When does Dobermand get out of the "puppy stage"?

Question

My dobie is still a "baby" she is only 4 months old, and i was just wondering when dobermans get out of the puppy stage(nipping, chewing etc.) No matter how many toys she has(about 10) she loves chewin on us, our clothes, our table, our couch etc. And also, what would be a great toy to keep her busy or distracted while i clean the house or anything.

Thanks!
Amanda

Ok, There is not a 'dangerous" dog breed. My dobie was attacked by a pomeranian! All dogs can be dangerous! So quit with the bullsh** answers!

Answer 1

We own 2 Dobies - a 5 yr. old & a 5 month old. Wonderful dogs! The puppy stage will last one yr. (as w/ almost all breeds). By the age of 2 yrs., you'll have Miss Mellow.

A few great distractions that have worked for us:

* Ice cubes in the dog dish- loads of fun! (But put a rug under the bowl) > You're dobie pup is teething right now, he'll begin losing his baby teeth @ age 5 mos. The ice cubes satisfy a need to chew something hard & the ice is soothing to her gums.

* Empty water bottles- Take the label & remove the cap so your pup won't swallow them. Makes a fun noise!

* Large rawhide bones- literally hrs. of distraction

* Pig ears- mmm... a great treat!

* Go to a farm store & buy a "pony ball" - they are actually made for ponies to play w/. They're extremely rugged, dobie-proof & they last forever.

All are guaranteed to work.... @ least for a little while! (lol)

Answer 2

Dobies can be very strong once they reach adult size. Take her to obedience training not because of aggression problem but to control the problems that you are having now. Most dogs don't break the puppy behavior problems until they reach 18 months and better behavior only happens with training.
Just a side note. One of the reasons that you are so much fun to chew on is because toys become ordinary with time. One of my puppy kindergarten tricks to keep the toys more desirable is to take all of the toys away except for two. Then you rotate the toys every couple of weeks. You'll be surprised how much the hidden toys appreciate in value to your pup. Keep doing the rotation, even if you add new toys to the mix. If the toys are more exciting than your hands she will start looking for them to chew on instead of you.

Answer 3

Amanda, sorry, I have to tell Kingtootinhasnofuckincommsense that he's a complete jackass, and to practice what he preaches. Look up fatalattack.com and see where a doberman stands as far as 'dangerous' goes. 3% - the same percentage as a St. Bernard, Great Dane, and Chow Chow - nice, lovable family pets. Aren't St. Bernards known for being great with kids? Yeah, they are, so get your facts straight. Why do you feel the need to answer people's questions just to start shitt? What did this girl do to you? Does it make you feel more like a man? You must need all the help you can get! You walk you're small dog with a can of mace in your hand, sissy. ( look up in this guys question asked about what dogs are dangerous. He seriously said when he walks his small dog he scared of all the big dangerous dogs, he carries mace!) Do you wear pink dresses too, Sally? lol.

Answer 4

have you tryed bitter apple spray, some dogs like it so it doesnt always work. my pup is 3m and she hasnt chewed on unwanted things in a long time. what we did is when she chewed on bad things we said NO BITE and removed the object and gave her a toy and when she chewed on that we'd say GOOD CHEW and reward her with play time or a treat. make a big deal about the good and have a firm (not angry)tone with the bad. it will take some time but dobbys are smart so it shoundnt take too long. now as for the other dangerus dog. hahahah i have a pit bull mix, mean baby killer right. couldnt be futher from the truth. she loves people and dogs, could play tag at the park all day if i let her and as for baby killing, she might drownd a baby with all the slober from licking them. theres no suck thing as a bad breed, only bad owners. and its people like you(you know who you are) that give good dogs bad names spreading you filth everywhere you go.

Answer 5

15 months to 2 years. They are always fairly playful and love to chew things. You have to be firm with them and not give them an old shoe etc, as they cannot discriminate between theirs and yours. Shoes are shoes!

I have had 2 Dobermans and they are lovely dogs, certainly not the vicious mongrels people make them out to be. Dobermans have to be trained to attack they are not nasty by nature generally.They can be quite woosey. One of mine was shite scared of the cat! when the cat came in He went out like a rocket.

I used those Dog chews to keep mine happy you can also get those leathered pigs ears from the petshop, they are also good for their teeth. Enjoy your dog you have a real friend and treasure

Answer 6

Amanda -- We have discussed your Dobe on other questions posed on Yahoo Asks -- as well as e-mail. Part of your issue with your pup is NOT totally related to the fact that she is only 4 months old -- but IS an issue of you setting no boundaries for her. ALL my Dobes knew how to walk on a leash, heal, sit, stay, and come by your dog's age. Was it consistent? No, because their attention span is short at that age, but they knew the commands and they knew they were NOT the Alpha Dog. Your "baby" has yet to learn this.

Dobermans take a fair amount of time to settle into maturity. Rough rule of thumb is that a TRAINED Dobe will not be consistent on behavior or commands until about 3 years of age. That's when all their hormones seem to settle in and everything clicks.

Again, your chewing problem is YOUR problem, not her's. She should be crated when you can't watch her and immediately corrected when she is "free" and gets into something she shouldn't. Oh -- but that's right -- you say she growls and nips at you when you try to take things away from her. Again -- she thinks she's Alpha Dog -- and you're headed for a lot of trouble with her if you don't get this under control immediately.

As for chewing on you -- a finger down the throat works wonders when a pup does this. Its a trick my vet showed me when one of my pups went to gnaw on him. The first time he told her firmly no, the second time he let her take his hand in her mouth and quickly put a finger out and down her throat. Her gag reflex kicked in and all she wanted was that body part gone. She didn't try to nibble on him again. I tried it at home with instant success. So again, you've gotten advice from me and failed to act on it because you're still asking the same questions.

The best way "to keep her busy or distracted" while you clean the house would be to crate her with a favorite natural rubber toy. That way you know she and your house are safe.

I will say one more time -- the fact your pup at 4 months will NOT walk on a leash says you need professional guidance from a trainer who knows Dobes. Do this before you are so frustrated with her that you give her away, or she becomes one of those "vicious" dogs the news loves to get ahold of.

Answer 7

king tooty is just a troll please just pay him no attention and maybe he'll go away....with that said most big dogs grow outta such things 6 -7 months.. they reason ur hand is more fun is because it moves it teaches pup mouth coordination... i would get a treat dispenser that she can roll dobbies are smart and bore easy but most also love food so u could change up what u put in it. i got this great one that makes noise rolls funny and has an size adjuster on it. its from the site below cheap stuff i could go nuts on it lol.u don't have to be a groomer or anything to order stuff...have to spend so much to get free shipping

Answer 8

I presume you mean a 'Dobermann'?

A 4 month shouldn't be nipping, this is about you training your puppy that this is not suitable behaviour.

Puppies chew because they're teething, always ensure your dog has something suitable to chew on and redirect your dog to something it is allowed to chew when you catch it chewing something you don't want chewed.

I highly reccomend you read up on Crate Training, do an internet search on it :)

Answer 9

-When they stop chewing on the shoe, & start chewing on the foot that was inside! Most dogs pull out of their puppy state around the time they're a year old, - so you have 8 months to teach her what (& who) it is appropriate to chew on. Be FIRM; be CONSISTANT; & be SURE you teach her to obey your commands to the letter (Or you may end up getting a letter- from somebody's lawyer!). Good luck. :)

Answer 10

They dont get out of the puppy stage till they about a year old i used to raise some and that is how long mine took.