[rise]

I found out a few days ago I was approved for my first doberman pup! I get to pick him up in a couple of weeks. I am getting him from a reputable breeder. I looked all around and looked at many different pedigrees, health testing, etc. Ran across some scary things in my search - but finally found the right litter and breeder. I had a home visit, and reference check, and then got the news that I was cleared for a companion pup. I can't wait!

So what do you wish you had known but didn't when you got your initial dobe pup? I am an experienced dog owner, but a newbie dobe owner.

*oops can't edit the title - that was supposed to be "got your dobe pup"

 

[PatchworkRobot]

For me, I wish I had been fully prepared for the whole "no longer getting to sleep thing." I definitely wasn't ready to wake up at night to take him outside. However, I did know that it was going to happen... so does that count?

My second would be that I wish I would have waited to buy so many toys.
Dreizehn is my first dog ever and I was so excited so I bought TONS of toys only to find out that he doesn't really care for toys. If I was going to do it all over I would have bought maybe 5 toys (all with different qualities) to see what he liked before going out and buying a whole store's worth.

 

[Sinister]

The crate screaming. Oh lord. And the crate accidents.

 

[arankin]

I wish I had known that........ I can't walk within my own personal space without tripping over a puppies body. LOL kidding, wouldn't change a thing .

But I'm probably with PatchworkRobot... I bought way to many collars, toys and beds before the princess came home. She doesn't even pay attention to half of em lol.

 

[SusaninCali]

I just got my second Dobe pup last weekend and I had forgotten how negative people still are on the breed. One of my neighbors came over with his wife and immediately commented about us "already mutilating him" (ears) and that he would grow up to be a 150-lb terror. I calmly explained that all reputable breeders that breed to std crop the ears and actaully he would probably end up at 80 lbs. I know the wife pretty well; I bet he got reamed when they got home.

 

[madmony]

I wish I could have known more about his background, he had a lot of issues to work through and it took a lot of training and still does. It wouldn't have change anything, I still would have adopted him. All my other adpotees, had a lot of abuse (physical) problems. His issues were no exposure to life. He had never been on a leash and I don't think he'd even been outside. He was afraid of everything.

 

[rise]

yea I've been thinking about how to handle comments about him being "mutilated" I was considering asking them if they circumcised their son and perhaps we should discuss that while we are at it. Too much?? We will probably keep a low profile while he is in posts. I have a friend with 90 acres and 3 dobies I can take him to visit, plus he will go to puppy class. Otherwise we may avoid the highly populated areas in our town while he is posted. I live in a real "crunchy" college town and I have no doubt there are some un-informed people who will get in my face. Once his ears are out of posts I don't think people will be as brazen, as they won't see "bandages"

 

[Hooligan]

Our first Dobe was a rescue, who was somewhere between one and three years old when he came to us -- so we didn't experience the puppy thing with him.

And though I had been through puppyhood with other breeds (springer spaniels, a Newf), I was totally unprepared for the energy, determination and sheer obstreperousness of a very drivey Dobe pup. He was a dream to house train and crate train, but the easiness stopped there. Start storing up your patience now. You'll need to draw on it down the road!

 

[Hank]

yea I've been thinking about how to handle comments about him being "mutilated" I was considering asking them if they circumcised their son and perhaps we should discuss that while we are at it. Too much?? We will probably keep a low profile while he is in posts. I have a friend with 90 acres and 3 dobies I can take him to visit, plus he will go to puppy class. Otherwise we may avoid the highly populated areas in our town while he is posted. I live in a real "crunchy" college town and I have no doubt there are some un-informed people who will get in my face. Once his ears are out of posts I don't think people will be as brazen, as they won't see "bandages"

I prefer to just avoid most questions and say "he came that way from the breeder" and when that turns into "why didnt you get from a breeder that didnt crop?"
"because the breeder was very reputable and I prefer the cropped look"
and then when they blah blah blah "thats your opinion" and walk away

What angered me most about having a dobe was peoples attitudes.
You get one of two reactions
"omg thats one bad ass/gorgeous/handsome dog"
or the one that picks up her little dog/child and runs out of the store/across the street which I just roll my eyes at and ignore them

 

[Whiskey]

yea I've been thinking about how to handle comments about him being "mutilated" I was considering asking them if they circumcised their son and perhaps we should discuss that while we are at it. Too much??

Bahahahahahhahahahahahahahaha! I'm so using that next time. I think you may want to reconsider not taking him many places while he's posted. It would be difficult to get him used to enough environments and in my personal experience, the more positive experiences you can give your pup, the more likely you are to have a dog with a stable temperament.

 

[arankin]

yea I've been thinking about how to handle comments about him being "mutilated" I was considering asking them if they circumcised their son and perhaps we should discuss that while we are at it. Too much?? We will probably keep a low profile while he is in posts. I have a friend with 90 acres and 3 dobies I can take him to visit, plus he will go to puppy class. Otherwise we may avoid the highly populated areas in our town while he is posted. I live in a real "crunchy" college town and I have no doubt there are some un-informed people who will get in my face. Once his ears are out of posts I don't think people will be as brazen, as they won't see "bandages"

I wouldn't avoid areas just because you don't want any negative attention. If anyone feels the need to say anything to me I usually try to educate them and or bite my tongue about it . If I waited until my girl was done posting to socialize, well, she wouldn't be socialized - she is 6.5 months and still in posts.

