I know firsthand how bad it can be if you have a Doberman suffering from separation anxiety. You feel like you’re a prisoner and your Doberman is your jail guard. If you walk out of sight of your dog, that’s when things get bad. Your Doberman might bark, howl, cry, chew up things they shouldn’t, or make that ear-piercing mix between a yelp and a bark (a classic Doberman thing to do). Luckily there are a number of proven methods Doberman owners such as myself have been using for a long time with this breed to alleviate these anxiety issues in their dogs.

The quickest way to resolve separation anxiety in your Doberman is to use desensitization exercises to reduce the stress of various triggers surrounding your departure and to make your dog as comfortable as possible in their environment.

There is a long list of various tricks and methods used by Doberman owners trying to solve separation anxiety issues but really only a handful of techniques keep popping up over and over and the “go-to” techniques that actually work for this unique breed. But first, you need to be able to identify if your Doberman is actually suffering from separation anxiety at all, or if it’s something else.

Signs of Separation Anxiety in Dobermans

There are many behaviors that Dobermans will exhibit when they’re experiencing an increase in stress due to the absence of their owners. Below is a list of some of the most common behaviors you’re likely to see in a Doberman with separation anxiety.

• Howling or Barking – This is a classic sign of separation anxiety in most breeds, including in Dobermans. Constant loud barking can happen in this breed when they’re suffering from anxiety. Howling is less common in Dobermans and usually only happens with extreme levels of separation anxiety.
• Destructive Behavior – Desctructive behavior is extremely common in Dobermans that are stressed, especially younger dogs under about 2 years of age. If your dog is destroying things, chewing on things they shouldn’t be, or digging up the yard, they’re likely experiencing hightened levels of stress.
• Whining or Crying – Probably the earliest and most common sign of separation anxiety in Dobermans is excessive whining or crying when their owner is away.
• Teeth Chattering – This is a common sign in Dobermans, but not so much in other breeds. If you’re hearing your Doberman’s teeth chatter (or click rapidly) in can be due to separation anxiety or a number of other causes. You can see more about Doberman teeth chattering here.
• Pacing – Constant pacing is a more subtle sign of anxiety in this breed and can be a sign of mild to moderate anxiety. However, if your Doberman is only pacing and not exhibiting any other signs, it’s likely they’re only experiencing mild anxiety or discomfort.
• Repetitive Behaivors – Dobermans are known for exhibiting certain repetitive behaviors when they are stressed such as “flank sucking” (or sucking on the flap of skin between their back leg and torso) and suckeling on blankets or bedding. However repetitive behaviors of any type can be a sign of increased anxiety.
• Overeating or Undereating – Another sign that your Doberman is experiencing separation anxiety is when they start to develop strange eating habits, like not eating when you aren’t around for example. This is uncommon but can still happen in severe cases.
• Swallowing Foreign Objects – If your dog is chewing up various objects in the house or yard and swallowing them, it’s likely they’re suffereing from anxiety. This is not only common in Dobermans, but it’s also extremely dangerous as they can get an internal blockage and require surgery.
• Urinating or Deficating Indoors – A Doberman with increased stress due to separation from its owner will also often urinate or deficate inside the house even though they’ve been previously fully potty trained. This is a bit less common however.
• Sharp High-Pitched Barks – This is a classic sign of separation anxiety in Dobermans. They do a type of “yelp-bark” that sounds like a cross between a yelp and a bark. It’s often done for attention when a Doberman is away from their owner.

Most of the various points listed above indicate simply that your Doberman is experiencing stress. If you notice that these things are associated with your absence, or your dog being alone in general, then it’s likely due to separation anxiety.

If these things are occurring when you’re sitting right next to your Doberman, then it likely isn’t separation anxiety but could be some neediness issues instead. I have information on addressing neediness in Dobermans here.

