whats the problem with dobermans?

Question

i ask a few questions regarding my beloved pooch, jess. but there seems to be this stigma that dobermans turn on their owners easily? there was one attack this year involving a doberman (that was publicised in the media) and so much more come from pitts, staffies, rotties. so does everyone know somthing i dont? by the way i am a responsible owner who has trained and loved my pooch very well and she is the best and softest dog you'll ever meet. she isnt allowed of her lead yet because her attention diverts easily and before you ask; i researched this breed for over a year before i got her!

thankyou 'justwingit'.

lizzy, i get people asking me all the time when im going to get rid of mine cos its not safe to have round a 3yr old. my dog and child are never left alone. but that bugs me....really bad

corrinne keep your kecs on i was just stating that other breeds tend to get the most media attention. i have previously owned a rottie called tinkerbell. she was the softest dog ever so her name actually suited her very much. i believe its all the owners fault.no offence intended

Answer 1

There's nothing wrong with dobies. They are great dogs, and their aloof sense of humour and love of companionship makes them wonderful pets. The problem is that some people want dobies because of their hard man image and bring them up to be so. Their fashion as such has meant indiscriminate breeding, and aside from poor behaviour (as in ANY breed) this has led to increases in heart problems, torsion, Wobbler's and Von Willebrands disease in dobies. Most UK dog bites come from LABRADORS! I wish their were more owners like you who looked after their dogs properly, got them from reputable breeders, trained them and socialised them. Dogs rarely turn on their family- in dog society, properly socialised dogs will do anything rather than fight. What happens is that people who are irresponsible get a dog, don't do their homework and put the dog in a situation where it feels there is no choice but to bite. For example, a dog might tell you for months with it's body language- 'I don't like it when you get in mey bed. I don't like it when you put your arm around my head. I don't like it. Stop it. Stop it!' And they growl. Alot of people react to this by punishing the dog. It gets very confused, as it is now being punished for communicating it's dislike for something. So it no longer communicates, but it still doesn't like it. And then one day, it can't take it any more, so it bites. If you are lucky, it will be a 'warning' bite, but if the dog is poorly socialised and has not learnt the doggy etiquette of such things, it will bite as a defence, meaning it will do whatever it thinks it has to to get it out of that situation. Your best hope then is to pretend to be dead. That is how most family based aggression and biting arises. It should never be allowed to get that far. I have never heard or read about a case in which a dog has 'turned' without ever having given any warning. Most people ignore the warnings. Myself, I never touch my dog, not even to pat him, when he is in his bed. I dno't allow others to touch him either. That means that if there is something he doesn't like, he knows that if he goes to his bed, he will be left alone. That is impoartant- he knows he can always get away if he wants to.

Answer 2

There is nothing wrong with Dobermans or you! The stigma comes from society. You know what they say... One bad apple spoils the lot. They are a big dog that gained a lot of notoriety in the Media through films and such. I live in Ireland and for the most part, German Shepard's are called Alsatians because of World War 2. When the war ended, no one wanted a dog with a name that was associated with Germany. Crazy isn't it? It sounds like you are a good well educated owner so it everyone else that has the problem. When you are out with your dog be advised that you will always get "that" look because of the breed.

Answer 3

Hi, I have owned Dobermans for the past 25+ years and NEVER,not once has one attacked myself,anyone in my family or anyone else for that matter. Dobermans get or I should say got the bad rap from people back in the 70's training them to be vicious!!! Back then maybe some Dobes did attack their owners, and the dogs were probably thinking, "enough is enough, I'm not taking any more of this guy's bu!!****. If they did do that back then, more than likely the owners deserved it and I can't say I'd be feeling sorry for them!!!! Believe me, Dobermans DO NOT turn on their owners.Unless maybe they've been cruel to them over and over!!!! Give your Dobie love and that is exactly what you'll get in return!!! Don't believe everything you hear.

