Should I get a Doberman Pinscher? Which dog should I get?

Question

Hello. I have a family of three kids. 8-year old girl, 3-year old boy and a 2-year old girl. My boy is really active, you know how boys are. My wife is also active, she runs a lot in the morning, around the neighborhood.

I work at night (graveyard shift 10 pm to 7 am) and my wife and kids are left by themselves alone in the house. The house has a backyard, three story, 5 bedrooms, lots of entries/exits. We do have a security alarm.

With all that said, now the question is, we are looking for a guard dog or any dog that will guard my family at night when I'm at work, play with my kids, run with my wife in the morning. We wanted one that has little hair, don't drool on the carpet as much, intelligent, one that doesn't just bark pointlessly, one that sits in one corner and watches. Doberman was our choice but after reading and researching, it seems that it is not advisable to have Dobes with kids. What's the next best thing for us? Lab? Mini Schnauzer? Jack Russel?

Answer 1

Labs and Boxers make great family dogs. They are tolerant of children. Active and can be in truth good guard dogs. Standard Schnauzer also makes a good guard dog and is generally considered good with children.
Check web search for family guard dogs.

Answer 2

Doberman are great loving and loyal dogs that feed off attention, they are very energetic that love to exercise and play. Very easy to train and are a natural protective breed. My Doberman at the age 3 months was already protective for my family. They get a bad rap from the media of being aggressive but this is not the case. They will bark when they see someone approaching quickly or hear something that looks to be threatening. They are not a dog to sit in a corner and watch and guard, however they can be equally as protective just roaming the house and interacting with your family. The stronger the bond they have with your family, the more they will put your safety in front of their needs. For example, our dog will wake up and check on us, then goes back to his bed and sleep, and he is always the first one to jump up when he hear something or go to the door, when someone comes in the house.
He has even fought of an intruder while my family was sleep and scared him off!!

I would recommend this Dog to any family, and I feel it is not bad with kids as long as you socialize it. If you get a puppy, it is important to real them in right away and let them know who is boss. The only thing I would say with kids though, is they do have a nipping phase, but they grow out of it in a couple months. Furthermore, Dobermans are an energetic breed that need exercise during the day, if you cannot devote some sort of activity to them, they will get it out somehow, more than likely your furniture and other things will fall victim.

Answer 3

There is no short answer to youre question. Doberman Pinschers make great Guard Dogs and is ideal. Some Dogs you will have a Problem with and some you wont. You will have to make sure it is well trained for youe purposes of Guarding House and yet gentle with Children. Most Dogs raised with a Family there is no Problem and it is the type of Dog that will Fiercely Protect you and Family. But make sure youre Children do not Pester youre Dog and annoy it it is not a Plaything and might snap back. Labradors are great Dogs with Children but are very Gentle and might not suit you except the bark which at least warn you that someone is hanging around. A lot of Jack Russels are very snappy and cant be trusted there is the odd one that is gentle I have encountered both Varieties. Whatever Dog you get it will have to be well trained around Children.

Answer 4

I think you need to do a lot more research if you're even considering a jack russell with your 2 really young kids!

As for dobermans, there are plenty of dobermans out there with excellent temperaments - you need to do a lot of researching of breeders though. Pay particular attention to the temperaments of their dogs, ask if they're home raised. A great deal of a dog's temperament is genetic - if both parents (but the most exerts most influence) have good temperaments, the puppies should.

After that, it's nurture. Kids as young as yours can definitely be taught how to treat a dog, and if the dog comes with a good temperament to begin with, you won't have a problem.

You need to use common sense, both in training kids and a puppy, don't leave them alone together until you know how they interact.

From everything you've said, I'd say you want a watch dog more than a guard dog - a guard dog is a professionally trained working dog and not one who's going to play with kids. A dobie with a good temperament will be a watch dog and by virtue of his breed alone, a deterent.

Answer 5

Let me tell you a little something about my jack russell - He shed's like mad, drools on my bed, is dumb as a rock, and BARKS INCESSANTLY AT NOTHING, and if he's sitting still, then he's sleeping.

Really, though, I think for the most part you are expecting too much from a dog. Dogs are noisy, smelly, hairy creatures. Actually, my Westie has pretty much all of the features you want, but she's afraid of the door opening, so wouldnt' make a good watch dog.

I think that a Doberman is not the best idea with little kids. I believe that the breeds that are considered to be "Dangerous," are usually not and are great dogs in the right hands, but they do take a lot of training and discipline, and I wouldn't have them around small children.

For your family, I would suggest a St. Bernard, Boxer, Bulldog, or an Akita.

Go to a local rescue organization and tell them what you are looking for, they'll be able to match you to a good dog.

Don't except your dog to be well behaved right away, it takes time and energy to train a dog.

Answer 6

ah...yes, this is an important question. Dobermans are very very smart and do not do well with children, as a rule. There are exceptions, but...they are not good for little kids. I researched this quite a bit when I got a dog for my daughter when she was almost two. The best dog to get is a female Rhodesian Ridgeback. They are extremely family oriented, do not growl or bark at their own "family" and are easy to train. They are also short hair like the Doberman.

They will protect their family and be nice to them and only be a little weird with other people. However, they will not attack unless told to, or when they can plainly see someone being hurt.

Beautiful dogs and very smart, but kind. My girls can put their entire hands inside her mouth and she will simply wait until they are done.

Hope this helps

Answer 7

Do not get a Doberman Pinscher. After they become old, they get blind and deaf and they will not know who their master is and they might attack you. The best and most intelligent dog (as shown in studies) is the German Shepard. That is the probably the best. But you have to get it as a puppy, so that he can become a part of the family and know who you are and distinguish the good person from the stranger. Another good one is the Golden Retriever or the Lab. No rottweilers either. Maybe a small dog is good. They are also known for protecting their masters, although they don't do as much damage to the stranger.

Answer 8

Stick with your escurity system, if you want a dog that 'one that sits in one corner and watches' then you don't sound like you are going to interact with the dog much. Dobermans need alot of attention and love to be with people.
Lots of families have kids of all ages with Dobermans, they are like any other breed of dog, only need socialization w/ kids.
I wouldn't sell you a Doberman, based on what you have said. If security is such an issue, then I would forget the dog and upgrade the security system. I would want someone who was going to treat the dog like a family member, rather than an alarm system.

Answer 9

In my family we have had dobermans for pets since I can even remember! I grew up with three other sisters and for the last 16 years those were the only dogs we ever had in the house, we slept with them played with them took them camping with us. All I can say is that they are great pets to have. My only recommendation would be to NOT get them from a pet store or puppy mill, you don't get a chance to meet the parents or to see what the living conditions are like. That can make a huge difference in what the temperament of the dog is like. Females of course are going to be a little more wary of strangers and they tend to not get along so well with other dogs, but as a family pet I would say there wouldn't be a better choice!

Answer 10

I would have to disagree with Dobbies not being good with kids. It is all how you raise them. My red one lived to be twelve years of age, and he never once growled or hurt a child. I could tell you all kinds of stories about how wonderful they are with children. Also, we had quite a few friends with Dobbies, and they never had a single problem. Ra was the most incredible dog in the world with the neatest personality, and an incredible love for our daughter that has never been repeated. Please do not believe everything you read. It has been ten years since we lost him, and there is not a day that goes by that our family does not think about him. My parents, siblings, nieces and nephews will still bring up memories of how sweet or funny he was.