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tell me about your dobes...the good and the bad

This is a forum for bonding with your fellow Dogsters about the traits, quirks and idiosyncrasies of your favorite breed. Please remember that there are absolutely no animal sales or requests for studding or breeding allowed on our sites. All posts and interactions should be in the spirit of Dogster's Community Guidelines and should be fun, friendly and informational. Enjoy!

  


Member Since
08/22/2008		 
 
Barked: Mon Feb 22, '10 2:45pm PST 
prospective dobe owner talking here smilesmile on the general forums on dogster , I've been advised to get a dobe as a first dog based on what i told people I wanted by many dogsters. I have done some research on the breed and they seem like great dogs but I wanted to talk to some dobie owners to get first hand accounts smilesmile I won't get this dog for a couple of years yet , and I'm just starting to look at breeds...the gsd is another one I have in mind, but the shedding and the fact that they need more exercise than a dobie (is this true?) turns me off. I live with my parents and sister so it would be a family dog , I also have a cat. I'm quite willing to put lots of time/effort into training this dog and teaching it stuff ,I've heard they are very smart and quick learners. I would crate train , of course and as for commands use the clicker method probably...I would love to do agility or rally with the dog (just for fun , probably not compete) but because of several circumstances I'm not sure I'll be able to do that. I can probably provide about two 45 minute walks a day , a morning walk and an afternoon bike ride..and twice a week some running. and some really intense bicyling on the weekends. the dog probably won't be alone for more than4 hours a day on weekdays and maybe up to 6 on the weekends..but not every weekend. oh and i live in an apartment (with a large park 2 mins away).and several of my family members have dogs and dogs live in my neighborhood so I wouldn't like a dog reactive breed. so , do you think the dobe is a good breed for me? tell me about the quirks of your breed smilesmile how it's like to live with one. and about how much exercise they really need , because that's important for me , seeing as I'm somewhat of a couch potatoe (thank goodness my sister is an athlete and can help me out with that) and in general any advice/experinces of your own with dobes are welcome smilesmileblue dogdog
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Cooper- 1999-March- 13th, 2010

Hangin' with Mr.- Cooper		 
 
Barked: Wed Feb 24, '10 1:25pm PST 
Hello there,

It sounds like you can provide a very lovely home for a Dobe. Dobe's are absolutely the most amazing dogs. They are loving and lovable and MUST be near you at all times. They love to be pet and more often then not, end up tripping you up while you walk or you stumbling over them inside the house because they are velcro dogs to the max. They are so good with kids, dogs and cats if properly trained. They are huge hearted dogs that will love you unconditionally. Now the draw backs for Dobes, they need someone who is not a couch potato. They have an insane amount of energy and need it to be burned off daily. When my guy was a couple of years younger, it would take 3 hours + a day of exercise to burn his energy. The health issues with this dog are heart disease (more than any other dog breed combined), cancer and wobblers syndrom.
Other than that, they are such an amzing breed who have a bad rep for no reason at all.

Best of luck in your decision!
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Member Since
08/22/2008		 
 
Barked: Wed Feb 24, '10 1:49pm PST 
eek eek 3 HOURS A DAY eekeek !!!! that's a LOT of exercise. wow I really need to think carefuly about this , then. I hope some other pups reply and I can see if this is the norm for a dobe or if yours was just high energy. please let it be the former!!!! they seem like really nice dogs otherwise , but I don't think I can give them that amount of exercise unless I really commit to it. It's good for me and all that , but I really need to consider it. exercise is not my forte. but when you say exercise what kind , exactly? like 3 hours f runnign , or will fetch and running around loose in a park suffice? in other words , is it the type of exercise in which the owner needs to participate and exercise as much as the dog , or is just taking the dog to the park and wartching it play with other dogs/run around for about an hour? (plus the 45 mins each walks , of course). your post was very imformative and cooper is cute! thanks for the info smilesmilesmile
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Cooper- 1999-March- 13th, 2010

