[Kratty]

I would like to stick with obedience training only. Othet types of training like rally, agility, tracking will be addressed in future Town Halls.

Obedience Training

• Did you take formal obedience classes or train yourself. How many classes did you take? Do you still continue to train when not in class?
• How important/beneficial is obedience training to you for this breed?
• Where do you train outside of classes? (backyard, walks, public places)
• How much time do you spend in a training session? Do you find it easy to train a male or a female? Do you think a doberman is easy to train compared to other breeds?
• What type of rewards do you use, if any? (food, toy, praise) Do you use any special training aids? (leashes, clickers, etc) What methods of training do you use?
• What have the rewards/accomplishments been since you started training your doberman?

 

[Lexus]

• Did you take formal obedience classes or train yourself. How many classes did you take? Do you still continue to train when not in class?
I started OB training with Lexus nearly as soon as I got her, maybe about 3 months. By the time we started formal puppy OB classes at about 4 1/2 or so months, I had the only dog in the puppy class to heel without too many reminders, sit when supposed to during the heel, come front, sit, down, and stay while I walked away. (no lengthy stays, just to walk around her and a little ways away) We have since continued with classes, usually every six months, although I have been very off with my training the last few months, I am getting back into the swing of it, and when the weather is nice we work sometimes twice a day, other times a longer session at night after work. Right now the weather is terrible and wet, so I cleared a open space in my basement and am working nearly everyday just brushing up on routine stuff, and always try to throw some new stuff in to keep it fresh.

• How important/beneficial is obedience training to you for this breed?
Extremely

• Where do you train outside of classes? (backyard, walks, public places)
In the backyard, at a baseball park, walks around the block, in the basement when the weather is bad. Most importantly, we really train everyday. Even just waiting for her food, she must sit/stay, or down/stay, sometimes I put her food down and make her come to me, which makes her walk past her food, and do just a little work, before being released. OB can be all the time, not just specified times or places
• How much time do you spend in a training session? Do you think a doberman is easy to train compared to other breeds?
Varied times, a formal session in the yard may go as much as 20 minutes combined with jumps and retrievals. But generally no longer. If I'm working on a new command, I just break my sessions up to twice in that day. We ALWAYS end our sessions in play. Lexus has been the easiest and most willing to learn dog I have EVER owned! Her obvious intelligence and eager to please attitude astound me daily. Don't get me wrong, we've definitely had our setbacks and overall bad days. I just remind myself if she seems off, we just quit for the day. If I've had a bad day, we don't work, we just play. I have had "those" days now and then when things just aren't working and tried to "make" them work, when I just should have called it a day.

• What type of rewards do you use, if any? (food, toy, praise) Do you use any special training aids? (leashes, clickers, etc) What methods of training do you use?.
Food reward, we dabble with clickers, but not too too much. We strive to have the exact same responses on and off leash, and work both with and without. I use a prong, but only for walks or public places. In our OB work, The collar is useless to me, as I don't leash correct her, not because I'm against it, I just don't have a need for it, she's too eager to do exactly what I want without correcting her with a collar. I mean she wears it always during training, I just don't need to correct her with it. During walks however she can get a little ahead of herself. Still I don't correct, she does it herself with the collar.

• What have the rewards/accomplishments been since you started training your doberman?
CGC and TDI

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[Dobe_Paws]

• Did you take formal obedience classes or train yourself. How many classes did you take? Do you still continue to train when not in class?

We went through puppy class and level 1 obedience. My problem is there isn't many options close by and the schools that are within a reasonable distance, I don't care for. The one school I have used the most in the past as unfortunatly changed drastically and I don't agree with the way they run things now. So until something new comes along, we train at home. Luckily our home used to have a daycare center in it long ago so the room that was the daycare is very large and open so we have plenty of room to work in. Comes in handy during the winter months!



• How important/beneficial is obedience training to you for this breed?

I couldn't imagine life with a Doberman without it.

• Where do you train outside of classes? (backyard, walks, public places)
We work a lot in the backyard, in the woods on walks, the park down the road, at my place of work and in the house.

• How much time do you spend in a training session? Do you find it easy to train a male or a female? Do you think a doberman is easy to train compared to other breeds?

We spend maybe 15 minutes at the very most. Usually I try to keep it short and sweet with several 5 minute sessons. I've only had three dogs in my life, two females and one male and I say the two girls wanted more of a reason why they were to do something instead of just because I said so. The male was more egar to please and would do anything to hear you praise him. I don't know if it's gender related or just the personalities of these dogs.

