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Is this normal puppy behavior or should I be really concerned?

828 Views 22 Replies 15 Participants Last post by  sissl, 
sarahlovesluna
A few days ago I brought home my new 11-week old doberman puppy. She’s just as cute as button! I’ve only had her a few days, so I know she’s still adjusting to her new environment and family, but I’ve noticed some strange behavior in her that’s definitely raising some red flags.

Before I get into the specifics, I want to mention that this isn’t my first doberman. Unfortunately, my first dobie passed away recently. I got her when she was 10 weeks old and she was 10.5 years old when she sadly passed. She was truly the greatest dog. So incredibly obedient, sweet, gentle, loving, loyal, playful, and protective. I trained her myself when I was fresh out of college. Of course, there were challenges and she went through her dober teen phase where she would test boundaries and drive me a little nuts. But overall, training her was actually super easy. I wish this were the case for my new puppy but it just isn’t. I know every dog is different but I can’t help but feel really disappointed.

Here are a few red flags I’ve noticed during my first week with the new pup:

1. Growling during our first walk together. She just randomly started growling and barking at seemingly nothing? The hair on her back was raised too. My best guess is she got spooked by some weird looking shrub? The next day she did the same thing in the same area, so I let her calmly investigate it and once she realized there was no threat she relaxed.

2. Took her to the pet store to pick out a few toys and she growled/barked at a woman and her dog as we were checking out. They were a good distance away from us (maybe 20 ft?) and the woman was admiring the cute doberman puppy! She said something like “aww aren’t you cute!” and that’s when my 11-week old pup basically barked at them with a little hair raised.

2. Puppy has recently discovered her reflection in the oven glass window. She goes nuts when she sees it. Barks and growls really loud with her hair raised and aggressively paws at it too. You would think after the first few times she would realize it’s nothing but she’s still doing this days later.

3. Took her to a small dog park today cause no one was there and I wanted to get some of her energy out. As soon as we get in the fenced area, she starts running around the perimeter barking, growling, and hair raised. No one was nearby and no other animals in sight lol. Eventually she stopped and we were able to get some playtime in.

4. She seems to have a lot of separation anxiety and did not like sleeping in her crate the first few nights. This is probably normal, just sucks since my first dobie slept in the crate her first night with me without any problems. The new pup was barking and screaming bloody murder. I’ve been working on it with her though and she’s getting much better.

5. She’s really skiddish when hearing “strange” new sounds. She’s also afraid of shadows, especially hers. She always seems on edge and alert. Like she’s never fully relaxed.

6. Randomly in the middle of the night she started yelping super loudly. Her crate is right next to me. I immediately think she’s in pain so I check on her ASAP but she looks okay? Was she having a nightmare or something?

7. Not a red flag but a little disappointing: Her eagerness and desire to please isnt like my first doberman at all. I’m not sure if she’s just a lot more stubborn and/or dominant?

Finally some positives so you get a more balanced picture: she’s incredibly sweet and cuddly. Yeah, even with the random growling outbursts she is still really sweet. She absolutely loves to be held (more than my first dobie) and loves to play too. She does some pretty funny/goofy things lol. Also, I had to take her to the VET this week and she was really well-behaved and sweet to the VET, assistant, and office staff. They had to get pretty hands on with her and she was nothing but sweet. She didn’t bark or growl at anyone. Everyone told me how sweet she was.

Does anyone have any thoughts and advice for my current situation? What can I do about this now? Is there still hope for her?
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ECIN
Welcome to DT Sara .

To me , you have a normal Dober puppy , heck she is only 11 - 12 weeks old and a baby , she has lots to learn about the world out there , and that is what she is doing , checking things out , There is nothing to be disappointed about , The best thing you can do is stop comparing her to your other dog . Like you said , they are all different and this dog is the one you need to focus on , not on memory lane , I know that can be hard sometimes , I'm pretty sure I can say sometime , we have all done it .

The most likely scenario IMO was that she wasn’t socialized at the breeders and now has a ton of catching up to do.

The pup is only 11 weeks , So how can they socialize her that young ? other than friends coming over to visit and they don't have there full puppy shots yet .

If I was you , I would be overjoyed with having her and just work through the issues . she will be great .

In closing , It is so hard to lose a Dober and their memories are forever in your heart and mind , But as I said , you need to quit comparing this one to the other one .

