My kids want a dog badly. The wife wants a poodle/golden mix but I don't want one of those things. Nothing against the breed, it just doesn't excite me.

I really want to get a Doberman. With a lot of effort and time devoted to training can a Doberman work in a family that has small kids? Is their intelligence over rated?

If I could have my way I'd get a Jack Russell (my favorite breed) but my wife greatly dislikes them. Hell, I'd get two of em. I love the intelligence and ease of training a JRT. How smart are dobies?

Bonnie tells the story of her two dobies,
the black one loved to hide when cars drove in to the farm yard,
until people got both legs out of the vehicle,
then it would sneak up and bark like the devil himself,

scared any and all living shit out of many people.

the second one was red , it was a lot nicer dog, she got along with almost everyone, quiet , calm and friendly

I had a Dobie (Lady) for 10 years and she was great. Yes they are very intelligent and adapt to training easily. When we got her my youngest was 3 years old and they bonded immediately. Where ever my daughter went Lady was with her and very protective. When anyone came to the house that Lady had not met she kept herself between them and my daughter. She was a family member.

In my limited experience, excellent breed if the owners are responsible and train well.

Wonderful dogs. Our first Doberman was devoted to my daughter. We have two now. Red and black females. They are around 70 lbs each and still think they can sit in my wife's or daughter's laps. Very energetic, smart and take to training easily. They are family members.

We got our black one when our kids were 7 and 5.
He was 5 months old and a rescue of sorts. A friend of my wife's friend was trying to find a home for him. He was more than she could handle.

He was trying to take control of our house because the former owner was never a pack leader. I went round and round with him. After several tense months, he acknowledged he was not the pack leader. When he wants to do something, he can be very stubborn.

As the kids grew old enough that they could be left home for short periods of time, we told them if there was ever a time that a stranger came around the house, keep the Dobie with you.

Ours is an excellent judge of character.

I have an 8 year old Doberman/Rottweiler. He is a great dog, extremely intelligent, takes orders very well and great with kids and adults, but he will bark but only when he is supposed to.....

If you've got homeowners insurance, landlord, HOA, etc., be sure and check before adopting one, as they are usually on the no-no list.

If they are prohibited in your scenario, a boxer is a good option that won't be banned. They make great family dogs, but can throw down to protect the pack, when the need arises.

I had 3 over a total of 36 years. Sweetest intelligent animal we could hope for. 1st 18 months they are not matured. Attentive alpha human necessary for best results.

We had a blue dobbie for 6-7 years. We got him as a rescue when he was about a year and a half old. He had heart worms and had been treated, which you know can be pretty rough on a dog. The reason I mention this is it could have changed his behavior some. Basically though, he was one of the sweetest and most laid back dogs we ever had. Everything anyone’s said about a dobbie being smart, Azul embodied. I swear he could tell time. He fell into our routine and somewhat resented it if you changed the routine for some reason. Not that he’d act out, but you could tell there was that ‘have you lost your mind’ look. He got along with our grandkids great (10 & 2 at the time), even though they didn’t always appreciate the kisses sometimes. His ‘little brother’, our min pin was bossier and harder to get along with. He allowed the little dog to act as the alpha, but you could tell he just let him play the part to get along.

I have had 6 Dobies over many years, and am 100% a Doberman person. They are devoted to their family, especially the kids. They are warm and loving....sometime quite mischievous also. I have had black/tan, red/tan, males, females. Get a young female puppy, have her spayed when the time is right, and you have one of the most family devoted dogs known to man. You will never never regret owning a Dobie!!

My doberman is the sweetest dog in the world. My daughter can pull food out of the dog's mouth, and the dog will just sit any wait to see if the food is coming back. Upon being told "brush teeth" dog lays on back, opens wide and allows fangs to be brushed. Absolutely caring and loyal to us here in the pack.

If you love them, socialize and train them properly they are great dogs.

We have had 2 of them along with a litter of pups

Yes they are very intelligent, and

If you put the time and effort in to them, they are very trainable and are very loyal to the family,

Get the dobie and don't look back!