Step 1 – Get Your Dog Used to Your Absence

This is one of the most important steps for solving separation anxiety in your Doberman on a long-term basis. Essentially you’ll be using a form of desensitization training to slowly acclimate your dog to your absence. This is best started when the dog is fairly young, at about 8 weeks of age. However, it’s also highly effective on older Dobermans as well.

Start by placing your dog in his or her crate (or pen—wherever they will be contained when you leave), provide them with a distraction such as a toy or treat, and walk away. Don’t walk out of eyesight initially and make sure to return soon, within 30 seconds or so. Open the door to the pen or crate and casually walk away. When your dog comes out, if there was no whining, crying, or barking, then praise heavily.

Next time, do the same thing but walk a bit further away and for a slightly longer period of time. Again, walk back before you hear any crying, whining, or barking, and casually open the door to their pen. Praise when your dog comes out. Practice this a couple of times per day.

Repeat this process with progressively more distance between you and your Doberman and progressively longer periods of time. Make sure to progress at a speed where you can go through this exercise without any signs of separation anxiety such as whining, crying, howling, or barking. If you begin to see some of those signs of anxiety from your Doberman, slow down your progression. Let your dog set your pace here.

Step 2 – Desensitize to “Going Away Triggers”

Dobermans are highly focused animals and they see all the slightest things you do before you leave the house. Any of these can be a trigger that begins their spiral into high-anxiety territory. Your Doberman might see you do something seemingly small to you, like grab your car keys, and they’ll begin their anxious behavior. If your dog experiences anxiety within the first 10 to 15 minutes of your departure from the house, it’ll continue until you come back home.

Common “Going Away Triggers” Include:

• Picking up car keys.
• Putting on a coat.
• Opening the garage door.
• Putting on a backpack or grabbing a briefcase.
• Going towards the front door.
• Starting your car.
• Being placed in their pen.

If you do any of these actions and notice your Doberman start to whine and pace around the house, then you know that they need to be desensitized to that trigger.

Figure out which trigger is the one that causes the anxiety in your Doberman and practice that trigger multiple times throughout a normal day when you don’t plan to leave the house. If your car keys are the trigger, try picking up your car keys multiple times throughout the day and moving them around the house. Or take them with you to toss the trash out, and come right back inside afterward.

This is called desensitization training. All you’re trying to do here is to get your Doberman used to that action so it’s not a source of stress for them. That way it hopefully won’t trigger higher anxiety in that critical first 10 to 15-minute window when you’re leaving the house.

Step 3 – Make Sure They See Their Pen (or Crate) as Their Happy Place

If you plan to have your Doberman confined to a pen or a crate when you leave the house then it’s your job to make sure that place is seen as your dog’s “happy place”. You want nothing but good, relaxed feelings in that area for your dog. There are a few things you can do to make sure that this will happen.

Associating Relaxed Feelings With Their Pen

• Place It in a Quiet Spot Within Eyesight of the Family – Dobermans (espeically young ones) often want a break form the craziness in a chaotic house. This is especially true if there are young children in the home. However, they can get stressed and not easily relax if they also feel like they aren’t part of the family. So place the pen in an area where they can see the common areas of the house where your family usually gathers, but off in a quiet corner so they can also have a break if needed. Using a crate in a quiet back bedroom is a bad choice for this.
• Never Use the Pen as a Punishment – One of the worst things you can do is use your Doberman’s pen or crate as something they go in for a punishment and then also use that same pen to contain your dog when you leave the house. This will almost certainly garuntee that seperation anxiety will kick in when you leave them there. So be careful to avoide using it for punishment.
• Leave the Door Open Often – Leave the door open to the pen and encourage your dog to go into their pen on their own throughout the day. If this begins to happen, then you’re doing great and your Dobie is begining to see their pen as their “happy place”.
• Encourage Naps in the Pen – Waking up in the pen is a great way to help your Doberman feel relaxed there. If you have a young puppy, then get used to transfering them into the pen when they fall asleep on your lap or somewhere else in the house. Try to leave the door open if you are there to supervise, or open the door to the pen quickly when they wake up so that they only feel relaxed feelings there upon waking.
• Provide Special Treats and Toys When in the Pen – This is a very basic, but effective, method for associating good feelings with your Doberman’s pen. Encourage your dog to naturally want to spend time there by providing delicious treats on occasion inside the pen, or an exciting toy they rarely see.
• Have Short Times in the Pen (Not Just Long Ones) – Use the pen often throughout the day for very short breaks. It’s improtant that your Doberman knows that they don’t just go in the pen when you’re leaving for a long work day, but they might also go in for a short 5 minute period throughout the day occasionally as well.