I wouldn't say that Ava is easier to train then my other dogs but she's smarter by far. She picks up on things quick but she's too smart for her own good sometimes. She enjoys testing me and pushing my buttons to see what she can get away with. I had real problems training her with traditional methods(leash corrections, praise, ect.) because she'd fight me every step of the way. Enter the clicker which has made life 110% easier.

• What type of rewards do you use, if any? (food, toy, praise) Do you use any special training aids? (leashes, clickers, etc) What methods of training do you use?

I use just a regular buckle collar and 6ft leather lead, bait bag, treats and the clicker.

• What have the rewards/accomplishments been since you started training your doberman?

In the way of titles, none but I consider having a well mannered and well behaved dog a reward in itself.

 

[brumwolf]

O.K. here we go,
Tia was the first dobe that i took to formal training classes and we spend time in the backyard also.
I have found that she is the best behaved dobe i have ever owned and i put this down to formal training and socialisation.
We spend two hours a week at training one hour each of obedience and ringcraft,some people said you cannot do both and some said you could,
i have found they compliment each other and will do the same with my next dobe which i hope will be one of Tia's pups.
Finally i have always used sausages as a reward, but i have been told if the dog has a strong pray drive then a toy is of better use,we do all of our training at our local breed club the"Birmingham and District Doberman Club"
WWW.k9-online.com/birminghamdobe
Hope this is of use it is always interesting to see other people's training methods.

 

[2dobies]

• Did you take formal obedience classes or train yourself. How many classes did you take? Do you still continue to train when not in class?
I took Darmok to her first puppy classes when she was 4 months old. It was 6 weeks long, one hour per week and more of just a socializing hour than training, but it got her started with sit, down, stay, and heel. When she was 6 months old, I took her to regular ob classes. She had a jump start on the other pups in class, because we had been working for the previous 2 months on these basic commands. At 10 months old, we took an 8-wk course called 'Advanced Learning' which was more of a conditioning exercise to get her to tune in to what I was saying and asking/telling her to do. We learned the 'stand' command, and some pretty long sit/stay and down/stays and the ever popular "leave it" with distractions all around us--other people walking their dogs around us, treats being placed in front of her,and tennis balls being bounced 2 inches from her nose! (boy was THAT hard, but she did it!)
• How important/beneficial is obedience training to you for this breed?
Extremely important! An out of control dobe is not a pretty sight!
• Where do you train outside of classes? (backyard, walks, public places)
Everywhere. Mostly we practice our training skills when out for walks, but I walk her in ballparks, in residential areas where we pass by dogs in fenced yards that are barking wildly at us, and in busy, high-traffic areas and shopping center parking lots.
• How much time do you spend in a training session? Do you find it easy to train a male or a female? Do you think a doberman is easy to train compared to other breeds?
Training session usually last 15 minutes at a time. If we are out for a longer walk than that, I give her a break and have a long light line with me so that she can just sniff and goof off and roll around for a minute or so, then we get all serious and go back into 'training mode'. I have only had females that I have worked this hard on their training. Long ago, I had a red male (Sundown) but we lived way out in the country and he was a great dog, but no formal training.
• What type of rewards do you use, if any? (food, toy, praise) Do you use any special training aids? (leashes, clickers, etc) What methods of training do you use?
With Darmok, it's all about the food! She would do anything for a piece of cheese the size of an M & M! We use a regular webbed collar and sometimes a slip chain (choke??chain) I have used a Gentle leader on her to slow down her pulling, but it kind of just hangs there on the leash rack now.
• What have the rewards/accomplishments been since you started training your doberman?
Rewards??? A dog that is my best friend, that I can talk to like I would talk to another person, and she picks up on words and phrases and seems to know what I am asking of her. She has her AKC CGC. She amazes and astonishes my dogless friends to pieces, and my relatives who have dogs (some are dobies, too) that dont spend any time training them think Dar is a 'Wonder Dog'!!! That's ok---I think she is too!

