[BoostBuggy]

Hello All!

I'm Michael. I'm a past Doberman parent. Mannfeld was my first and so far, only Doberman but from my experience with him, Dobermans are the only breed I will ever have.

FWIW, I got Manny when he was only about 10-12 weeks old. He came from a private party (very young girl with a new child and and other house pets; clearly way too much on her hands.) Found him through the classified ads in Mpls, MN some 20-ish years ago. I got him for $100 and it was the best $100 I ever spent. He didn't come with papers (or even newspapers ;-) He came with a too-short docked tail and natural ears. I left the ears natural as the whole taping, etc. of the ears kinda of scared me (I was concerned about botching the job) He had the best personality. Always positive and a friend to all. I'm certain there were folks that didn't like me but loved Manny!

Manny left us 16 May 08. It was a VERY sad day. But he had lived a long (16 yrs!) life and I certain he had enjoyed all of it.

I trained Manny as a "companion" dog, not for the competition but so he was a good citizen. By the time he was 1 I almost never had to use a lead on him as he obeyed commands so well and would never leave my side unless he was told it was "OK." I certainly miss him....

It's time for me to find another Doberman. Although I'm not interested in a controlled, "bred" dog I do want a 100% Dobe. I'm certainly open to a puppy form a rescue, a runt of the liter or some other type of less than high $$ conformation (or close to) quality dog.

Manny just find of happened in my life so I've not had to really do a search before so I'm not familiar with the various web sites and resources that may help me with this next family addition. I'm hoping one or more of you here will be able to offer some suggestions.

In a perfect world, he/she would be a red or other color than black/rust and male. But I would consider a bitch (I'm curious as to what those that have had both can say about differences in gender personalities....)

I'm located in Denver, CO. Certainly a local dog would be easiest but I'm not bound to the region.

I'm looking forward to hearing from all.....

Michael

BTW here's a pic of Mannfeld

 

[ShelianDobe]

Welcome to DT. Mannfeld was a very handsome boy and you were exceptionally lucky to have him so long. Few Dobermans live that long.

If by "controlled, bred dog" you mean that you do not want a well bred puppy from health tested parents and reputable breeder.... then your best bet is going to be rescue.

Dobermans aren't the healthiest of breeds and as I said you were exceptionally lucky to have Mannfeld for so long. You will find a lot of information here about Dobes and their health problems.

Sounds like you are open to a Blue or Fawn if you can't find a Red. That's wonderful, just be aware that most dilutes have issues with CDA -- so you can pretty much expect to have a partially or nearly bald dog at about middle age. You will also find a great deal of information here on CDA (Color Dilution Alopecia).

You may want to try Doberman Rescue of Colorado

Once again welcome to DT and good luck with your search.

 

[BoostBuggy]

Maybe I worded that wrong... what I meant was that I'm not particularly interested in dealing with a "breeder" primarily for budget reasons. The breeders sites I'm looked at seem to want $1000 - $2500 for a puppy and that's just not in my budget. I have no interest at this time in showing a dog or even participating in agility or companion competition so the closeness to the standard is of secondary or even tertiary priority.

When I had Manny we did occasionally frequent the local (Mpls, MN) dogs shows and I did speak with folks about the other colors. No one had much positive to say about the other colors. I'm unfamiliar with CDA so I appreciate the suggestion. I will look that up here and review.

In reading some of the posts on this forum I'm finding I have coming up with more questions.... i.e. How well do Dobe's take to new training when they're "middle-aged?" My primary reason for wanting a puppy was to train it the way I prefer (not referring to technique but to resulting behavior) I have family in Columbus, OH that have had Dobe's' for years and have gotten them through rescues. I'm certainly not opposed to considering a more adult dog. There may be advantages to such that I'm not familiar with.

Thanks for your comments and I most certainly welcome more!

Michael

 

[brw1982]

Maybe I worded that wrong... what I meant was that I'm not particularly interested in dealing with a "breeder" primarily for budget reasons. The breeders sites I'm looked at seem to want $1000 - $2500 for a puppy and that's just not in my budget. I have no interest at this time in showing a dog or even participating in agility or companion competition so the closeness to the standard is of secondary or even tertiary priority.

The reason for the high cost of a Dobe pup is to try to offset some of the expense of properly breeding a Doberman litter. Health in this breed is commonly poor and there are necessary health tests that should be done on the breeding pair before breeding - these are expensive. When breeding is done properly there are stud fees, care of the pregnant bitch, whelping can be pricey if there are any problems, cost of caring for the litter is expensive, good breeders will handle ear cropping for you so that cost is factored in...

Most good, ethical breeders do not make money off their litters. They're fortunate if they break even and have a couple pups turn out as show prospects with which to continue their bloodlines and hobby/sport.

In all honesty, if you can't afford a well bred pup I'd caution you against buying any Doberman right now. It would be unethical to support a BYB or puppy mill because of how much harm they do to the breed overall, as well as the often neglectful conditions their breeding dogs are kept in, but even if you rescue a Dobe for a significantly lower cost than purchasing a well bred pup, the chances you may run into some pretty high vet bills for health problems is real enough you're going to want to be comfortable in the bank before bringing any Dobe home.

Health problems are just a reality in this breed. There are a few big ones that are fairly common and can be incredibly expensive to treat. In your research I encourage you to read up on DCM, Wobblers, CAH (chronic active hepatitis), among other important things the breeding pair should be tested for such as vWD, CERF, OFA or Penn Hip. I don't know how common seizures are in the breed overall but I personally know many Doberman owners whose dogs suffer from seizures.

Dobermans are just typically an expensive breed to own.

That's my 2 cents. Good luck in your search.