Socialize as much as possible every day, regardless of her ears being cropped. Her ears don't hold us back from going anywhere... I think dobermans look goofy and much more friendly in their posts actually, rather than their ears up. People tend to come and pet/ ask about her when we walk her with her posts in. When the posts are off, they cross the street and the mothers all scream bloody murder as they drag their kids tightly in the other direction lol. It's literally so dramatic sometimes, It's hilarious how they are petrified of a little puppy walking nicely on a leash across the road... baffles me.

Just to ad to what I wish I knew before owning a dobie... Socialization is KEY with this breed, I wish I had known how much work it was. You need to show them so many new places, people of all shapes and sizes and ages.

 

[GingerGunlock]

I wish I had known more about what makes a good breeder/good breeding.

I wish I had known more about training, specifically clicker training. I feel like I wasted time because I didn't use it all along.

 

[njdobermom]

That the first 2 days no sleep they can cry all night and of the five I've had only one didn't. The only time it stopped was potty break in middle of night. Also as soon as shots allow puppy classes and small training sessions every day and take your puppy every where . My husband a few years ago said how come every dobe is even better than the last. I realized after 30 years I knew more what made a well adjusted puppy good positve training and lots of time going everywhere.

 

[Beaumont67]

I wanted a dobe since I was 15 years old...could not wait.
Got my puppy and new baby, 1 week after marriage.
My wife and I together, had this new puppy experience...and I focus on learning proper training techniques.
- most things was no surprise

What do you wish you had known when you first got your dobe pup?
Just 1 thing:
Majority of dog food kibble is "daily poison".
- get a dog, one has to educate yourself on reading ingredient lists and making wise and more expensive choices.
- and holistic/organic kibble (with human grade meats & no fillers) is much cheaper than vet bills and can make your loving dog, live up to 25% longer

 

[dobienut]

teething

 

[LindaH]

How sensitive they are. I got my first dobe back when spanking with a newspaper was the was to correct for misbehavior like potty mistakes or anything else they did wrong. Dobermans don't take to being hurt or scared by their owners well at all. It can destroy the bonding process totally. Positive methods and distractions work much better.

Keep stuffies around to stick in his mouth when he starts to chew on you or anything he shouldn't.

Potty mistakes are your fault for not getting the puppy out in time. The puppy has no hidden agendas and are not trying to get even with you when they potty in the crate opr anywhere else in the house.

How much patience doberman puppies take. By the time they are a year old you deserve a metal!!!

Buy The Power of Positive Dog Training by Pat Miller and The Other End of the Lease by Patricia McConnell. Both are here: http://www.amazon.com/Power-Positive-Dog-Training/dp/0764536095

Read this: Puppy Development

 

[MeadowCat]

I'm with GingerGunlock. I really wish I had found DT and vetted my breeder here first. I hope you are really, really sure you're getting a pup from an ethical breeder (have you used the search here to see if the membership has had anything to say about your breeder?). I dearly love my dog, but she's been a very hard dog to own because of her breeder.

I also wish I had known about clicker training and Leslie McDevitt's book, "Control Unleashed" from the beginning. It would have made a huge difference for us.

 

[o0 sHaDoWoLf 0o]

when it comes to people asking about ears I just say that he is show prospect and that his ears have to stand in order to show and that all reaputable breeders breed to akc standards, that includes docking and cropping before the puppies get homed. people responses are oh I didnt know you had to do that to make them stand or I wish the would change the rules for show. That way they cant direct their anger at you because you did the responsable thing by going witha reputable breeder and not supporting a byb. If they are willing to listen I take that chance to educate them, if not I just walk away. I cant see myself replying to them in a negative way because then I am sinking to their level and adding to their negative image of the doberman. lol my friend told me to tell people thats your opinion I am going to go make myself a sandwich.

so far everything I have come across with my 15 week puppy is expected, this is my second dobe and my ninth dog.

 

[Phoenix321]

yea I've been thinking about how to handle comments about him being "mutilated" I was considering asking them if they circumcised their son and perhaps we should discuss that while we are at it. Too much?? "

hahah! That is so funny! I think the worst part of the puppy stage right now is the ears. My pup is almost finished so he has been taped for a while now and I am so tired of people asking whats on his head then you tell them and they look at you like you just killed someone. People that do not go through the process do not realize that it really is not that bad...at all! My puppy is kinda a baby and will cry when he wakes up in morning..cry to get fed..cry to go out... but he did not cry once with his ears being done. It has gotten to a point where mostly children ask on our walks what happened and I say uhm...nothing? simply because I do not fell the need to try to explain to a child what happened. but people need to worry about other things than dog getting simple ear crop. People get surgery every single day ...

 

[TxDobieLady]

Yes its terrible the way people perceive the breed and the ear and tail comments but compared to the comments my pit bulls get its not that bad and my pit bull is a big snuggle puss who loves everyone but there are just some breeds the public is misinformed on and this os one of them