 

[doberlover]

Obedience Training
• Did you take formal obedience classes or train yourself. How many classes did you take? Do you still continue to train when not in class? Train myself
• How important/beneficial is obedience training to you for this breed? Very important, or they'll run all over you
• Where do you train outside of classes? (backyard, walks, public places) Backyard, walks and inside
• How much time do you spend in a training session? Do you find it easy to train a male or a female? Do you think a doberman is easy to train compared to other breeds? Not that much time, I train early and they learn quickly. Females are easier IMO, my male just likes to do what he wants but pressured he'll obey. They are so smart and by experience I find they learn a new command within the 1st or 2nd time I give it.
• What type of rewards do you use, if any? (food, toy, praise) Do you use any special training aids? (leashes, clickers, etc) What methods of training do you use? I use food when they are young along with praise and then as they get older just praise, although I make them work for every treat they get.
• What have the rewards/accomplishments been since you started training your doberman? I find the earlier you train them, the minute I get them home from the breeder, the earlier they become a well behaved member of the family. Roxy & Alex were completely potty trained within days of bringing them home, Suzy, well she was a pain and it took longer but she managed to be 100% by the time she was about 5 months.

 

[Gracie's_Mom]

Obedience Training

• Did you take formal obedience classes or train yourself. How many classes did you take? Do you still continue to train when not in class?

I didn't take her to any formal training. Her past owner did twice. She failed the first time and almost failed the second. She knows all the commands but it is up to her if she wants to do them or not. Or atleast it was.

• How important/beneficial is obedience training to you for this breed?

I think it is very important. I have seen first hand what happens when they are not trained.

• Where do you train outside of classes? (backyard, walks, public places)

We train inside, outside, on walks a little.

• How much time do you spend in a training session? Do you find it easy to train a male or a female? Do you think a doberman is easy to train compared to other breeds?

I try to keep them short. She has a very short attention span, so the shorter the better. I would say 10 or so minutes a day. Also she is MY first dog so it is really a huge learning experience for me as well as for her.

• What type of rewards do you use, if any? (food, toy, praise) Do you use any special training aids? (leashes, clickers, etc) What methods of training do you use?

Some treats when using the clicker, but mostly praise. We have I think one of every kind of collar. But in public we hook the pinch collar on.

• What have the rewards/accomplishments been since you started training your doberman?

She listens for the most part, sometimes it's hard to get her attention. But she is willing to please and wants to learn. So the rewards I would say are, it has helped our realitionship out a lot. I can now tell her to do something and 9 times out of 10 she will do it. It has made us bond so much more than I ever thought. Also she is a great dog in public and at home.

 

[doberkim]

• Did you take formal obedience classes or train yourself. How many classes did you take? Do you still continue to train when not in class?

Bowie is both trained by me at home as well as takes formal classes. Bowie has taken 7-8 classes officially, as well as done drop in classes, run throughs, and seminars. We just signed up for our next class that starts next tuesday We continue to train of course while not in classes as well, since classes can be hard to get in sometimes due to my schedule.

• How important/beneficial is obedience training to you for this breed?
I think it is absolutely necessary - this is a working breed, this breed needs a job, needs to think, needs to know its place in life, and needs a strong leader.

• Where do you train outside of classes? (backyard, walks, public places)
anywhere and everywhere. classes, house, front and backyard, home depot, parks, you name it, i will try to train there.

• How much time do you spend in a training session? Do you find it easy to train a male or a female? Do you think a doberman is easy to train compared to other breeds?

Time of training sessions depends on what we are working on, what day it is, etc - it can be as little as 2-3 minutes or as much as an hour with some breaks - so it all varies.
Personally, I have only EXTENSIVELY trained my male, but I have found the female to be less questioning and much less challenging.
I think training a doberman is a lot different than training most other breeds - other breeds often obey without any hesitation, often work like robots. Dobermans even at upper levels, maintain their sense of humor and constantly feel that they may know a better way of doing things, and would like to show you - ALWAYS in the ring, of course.


• What type of rewards do you use, if any? (food, toy, praise) Do you use any special training aids? (leashes, clickers, etc) What methods of training do you use?
Bowie was originally trained in traditional methods, but we crossed over to clicker training approx 2 years ago and have used that since. I am not pure positive, and I do use some corrections, but bowie is mostly food motivated and is VERY clicker savvy so it works well for us.
Bowie is also trained on an electronic collar, mostly for off leash work and recalls.


• What have the rewards/accomplishments been since you started training your doberman?
Bowie has his CGC, has passed an unoffical TDI test (but I will not certify him), and has his RN. We are currently training for our CD (we were actively competing, but now we are out of practice so we need some refresher).