Answer 4

Dobermans are my favorite Breed. There is nothing wrong with them. I have had two of them and one I put her through a really tough training. She was taught everything except bomb detection and cadaver finding. She was a fully trained Police Dog plus. Her and I worked together when I was working as a cop on the State Fair Grounds. There we did building searches, crowd control at concerts, substance detection, but most of the time she was just my best friend. We knew what the other was going to do under many different situations. She was a great dog, her name was Kelley. She lived to be 10 years old and when I lost her my whole world crumbled.

Answer 5

Sonny its all codswallop ... i bet there has been more dog attacks by your everyday mongrel . A neighbour of mine had 2 dobermans and they were lovely and very well trained and i never saw them off the lead unless they were in their own garden . I think dobs get the hype due to being used in many movies and they are portrayed incorrectly altogether , they aren`t just guard dogs they make fantastic pets . We have owned 3 rottweilers previously (not at the same time) and they were super girls but the last rottie pup we got we had to return to the breeder after a few weeks as it did have a vicious streak in it and i was not prepared to keep it as i have 4 kids and i could never forgive myself should anything have happened to them .. The breeder emailed me after a couple of weeks to say i had infact done the right thing by returning Kali as she did have behavioural problems ..
You love Jess and she loves you , ignore the stupid comments/remarks made by probably non dog owners ...

Answer 6

Dobermans are still suffering from the (deserved) bad rep. they got in the '70s. At that time they were hugely popular and every breed that happens to ends up with serious temperament problems because of all the BYBs cashing in.

Nowadays, the stigma is undeserved. I had a female dobie in one of my handling classes who was also the sweetest dog imaginable (with a great sense of fun, too). You don't have to worry about your dog turning on you for no reason. If she had a bad temperament, you'd have known long before now. Enjoy her and ignore those who don't know any better.

Answer 7

It's just a stereotype. People are attacked by dogs every day, and the breed doesn't matter. Nine out of ten times it's the owner's fault. I've seen more Dobys, Rotts, and German Shepherds chained up than any other breed, maybe that has something to do with it?

Answer 8

A Dobe does not strengthen VWD....they are born with it, because it somewhat is hereditary. you will have a Dobe DNA examined through a employer referred to as Vet Gen, while they are nonetheless tiny doggies nonetheless interior the whelping container. the outcomes will come again as the two sparkling, provider, or Affected. additionally, HD is hereditary, besides as Thyroid issues and DCM. they could strengthen Bloat or CVI at any age, yet CVI is in many situations after the age of two. it somewhat is common for the blues and fawns to strengthen dilute alopecia/important coat issues inflicting hair loss. maximum books will inform you that the wide-unfold lifespan of a Dobe is 10-12 years, yet in all actuality, documents teach that the wide-unfold Dobe's lifespan is only 6 a million/2 years, ordinarily with the aid of undesirable breeding and absence of genetic sorting out of breeding canines. The gene for cardio issues interior the breed has no longer been discovered yet, so, it somewhat is asserted that there is truly no bloodline that doesn't carry it. cardio and maximum cancers are the Dobes 2 best killers. regardless of the undeniable fact that Echocardiograms and Holter reveal screen sorting out could be performed, the testings are in basic terms good for the day/days being examined, no longer for the full life of the dogs.

Answer 9

totally agree. I have 4 dogs , 3 little shelties and a much bigger collie x. People are so quick to think little fluffy ones are sweet and innocent (luckily they are very well trained and are brilliant) and the big one is going to be agressive. when the truth is he is the softest of the lot of them!!!!
Still wouldnt leave even the smallest with a child alone. Someone once pointed out to me. If a child hits or hurts another child the child tends to lash out back by hitting/ punching. WELL..IF A CHILD HITS, HURTS- ACCIDENTLY OR NOT, A DOG HOW DOES THE DOG RETALIATE?????? WITH ITS TEETH- THEY HAVENT GOT ANY OTHER WAY OF PROTECTING THEMSELF!
dobies are lovely dogs - when ....owned by the right people

Answer 10

There's nothing wrong with dobermans. They suffer from a lot of the same myths that pit bulls do, because back in the '70s they were in the same position as the pits (ie being popular with "tough" idiots who liked a mean dog).

Everything that is being said now about pit bulls has been said in the past about dobes, shepherds, St. Bernards and other breeds.