[OliviaB]

Gunner is 16 weeks. I got him at 13 weeks and he's never once woken me up at night. BUT, I also play hard with him right before bed and wear him out. I also feed him early in the evening so he has his last poop right before bed. Remember your pup is young, and needs a schedule to help get things under control. I definitely would NOT allow her to just pee in the crate. Likely, that will only make you more mad because then you will have a nasty stinky mess to clean up...not to mention it will only slow down housetraining. Although Gunner is great, I've had pups in the past who literally had to go out every 2 hours. It's exhausting yes, but I've also had two human babies so I was used to it. Hang in there...soon she'll grow up a bit and can hold it more.

 

[OliviaB]

Ok, so somehow I too missed the part about leaving her in her crate most of the time. I agree this is probably why she is so whiney. I keep Gunner BUSY all day!! By the time it's night, he's begging to go to bed lol! Puppies need lots of exercise, training, and socialization. I've never ever heard of raising a puppy like you've been instructed to do, but I can almost guarantee that you will have issues. We had a show doberman at our vet clinic who was essentially raised confined in a crate. He had SEVERE mental issues from it.....he would spin, growl, bark, go nuts if he was confined at all as an adult. I highly suggest getting some other opinions. It will make things easier on yourself in the long run.

 

[OliviaB]

I'm not trying to be harsh, but it sounds like she's really not getting enough play time and social time. They need HOURS a day...not minutes at a time. Pedigree doesn't really matter either....ALL puppies (even mutts) need socializing and play time. No dog would be happy spending most of it's time locked in a crate. I use a crate, but ONLY at night or when I can't watch his every move. He spends the majority of his day by my side. Not to mention training.....Gunner is 16 weeks and already is solid on 8 commands and hand signals. It is bonding time as well as play time. I can't imagine waiting until a dog is 6 months to start it. I don't see the point at all....it's your dog so you will do what you want, but I would seriously consider how many people have issues with what you've been told. These people have years and years of dobe experience and are all concerned for your dog. At the very least, please seek another opinion from a professional.

 

[OliviaB]

I know nothing about training a dog , besides giving cookies when sometimes and with luck it does what I say. Yes, I know there are tons of guides... but is it time for experiments? Which commands does your puppy recognise?

Honestly, you need to do a lot of homework. You need to LEARN about training a dog, and you will see that what you have been told is NOT how the majority of people would raise a dog...let alone a dog that you hope to have a working career.
My dog currently is solid on:
sit
stay
down
wait
come
leave it, and out
place
stand
It is never wise to "experiment" on a living animal in my opinion. You need to find a solid trainer (NOT the one you have) and be open to learning. Your dog is in a critical time in her development and a lot can be messed up right now if you aren't careful. You don't want to end up with a problem dog on your hands.

 

[OliviaB]

Yes exactly. I did research on trainers, nobody will accept a dog below 6 months. Think about it, they want to get more dogs so they can earn money but the denied very young puppies. This is a standard thing here. The problem with trainers here they way they teach dogs. Some of them are very brutal and they even hang them from the trees if they dont obey... You see... I have asked many other doberman owners about the training. Most trainers here are not specialized on just one dog breed they manage multiple without knowing all the little things that are important.
When I went there to see the enclosure and interview him I asked him to show me some of his grown up dogs and their training skills. Actually it was the first time in my life I came in contact with a huge doberman touching it and being so calm while minutes later was in the grass doing bite work like no other. A soldier dog with amazing personality... He told me many ppl use different techniques for everything, the result is all that matters (cause we spoke about my previews trainer for my shepherd). So he told me, all I have to do is a) show love to the puppy b) socialize (come in contact with other dogs and humans) c) quality food and lots of sleep without lot of excercise (thats why she spends time in the box). I think it makes sense what he told me to do, isn't right?
btw what type of doberman do you own? is it an american? I have got a european which is really different in charachter... don't skip this detail....

Okay, we aren't talking about my dog here but since you asked, he's a RESCUE. He's AKC registered, but I have no clue about his exact heritage...I really couldn't care less. You seem to be very wrapped up in pedigree and bloodlines and things. I raised a working police malinois last year though and before that I managed a very reputable show dog kennel. I'm quite familiar with raising puppies as are the rest of the people on this forum. You can flaunt good bloodlines all day long...it won't raise a puppy. You may not start working training until 6 months, but I don't believe that trainers around you won't even start BASIC obedience before then. Even petsmart does that! You seem to be set with this trainer, so I will wish you and your puppy the best of luck.

 

[OliviaB]

You are the first person to say that a doberman isn't a guard dog(maybe you are talking about the american doberman which is not a really good guard dog). Any dog will protect me in a case of an emergency. This is not the point..

I'm sorry but this statement is so wrong in so many ways. No, not ANY dog will protect you...that's the most insane thing I ever heard. My house was robbed a few years ago. Guess where my sheltie was? HIDING! No, not ALL dogs will protect you. Not even ALL dobes will protect you...especially those who haven't been raised correctly to bond with their owner!

As far as the American show doberman not being a good guard dog, that literally made me laugh. The first dobe I ever met belonged to my vet and was a champion show dog. One day he was in the front office with me while we are all about to go home, and two homeless men came in begging for money. They were very aggressive and pushy, and guess what that SHOW dog did...he PROTECTED us!! He even cornered those people until the cops arrived.

A doberman was bred to be a guard dog, but they are first and foremost a FAMILY dog. They thrive on being with their people and need to be a part of the family. That was bred into them from the very beginining!! They weren't dogs to be chained out back to defend property. They were raised by a man who bonded with them, and in return, they protected him while he collected taxes. I really hope you can learn some more. Honestly it sounds like you have NO clue what you are talking about.

 

[OliviaB]

Did I ever say I am going to dump my dog in a farm and let it with 15kg of food to guard chickens? My dobie is meant to live 24/7 inside the house. How would be possible not to establish a good connection?
For the american - euro doberman discussion I will bring evidences cause I don't wanna fight but argue with valid arguments which I don't have now to prove but you neither do.

Don't waste your time..I'm not here to argue about american-euro dobermans. I really don't have a care either way. A doberman is a doberman and I love them all. The only argument I had was with your statement that american line dogs are not good guard dogs. That is completely false.

 

[OliviaB]

Ok, but getting into details and know more about the doberman is good. I am not trying to prove you wrong , afterall everyone has his opinion, the only that matters is the truth and scientific facts.... I would like to share some knowledge based on undisputed sources and accept others opinion the same way.

You're not listening. I'm not arguing any other point except that you said American line dogs aren't good protectors. That is 100 percent false. I'm not comparing the different lines, because once again, I don't care. I'm not arguing which line is better because I'm completely neutral. Again, my ONLY argument with this is that the American line dobermans are still very good protectors. My "facts" come from real life experience. You can internet search all you want.

 

[OliviaB]

You guys are just getting baited.

Hard, sometimes, to not get caught up in it, I know, esp. when we feel like we're bearing witness to some abusive "puppy raising" techniques and philosophies.

You're right. Nothing we say will change anything. Leaving this alone....