Willow has not obtained any titles (that I have put on her) but I have only had her for just over 3 weeks

 

[frznbuns]

• Did you take formal obedience classes or train yourself. How many classes did you take? Do you still continue to train when not in class?
all of our dog went to basic puppy kindergarden classes for 8 weeks.
Spirit, Raven and Gypsy also went to 2 weeks of in house training. the trainer kept the dogs for 2 weeks and trained them. we went to the trainers a few times during the training to be trained ourselves and to train with the dogs.
I try to do some training everyday but with 4 dogs it is hard sometimes but they do not get a treat with out going through some sort of paces.. sit, down, leave it, dead dog ect..
• How important/beneficial is obedience training to you for this breed?A trained Doberman is a happy Doberman is my 2 cents... All dogs need training but I really feel that Dobermans are happiest when they are training or working..
• Where do you train outside of classes? (backyard, walks, public places)
With us it is all of the above! training is just second nature! I really try to train no matter where I am even if it is just reenforcing sit, heel, down,

• How much time do you spend in a training session? Do you find it easy to train a male or a female? Do you think a doberman is easy to train compared to other breeds? Our training sesssion may be only a minute or two to sometime half hour. depends on what we are doing! having both male and female dobermans I really do not see a whole lot of difference between training them. Spirit loves to train and please us, but I have been trying to teach him to play dead for 3 years now!! now Raven, is smart as a whip.. she learns so quick, I bet i could teach her almost anything if i had the time! But again, it took almost 4 years to teach her to catch something that was thrown to her like a treat. LOL
• What type of rewards do you use, if any? (food, toy, praise) Do you use any special training aids? (leashes, clickers, etc) What methods of training do you use?
We use both food and praise when training, it really depends of which dog I am working with at the time.
• What have the rewards/accomplishments been since you started training your doberman?
Spirit has his AKC Canine Good Citizen Award. I was so proud of him. We went though classes that were to be for 6 weeks but at the end of the 4th week the trainer wanted to go ahead and test him and he passed with flying colors! She then used him the rest of the class as an example of a good dog and what they should be doing. I am hoping to get Raven and Iris their AKC CGC awards also in the spring.. Gypsy is a different story, she is not always other dog friendly so most training is done by me. But she is a very good girl!
The one thing that I wanted to add is that I feel Training is not only for the dog but for the owner! A dog is a dog and will do what a dog does but a Good owner know how to controll a dog natural instints and make them fit into human livestyles! Train the owner also!!

 

[Kratty]

• Did you take formal obedience classes or train yourself. How many classes did you take? Do you still continue to train when not in class?

We have taken Nikita to 3 formal classes so far. She went to puppy kindergarten class aroung 4 months old, She had her basic Obedience class around 7 months, and went to a Wonder dog class at 10 months old. Wonder dog class was similar to basic but we added distance and distractions to all the training commands and started alot of the foundation to do off-leash training. Most of the class the dogs were dragging their leashes around on the ground. I wanted to complete her final OB class before she turned one, but it got cancelled due to low enrollment. This would have been her Great Outdoors class. It is all off-leash training outside. Now we are waiting for a little warmer weather before scheduling it again. We train constantly outside of class. I included training into everything we do. I believe you need to incorporate this into their daily schedule so this behavior is routine and not a specific setting.

• How important/beneficial is obedience training to you for this breed?

It is vital for all first time doberman owners to take these classes. It’s a great way to bond to these dogs. They want to work and need to work. If you do not give them a job, they may pick a profession you might not like. Once they understand what you expect out of them, they will do their best to accomplish this. Mostly, it for the owners, we are 70% responsible for all inappropriate dog behavior. I wanted to make sure I had an ambassador to the breed that I would be proud of while out in public. The doberman image is changing, but the majority of the public out there still has this vicious impression of the breed. Having a well-behaved doberman is critical of having a great relationship with your dog.

• Where do you train outside of classes? (backyard, walks, public places)

We train everywhere. On walks, all public areas, or where ever we go with Nikita. My favorite place to train is in the center of town. It has a small park that is the town’s center with shopping/eating places all around it, with all the main traffic circling it. It’s also the business district. So much noise, traffic, and people, that once I am able to keep her full attention, nothing seems to matter around her. I even take her to the care dealer when we get the oil changed on my vehicle, most places do not mind this when they see her going through her training routine.

• How much time do you spend in a training session? Do you find it easy to train a male or a female? Do you think a doberman is easy to train compared to other breeds?

It really depends, new commands or routines seem to last longer at first. Once she has it going, we incorporate into our daily routine. We might spend 2 hours training in town, but over that period, we might have numerous 10 minute periods that are used for specific training. By combining training in to fun activities and keeping them fresh, it doesn’t burn her out. Only had a female so far, so can’t compare it to a male. I found it difficult at first to train the breed. Once we found the way to make her understand what we wanted her to do, it became easier. Finding the communication path I think is the hardest part.
They are really smart dogs. The only downfall is that they try to anticipate what you want them to do before you ask them. That’s annoying.

