Tell Me About Dobermans please.

Julie, I really am not picking on you, but I do want to clarify some things, because I think that you may have the wrong idea. 

Jewlieee

The first thing is the part about having to justify to the dog why you want it to do something. This is not that much different from a husky who is in it for themsleves.

 I suppose that I could have worded my description a little better.  Dobes aren't, by any means difficult to train.  They do think for themselves rather than do what they are told instantly.  Instances of them needing to have things "justified" to them are generally situations which they sense danger. 

They are definitely not anywhere near as cold tolerant as a husky, but a coat & possibly some type of foot protection will take care of that.  Bev went with skiing with us in January.  We put a coat on him, & he was perfectly content to run along with us for the day.  He never shivered or complained at all.  I wasn't expecting him to handle the cold nearly as well as he did.

Dobes are, in general, intense dogs.  The level of intensity varies greatly in different lines.  Bevo is quite intense.  He does everything at warp speed.  I've fostered a few who were absolutely flat.  Dobes bred for their working ability are usually much more intense than those bred for show.  That being said, there are show lines out there that are known for their intensity.

I have never had recall issues with Bev.  He was a very difficult puppy, but once he decided that trusted me, & wanted to work with me, he has no desire to get too far from me.  He aims to please, & not recalling immediately would upset me, therefore upsetting him as well.

Megan, I can tell you now that 2 coats for Josie aren't going to be nearly enough!  Coats & collars are both addictive!

Candace, we have some schools who do studies like Guelph does.  I know that U Penn is doing a cardio study right now.

 Josie passed both her puppy and adult obedience classes with flying colors. We'll have our first agility class today if it's not cancelled because of rain.

Amanda, not only are collars and coats addictive....dobes are addictive!!!

BEVOLASVEGAS

Julie, I really am not picking on you, but I do want to clarify some things, because I think that you may have the wrong idea. 

Jewlieee

The first thing is the part about having to justify to the dog why you want it to do something. This is not that much different from a husky who is in it for themsleves.

A Dobe on the other hand just has to figure out if you really really want him to do what you asked.  Or is it maybe some kind of joke...I mean really, who sends a gorgeous Dobedawg into a burning building...hehe

 enjoying the thread immensely

I will say though that cold in TX or KY isn't in the same ballpark as where Candace lives. I would seriously wonder about having a dog that needs a ton of exercise in a climate that  will have significant periods of weather that is not conducive to long hours outside.  Sure a coat will help but gosh I don't see a dobie being ready to be out in frigid temps for long.

I mean B is happy in lower temps and last winter we had some days in the teens (F*) with strong wind and we used a coat and he was fine for about an hour (of activity).  But much lower and he wasn't going to be out long.  Just my thoughts about the short single coat.

 FWIW, there are quite a few Dobes up here, and they seem to do well.  I would think that, just as a husky that has lived in Florida all its life, can acclimate to the warmer temps, a Dobe that grows up where its cold would do the same, to an extent.  There are several breeders up here, Gatehouse is one in Ontario with very respected dogs, that obviously do ok.  Still it is something to take into consideration when preparing for a pup.  I'll ask around and see what other dobe owners think.

Ohhh Gatehouse!  

Botrina dogs are very nice as well. 

 Candace I wasn't trying to be a downer and clearly not speaking directly of dobies was just thinking of a potential issue due to the single coat

Karen

 I know Karen!  Don't worry, I wasn't offended.

Botrina huh?  I haven't come across that one.  In Ontario?

huskymom

Botrina huh?  I haven't come across that one.  In Ontario?

They are in BC.  If you get their "stamp of approval" they do ship.  I have an adorable Botrina puppy in my puppy class right now.  He's an awesome boy, super smart, gorgeous, & very well socialized.  I am so impressed by him.

I like botrina dogs too!

I have a friend who has a pup from Holmrun (also in BC) that's very nice

I haven't gotten to meet a Holmrun dog yet.  They look very nice, & I know that they have a good reputation. 

 I don't wanna ship.  If I get a dog from BC, I'm goin out there to pick him up!  LOL  Southern Ontario too, for that matter.  I didn't search BC when I was looking.  Right now, I'm swamped with info at dobermantalk.com...hopefully I'm soaking it all up.  Its a different place over there for sure. 

I have a question about ear cropping. Why is military/guard dog cropping length considered nasty? I personally think it's lovely. Is it just a "scary fighting dog" stigma, or is it bad for the dog? If/when I get a Dobe, I will probably adopt an adult, so choosing the ear is not an option probably. Just wondering,..

huskymom

 I don't wanna ship.  If I get a dog from BC, I'm goin out there to pick him up!  LOL  Southern Ontario too, for that matter.  I didn't search BC when I was looking.  Right now, I'm swamped with info at dobermantalk.com...hopefully I'm soaking it all up.  Its a different place over there for sure. 

I hope you're enjoying it Candace! There's so much great info...it's a very active forum too.

Beejou

I have a question about ear cropping. Why is military/guard dog cropping length considered nasty? I personally think it's lovely. Is it just a "scary fighting dog" stigma, or is it bad for the dog? If/when I get a Dobe, I will probably adopt an adult, so choosing the ear is not an option probably. Just wondering,..

Personally i don't think it looks as good on the head. There are some short crops that look really good...but the pit type crops are not attractive on dobes. I also don't like a lot of bell.