Thanks Emily and I certainly agreee with you! Multiple of any SEX is not necessarily a good idea! However, Consider it Cocky, or just experience but there are all too many things that I cannot do nor would I ever venture into doing but having the boys has worked for me! Is it easy? Sometimes, sometimes not so much, you have to understand your dogs and the way communciate ad interact within the dynamic! Many of the people who have a negative reply are basically on their first dobe and have read the issues on mutltiple dogs of any sex and therefore respond accordingly. And so you are definitely entitled to your opinion. Just a simple question HOW many times have you seen obedience dogs project male to male aggression compared to breed dogs?
Bold emphasis is mine.
Erm, are you suggesting this is a trait that can be trained out?
Because I know lots and lots of OB dogs, Rally dogs, and Agility dogs, who do not get along with other dogs, particularly same sex dogs.
I think the problem some folks had, reading your posts, was the braggart-sounding stuff about how
you can do this, but maybe others do not have the capacity.
You go on to suggest the folks posting warnings about this trait are "on their first Dobe." That sounds like you think experience alone mitigates this breed trait. So not true, and until you've had a dog who carries this in their temperament, I think humans sometimes tell themselves pretty little lies, or think they're too "alpha" or too "pack leader" for THEIR dogs to ever snark and fight. That's not realistic.
Yes, there is management, and strategies to enhance success, but it's not something to throw out there like it's easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy.
In fact, since you don't seem to credit the possiblity of male-male issues--that makes some of us reading wonder if you've just never had a Doberman who was real drivey. Which is okay, certainly, but the point is, a mention of keeping multiple males is probably best done with caveats, not in a braggy, how-cool-am-I kinda way.
And that's from someone who's housed multiple males, over the years, including bully breeds and Dobermans, some fairly drivey, and some very troubled rescued dogs.
When these mentions of male-male aggression start on a thread, I'm not usually one of the more vocal folks about it. I think it *can* be done successfully, under the right circumstances, with the right person, but again--don't think it's something to idealize or necessarily promote in general.
Btw, congrats on your new addition, he is very handsome.
I do have a safety concern, looking at your photo--your boys do not wear their chain collars as their everyday collar, do they?
I ask, since two of them have ID tags attached to the slip chains--a big safety no-no.
Of course, the other concern is possibly neck injury, even fatal strangulation, with those collars being left on loose dogs. Just FYI, as I hate to see the horror stories about these type situations.