Doberman Pinscher

I have never lived with one but my brother had Clyde.  What a wonderful dog!  I don't know anything about the breed at all except that all my beliefs on the breed that I held before meeting Clyde were dispelled.  Clyde has been gone for about 12 years now but he made a huge impression on me.

A healthy dobe is great,,, owned them for 30 years.  They are very rambunctious (that was even in Reggie;s name).  They are incredible chewers and I learned about crating after a fair amount of destruction of some pretty important stuff.  They need early and continuous socialization to people and situations.  They tend to be quite active and really should not be off lead unless in a secure location (fenced).  They are fast to learn, quick to tease and more often likely to challenge  (as in "aw,,, you dont really mean that;"  or "my way is better") typically with a goofy grin on their faces.  They tend to suffer fools fairly well if trained and exposed adequately to people.  Mine all did submissive grinning which is very off putting to people who do not understand what it is.  Can be a useful behavior to put under stimulus control when unwanted visitors are at the door.

I left the breed due to health problems,  the fact they are a bit of a weather whimp in the cold or rain; and I wanted a more biddible dog, switched to herding dogs.

I own one dobe. & I have fostered 4 others in the past year. My boss has 2 dobes as well. Each of these dogs have had different personalities but they have all had some of the same qualities.
I'd like to know more about them. What are they like?
Generally, they are very active, exercise both mentally & physically is a must. An under exercised or bored dobe will drive you completely crazy. They are suspicious of other people, socialization is required throughout their life. They chew things to oblivion, you must start early teaching them what is acceptable to chew & what is unacceptable. Dobes want to be with their person constantly. If I go to the bathroom & do not close the door quick enough, then I have Bevo sitting on the rug watching & mooching attention. They are very alert & know what is going on outside long before you know you do. They are very sensitive, if I am upset, Bevo is even more clingy. He checks up on me all the time. If not properly trained they are very pushy & will take over your home. It#%92s more like they allow you to live with them instead of them living with you. All of the dobes I have had contact with have been great with kids & other dogs. Bevo lives with a boxer, a mutt, 2 dachshunds, a gsd, another dobe pup, & a boxer/pit mix. He loves to play with the other dogs, but would prefer me to any of the other dogs.
What kind of owner do they do best with?
In my opinion, Dobes do best with an assertive owner. You have to be assertive enough to direct the dog and be the leader in your home, but an overly aggressive person, who physically forces the dog into submission will likely be bitten quickly. A reserved person, owning a Dobe will likely be pushed around by these dogs. My BF can#%92t really handle Bevo. Ryan is very laid back & lets Bevo do whatever he wants & Bevo takes full advantage of that. Dobes will likely be happiest with an owner who is willing to exercise them regularly, and take them everywhere.
How much exercise a day do they need?
Bevo has to have daily exercise. Before I had Achilles/knee surgery, we ran or biked 7-10 miles daily & he was actually tired & calm for the day. Now he trots about 3 miles on the treadmill & we play ball/Frisbee daily. He gets 50 Frisbee throws twice a day or 75 ball tosses twice a day. We also swim almost every day. On average he swims about a mile a day with me. He is exhausted after the swim. Could I manage his energy needs with less exercise? Sure, he would be happy with a quarter of this, but I compete in triathlons & have decided while I cannot train right now, Bevo can stay in shape. When I can start training again, Bevo will be there to push me harder. My boss#%92s dogs get a 2 mile walk twice a day & they come to my house at least once a week for a good off lead romp.
Cons
Finding bad things about Dobes come down to what you are looking for & questioning will this dog fit into my household with minimal stress to both me & the dog. Obvious cons are the health problems common to the breed: Von Willenbrands, cardiomyopathy, hip dysphasia, elbow issues, hypothyroidism, along with poor disposition due to poor breeding choices. Another con is that many people are terrified of these dogs. These people view them as killers & have no problem telling you this. I bring Bevo to the dog park & meet with my boss#%92s 2 dobes, along with 3 of my former fosters on a regular basis. (Every 2 weeks) We can literally clear the dog park when we walk in with 6 Dobermans, although they would be thrilled to play with all of the other dogs. All of the dobes that I know are cold weather wimps. They sulk around when it#%92s cold until they get back inside the warm house.
 
I love the breed & can#%92t see a time in my life that I will not have a Dobe, but be aware that this breed isn#%92t for everyone.
Sorry this was so long but I had a lot to say.

Well said Bevo!!!

Well said Bevo!!!

Agreed.
I worked in a Dobe rescue for several years that housed an average of 45 Dobes under one roof.  I saw the results of unprepared owners who bought a Dobe for looks.  Brains + Boredom = Destruction and sometimes Danger.  Well-trained, well-loved, respected and "guided/coached" Dobes are terrific companions.  Take any of those factors out, and you risk a terror with tan markings. 

I've always greatly admired Dobermans (and still do), but after reading this thread, I know they're not a breed I will ever be up to owning. Thank you Dobe owners for such informative descriptions!