• What type of rewards do you use, if any? (food, toy, praise) Do you use any special training aids? (leashes, clickers, etc) What methods of training do you use?

We use food or toys as a motivator. Since she loves the fetch game, we started to use that as a training tool. It’s more like if it’s anything about play, she will do anything for play. No special leashes, except I want to be able to get her to the point of working without a leash, only in safe conditions though. That much control is where I want to be.

• What have the rewards/accomplishments been since you started training your doberman?

Having a well-behaved doberman is my biggest achievement. I have a lot of compliments from others of how behaved she is at her age. Being able to include her in many activities we do and not having to worry about what she will do is awesome. This had laid the groundwork for almost all our other things we want to do with her. Mostly, changing the view of the breed from others is very gratifying.

 

[Molari]

Obedience Training

• Did you take formal obedience classes or train yourself. How many classes did you take? Do you still continue to train when not in class?
I train myself. I train for a good companion and not so much a finished obedience dog. GKar knows all of the standard sit, come, down, stay, heel but for us heel is just a walking command. I do not care about the sitting when I stop or having him sit next to me prior to starting. He does all of these on or off leash by voice and is about 90% on hand signals. I tend to concentrate on manners and house commands.

• How important/beneficial is obedience training to you for this breed?
I think it is important for any breed.

• Where do you train outside of classes? (backyard, walks, public places)
We train everywhere. In the house and backyard, in the truck, during walks and in public places.

• How much time do you spend in a training session? Do you find it easy to train a male or a female? Do you think a doberman is easy to train compared to other breeds?
Typically no more than 5 or ten minutes at a time but in a day we could have 10 or 20 sessions depending on what we are working on. I like male Dobermans more than females. I think they are easier to read. I have not had any real issues as far as training Dobermans go but I think that they tend to think more than some breeds do and that makes training them more entertaining.

• What type of rewards do you use, if any? (food, toy, praise) Do you use any special training aids? (leashes, clickers, etc) What methods of training do you use?
Praise during the actual training but toy is the ultimate reward. I use a 6 ft leash and a large choke collar. The larger collar does not hurt him like a small link would. I do not use the collar to correct him, it is an insurance policy. I guess praise and preemptive instructions are my training method. I try to catch problems before they happen and deal with the issue before it becomes a bad habit.

• What have the rewards/accomplishments been since you started training your doberman?
A good friend to live with is the best reward but it is nice to have it noticed. GKar and I were in PetCo or PetSmart last week, it was a mad house with kids and dogs all over the place, the cashier said he was such a gentleman for ignoring everything going on around him and patiently waiting.

 

[Jedski]

•Did you take formal obedience classes or train yourself. How many classes did you take? Do you still continue to train when not in class?
Jeddah & I take a private obedience class, with one-on-one instruction lasting for around an hour to an hour and a half. We met with the trainer weekly for the first three weeks, and have now gone to a fortnightly lesson. We try and train daily, depending on the weather. Most of my daily interaction with Jeddah does involve some sort of training anyway. Usually reinforcing commands and hand signals to keep her "thinking".

• How important/beneficial is obedience training to you for this breed?
In my view extremely important. Owning a fear agressive dobe to me has been a test of stamina and strength. I want the public to look at my dog and appreciate a beautiful breed. I feel that I would be letting down the breed by not training Jeddah. I think she is also a much happier dobe, by reading her body language. Another benefit is the physcial control aspect, so much easier to control a trained dog.


• Where do you train outside of classes? (backyard, walks, public places)
Everywhere - backyard, every walk we take involves training and then she gets some free time.

• How much time do you spend in a training session? Do you find it easy to train a male or a female? Do you think a doberman is easy to train compared to other breeds? Time spent, can be as little as ten minutes or up to a hour. Just depends on Jeddah's attitude and how much free time we have. I have found Jeddah to be the most intelligent dog that I've ever owned. Very easy to train - when it suits her! I've never owned a male, so cannot make comparisons.

• What type of rewards do you use, if any? (food, toy, praise) Do you use any special training aids? (leashes, clickers, etc) What methods of training do you use?
Rewards - lots and lots of praise. We also use food and toys from time to time, but the praise is the winner in my eyes.
Special Training Aids - My only success has been with a prong collar. Have tried every other product on the market, until I got to the prong. I combine this with a 6 foot sturdy leather leash, one that I can trust!