My wife was initially "opposed" to the breed as she claimed they looked evil. Nothing can be further than the truth. Our boy is a bit over 2 1/2 and is the most affectionate dog I've ever owned...my wife is now head over heels about him. Supremely attentive and curious about everything. Super athletic and tons of fun. A heads up, however. They can be expensive and buying from a reputable breeder can take some time. We were on a wait list for nearly 2 yrs and even that was unsuccessful as the litter was all females. Fortunately, our backup came through. We specifically purchased from a breeder who bred for show but depending upon what qualities you are looking for may impact your ability to (quickly) acquire.

Check around to see if you have a local chapter of the Doberman Pinscher Club of America. I was able to attend a few meetings while we were searching for breeders and the chapter mtgs I attended were very informative and everyone was willing to help me find a pup. Best of luck in your search and feel free to PM me if you want the name of the breeders we researched as I think I still have the names around someplace.

Get one at 8-10 weeks. Raise it with the kids. It will take a bullet for your children. They are very loyal, very protective. Excellent animals. Picking a breeded is the tough part. A reputable Do e breeder you'll pay $2k+. Like many dogs in america they have fucked up the lines and you have to pay to get one from a breeder who knows what they are doing. Working line Dobes cost more than Malinois or GSD's due to this.

I used to breed dobes.
I am not sure if the breed has morphed into something other than what they were created for or not, If you can find one from a good sire and dam that have a true doberman temperament then I would not hesitate.

Mine dobe was about 3 when I married my current wife and she had 2 children. She was great with them. But, I will say I had her fully trained and that helped.
I also bred and raised German Shepards before and after I had the dobes.
She was the smartest dog I ever owned. So, like people, one dobe could be smarter or more trainable than another dobe, but as a breed they are highly trainable and thought of as a smart breed.

I’m going to add something. Nearly everyone of us has commented on how smart dobbies are, which means, like any smart dog you will need to put time into training and socializing the dog. They are excellent dogs, but any dog who’s left to their own devices will find something to amuse themselves with. You might not be amused with the results. Give them your time, love them and they’ll return it.

I have had two Dobbies consecutively over the past twenty years. They have both been great, the current one is 14 years old. They are not aggressive and are very affectionate. They do lean on you! I got both as rescue dogs.

Last year, we wanted a young Doberman for the old guy to train as a replacement watch dog. It was really hard to find a Doberman. The breeders wanted over $1,000.

We ended up getting a two year old Rottweiler/Doberman female from a rescue. She is very pretty, is super athletic and energetic. Maybe something to consider.

quote:

Originally posted by jbcummings:
I’m going to add something. Nearly everyone of us has commented on how smart dobbies are, which means, like any smart dog you will need to put time into training and socializing the dog. They are excellent dogs, but any dog who’s left to their own devices will find something to amuse themselves with. You might not be amused with the results. Give them your time, love them and they’ll return it.

This is SO TRUE. I adopted mine at a year old, very well behaved dog. BUT, if I worked too many hours in a day and left him home for longer than he thought I should, he would let me know. He would take the paper towel roll out of the holder on the center of the diningroom table and shred it into a MILION pieces all over the living room.

I got mine from an Animal Shelter, he had a chip and everything but the old owner didn't want him when they tracked the person down......but he has been a GREAT dog. Honestly you can find a lot of good dogs at your local Animal Control (and some bad ones too).

We've had great luck with dobermans. They're very protective of their humans, and very smart. They can figure out how to work as a team to accomplish something.

Most of the ones we've had have been from European lines which make for bigger, sturdier dobermans than many American ones. Most of the ones we've had have been rescues, and, while they've had their quirks, they've been some great dogs.

These are high drive dogs, and smart. These are great attributes, however as others have mentioned, you MUST be prepared to keep both their body and mind occupied, exercised, and entertained. Failing to keep them entertained can lead to them entertaining themselves, often at the expense of your belongings.