program BEFORE you end up emotionally involved, with the breeder (who can be so very "nice," until there's a problem) or with the cute puppies.

Can't tell you how many folks have come thru here, all excited and defending the heck out of their breeder of choice...only to share heartbreaking stories with us a few months or couple years down the road, and report that person who was so chatty and talkative and "nice" now doesn't even return calls or emails, much less help with a refund or the vet bills piling up.

So, in case you haven't run across it in your research already, please do a bunch of reading on the inherit health problems in our breed, and why certain health screenings HAVE to be performed on both parents prior to breeding, and ideally on all animals in a few generations of the pedigree.

There are more considerations to make a truly responsible ethical breeder--but that's probably a whole lot to throw at you all at once.

Please share more about this breeder, as the situation sounds worrisome-- and please listen with an open mind if the feedback isn't what you expected to hear.

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RedFawnRising

· #5 · Oct 21, 2011

Oh, and this is a fun thread, and would be great for you to read.

http://www.dobermantalk.com/puppy-c...d-known-when-you-first-got-your-dobe-pup.html

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