[condor]

@JK, thanks !

Kind of familiar with that hunting behaviour because we had a hound till a few months back, and he has caught sheep, rats & squirrels with ease. Sheep were easy meat for him if we as much let him un-tethered, and he smelt any around.

The vet visits are regular. Pedigree's always at home. In short, easily pampered.


Back to the doberman .. by walks would you mean more than the walks ? How's the temper ?


btw, lovely signature.

[Aditya]

condor, be sure to give your Dobie a lot of exercise. The Dobie has a a lot of energy which needs to be spent. The dog should be able to run off-leash in a yard. Otherwise, he's gonna just keep barking and you'll get angry and frustrated. A properly bred, trained and handled Dobie will have a good disposition. He will however, be very protective of your family. Do not resort to heavy handed treatment.
Dobies are very affectionate and funny. I'm very happy with mine.

[Yeldo]

Originally Posted by prasadee

After dillydallying for 10 years, we finally got a purebred lab pup. He is awesome..... very active, and a lot of fun. Here's a pic to share.
Attachment 73149

What a nice little puppie! Congrats. The Lab is one terrific breed. Very loving, very loyal. I searched for one, couldn't find, and settled for a Dobermann.

[scooby05]

OK friends here is my Neo Mastiff at 11 months. He now has a companion in a 6 week old pup boxer.

[goandude]

This is my 8 yr old apsoe terrier pom mixed breed. verrry intelligent and hardy. not fussy about food, loves bananas. And car rides!

[V-16]

Great pair Scooby. Love the Albino Boxer. I have a brindle Boxer (Tyson) and they are a very strog, friendly and hyper breed. Sadly mine is in the hospital for kidney stones. Getting operated tomorrow, Tried finding someone who will do lazor surgery on him, apparantly there is no one in Mumbai who does that.
Bought a GSD form shankarbalan on the forum a few months ago. That guys like a over hyper dog named him Max.

Thats Tyson.



Sprawled on his bean bag after a walk, the one thig that hes really possessive about.

[condor]

@Aditya, thanks.


Guys, IIRC, someone mentioned here about a dog trainer in BLR. Would you remember this ?

[Bass&Trouble]

Originally Posted by condor

Guys, need inputs on Doberman's..

* Maintenance
* Food & health
* Ease of training
* Requirements - what do they need ?
* Anything to watch out for when getting one home, after getting one home ?
* Dog or bitch ? (I know that the selection is going to be an emotional decision, not a logical one)

Dobes are easy to maintain. Amount of hair shed is very less, they dont need trimming like other dogs. I think everything else is routine like most breeds.

Food habits can be set by you. I have friends who have vegetarian dobermans, although I find it a bit extreme. Mine is happy with chicken mixed with veggies and rice.

Dobes are not so hard to train. I have noticed some trainers teaching the dogs stupid tricks, rather than skills. I recommend you find a sensible trainer who can teach some useful things to the dog rather than circus acts like rolling over and begging. A well trained Dobe can be an excellent watchdog.

Requirements - Can't think of any special requirements, but just like all dogs, excercise is a must. Mine is allowed without a leash in parks to run around freely, and she loves it.

Make sure no one is allergic to dog hair at home. They shed a lot, and although the hair is heavy and settles rather than float, it would still be wise to check. Grooming, bathing, nails trimming, timely walks etc are important. Make sure you are able to designate someone or the other to make sure such chores are performed on a timely basis.

Dog or bitch choice is not just emotional. If you already have a dog, or plan to get another after this one, it could be a bit of trouble if both are of different sex and the female gets her heat (roughly once in 6 months). Before a bitch's peak mating instincts hit, you can expect the house to get a bit dirty. Then, you also have to be very careful to not let the bitch out unattended and without a leash when she is in heat. You could also have a variety of strays howling outside your house and serenading the bitch around this time. With a male there are none of these problems, and if he does manage to bag a bitch or two on one of his strolls, you are not liable for maintenance. Lastly, if you do get a bitch and decide to have her mated, be prepared to spare some step-motherly love and care for the young 'uns.

