Doberman Appreciation Thread!!!!!!!!!!

[ShrekDawg]

Yeah definitely a big issue, it’s so frustrating

I feel like that’s the most common cause of dog reactivity and bad behavior.

Yeah it definitely is! I don’t care if YOU think your dog has the perfect temperament… prove it LOL

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

Yeah definitely a big issue, it’s so frustrating

I feel like that’s the most common cause of dog reactivity and bad behavior.

Definitely. Most dogs are under worked, under stimulated, and under challenged.

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

Another reason I love my pyrs, I know I'm not under doing it with her although she does need to exercise more, not that she wants to she just needs to

 

[ShrekDawg]

Definitely. Most dogs are under worked, under stimulated, and under challenged.

It’s so sad

 

[ShrekDawg]

Another reason I love my pyrs, I know I'm not under doing it with her although she does need to exercise more, not that she wants to she just needs to

Lol

 

[SpotTheCat]

I agree, and I do think that a top of the line working line German Shepherd would be better than the top of the line working line Doberman in bite sports. Though I do feel like a really good quality working line Doberman definitely has the ability to do well in bite sports. First and foremost for me, though, he will be a pet, so I am more concerned about looking for qualities that I think will be the best pet for me, and then sports is second. How do you think German shepherds and dobermans compare just as pets?

Breed comparison is one of my favourite things to talk about (and gsds )

Thats a hard question. I think it would depend a lot on lines and specific people but generally speaking with my limited knowledge I would say doberman are better

I know there is a huge variety in gsd lines, I don't know if it's the same in Doberman. GSD are at the point where it's recommended to presume they are reactive rather then presume they aren't, I don't believe you can breed it out because agitation work and leash reactivity are really the same thing. I know Dobies also struggle with reactivity but I don't think they are as popular for bitework so it might be easier to find breeders balancing both work and pet temperament

Mals and Dutch are the most airborne, gsd are more grounded, I think Dobies are normal dog amount airborne. The feeling I get from Dobies is that they are not as crazy or hyper as the shepherds once mature. Pepsi goes from completely calm to bouncing off the walls extremely quickly (she goes back to calm just as quickly). They seem steadier in their excitement than the shepherds. I also haven't seen as many videos of them biting things? I could have just missed it but the shepherds constantly have something in their mouths. Gsd can be quite thoughtful but the dobies seem more so then them

They both have dog and human aggression potential but like I mentioned before it might be easier to find a balanced dobie. I know there is a lot of ego in the bitework community, a lot of breeders are not honest about their dogs or they treat them so little like pets that they ignore behaviour they really shouldn't. There are some shepherds that have unsafe temperaments and the breeders won't tell you but I would expect all WL bitey shepherds to have some level of dog and human aggression (Dobies too). They will always need some level of management when around other dogs, even if that's just being very aware of your surroundings and the dogs body language

 

[ShrekDawg]

This is all so helpful! LOL

 

[Squawkers]

Breed comparison is one of my favourite things to talk about (and gsds )

Yes I love talking about this stuff too!!! (and dobies )

Thats a hard question. I think it would depend a lot on lines and specific people but generally speaking with my limited knowledge I would say doberman are better

I know there is a huge variety in gsd lines, I don't know if it's the same in Doberman. GSD are at the point where it's recommended to presume they are reactive rather then presume they aren't, I don't believe you can breed it out because agitation work and leash reactivity are really the same thing. I know Dobies also struggle with reactivity but I don't think they are as popular for bitework so it might be easier to find breeders balancing both work and pet temperament

Mals and Dutch are the most airborne, gsd are more grounded, I think Dobies are normal dog amount airborne. The feeling I get from Dobies is that they are not as crazy or hyper as the shepherds once mature. Pepsi goes from completely calm to bouncing off the walls extremely quickly (she goes back to calm just as quickly). They seem steadier in their excitement than the shepherds. I also haven't seen as many videos of them biting things? I could have just missed it but the shepherds constantly have something in their mouths. Gsd can be quite thoughtful but the dobies seem more so then them

They both have dog and human aggression potential but like I mentioned before it might be easier to find a balanced dobie. I know there is a lot of ego in the bitework community, a lot of breeders are not honest about their dogs or they treat them so little like pets that they ignore behaviour they really shouldn't. There are some shepherds that have unsafe temperaments and the breeders won't tell you but I would expect all WL bitey shepherds to have some level of dog and human aggression (Dobies too). They will always need some level of management when around other dogs, even if that's just being very aware of your surroundings and the dogs body language

So you think GSDs are more likely to be reactive and crazy hyper? That makes sense, GSDs are definitely the most commonly reactive dog breed. What about other pet qualities? Like affection and attention to their owners? And what about friendliness to strangers? Which do you think has the most protective nature?

