Dog Help

[RedsLakers24]

Im planning on getting a Doberman, a puppy, you think they will make Good Family pets cuz i live with with a 3 year old and a 9 year old, well im asking when he grows up will it be dangerous to the family?
I have had a German shepherd before and it was great with kids, it died at age 10 3 years ago and thats why im planning on getting another dog

[xellos88330]

IMHO, if you are a good owner, the dog breed doesn't matter. Alot of members of my family own pitts, rotts, and dobermans and they all seem to be pretty well behaved. Never heard of them even growling at anyone in the family.

[PM5K]

0h n0es...

[lebomb]

I think there are less aggressive breeds out there personally. If I have to ask the question, then I would stay away from that breed of dog.

[blizz]

get a boxer...they're amazing with kids and are great dogs.

[DisAsTerBot]

raised with kids = no problem

[mrsmaalox]

I can't speak for pure Dobermans, mine has a few drops of German Shepherd blood. He's neutered and is the smartest, best natured dog I have ever known. He gets along very well with other dogs, is very gentle with my Chihuahua, and coexists peacefully with my cats. He loves people, but is VERY protective of the family and takes a stance even when we raise our voices at each other. He has never attacked a person or animal, but I wouldn't ever leave him alone with a young child. He is healthy, has never had any medical problems, but he's 6 yrs old now so I would expect some to develop. I will not hesitate to get another Doberman when he is gone.

[I. Hustle]

IMHO, if you are a good owner, the dog breed doesn't matter. Alot of members of my family own pitts, rotts, and dobermans and they all seem to be pretty well behaved. Never heard of them even growling at anyone in the family.

hhhmmmmm

[mrsmaalox]

hhhmmmmm

Was that a growl? :lol

[BacktoBasics]

If you want a big dog how about a Mastiff. Great reputation for a friendly disposition with kids.

[balli]

Dobermans are a friendly, family loyal breed, on the natch. But since they look tough, it's easy for them to intimidate people. If the dog figures that out (and dobermans are smart), it'll boss you around and you're screwed.

The best advice in this thread is the first post about being a good owner. There are no bad breeds, only bad owners. And that's cool, there are shades of grey, but you just have to make an honest assessment of your abilities, go from there.

[I. Hustle]

Was that a growl? :lol

That was me thinking
http://halfdone.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/thinker.jpg

[Dex]

Dobermans are a friendly, family loyal breed, on the natch. But since they look tough, it's easy for them to intimidate people. If the dog figures that out (and dobermans are smart), it'll boss you around and you're screwed.

The best advice in this thread is the first post about being a good owner. There are no bad breeds, only bad owners. And that's cool, there are shades of grey, but you just have to make an honest assessment of your abilities, go from there.

Pretty much.

When I was a kid, one of my friends had a huge doberman named Kitty. Even though it probably weighed more than I did at the time, it was one of the most lovable dogs I ever encountered. I don't think that dog would've ever caused any harm to us.

On the flip side, if you said "Listen, Kitty!", she would run up to the window and bark at any strangers who were outside, and she meant business. I'm glad she was such a tame pup, otherwise I wouldn't want to be on the other side of those jowels.

[RedsLakers24]

Can you guys help me think of a name? i have in mind Black Mamba or Batman, any other ones, i like funny ones but cant think of any

[mookie2001]

if you have two kids whats the point of getting a dog?

do you feel lonely or want to spend more of your time and money cleaning and feeding?

[RedsLakers24]

if you have two kids whats the point of getting a dog?

do you feel lonely or want to spend more of your time and money cleaning and feeding?

Protect he house, my German Shepherd was good, we always knew when someone was near the house, i live in a shitty area so i need protection

[mookie2001]

do what you want but a barking dog doesnt scare anyone but kids and elderly women, and if youre training it as a guard dog it wont be so safe around kids

[CosmicCowboy]

Protect he house, my German Shepherd was good, we always knew when someone was near the house, i live in a shitty area so i need protection

You clearly aren't ready for that kind of dog. Let me guess...the German Shepherd was your parents? Small children and big dogs with first time dog owners/trainers is not a good mix.

[RedsLakers24]

do what you want but a barking dog doesnt scare anyone but kids and elderly women, and if youre training it as a guard dog it wont be so safe around kids

Yeah but when it barks it tells me that someone is approaching the house, but it doesnt attack

[RedsLakers24]

You clearly aren't ready for that kind of dog. Let me guess...the German Shepherd was your parents? Small children and big dogs with first time dog owners/trainers is not a good mix.

Nope the German Shepherd was mine, but what can i do to get ready for this dog, how can i train to become a good owner?

[CosmicCowboy]

Nope the German Shepherd was mine, but what can i do to get ready for this dog, how can i train to become a good owner?

There are several places in SA that have classes for owner/dog training...Rob Carry, Petsmart, etc. Do everyone a favor and start your puppy there and follow through...

[jcrod]

Read up and take some dog training classes with your dog.