Good luck

Doc
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Arrow-The-GSD
Sounds like she just needs socializing and watching the world. She's just a baby, and you've got lots of time to do that! So don't get too discouraged. As far barking at someone who calls her cute, maybe she's like my mom's little ankle biter who sees C. U. T. E. As a four letter word 🤣 We always joke Tiny is going, I'm not cute, I'm a threat!!! Don't know why that word bothers her like that.
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melbrod
Barking and growling at her young age generally just shows that she's uncertain about a lot of things. She's just a baby and new to your place, so she has a lot to be uncertain about. Certainly she has to be introduced to a lot of things so she can learn what she shouldn't get overly reactive to, but take it slow. Let her explore the world at her own speed.

It's so tempting to try to take a young puppy everywhere, but if she's having a bit of trouble adjusting, slow it down just a bit. You can go places and see new things from a distance--sit in your car in a busy parking lot, or on a park bench, and just watch the world go by. Stay at the perimeter of activity and let her approach strange things when she wants to. If she's getting aroused and barking at strange things a lot, she's being overexposed and too close to whatever is worrying her so she doesn't feel safe.

I just act matter of fact when a puppy is concerned about something. I let them look, "Hey, look at that! Isn't that cool?"..."Aren't you a silly girl. It's not so bad" and then walk on when the puppy has had her fill of staring and gotten a chance to approach and sniff if SHE feels brave. I don't really push the pup to get closer and I don't coddle them with a lot of "Oh, poor baby. Are you scared?" or pick them up just to protect them. I don't want the pup to think that thing she's uncertain about SHOULD be worried about. I just go on my merry way after I've allowed the pup a good look.

Socialization doesn't mean that she needs to meet a lot of other dogs, or even that she needs to be a social butterfly meeting a lot of people up close and personal right now. It means that she sees a lot of different things, smells a lot of new stuff, walks in different places and on different surfaces...

I've found this graphic from KristenC to be very helpful:

Colorfulness Font Triangle Circle Parallel


Definitely you want to get her out--don't just keep her in your house or backyard where she never gets a chance to see anything new, but remember she's just a little one in a brand new world and let her explore that world at a pace she's reasonably comfortable with.

For right now, until she's had all her puppy shots, try not to take her places where a lot of dogs have been. Pet shops and parks where dogs have been pooping and peeing a lot, even if there aren't many dogs around while you're there, are not the healthiest places. You can still let her see the sights without actually running around and sniffing all those wonderful poopy places where another dog has been. Once she's had all her puppy shots, you can relax a bit about where she goes--you've got time before she needs to join the scrum.

Take a look at this thread--it has lots of ideas about start out with a new puppy (or even an older dog new to you) to introduce them to the world.

www.dobermantalk.com

The MOST Important Thing To Teach A New Puppy

www.dobermantalk.com www.dobermantalk.com
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Control_Freak
I am currently raising my fourth Doberman and they have all been very different. Some have been really good at certain things and not so good at others and some are more confident. Our first one was the hardest and most challenging but she really taught us a lot! But with each new puppy I’m usually at my whits end with one behavior or another. Sounds like you got really lucky with your first dog. Sully, my second was damn near perfect and was really easy to raise.
IMO you’re probably expecting too much too soon from her, she’s only been home a few days and she needs time to decompress from leaving her momma and litter mates and adjust to her new environment which is already a lot. Maui was quite timid the first week, we worked on building confidence at home first to “scary things” before we tried taking him out into the world, then we took it slow with car rides and people watching, yesterday we had our first official outing to Home Depot and he rocked it! Fork lifts, shopping carts, people carrying 2x4s and lots of people (we did not allow anyone to pet him, even though he was happy and wanted to bc lot of people want to pet puppies very excitedly with two hands and didn’t want him to have a bad experience.). This is very important, make sure your puppy is having good experiences so they learn that the world isn’t so scary, when they grow up they’ll have a much more rock solid temperament to unusual things. I know you’re worried that this is aggression but it’s not. Remember she is just a baby and this is all new to her, it’s scary and she’s responding the only way she knows, you need to work hard to teach her it’s not scary. Also, you should really avoid pet stores and empty dog parks until he is fully vaccinated and dog parks with other dogs completely.
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MMcCown
11 weeks is too young for any of those events. Read and re-read @melbrod’s post. If this is concerning at her very very young age, you may want to reconsider a Doberman or a puppy.
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Coco Loco
You have gotten good advice from everyone but I want to add to what ECIN said about not comparing your new pup to your previous girl.

I did that a lot with Sugar when I first got him. I compared everything he did or didn't do to when Coco had been a puppy.