Hangin' with Mr.- Cooper		 
 
Barked: Wed Feb 24, '10 2:58pm PST 
Didn't mean to scare you! Running around at the park and playing with other dogs for a couple of hours a day will suffice. I would usually try to burn some of Coop's energy before taking him to a dog park, though. They are very strong dogs who can play a little rough so having burned off some energy is good for the other dogs he would play with. Oh yes, one thing I forgot to mention is that these are very stubborn dogs. They listen when they want to listen (obviously Cooper did not see me as a leader) but I have heard this of all Dobes. But again, I am so crazy about the breed that their positive traits far outweigh the negative.
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Member Since
08/22/2008		 
 
Barked: Wed Feb 24, '10 5:09pm PST 
yes i figured the afternoon walk would come before the park smilesmilesmile of course my cousin has a crazy lab that could probably equal the dobe in energy and is "tough" enough to take it , she likes playing rough , actually smilesmile I'd love to see them play together like that smile I wish she lived closer , because it would be a great way to exercise for both dogs. I've heard females are "softer"than males , is this true? my mom thinks male dogs are yucky for some reason so it will be a female. about the leader thing , what exactly could you so the dog did see you as a leader? just curious , what do you think you did so he didn't see you as leader? or what didn't you do? just want to know what to expect , as this will be my first dog smilesmile oh and a last question...what's the difference between european and american dobes? I know they are bred to different standards and the european ones are more of a "working"line , but does this mean they have more energy than american ones? this is so exciting...I just wish I could get my puppy now dogblue dog

Edited by author Wed Feb 24, '10 5:10pm PST

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Cooper- 1999-March- 13th, 2010

Hangin' with Mr.- Cooper		 
 
Barked: Fri Feb 26, '10 6:41am PST 
HI there,

As for Cooper not seeing me as a leader, I got him when he was 10 so that was a huge part of the reason. Also, from what a couple pf people have told me who have been dobe owners their whole lives, is that male dobes are a bit sexist and will be hard pressed to see you as a leader. However, this is what I have heard so I am not sure if it is 100 % true. Yes, I have heard the females are much softer and easier to work with. Still a ton of energy, though!! I just saw one in the park on the weekend who was 10 months old and that thing was crazy! Anyway, the difference between German and American Dobes is first and foremost, size. They are huge compared to the American ones (think 100 pounds compared to 65 pounds). Cooper is a German line. And yes, they are more for work than the American ones. If you get one, invest in a trainer who is familiar with the breed and has worked with them before. They are still very rare after the whole scare of the 1980s and their numbers decreasing enormously as a result. They were banned and discriminated against much like the bully breeds are today. So, most trainers have no idea about the breed. Again, they are awesome dogs but are an experienced dog owner's dog or someone who is willing to put the time and money into making the puppy a well socialized, respectful dog.
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Member Since
08/22/2008		 
 
Barked: Fri Feb 26, '10 4:13pm PST 
"very interesting cooper..I didn't know he was a rescue. yes he looks like a big boy in his pics! of course when you get a dog at that age , the whole leadership thing is really understandable...I found one breeder who to the best of my knowledge seems "reputable"of german dobes...this is their site , I love the size of the german sobes and stuff ,the extra energy , not so much. Isn't there no one who "crosses"both types responsibly? I wish , but I'm not holding my breath. thanks for all the info so far!

Edited by author Fri Feb 26, '10 4:13pm PST

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Member Since
08/22/2008		 
 
Barked: Sat Feb 27, '10 7:18pm PST 
well with me being so paranoid about mills and such , I did a quick search on the kennel I posted earlier...most people seem to be very wary of this kennel and there has been lots of bad experinces with them , I searched around on a doberman forum , and some nasty things cropped up...I'll admit that when I first looked a this breeder's page , something seemed off , though everything was "right" health testing and stuff and I burried this small bit of doubt...but it lingered and prompted me to do the search, and I'm glad I did...it's so easy to be fooled on the internet...
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