• What have the rewards/accomplishments been since you started training your doberman?
Jeddah does not have any formal accomplishments, as we left her very first obedience club at week 6 and didn't return! Rewards have been vast..... Firstly, to learn to come to her own name, every time. Then to be able to be in the same room as a cat or two, without treating them as prey. Learning to trust another dog and just to play. But most of all, the look on her face when she's achieved something new and you tell her "good dog".

 

[LapDog]

• Did you take formal obedience classes or train yourself. How many classes did you take? Do you still continue to train when not in class?
We do both...we took Duchess to her puppy class then she started obedience and she also moved on to agility...she is a year and 9 months now and we continue to take her once a week to a class just for her enjoyment and keep things fresh in her mind.

• How important/beneficial is obedience training to you for this breed?
This breed LOVES to train! and they look awesome doing it! Which is the reason we take her once a week still to a public class...(she likes to show off lol) I think taking them when they are puppies is also very important...they introduce them to other puppies...and they also introduce them to some "scary" agility equiptment like tunnels and very small jumps to build their confidence.

• Where do you train outside of classes? (backyard, walks, public places)
We train Duchess's at her dog class...also a lot in the living room. We need to start strictly doing training outside in the backyard...we should have done this at an early age! so that she would listen to us and not think the backyard is a "PLAY ZONE ONLY"

• How much time do you spend in a training session? Do you find it easy to train a male or a female? Do you think a doberman is easy to train compared to other breeds?
Training sessions in class are 45 minutes...when they are puppies...the attention span is short..and they are easily distracted as time goes on. When we train in the living room ...it is just short spurts of 10 minutes probably. Dobermans are easy to train...the only thing is that sometimes they can be so smart that they are stubborn...In agility...I noticed a lot of the Dobermans like to atleast one time take off on the owner and just start trotting around the building lol...once they got this out of their system...they would come back and work real hard lol. Dobermans catch on quick! at 6 months Duchess looked smarter than all the older dogs there! Now she can be completely off the leash for healing...sit, stay come...etc...Sometimes when Duchess was younger the smells were wonderful to her and seemed to be the only thing that mattered! lol

• What type of rewards do you use, if any? (food, toy, praise) Do you use any special training aids? (leashes, clickers, etc) What methods of training do you use?
we use a combination of treats and praise...we don't need to use a prong collar when we are specifically training...but if we are out and about...and don't have the time to be training her while we are doing whatever were doing we will need to use it. Like I said at class she no longer needs a leash...but when she was a puppy we were always sure to have our 6ft leash.

• What have the rewards/accomplishments been since you started training your doberman?
No awards...but with Dobes you will always get a lot of compliments! How gorgeous she is...How smart...How attentive...people have told us Duchess would make a great Therapy dog...We still need to get her canine good citizen test.

:boldblue:

 

[TwoDobieGirls]

Obedience Training

• Did you take formal obedience classes or train yourself. How many classes did you take? Do you still continue to train when not in class?
Both. My 2 1/2 year old, Storm, was my very first dog. I'd wanted her my whole lofe, but she was my first, and I learned a lot! It helps that I've been into horses my entire life - there is a lot about training any type of animal that carries over to another kind. I belong to an obedience club and also train at another kennel periodically. The obedience club we belong to has formal obedience classes for the public, and then goes into show ready, open, utility, agility and tracking for members. The intermediate and advanced classes that are open to the public often include Rally as a way to get more people involved in taking their dogs' training further.

• How important/beneficial is obedience training to you for this breed?
Extremely important. You all should see how they railroad my husband, because I am the one who does all the training. It's funny how they take advantage of him. When it comes down to it, they listen to him, but you can practically see them snickering!
• Where do you train outside of classes? (backyard, walks, public places)
Backyard, farmers markets, pet stores, playgrounds.
• How much time do you spend in a training session? Do you find it easy to train a male or a female? Do you think a doberman is easy to train compared to other breeds?
However long it takes to end positively on what I want to work on. You have to go into training sessions with a plan, and know when to stop! A bored, over-drilled Dobe is no fun. I don't have any experience with males - both of my girls are females. As far as other breeds? I think Dobes are so much smarter, but you have to train differently. You can't drill them like you can Goldens, for example. Storm and Ava both would get so bored, and I learned to recognize when I needed to stop. In classes, just because everyone else is drilling a "front" 100 times, doesn't mean you have to! Do it three times corretly and break it off, play, relax and give them a belly rub. I think Dobes are so smart that they are insulted when you drill them.
• What type of rewards do you use, if any? (food, toy, praise) Do you use any special training aids? (leashes, clickers, etc) What methods of training do you use? I use their prong collars on an as-needed "reminder" basis. Other wise they both go in flat leather collars and leads. Being Therapy Dogs, they have to be reliable on a flat collar at all times. They are mostly rewarded with food, although Ava appreciates a toy at the end, and with Storm I need to jump around and get her excited because she's so serious!
• What have the rewards/accomplishments been since you started training your doberman?
The amazing amount of knowledge they accumulate. They know so many words and phrases, and so many gestures and expressions that half the time I don't need to say a word. Storm passed the CGC and TDI testing at 8 months of age - it was only afterwards when the club figured out that a dog had to be 1 year old to be TDI certified! Anyhow, she and Ava both have their CGC and TDI certifications and are active Therapy Dogs. We are going to our first show the first weekend of February, and also have another the second weekend, so by then end of those two shows I hope to be able to say that Storm has her CD and Ava has her RN. Storm has begun some training for tracking and Ava has begun agility, and I'm sure they will both at least try a little of it all!