I had to stop it because they were different dogs and it wasn't fair to him. My grief from losing Coco was overshadowing developing my bond with Sugar to the fullest.

Once I stopped it became easier. Sugar is not Coco nor will he ever be. He is not supposed to be her and that is ok.

She may have been mature and reliable at 18 months but he was not. Sugar is still growing his brain at 4 years old and I call him my PP (perpetual puppy) 🙂. And that is ok.

I wish you well with your new girl but please be careful she isn't always in the shadow of your old girl.
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sissl
She sounds okay. Maybe try not to make comparisons to your other dog too much, or be aware of making comparisons to a dog you believed to be mostly perfect. This is still a puppy. I have a 14.5 yr old dog, who I think is perfect but I usefully can’t remember so far back. He was an eager to please type but a hell storm for probably four years, if I can remember. He has always been up for adventure - very fun like that. But he hates snuggles. And even if eager to please, he’s actually kind of selfish because he cares about the whole property maybe equally to me. We tend to only remember the very best aspects of people and animals. It’s a good trait for us I think, but can be damaging to new relationships if they are built on comparisons.

I deliberately chose an entirely different breed (though I wanted another intelligent dog), so I wouldn’t make too many unfair comparisons to the new dog … since I think my older dog is perfect. I’m just learning how they are DIFFERENT dogs (very fun and also confusing + mentally exhausting). So I have spent my time trying time trying to figure out who Anouk is. I already know who Pasha is, so I can eliminate that from my thinking of Anouk. But - it is difficult to not make comparisons. I personally consider it a trap and try to stay mindful and just get back out quickly so I can stay connected to Anouk and her needs.
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C
They notice EVERYTHING new, especially at that age. It’s a whole big brand new world out there, especially when they had other littermates to have their back. New smells, new sights, anything different in their world will be cause for some sort of reaction. It’s the nature of this breed.
We live on the edge of a National Forest and even a new fallen tree limb will have my two and a half year old girl raise her hackles and act like Armageddon is coming. As a naturally protective breed, they will do what their instincts dictate. And personally, I think females can be a bit more in that respect.
Melbrod gave you some very sound advice!
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Enzo C7
I’m raising my 3rd Dober atm. They are definitely all different, be patient and work with the knowledge that they have individual personalities. 👍
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4x4bike ped
HI sarahloves. Welcome to you and your pup from the Pacific NW.

Dobermans are alert and astute dogs. They tend to be very aware of what is going on around them and how it may impact their situation. Some folk call it being "suspicious". Others call it being "discerning" . Even as little puppies they exhibit this innate trait. It is bred into them. Your pup came from a life which basically had her surrounded by her siblings, mother and breeder, in an environment that she had known since birth. Her day consisted of sleeping, eating, and playing in a familiar and safe world. She is now being exposed to a whole new world. It is novel and interesting. But it is also weird and scary. She is a baby out of her comfort zone.

When my pups come home, they are slowly introduced to this new world. Very slowly. Mostly by simply being allowed to observe what is going on around them. Actual interaction is introduced in steps, based on the pups level of comfort and acceptance of new things.

Dobermans, even as puppies, display signs of emotional comfort and discomfort very well. As puppies, these displays can be quite obvious, such as your girls barking and growling. As the pup matures, these signs become subtler. But they are there, just the same and it is up to the owner/handler be able to recognize them.

Yes... Different pups act differently even in the same situation. Time, patience and a commitment to training are your best tools to successfully raise a secure and confident Doberman.

Have fun. And How about some photos???

John L
Portland OR
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Regina R
Of course there is still hope for her, she is super young.
I wouldn't be concerned, I dont see any red flags. My male had a fase in which he would growl at every trash bag he saw or people who looked directly Into us. Once or twice he yelped like he was beeing tourtured when a dog looked at him in the vet. lol
Just patience and correct education, it is a growing pup. Dont compare your new pup to your former dog.
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MeadowCat
First, my condolences on the loss of your dog. It sounds like she was amazing.

I think it's really tough to get a new puppy sort of "in the shadow" of a dog that we just lost, especially when they were older and seemingly perfect, you know? I have an almost 10 month old pup right now, so I'm not so far out from where you are right now. While I still have both of my older dogs, they are nearly 11 and 7 1/2, and gosh, I am REALLY appreciating them! But I think I've also forgotten some of the challenges of their puppyhood, too. In fact, I know that I do, because when Leon does something frustrating, and I say to him something like, "Sypha was never this hard!"...my husband will remind me of something she did that exasperated me :ROFLMAO:

I say that only to say, each of our dogs are different, and sometimes we get a puppy and we just have ALL these expectations of how they SHOULD be. It's so easy to be disappointed or worried with how they are, when they are just themselves, and there isn't really anything wrong. It's just a clash of our expectations verses the reality of the puppy.