 

[BoostBuggy]

FWIW I am comfortable in the bank. That said my budget does allow and takes into consideration potential vet expenses. I'm not anti-breeder either. But a breeder probably just isn't the best fit for me at the current time.

The more I read about resce dogs here the more my mind is becoming more open to alteratives.

I look at this in a similiar manner as I look at sports cars (this may be not be the best analogy but bear with me...) I own Porsches. You can buy a $60k used Porsche or a $10k used Porsche. Both are going to cost you $$$. And there's no telling which of the two will cost more no matter how well done and thorough the Pre Purchase Inspection was. Even if your total budget is $75k it might well be in your best interests to go for the $10k option and therefore you have a lot of room to "wiggle" in if necessary. That probably wouldn't be the case if you chose the $60k option.

BTW, both will bring many, many mile of driving fun!

Hope this explains my situation a bit better.

Thx for your input.

Michael

 

[PatchworkRobot]

Welcome to the forums. Definitely look at rescues as they are full of dobes in need of homes :]

 

[workingk9s]

Sounds like a rescue would fit you perfectly. Check out petfinder for a list of Dobermans in your area. They even get puppies on a regular basis.

Dobermans will always be in my life too. Welcome!

 

[BoostBuggy]

Thx. I appreciate the welcome.

For those that may have some suggestions for me..... I run my business from a home office. Meaning I'm typically around all day. Also Manny was crate trained and I believe in crate training. No matter what dog I ultimately invite into my home, he/she will be crated. IMHO, it's really in the best interests of the pooch.

 

[Tanner's]

I Agree with others Rescues are THE BEST!!! I have one Darling rescue & She came Bomb Proof! House trained, Good with kids and socialized. I am not saying every rescue is this way but with some it is FAR better than doing through the Doberteen years, Eaten couches & potty training. Plus it makes you feel good

 

[ZeldaRules]

Welcome to DT a big thing people don't think about when they shun ethical breeders due to price and wanting a non-competition dog is the support that the breeder will offer for the life of the puppy. That support is priceless. A reputable rescue will offer great support as well, just make sure not to purchase from a BYB

 

[BoostBuggy]

BTW the Colorado Doberman Rescue appears to be closed. Check out Doberman Rescue of Colorado rather than going to the link DOBERMAN RESCUE of COLORADO

But I have sent an email just in case.....

 

[dax0402]

Hi and welcome to the forum. Manny was so handsome. You were very, very lucky to have him in your life for that long. Best of luck in your search.

 

[Dobs4ever]

Welcome from Missouri and so good to hear you had a wonderful companion for many years. This is a one of a kind breed and they are wonderful at stealing your heart.

I will only say this - The entire dog world fancy is based on the premisis of breeding quality dogs to the standard, so anything less is a slap in the face to this wonderful breed. Many misunderstand about the "show" world and think that just because they are not interested in showing quality is not important.

So good breeders do the things required to preserve and protect this breed at its very best. To do less is to do disservice. It is about caring enough about the breed to do it right whether you want to show or not. Prices do reflect that.

It includes, showing, training, breeding to standard, conformation, temperament and health testing. While showing might be top on your list the others should be.

 

[BoostBuggy]

FYI, I just spoke with Chuck at CO Dobe Rescue. As soon as they have adopted out the remaining Dobes they will be shutting down.

 

[RottenVonSpotten]

Welcome to DT from a fellow Coloradoan!

I would contact Doberman Rescue of New Mexico and see if they are willing to adopt to Colorado. Let them know that CO Doberman rescue will no longer be operating and see if there is some wiggle room. I've been wanting to foster for CO Doberman rescue, but there are only a few dogs ever available. That's a great thing though!

Also, we have two great breeders in Colorado, Imagemaker and Gallant. You could contact them about breeder rehomes which are often less expensive than puppies.

As for your car analogy, I like to think of it more as getting a certified-used car (in my case Mercedes since that's what I drive) versus buying a Mercedes from some random used car lot. I would prefer to deal with MB directly than some random car sales man. You might pay more up front, but I am a firm believer in "you get what you pay for". Also, you have lifetime support from MB. Not to make dogs sound like cars, because they are way better

 

[MsMoppett]

FYI, I just spoke with Chuck at CO Dobe Rescue. As soon as they have adopted out the remaining Dobes they will be shutting down.

That is very terrible to hear.

They do still have some dogs available and so do other rescues in the Denver area.

PetFinder: Dobermans near Denver, CO

 

[SoCalGirl]

Glad to hear you are open to rescue - there are so many wonderful loved family dogs that are in rescue due to hard times, as well as dogs from more unfortunate situations. By going through a reputable Doberman rescue, they will know the temperament and issues the dog has and be able to match you with the right dog for you. They will also be available for support and questions down the road.

Take a look at the Doberman rescue section of the forum if you haven't already. Also the breeder section as ZeldaRules suggested for breeder rehomes.

Glad to hear you are ready for vet bills!

 

[BoostBuggy]

Wow in about 24 hrs I may have found my new Dobie! Thanks to Verna (Audrey1) I was able to get in touch with Jolene @ Dogworks (Dogworks Doberman Rescue - located in Northern California and the San Francisco Bay Area) Hopefully we will be able to set up a visit soon for Tyson, a 3-5 yr old red c/d male. So far he sounds wonderful and I'm really excited to be able to visit him (and if all goes well, take him home)

FWIW, Denver's not much of a Dobie town. Although it seems there are more dog owners here than in a lot of other cities, the peeps here tend to go more in the direction of Labs, Retrievers, etc. So with fewer Dobes around in general there are fewer options in the rescues.

 

[Reptilehoundz]

That's fantastic! Tyson looks like a great boy. I hope it all works out for the best.

 

[Audrey1]

Wow, so you are going to drive out this weekend, I take it? Keep us informed. Hope all goes well! Rescue is the best!