 

[Prettydobie]

Did you take formal obedience classes or train yourself?formal obedience training
How many classes did you take?2
Do you still continue to train when not in class?Yes i think it is important to do that so they dog doesnt forget
How important/beneficial is obedience training to you for this breed?Very important we must prove that we can control the dogs
Where do you train outside of classes? (backyard, walks, public places)Walks and public places i dont do it in the backyard cause i have made that her free zone
How much time do you spend in a training session?2 hours minium
Do you find it easy to train a male or a female?I found personal my mother red heeler trained better but i also think you have to put the breed into account when anwsering this question
Do you think a doberman is easy to train compared to other breeds? Personal no i think there are some breeds that are easier to train
What type of rewards do you use, if any? (food, toy, praise) Food and Toy
Do you use any special training aids? (leashes, clickers, etc) Leash I pefer her to always be on a leash when not in the backyard simple because if soemthing does happen i know i have control of her
What methods of training do you use? At first i started with voice commands once she had that i did it without saying anythign and only using hand gestures
What have the rewards/accomplishments been since you started training your doberman?More people seem to want to pet her and ask me questions about dobermans when they see shes trained before i got her trained very few people would talk to me about her they would just stand and stare

 

[lyngr]

• Did you take formal obedience classes or train yourself. How many classes did you take? Do you still continue to train when not in class?

We went to basic puppy K (7 weeks) and now we are on the next level.
Yes we try to train her outside of classes.




• How important/beneficial is obedience training to you for this breed?

We shall see. lol.



• Where do you train outside of classes? (backyard, walks, public places)

I take Nike to the bus stop every morning, and visit Pet friendly stores.
It's difficult to take her for walks with my 3 yr old, so that doesn't happen as often as I would like.




• How much time do you spend in a training session? Do you find it easy to train a male or a female? Do you think a doberman is easy to train compared to other breeds?

Short sessions throughout the day.

I've never owned a male, so I can't compare.

My retriever mix, Luna, is far more obedient and eager to please. Matter of fact, she never had a lick of formal/obedience training and is as close to a perfect dog as you can get. Of course, Nike is just a puppy, so time will tell.
I hope some of Luna's manners will rub off on Nike.



• What type of rewards do you use, if any? (food, toy, praise) Do you use any special training aids? (leashes, clickers, etc) What methods of training do you use?

TREATS! This girl loves treats.



• What have the rewards/accomplishments been since you started training your doberman?

When I first started taking Nike to the bus stop in the morning, she would flip out and bark. Now she sits nice and calm. She is gentle and friendly to the parents and kids, which makes me proud.

 

[Christi]

Did you take formal obedience classes or train yourself. How many classes did you take? Do you still continue to train when not in class?

I think Senta was about 3 when i started the formal training and also here at home.. probably about 20 min a day with the basic obedience. We trained for a yr before I put her in compitition.. I always continued to train at sperotic times during the day.. or maybe just before our walks.

How important/beneficial is obedience training to you for this breed?

I believe training is 'very important or beneficial with this breed. Any dog can try to get bossy or rule the roost... I am ALPHA!! it not only makes your dog have good manners, but I think all in all it shows us the Doberman is very smart.
• Where do you train outside of classes? (backyard, walks, public places)

I trained just about everywhere I could think of a good distraction place.. public places, park and the cemetery ( pretty quiet there) had a nice big field for me to work her in..


• How much time do you spend in a training session? Do you find it easy to train a male or a female? Do you think a doberman is easy to train compared to other breeds?

about 20 min a day... I have never owned male dog so i cant say there..