Just take a deep breath and try to let go of what you think this puppy should be doing, or how she should be, and just meet her where she is. She's okay, she's just a baby, and she will be FINE. Try to put "red flag" thinking out of your mind, and just think about the fact that you have a very small baby who just left her home who is seeing the world for the first time. She just needs a little more support right now. I do take my puppies out and about at this age - Leon came home at 10 weeks, and we went out a few times a week...places like Lowes, Michaels, Joann Fabric, different parking lots where he could sit in the car and watch activity from distance. I made sure he was far enough away that he was relaxed. Sometimes, you misjudge, and your puppy gets uncomfortable - it happens! Just dial it back. If you find something that your puppy is unsure about, let them take it at their own speed...a puppy is much more confident about something they "conquer" on their own terms. It might take a few times, and that's okay!

Just focus on building your relationship by doing fun things. Do things like play the "name game" - you say her name and give her a treat! Small things at her age that are very fun, very short, play together...it will come.
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ECIN said:
Welcome to DT Sara .

To me , you have a normal Dober puppy , heck she is only 11 - 12 weeks old and a baby , she has lots to learn about the world out there , and that is what she is doing , checking things out , There is nothing to be disappointed about , The best thing you can do is stop comparing her to your other dog . Like you said , they are all different and this dog is the one you need to focus on , not on memory lane , I know that can be hard sometimes , I'm pretty sure I can say sometime , we have all done it .

The most likely scenario IMO was that she wasn’t socialized at the breeders and now has a ton of catching up to do.

The pup is only 11 weeks , So how can they socialize her that young ? other than friends coming over to visit and they don't have there full puppy shots yet .

If I was you , I would be overjoyed with having her and just work through the issues . she will be great .

In closing , It is so hard to lose a Dober and their memories are forever in your heart and mind , But as I said , you need to quit comparing this one to the other one .

Good luck

Doc
Click to expand...
I too agree with Melbrob, she is just a baby and needs to adjust. She may have come from a place with not enough touching and interaction. I think constant reassurance while walking her, touching and telling her all is ok. She needs u to make her know ur the alpha and in charge.
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sarahlovesluna
Hi everyone! Thanks so much for all of the feedback. It's been two weeks since I brought my puppy home and she will be 13 weeks old tomorrow! Here's a progress report and what I'm still concerned about. I would GREATLY appreciate more feedback from this community because I would be lying if I said I wasn't still stressed about what I'm seeing in this pup.

Over the last few weeks, my puppy has gotten more comfortable in her new environment. I've tried my best to make her more confident by creating positive experiences for her (i.e., taking a toy/treats with us on walks, throwing a toy into the elevator or doorway to encourage her to confidently walk through, teaching her basic commands like sit, so I can tell her to do so when strangers are walking by). I've also taken away her ability to freely roam my home, so she's either in her pen, crate, or on a leash. This has helped us avoid the situation where she sees her reflection and starts aggressively growling. I'm letting her check out new things at her own pace. This includes taking her to different places and letting her watch the world go by. All of this seems to be helping.

But she's still nowhere near where I want her to be. I know she's still just a baby and she's experiencing a lot of these things for the very first time. But I really just wish she didn't have such a fearful and nervous temperament to begin with. Today, I took her to a jumpstart puppy class. All the puppies were on leashes and separated. As soon as we got there, I could immediately tell how nervous she was. Maybe I did this too early, but I'm also afraid of not exposing her to things like this now and missing the critical socialization window. During the puppy class, she would not let either of the two trainers near her. She was very suspicious of both of them and was hiding behind me. Each of the trainers separately tried offering her a treat and she still refused to go near them until the very end of the class when she finally, but still very cautiously, took a treat out of the female trainer's hand. During the class, she wasn't a fan of the other puppies either but I was able to get her to ignore them for the most part, except for when we had to walk past a Labrador puppy and she growled/barked/lunged and hackled at a him, even though he was on a leash and not doing anything aggressive but just sitting there. At the end of the class, while the other puppies were paired up by the trainers for some playtime, my puppy obviously wasn't able to participate. All of this is just so discouraging. Maybe I shouldn't have taken her to the puppy class today. Or maybe it was a good thing and I should continue going until she realizes nothing bad is going to happen to her. I feel like either option could backfire.

