Hello all, I am new to this site. I am getting a doberman puppy in about 5 weeks. I've been reading different books, web site, etc. Its been about 15 years since I have had a puppy. Any advice on what kind of collars to start with(harness,choke chain,etc) or any good tips on house breaking. I found a vet to do my puppys ears, but I'm looking for a good place to take him to puppy school.( I'm located on the sw side of chicago). Any advice would be wonderful. :thanx:
Need some advice on a new puppy
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I would really urge you to go with the breeder having it done. A reputable breeder usually won't let people have the dogs ears croppEd on their own. If you end up with a bad vet who might have seemed great you could end up with a horrible crop and the aftercare is a lot of work. I wish you luck with the ear crop though. Please do your research on good vets even if it means you have to travel.
As far as collars and stuff I use a harness on my 15 week old puppy. I don't like using a regular flat collar when we walk. Choke chains, prongs and things like that shouldn't be used till they are much older and you find it necessary to use one. Make sure you research the proper way to use them cause you could end up hurting the, if not used correctly.
Good luck with everything.
As far as collars and stuff I use a harness on my 15 week old puppy. I don't like using a regular flat collar when we walk. Choke chains, prongs and things like that shouldn't be used till they are much older and you find it necessary to use one. Make sure you research the proper way to use them cause you could end up hurting the, if not used correctly.
Good luck with everything.
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I use a flat collar and harness for our 10 week old puppy. Corrective collars aren't meant to be used until the puppy is older, like Kwhite said.
I urge you to reconsider buying a puppy from a less than reputable breeder. PLEASE. I bought my puppy from an unknown breeder, and for what I've paid so far (her cost, her ears, health checks) I could have bought a puppy from a well known breeder that sells GOOD healthy dogs and will support you for the life of that dog. I wish so much that I had bought her from a reputable breeder now, because I love her so much and now there is a constant worry that she might have some lurking genetic issue because I know nothing of her lineage. I don't have a breeder that I can call and get help from. It SUCKS. Please, please take a look at the breeders recommended on here and talk to one of them.
I urge you to reconsider buying a puppy from a less than reputable breeder. PLEASE. I bought my puppy from an unknown breeder, and for what I've paid so far (her cost, her ears, health checks) I could have bought a puppy from a well known breeder that sells GOOD healthy dogs and will support you for the life of that dog. I wish so much that I had bought her from a reputable breeder now, because I love her so much and now there is a constant worry that she might have some lurking genetic issue because I know nothing of her lineage. I don't have a breeder that I can call and get help from. It SUCKS. Please, please take a look at the breeders recommended on here and talk to one of them.
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Longshot has given you some excellent advice there. My husband surprised me with my pup and I had no say in where he came from. My pup was full of worms which required medicine and required an additional round of shots that would have been taken care of by his breeder because he would not have come home so early. In addition I had him cropped by a crop artist and had his tail fixed at the same time which cost me $485. So by the time we had taken care of the health issues he came with and had him cropped it was almost $1500 including the price of the crop. I also had to deal with healing ears which is not something I ever hope to do again. If you buy a pup from a reputable breeder you will get your pup after the initial healing is done and you'll only need to worry about posting.
This breed suffers from some horrible diseases and if you buy from an ethical breeder they will health test the parents and they will know their lines, the health issues and longevity of the lines as well as the temperament of the parents. A reputable breeder will only breed with a distinct purpose in mind for that breeding and will be able to tell you what they hope to accomplish with each particular breeding. A person with pet dobermans that breed them together do nothing to add to the breed. They will tell you they're not breeding "show" dogs but quality family pets. They will not do the appropriate health testing and you may get yourself a ticking time bomb like I have as you will never know if your pet inherited a disease that you won't find out about until it's too late.
Things to look for are a breeder that breeds 1-2 litters a year, does the full health testing (DCM which includes a DNA test as well as getting yearly echos and holters to determine the health of the heart, CERF for eye abnormalities, liver panels, thyroid, OFA for hips and elbows, and vWD). DCM is a horrific disease that kills so so many of the dogs in this breed. No line is completely free of cardio issues but a good breeder that knows their lines will do everything in their power to breed for health and longevity.
A good breeder will also send you home with a crop that is already healed and give you support throughout the process in order to give you the best chance of success. They will support you for the life of your pet and if your life circumstances should change they will take that dog back and do their level best to find it an excellent home. A good breeder is there for you for the life of the dog as they will take responsibility for that dog for its entire life.
You want to make sure the parents of the pet are titled either in show or sport to ensure that the dog you get is representative of the breed in that they are capable of doing what a doberman was bred to do and that they have the correct temperament for the breed. There are almost always pet quality dogs in a show/working litter and your breeder can match you with a puppy that will be an excellent fit for your family as they will know the drives and individual personalities of each of their puppies.