[Nitin]

Adorable lil puppy,scooby! And looks like the two of them get along pretty well!

[vinaydas]

my dog bruno got him when he was 45 days old now hez around a year old .... will give him a bath and take better pics later

also my little parrot Mitu he's kinda angry in the pic

[Yeldo]

Originally Posted by condor

Guys, need inputs on Doberman's..

* Maintenance
* Food & health
* Ease of training
* Requirements - what do they need ?
* Anything to watch out for when getting one home, after getting one home ?
* Dog or bitch ? (I know that the selection is going to be an emotional decision, not a logical one)

It's just parents (60/67) & me. Space is not a problem in the house. The vet says there are a couple of pups, so need to decide fast.


--------------------------------------------
Once a Pet(rol)head, always a Pet(rol)head ..

My experience: My first dog is a Dob bitch with a touch of GD in her. She's very possessive and loving.

I'm no expert but let me tell you this: I disregarded my vet's advise to be loving but firm for the first 6 months or so, and now she rules not me alone, but the entire household. Dobs just like to be dominant. So properly train them in obedience.

They are also generally very intolerant towards outsiders and guests, and sets a hierarchical approach towards various members in the family.

[condor]

Ajay, Yeldo, Sajan : thank you ! Appreciate it.

Btw, the pups our vet had mentioned turned out to be from a breeder, whom we need to keep informed of our requirements. So now I do have time.

Yeldo : .. and sets a hierarchical approach towards various members in the family.

This is intresting.
Not being loving yet firm - a mistake that's already been done at home here. Learning things the hard way ... Good that you posted it here.

[vinaydas]

yes they do.. i suggest you being the only one who feeds/takes out/bathes generally you are his Guardian..Do this and your dog is totally loyal to you!! They will give their life for you if needed.
Dobe's are my fav breed then come saint bernards i had bought a dobe first the 2 days after i bought it i caught the canine parovirus a very deadly diesease.. i stay in RT nagar Bangalore close to the vetinary college.. i took it for a week daily morning and evening to the vet to give it Drips and IV fluids..(if your dog has the virus it will stop eating and drinking because it is in extreme pain when it eats or drinks something as the virus eats up the interstinal lining many a times blood is found in the excreta )
the poor soul died a week later tho i tried my best.. the problem was that the pup was kept away from the mother so no milk was supplied to it from the mother hence no immunity against the virus which affected the pup(it affects only young pups)..

Some people also suggest that the main person incharge of the dog should have 0 fear of the dog cos the dog can sense your fear and then exhibit dominance over you.

note :- Im talking about the doberman breed of dogs

[Yeldo]

Originally Posted by vinaydas

yes they do.. i suggest you being the only one who feeds/takes out/bathes generally you are his Guardian..Do this and your dog is totally loyal to you!! They will give their life for you if needed.

Some people also suggest that the main person incharge of the dog should have 0 fear of the dog cos the dog can sense your fear and then exhibit dominance over you.

note :- Im talking about the doberman breed of dogs

In my dear Kuttu's (that's what I call her) case, my wife feeds her, but its I who spend most time with her, petting, scratching, talking sweet, even sometimes taking a nap with her, etc, etc, to her. So it's not a case of feeding alone.

It's not fear- nobody needs to fear a 3 month pup. It's just how far you are willing to go in being insistent on obeying you.

And after an year with my sweet girl, she has grown on me so much that inadvertently I mention her even in serious business discussions.

She doesn't like me washing my cars- she barks and tries to disrupt me. She thinks the scrubbing and washing is I giving some TLC to the car, a treatment she thinks only she should get from me! She's angry to the cars I've washed in front of her, and scratched one all over and ruined the high- security number plate I installed in another. The third car, which she hasn't seen me washing, she loves it - and she licks it! How's that for a pet?

[Yeldo]

Originally Posted by condor

A
Not being loving yet firm - a mistake that's already been done at home here. Learning things the hard way ... Good that you posted it here.

Also, don't bathe you puppy too frequently. Use a hard spike brush every day to comb the hair, and clean the nails if needed. Too frequent bathing might cause the coat to lose some sheen.