Do you all think she's really going to grow out of this behavior completely? Again, my first doberman puppy (who I know I shouldn't compare my new pup to) did not have any of these fear based issues. Her temperament from the beginning was super friendly. As she got older though, she didn't really care for playing with other dogs, which was totally fine but at least I knew I could trust her around other dogs and people without her becoming aggressive. I so much want that with this new pup who I have really started bonding with. I love her and it's so clear that she has really become attached to me.

I know a lot of you have said that she's just a puppy and this is normal behavior. I will agree with you that she's just a puppy and some nervousness/fear is okay. But the aggressive and overly fearful behavior from a 13 week old puppy to me is a red flag. Right now, it's okay because she's 25 pounds. But a 80 pound doberman lunging/growling/hackling at other dogs or people is going to be a very scary thing. I just want to avoid that from happening at all costs. What do I need to do to fix this issue? Do I need to hire a dog behaviorist now before this gets out of hand? Do I wait until she's older (4 or 5 months old) and run the risk of this behavior being more engrained?

@ECIN @Arrow-The-GSD @melbrod @Control_Freak @sissl @Coco Loco @Enzo C7 @CChoyce @4x4bike ped @Regina R @MeadowCat @Wanted
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sarahlovesluna
3
Dog Carnivore Dog breed Comfort Fawn
Dog Carnivore Dog breed Collar Window
Dog Dog breed Carnivore Companion dog Fawn

Also, here's a few photos of her! :) 💜
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MeadowCat
Hey Sarah -

I hear your stress and worry coming out in your post.

I'm going to do my very best to try and say a few important things. The most important thing is, it's really, really important that you try as hard as you can to see your pup as her own self as much as you can. By that I mean, try not to dwell on how she compares to your first Doberman at the same age, or how different the two may be. It can be a very damaging trap to be constantly worrying about how different she is than your first Doberman, because it can send you into a spiral of stressing out about "different" being "wrong." And different is just...different.

I have a ten month old male right now. He is a very different dog than my nearly 11 year old male. He's a completely different puppy to raise, and I have occasionally had those comparisons in my mind. It's not fair to my puppy, and it really sets both him and me up for failure and stress.

Your new puppy very well may end up with a really different personality, but that doesn't mean it will be a BAD personality! She may be a pup that is slow to mature, a pup that takes a bit more time and support from you. She may need more investment from you in raising her - it sounds like your first girl was pretty easy...my oldest boy was, too! But many puppies of many breeds need our patience and support as they get to know the world.

If you can be calm and steady for her I suspect she will gain in confidence nicely. But she needs you to be CALM and CONFIDENT. If you are constantly worrying, being stressed, and looking for "red flags", all that stress is radiating off of you and she feels that!

She's literally only been alive for about 3 months... you say she's already made good progress...that's fantastic! If puppy class is a bit overwhelming, why not just let her watch from outside the ring? Don't force her to interact with people if she's uncomfortable, even if they are trainers! Just let her watch them at a distance she feels good about, and YOU feed her yummy treats so she associates strangers being near with good stuff happening. After that happens often enough she will start to understand that being around people means good things (food!) but also NO PRESSURE. It should always be HER choice to get closer, and her choice to do things that she's hesitant about...confidence grows when dogs make their own choice to do more.

Are you in touch with her breeder? Breeders can be a great source of insight and support!
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sissl
sarahlovesluna said:
Hi everyone! Thanks so much for all of the feedback. It's been two weeks since I brought my puppy home and she will be 13 weeks old tomorrow! Here's a progress report and what I'm still concerned about. I would GREATLY appreciate more feedback from this community because I would be lying if I said I wasn't still stressed about what I'm seeing in this pup.

Over the last few weeks, my puppy has gotten more comfortable in her new environment. I've tried my best to make her more confident by creating positive experiences for her (i.e., taking a toy/treats with us on walks, throwing a toy into the elevator or doorway to encourage her to confidently walk through, teaching her basic commands like sit, so I can tell her to do so when strangers are walking by). I've also taken away her ability to freely roam my home, so she's either in her pen, crate, or on a leash. This has helped us avoid the situation where she sees her reflection and starts aggressively growling. I'm letting her check out new things at her own pace. This includes taking her to different places and letting her watch the world go by. All of this seems to be helping.