Hope this helps you make the decision to go with a reputable breeder. I'm sure I left out some benefits but someone will chime in if I forgot something!
This breed suffers from some horrible diseases and if you buy from an ethical breeder they will health test the parents and they will know their lines, the health issues and longevity of the lines as well as the temperament of the parents. A reputable breeder will only breed with a distinct purpose in mind for that breeding and will be able to tell you what they hope to accomplish with each particular breeding. A person with pet dobermans that breed them together do nothing to add to the breed. They will tell you they're not breeding "show" dogs but quality family pets. They will not do the appropriate health testing and you may get yourself a ticking time bomb like I have as you will never know if your pet inherited a disease that you won't find out about until it's too late.
Things to look for are a breeder that breeds 1-2 litters a year, does the full health testing (DCM which includes a DNA test as well as getting yearly echos and holters to determine the health of the heart, CERF for eye abnormalities, liver panels, thyroid, OFA for hips and elbows, and vWD). DCM is a horrific disease that kills so so many of the dogs in this breed. No line is completely free of cardio issues but a good breeder that knows their lines will do everything in their power to breed for health and longevity.
A good breeder will also send you home with a crop that is already healed and give you support throughout the process in order to give you the best chance of success. They will support you for the life of your pet and if your life circumstances should change they will take that dog back and do their level best to find it an excellent home. A good breeder is there for you for the life of the dog as they will take responsibility for that dog for its entire life.
You want to make sure the parents of the pet are titled either in show or sport to ensure that the dog you get is representative of the breed in that they are capable of doing what a doberman was bred to do and that they have the correct temperament for the breed. There are almost always pet quality dogs in a show/working litter and your breeder can match you with a puppy that will be an excellent fit for your family as they will know the drives and individual personalities of each of their puppies.
Hope this helps you make the decision to go with a reputable breeder. I'm sure I left out some benefits but someone will chime in if I forgot something!
I found a vet from this forum who does ear cropping. I have heard all good things about him and does all the follow up work. All the breeders I have looked at charges a fee above 500 to have the ears done. the vet I'm using is charging 240. I dont want the standard cut meaning short. I want a taller show cut. From everything I have read the ears can take from 6 weeks to 6 months to get then where you want them. And for me having a local Vet Vs a out of town vet makes it much easier if I have any problems.
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Hello.
I bought my pup from just outside Chicago. The breeder didn't add on any charges, the price of crop and initial vet care are just rolled into the regular price. There actually is no option of having cropped or not....or having cropped somewhere else. So that is something to think about when looking at breeders.
As for collars ect. My pup is on a little harness until he can walk on a loose lead. I have training sessions with him so he can learn, but when we are out and about and I'm not teaching him, he's on his harness. He also has a show collar that he wears only when we're in handling classes.
As for house breaking. Crate training is a must. Then you can control when you take him out and structure his day so he doesn't have accidents as frequently. If you keep on top of it and have a good schedule for house breaking then he'll learn quickly. Dobes are smarties.
I bought my pup from just outside Chicago. The breeder didn't add on any charges, the price of crop and initial vet care are just rolled into the regular price. There actually is no option of having cropped or not....or having cropped somewhere else. So that is something to think about when looking at breeders.
As for collars ect. My pup is on a little harness until he can walk on a loose lead. I have training sessions with him so he can learn, but when we are out and about and I'm not teaching him, he's on his harness. He also has a show collar that he wears only when we're in handling classes.
As for house breaking. Crate training is a must. Then you can control when you take him out and structure his day so he doesn't have accidents as frequently. If you keep on top of it and have a good schedule for house breaking then he'll learn quickly. Dobes are smarties.
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ZDano, I think you're quite mistaken. Short crops are not the norm and I definitely would not be taking the cheap way out when it comes to ears considering that it's something you have to live with for the life of your dog. Reputable breeders generally produce healthier dogs because they health test all of their dogs thoroughly (not just a vet check), they take care of the crop (which will be a longer crop) and help with the aftercare, if you have ANY questions or concerns they will be around for you. Yes, you'll pay more up front but you'll tend to save THOUSANDS throughout the life of the dog by buying from a reputable breeder.
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OP, the best advice I can give you is to buy your pup from an ethical breeder that will take care of the ear crop for you, especially as you want a show crop. In addition to handling the crop, buying from an ethical breeder gives you the best chance for a healthy dog with a great temperament. Breeders in the US who do not crop puppies for you (or who charge extra for it) are not going to be in the category of ethical breeders.
The members here on DT would be happy to help you find a good breeder. I hope you'll reconsider your purchase. As someone who bought from the type of breeder you are describing, I can tell you that it's worth finding a good breeder, and I wish I had had the information to do so.
The members here on DT would be happy to help you find a good breeder. I hope you'll reconsider your purchase. As someone who bought from the type of breeder you are describing, I can tell you that it's worth finding a good breeder, and I wish I had had the information to do so.
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