• What type of rewards do you use, if any? (food, toy, praise) Do you use any special training aids? (leashes, clickers, etc) What methods of training do you use?
Nuked pieces of hot dogs or somekind of dog treats....

What have the rewards/accomplishments been since you started training your doberman?

A more confident dobergirl, well mannered and a CGC..CD and CDX :dancing_b

 

[saesms]

i watched many videos from www.expertvillage.com and also read some books, videos were much helpful, i use a mixed treat like apples, carrots, liver, cheese, so that they do not get used to one thing

 

[Julie W]

• Did you take formal obedience classes or train yourself. How many classes did you take? Do you still continue to train when not in class?

I took obedience classes back in the early-mid 80's from Sandy Pepper (now Sandy Overgaard) of Pepperhaus Rottweilers. She's the one who got me into showing in the first place in obedience. More recently this past summer I started working with the Willamette Valley Schutzhund club and have attended two schutzhund seminars there, with Les Flores and Dean Calderon.


• How important/beneficial is obedience training to you for this breed?

Honestly out of all of dobermans over the past 34 years I've seriously trained one for obedience, and an now in the process of starting Cher. Others I have done the breed ring with, but no obedience.


• Where do you train outside of classes? (backyard, walks, public places)

When not working with the schutzhund club....in the summer I train in my backyard, in Petsmart (on my own, not in a class), or at the park. In the winter I train with the sch. club or inside Petsmart.

• How much time do you spend in a training session? Do you find it easy to train a male or a female? Do you think a doberman is easy to train compared to other breeds?

If it's the schutzhund clubs Saturday practices, I'm there half a day, but it's all the dogs and working on all different stuff. If I'm on my own I normally spend about an hour to an hour and a half if I'm not at home, but it's not solid obedience, a lot of it is just walking and playing in between training. If it's at home generally just 10-15 minutes at a time.


• What type of rewards do you use, if any? (food, toy, praise) Do you use any special training aids? (leashes, clickers, etc) What methods of training do you use?

Food, toys, praise. I don't train any particular "method", I just do whatever works the best for me and my dog to keep them happy, motivated and enjoying themselves during work.

• What have the rewards/accomplishments been since you started training your doberman?

The first doberman I showed in obedience was a child prodigy. He earned his CD in one weekend at a 3 day show at 6 months old and his first two legs towards his CDX by 9 months old before he was stolen from me.

 

[Burns]

• Did you take formal obedience classes or train yourself. How many classes did you take? Do you still continue to train when not in class?

We enrolled Red in a beginner class at Petco when he was 14 weeks old. He by far the best behaved and most well-trained dog there (we had already mastered sit, down, sit/stay, down/stay). He loved the class because he got to play with all the other puppies, but other than the socialization with the other dogs, I got pretty much nothing out of it. I won't go back for the intermediate class there. There is another obedience program that I'm thinking about doing with him, but it's MUCH more expensive... still have to try to con hubby into it...

•How important/beneficial is obedience training to you for this breed?

Very important. You HAVE to be able to control such a large, strong dog.

•Where do you train outside of classes? (backyard, walks, public places)

Mostly the backyard, but also on walks, in the pet store, vet office, or any other place he goes with us. I try to do it in a variety of environments with varying levels of distractions.

•How much time do you spend in a training session? Do you find it easy to train a male or a female? Do you think a doberman is easy to train compared to other breeds?

About 5 minutes at a time, a couple times a day. Red is our first dog (that we are training ourselves from puppyhood), so I don't really have anything to compare, but I personally think Red is very easily trained. He would train even faster if I knew what I was doing half the time!

•What type of rewards do you use, if any? (food, toy, praise) Do you use any special training aids? (leashes, clickers, etc) What methods of training do you use?

Food rewards - hard treats, soft treats, and cheese. I haven't tried hotdogs yet, but Red is extremely food driven and would eat dirt if you offered it to him.

Also lots of verbal praise. I use "good boy" a lot which he is getting to recognize as a release command (along with "ok"), so I have to be careful not to say "good boy" until the right time anymore!

I just bought an Easy Walk harness for practicing walking without pulling, which has worked well so far. I have no need to use choke or pinch collars.

I just bought a clicker today and am just working on the association of clicker = cookie, so we'll see how that goes...

•What have the rewards/accomplishments been since you started training your doberman?

No titles yet - though my goal is to do CGC with him.

I guess my biggest reward/accomplishment is that everyone tells us that Red is the most well-mannered and well-behaved puppy they have ever met! :biggrin55