But she's still nowhere near where I want her to be. I know she's still just a baby and she's experiencing a lot of these things for the very first time. But I really just wish she didn't have such a fearful and nervous temperament to begin with. Today, I took her to a jumpstart puppy class. All the puppies were on leashes and separated. As soon as we got there, I could immediately tell how nervous she was. Maybe I did this too early, but I'm also afraid of not exposing her to things like this now and missing the critical socialization window. During the puppy class, she would not let either of the two trainers near her. She was very suspicious of both of them and was hiding behind me. Each of the trainers separately tried offering her a treat and she still refused to go near them until the very end of the class when she finally, but still very cautiously, took a treat out of the female trainer's hand. During the class, she wasn't a fan of the other puppies either but I was able to get her to ignore them for the most part, except for when we had to walk past a Labrador puppy and she growled/barked/lunged and hackled at a him, even though he was on a leash and not doing anything aggressive but just sitting there. At the end of the class, while the other puppies were paired up by the trainers for some playtime, my puppy obviously wasn't able to participate. All of this is just so discouraging. Maybe I shouldn't have taken her to the puppy class today. Or maybe it was a good thing and I should continue going until she realizes nothing bad is going to happen to her. I feel like either option could backfire.

Do you all think she's really going to grow out of this behavior completely? Again, my first doberman puppy (who I know I shouldn't compare my new pup to) did not have any of these fear based issues. Her temperament from the beginning was super friendly. As she got older though, she didn't really care for playing with other dogs, which was totally fine but at least I knew I could trust her around other dogs and people without her becoming aggressive. I so much want that with this new pup who I have really started bonding with. I love her and it's so clear that she has really become attached to me.

I know a lot of you have said that she's just a puppy and this is normal behavior. I will agree with you that she's just a puppy and some nervousness/fear is okay. But the aggressive and overly fearful behavior from a 13 week old puppy to me is a red flag. Right now, it's okay because she's 25 pounds. But a 80 pound doberman lunging/growling/hackling at other dogs or people is going to be a very scary thing. I just want to avoid that from happening at all costs. What do I need to do to fix this issue? Do I need to hire a dog behaviorist now before this gets out of hand? Do I wait until she's older (4 or 5 months old) and run the risk of this behavior being more engrained?

@ECIN @Arrow-The-GSD @melbrod @Control_Freak @sissl @Coco Loco @Enzo C7 @CChoyce @4x4bike ped @Regina R @MeadowCat @Wanted
Click to expand...
You’ve had her two weeks - so she doesn’t know you super well yet. No reason for her to warm up to strangers. I spent a lot of this “new experiences” period for her also just letting her snuggle in my lap. Not everyone’s thing I know.

Not sure about “nowhere near where I want her to be.” We need to be confident for our dogs, confident in them vs too much disappointed - so they can feel confident in themselves and us humans. I adopted my dog at five months so felt a lot of pressure to play “catch up”. But I loved on her a lot, did all these regular socialization things. At 11 months she does very well around other dogs, so happy to meet them. Likes meeting my people too, aloof toward strangers but not afraid. We have things to work on. But it’s mostly bits I let fall through the cracks, nothing wrong with Anouk. Just get to know what your puppy needs. It will change by next week. So more attentiveness to her trumps too many cookie cutter expectations. But this is just my opinion. There are so many parallels to human relationships sometimes - if judgements and expectations are stronger than love, you won’t have the average level of disappointment, but pretty much chronic disappointment
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sarahlovesluna
I just wanted to give a quick update on my pup! She is now 14 weeks old and has been with me for almost 4 weeks. She’s doing SO MUCH BETTER!!! ❤ Much more confident and way less barking/lunging/hackling. I’m truly so amazed at her progress and all of you were so right about her just needing time to settle and adjust to her new home and environment. Looking back at my previous posts, I can see how anxious and fearful I was. As soon as I let go of my expectations of who she was supposed to be and just focused on loving her for who she was, things immediately began to turn around. We’ve been spending the last few weeks playing, cuddling, and working on engagement and some obedience with lots of treats! She’s so wicked smart and hilariously playful. Her and I have really bonded and now I’m convinced she is the perfect dog for me and will grow to become an incredible Doberman! 🥹 And while I still occasionally think about my previous dobie, it’s never in a way where I’m comparing them. Just remembering the good memories and looking forward to the new ones I’ll make with my new girl. So thank you to ALL who commented on this post offering your advice, knowledge, and encouragement. This community is truly awesome! ❤
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sarahlovesluna
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And here are some recent photos! 😊 Isn’t she just a doll?


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