Should I Get This Dog?
Filed under Care & Training Q&As
I am thinking of getting a doberman to live in my house for protection. I have a havanese male who is very submissive and a companion dog but I want a larger dog to keep people from breaking in. The female I am thinking of getting is 2. She is not fixed yet but when I get her she will be. She is good with children but is wary of stangers which may pose a problem becuase I run a daycare but I can always lock her out of the room until she gets used to the traffic. She had some obedience training but the owner has neglected her for the last year and left her in a crate almost 24/7. She has never been around small animals (cats, bunnies) and we have bunnies but I am willing to move them to a separate part of the house until she learns they are okay. She is house trained. BUT she can be agressive with other female dogs. Her mother is very agressive but she is not as bad. She also lives in a house with 20 or more other dogs who also live in crates.
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You run a day care and are considering a protection dog? Better hire a lawyer to go along with her.
Yes, that would be great but…
Dobermans have alot of health problems, since it is a breed that is mixed by alot of breeds. Since she’s 2, it can also be kind of dangerous. Having a watch dog would be great, but you have to play with him often before you get him, since he is already a grown up dog. Also, make sure you can take care of him forever, nomatter how much illness he might get when he is older(not cursing you)
i think with your having small children in the home you should not get this dog.i wouldnt want to risk my child or anyone elses when your not really sure if you can trust the dog.being tied up or crated 24/7 can make a dog agressive.
You have a daycare in your house, and are considering this dog. I think that’s a risky proposition. A mistake anywhere, by anyone, has potential for disaster.
Best of Luck!
take lady wolf advice
also keep a gun handy. dobermans will turn on their masters. cousin had one turn over night had to put it down it was attacking anything that moved.
yes
YES!
why not?
it’ll be fun!
No, NO, NOOO….you should NOT get this dog. You’ve listed at least three things that might be issues before she even walks in your door. You are making the assumptions that she will get used to the kids in your daycare and their parents, that she will get used to your bunnies, that your husband will be able to take her on jogs.
Take your time and find the dog that is RIGHT for your situation. Find a breeder who KNOWS the temperment of her dogs and tell him what you are looking for.
For your situation I would HIGHLY recommend finding a dog/puppy that you know their true background.
Just the thought of bringing this dog into your home, albeit a worthy thing to do, scares me.
She will probably take quite a bit of training and behavior modification. Lots of love and patience after being crated most of her life, she will need lots of socializing and plenty of time to get used to a different, and , better, lifestyle!
On the other hand, dobes are really smart, she might take right to it!
I would suggest you enroll her in obedience classes. They will help you learn how to handle her, and she will probably need brushing up. It will also give you alpha status right away and deepen the bond between you!
You should get the dog because dogs are cool, however, if you want protection, learn how to shoot and get yourself a firearm. If you already know how to shoot and already own a firearm, go get yourself a bigger firearm. Dogs will not protect you properly against any but the most inept criminals. Know how to effectively blow someone’s brains out and you will be safe.
Honestly, it depends on if you are willing to spend the time and effort to re-train this dog.
Doberman are supposed to be aloof around strangers and wary. That’s what makes a good guard dog. I would not leave any dog no matter what size around small children, but a good thing to do would be to assert yourself as the “top dog” of the house in an indirect manner. Eat before her. Hand feed her, kibble by kibble. Continued obedience training is a must, to keep her in check. I’d also say, take a class on protection work, or Schutzhund. Something that would strengthen your bond with her and allow you to become comfortable with her. She also needs to learn that bunnies and small animals are not toys. So no small fuzzy play things. Kong and tennis balls and training routines should be sufficient.
i hate to bring your hopes down but i really dont suggest you get this dog,i adopted a male dog from the spca, he was aggressive and attacked my very important house guest(my boss) thankfully my boss didnt sue but if he did id owe big time, besides your expecting a child and right now you probably have lots going on and lots of parents will be coming to pick up their kids and drop them up, what if she attacks one of the parents, better yet the kids, and our dog also attacked our parrot and dragged us all over the place because of his agressiveness to make the story short, once you have this baby you wont have time for the dog and would wish you never got it trust me, adults just like kids get excited about getting a pet but once they get it they change their minds i know i did. but its your choice and if you dont want to make it live in a crate then talk to people and try to find it a new home. anyway as i said its your choice get it or dont but its a bad idea, hope i helped!!!!!!!
If you didn’t run a day care it would be something completely different…but considering you do, I just have to warn you that the parents of some of the children may not be comfortable with you having a doberman around their kids. I know a lot of people are nervous around that breed in particular because they can be known to be agressive. In addition, you said the dog has some agressive issues. So far, its only been towards other dogs, but what if when put into a new situation, with kids, with strangers (the parents) coming and going all the time, etc, she becomes more agressive?
Also, you’re saying you want something for protection, but you want her to get used to the traffic of people coming and going for your business. If you have a dog thats used to strangers coming to your home all the time, how do they differentiate between the “parents” and a burglar? Most burglars will not break into a house with a dog, because they don’t want to take the chance of having a problem. The key is to get a dog that might look intimidating (ie, larger breed) but it doesn’t have to have a mean bone in its body.
A friend of mine has a German Shephard mix that is a doll, would more likely like you to death than bite you, but if you pull up and see that dog barking, I wouldn’t take the chance that she’s nice…because she LOOKS like she could be scary.
Point being…don’t put a dog with agression issues in your home with children and a business to run. Its too much of a liability. Get a younger dog maybe that you can raise around the kids and that the parents will be comfortable with…but get something that will be larger than the dog you already have, so it would intimidate potential thieves.