[The Reckoning]

as long as the Dobe remains a house dog and is babied nonstop, i guarantee you a 100% he/she will have a temperment equal to or better than a lab. they are the definition of man's best friend once they're integrated into your family.

not only that, but he/she will keep an eagle eye out for the kids. they're intelligent and really low maintenance since they have a short coat. just make sure to introduce him/her to everybody and everything while he/she is a puppy. my Dobe is extremely gun-shy and goes crazy when i chainsaw because i didnt introduce him to those early. Dobes are also top-heavy so dont expect them to be incredible swimmers.

my Dobe hasn't had training, but lots of attention and me not taking shit from him has molded him into the best companion. he's never bit anyone and at most has shoved down a couple of people who ran directly at me to see what he'd do...dumbasses. ive taken him to the dog park in san antonio a couple of times and he sniffs then ignores the other dogs. at a 110 pounds, he also has the respect of the other dogs (except for the ones with Napoleon Syndrome, of which he also ignores.)

expect a lot of screams of terror from people when you take him/her places. one time at Chick-Fil-A, some lady at the drive-through refused to hand me my food because i had my "viscious dog" in the front seat, so the manager had to bring the food to my car.
the dog at that point was only 3 months old.

its actually pretty entertaining gauging people's reactions, but most people are fascinated and give lots of props.

basically, my Dobe lounges on the couch all day and keeps his eye on things. oh yeah, and he's an awesome party dog.

anyway, here's a some of pics of him so you can get a feel


http://i38.tinypic.com/juh6c8.jpg


http://i34.tinypic.com/351df1i.jpg



http://i35.tinypic.com/2vlrxns.jpg


http://i34.tinypic.com/2cymhjs.jpg

[jcrod]

There are several places in SA that have classes for owner/dog training...Rob Carry, Petsmart, etc. Do everyone a favor and start your puppy there and follow through...

Exactly, especially if you have a possible aggressive dog. You want to make sure you're doing the do's and dont's. I did Rob Carry yrs ago.

[RedsLakers24]

Exactly, especially if you have a possible aggressive dog. You want to make sure you're doing the do's and dont's. I did Rob Carry yrs ago.

Do you know if its expensive?

[Xylus]

Dobermans are a friendly, family loyal breed, on the natch. But since they look tough, it's easy for them to intimidate people. If the dog figures that out (and dobermans are smart), it'll boss you around and you're screwed.

Off-topic, what does on the natch mean, in this context?

[jcrod]

Do you know if its expensive?

Courses should run about 100 bucks for several classes.

[RedsLakers24]

Courses should run about 100 bucks for several classes.

Not bad, but how long does the dog need training, sorry for asking alot of questions

[Mark in Austin]

If all you want is a dog that barks when somebody comes around, there are other choices more suited for first time dog owners / owners who don't know much about training and handling aggressive breeds.

If you have to ask this many questions, ask yourself if it is really worth exposing your kids to the risk of you not training the dog correctly.

[Bukefal]

Yeah but when it barks it tells me that someone is approaching the house, but it doesnt attack

You should just take some mixed street dog from the asylum. These are warning you the best, plus, they are more smart than any other breeded dog around, plus, you are doing a good thing with getting it from a asylum.

[balli]

Off-topic, what does on the natch mean, in this context?

Naturally. I stole it's usage from a Neil Young album.

[balli]

Not bad, but how long does the dog need training, sorry for asking alot of questions
Sorry for answering your question to jcrod- but my 2 cents? It's a complete toss up. When I was growing up, I had a lab that stayed INSANE for the first four years of her life no matter how many training classes we took her to. And we took her to a lot. Then one day, it's like a switch just flipped and she turned into the calmest most gentle dog in the world.

I've now got a retriever who's barely had 15 minutes of formal training in his whole life, but he's the best behaved dog I've owned.

Dobermans really are a super smart breed, and they are loyal enough to try to please you. The problem with a dog like that isn't getting it trained, but the consequences of not getting it trained. Smart dogs need stimulation and behavioral problems arise from a lack of it. I'd expect he responds well to training (maybe 6-months to a year), but it's definitely not the type of breed you can expect to train itself, based on it's love for you, ala a golden retriever.

[RedsLakers24]

Sorry for answering your question to jcrod- but my 2 cents? It's a complete toss up. When I was growing up, I had a lab that stayed INSANE for the first four years of her life no matter how many training classes we took her to. And we took her to a lot. Then one day, it's like a switch just flipped and she turned into the calmest most gentle dog in the world.

I've now got a retriever who's barely had 15 minutes of formal training in his whole life, but he's the best behaved dog I've owned.

Dobermans really are a super smart breed, and they are loyal enough to try to please you. The problem with a dog like that isn't getting it trained, but the consequences of not getting it trained. Smart dogs need stimulation and behavioral problems arise from a lack of it. I'd expect he responds well to training (maybe 6-months to a year), but it's definitely not the type of breed you can expect to train itself, based on it's love for you, ala a golden retriever.

Thanks for the info, yeah i read the Dobermans are the 5th smartest breed, im probaly going to train it for a year and also i want to be friendly to other dogs cuz my last dog wasnt and i couldnt take no where