I want a dobe. I could own one.
I would rescue though, so I would not have any control over how much socialization the dog would have had. I'd want a dobe that was good with children and one that is good with people in general.
My boyfriend owned nothing but dobes his entire life and SWEARS they are the best dogs EVER (besides pit bulls).

Dobes are SOOOO beautiful. They are just such an admirable breed.

So would you say that Dobes generally don't want to go play outside in the winter?

Well,  my Morgan used to go to the closet and drag out her sweat shirt as soon as winter approached.  They do love their coats.  Most are than happy to be outside for short periods with their people (if active playing is going on).  They would mope through a walk if it was raining and occassionally do the donkey thing in an attempt to stop the walk.  They would give in and continue but certainly weren't happy about it.  We could tell the temperatue by how quickly she barked when she was let out at night to potty (during the day too).  When it hit zero she would be barking on her way out the door and did not stop until she was back in the house.

Now this is compared to the belgians who think its just getting comfortable about 30*F or 0*C and will lay in the snow for considerable time just surveying the world.  Or work stock in rain, sleet, snow, freezing rain etc.  With the coated dogs, you only need to worry about feet and ears, not the whole body like the dobes.  My family enjoys winter sports/activity, the dobes really didnt.

ORIGINAL: Scout in Canada
So would you say that Dobes generally don't want to go play outside in the winter?

 
I think it is fair to say that they only want to play outside in the cold if their person is  there.  Bevo does have a couple of sweatshirts that he wears in cold weather. (he loves his clothes, sleeps in pajamas every night)  If I am outside with him then we can play for hours & he is content.  If I leave him alone in the yard then he starts barking to "remind" me that he is still outside.  On another note, Bevo absolutely hates having to go outside in the rain.  He has literally held it for over 24 hours so that he didn't go out in the rain.

ORIGINAL: chewbecca
I would rescue though, so I would not have any control over how much socialization the dog would have had. I'd want a dobe that was good with children and one that is good with people in general.

 
I have met dogs from all 5 of the big Dobe rescue groups here in Texas & I can honestly say that these groups do a great job of socializing these dogs.  Each group was perfectly honest with potential adopters, about how much socialization the dog had been exposed to.  If you do go through rescue, obviously meet the dog, & talk to the foster family about the dog. You will usually get very honest answers.  I have a very good friend, Kim, who has adopted 2 children, an 8yr old with fetal alcohol syndrome, and a 6 year old who is mildly autistic, who adopted a dobe.  Initially this made me very nervous, but she met with the rescue reps filled them in on her family's situation, and asked rescuers to pick the dog for her.  They matched her with a 4 year old male Dobe, who had lots of experience with kids.  They have had Rambo for over a year now & things have worked beautifully.  Kim went into the adoption process with no expectations of color or gender, she was looking only for temperment & socialization and she ended up getting a wonderful dog.

ORIGINAL: miranadobe

Well said Bevo!!!

Agreed.
I worked in a Dobe rescue for several years that housed an average of 45 Dobes under one roof.  I saw the results of unprepared owners who bought a Dobe for looks.  Brains + Boredom = Destruction and sometimes Danger.  Well-trained, well-loved, respected and "guided/coached" Dobes are terrific companions.  Take any of those factors out, and you risk a terror with tan markings. 

mirana - you worked at DRU? Maybe I saw you up there a few times? I was up frequently when Julia was still training, with my male dobe Bowie. And I took home an elderly sr that Claire talked me into, and then when I lost my male they sent me home with my insane blue!

And reading through other threads - I probably saw you at the picnic last year in Chelmsford. Rah (my blue) met Lilly and LOVED Her, they wrestled nonstop whenever they saw each other. in fact, the photographer has a few photos of Rah playbowing at her!

ORIGINAL: mrv

Well,  my Morgan used to go to the closet and drag out her sweat shirt as soon as winter approached.  They do love their coats.  Most are than happy to be outside for short periods with their people (if active playing is going on).  They would mope through a walk if it was raining and occassionally do the donkey thing in an attempt to stop the walk.  They would give in and continue but certainly weren't happy about it.  We could tell the temperatue by how quickly she barked when she was let out at night to potty (during the day too).  When it hit zero she would be barking on her way out the door and did not stop until she was back in the house.

Now this is compared to the belgians who think its just getting comfortable about 30*F or 0*C and will lay in the snow for considerable time just surveying the world.  Or work stock in rain, sleet, snow, freezing rain etc.  With the coated dogs, you only need to worry about feet and ears, not the whole body like the dobes.  My family enjoys winter sports/activity, the dobes really didnt.

mrv - how would you compare an extremely high drive, active male (insane, really) to owning a mal? I'm considering adding a furrier, with-tail being to the house at some point...

when Julia was still training, with my male dobe Bowie.

Well, then!  We probably did cross paths!  I still train with Julia and would otherwise see her tomorrow if she wasn't going to be at a conference.  Will have to ask her about you when she comes back next week.  []
I think I know which pics you're talking about, of Rah.  Was he wearing a red/white/blue "fancy" jokers-like collar?  I just saw Lilly's owner, too.  Lilly now has a DRU big brother.  Anyway.... it's nice to have more Dobe fans + DRU owners here!