 

[SpotTheCat]

Yes I love talking about this stuff too!!! (and dobies )

So you think GSDs are more likely to be reactive and crazy hyper? That makes sense, GSDs are definitely the most commonly reactive dog breed.

it goes for mals and the other bitey shepherds too. People don't want to spend long time, when doing bitework, getting their dog to lunge or bark, and the method used as far as I know is getting them frustrated. So it makes sense to me that they would display that same behaviour in situations where you don't want it . I wouldn't actually call it reactivity because it isn't a deep issues, it is a breed trait. Naturally neutral to the environment means not really paying attention or doing something about it, which is generally not what you want with a protection dog

They are also bred to go through a lot to get what they want and not stop because of pressure, instead they should try harder. So when you put that on a leash and it sees something it wants, it's not going to sit calmly

What about other pet qualities? Like affection and attention to their owners?

I can't make much of a comparison to Dobies since I don't know the breed well enough. GSD are fairly affectionate, some more than others. Pepsi likes affection and will ask for a bit but she doesn't need it, she does need attention but that can be just talking or playing, just acknowledging her existence

She likes being a part of things and would be happy to go every where and be around constantly but it's not the end of the world if she isn't (unless she is missing out on something fun)

And what about friendliness to strangers?

there is a lot of variety with this, they should at least tolerate strangers but some are not without management. Others are extremely friendly but that doesn't mean they lack protectiveness. Like with dogs you should always be aware of people around you and whats going on

Pepsi is selective, if she is in the mood she loves saying hello but she loses interest in greeting strangers quite quickly. We have never(and I hope never) been in a situation where she needed to be protective but I am pretty sure she would. She does watch people if they are being suspicious or there is the occasional person walking past

Which do you think has the most protective nature?

I would say shepherd purely because there are more people breeding them for protection but it would be hugely line dependent. Some shepherds might not actually be bred for protection but instead prey drive because you can train bitework on prey drive. A doberman breeder selecting for protectiveness should be protective, I would mostly be worried about confidence and ability to handle pressure

 

[Squawkers]

it goes for mals and the other bitey shepherds too. People don't want to spend long time, when doing bitework, getting their dog to lunge or bark, and the method used as far as I know is getting them frustrated. So it makes sense to me that they would display that same behaviour in situations where you don't want it . I wouldn't actually call it reactivity because it isn't a deep issues, it is a breed trait. Naturally neutral to the environment means not really paying attention or doing something about it, which is generally not what you want with a protection dog

Ahh I see!

And just curious, you said something about wishing you could do PSA with Pepsi (at least I think right?) have you done any other bite sports with her like IGP? Or do you plan to?

I can't make much of a comparison to Dobies since I don't know the breed well enough. GSD are fairly affectionate, some more than others. Pepsi likes affection and will ask for a bit but she doesn't need it, she does need attention but that can be just talking or playing, just acknowledging her existence

Same with me I feel like I really know so little about the more specifics of GSDs personally and traits, I just know the more broad overview so it’s hard for me to make a comparison. Chase is over the top affectionate, constantly wanting my attention, he’d be in heaven if I was touching/petting/playing with him 24/7. He always wants to be right on top of me. While, yes, it can get annoying, I do like it, and I find it greatly comforting. This is one of the reasons I’m drawn to dobies, I’ve heard they are like this. Very Velcro and affectionate. But I feel like, as a whole, working line dogs are always more independent and less affectionate than companion or conformation lines of the same breed. Do you see this high level of affection and attachment in GSDs? And specifically working line.

She likes being a part of things and would be happy to go every where and be around constantly but it's not the end of the world if she isn't (unless she is missing out on something fun)

That makes sense. I feel like that’s a good combo, Chase acts like he has been since sentenced to life imprisonment I even think about not taking him somewhere with me.

there is a lot of variety with this, they should at least tolerate strangers but some are not without management. Others are extremely friendly but that doesn't mean they lack protectiveness. Like with dogs you should always be aware of people around you and whats going on. Pepsi is selective, if she is in the mood she loves saying hello but she loses interest in greeting strangers quite quickly. We have never(and I hope never) been in a situation where she needed to be protective but I am pretty sure she would. She does watch people if they are being suspicious or there is the occasional person walking past

Yeah I feel like it’s hard to be specific on this too because it does vary so wildly. Pepsi sounds good, I appreciate the selectiveness without being overly cautious of course

I would say shepherd purely because there are more people breeding them for protection but it would be hugely line dependent. Some shepherds might not actually be bred for protection but instead prey drive because you can train bitework on prey drive. A doberman breeder selecting for protectiveness should be protective, I would mostly be worried about confidence and ability to handle pressure

This is funny to me because Dobermans original purpose was strictly personal protection, whereas German shepherds was to herd sheep. So it makes sense to me that Dobermans would be more so, but I guess just as breeding has evolved it has changed