Step 4 – Provide a Special Treat or Toy When Leaving

When you’re leaving the house, get in the habit of pulling out a high-value toy that your dog only sees when you leave. Possibly a puzzle toy or something else with a treat (maybe peanut butter) inside of it. If you need help finding some toys that Dobermans love, check out my recommended products page for ideas. You can also provide a high-value treat when you leave as well. Doing this will help reassociate the action of you leaving from something traumatic to something positive and exciting.

Does your Doberman love you? If your Dobie is experiencing separation anxiety when you’re away, then there’s a good chance he (or she) does! Check out this list of 25 ways Dobermans show affection and count how many of these your Dobie does. The more of these things they do, the more likely your Doberman truly loves you!

Step 5 – Use Background Noise

The trauma of you leaving the house is often made worse because the house goes from a chaotic noise environment (especially true if you have kids) to a dead silent one. You can help lessen the impact of this by leaving on some sort of background noise. This can be a television, radio, music, white noise, or really anything else.

Just make sure that it’s something calming and be especially careful if you leave the television on to do this. You don’t want the next program to be a loud police movie with gunshots and barking dogs. That will certainly quickly add stress to your dog while you’re away. I’ve found that a quiet news or history channel seems to work pretty well and be fairly predictable.

Step 6 – Put Your Dog in Their Pen 10-15 Minutes Before Leaving

Since most separation anxiety in Dobermans begins in that critical window of the first 10 to 15 minutes after their owner leaves, you really want to do whatever you can to get through that window of time with no signs of anxiety from your dog. Try placing your Doberman in their pen (or crate) 10 to 15 minutes before you actually leave the house.

This will greatly help reduce anxiety feelings since the trauma of being put in their pen is now separated further from the trauma of their owner departing. Instead of experiencing these two potential anxiety triggers at the same time, they’re spaced out, effectively reducing their impact on your Dobie. Also, your Doberman will be able to see you still walking around the house and doing various things getting ready to leave for a while, as they hopefully begin calming down and settling in without the fear of being immediately alone.

Step 7 – Exercise and Feed Your Doberman Before Leaving

Dobermans are a working breed of dog that seems to always have excess energy. Excess energy in this breed leads to excess anxiety. So do your best to make sure your dog is well exercised before you leave the house to help your dog relax easier. Make it part of your daily routine to exercise your dog early in the morning before you leave, it’ll likely not only be good for your dog, but good for you too.

Another point of stress, in all dog breeds, is food. There’s a natural instinct in dogs to always be focused on where their next meal is coming from and it’s heightened as they begin feeling hungry. So take this stress off of your Doberman by making sure he (or she) also has a full stomach before you leave. If your dog is well exercised and has a full stomach before you leave the house, the chances of your Doberman experiencing separation anxiety are greatly reduced.

Just make sure to take precautions to avoid a condition called bloat in your dog. This is something that is common in the Doberman breed and can be deadly. The chances of your Doberman developing bloat are increased if they exercise within an hour of eating.

Step 8 – Provide Plenty of Chew Toys

Chewing is one of the primary ways Dobermans release stress. So providing your Doberman with plenty of “good” chew options will not only help avoid destructive chewing on items you don’t want your Doberman to be chewing on, but it’ll also help them to self-regulate their anxiety levels. This is especially important for young Dobermans under 6 months of age who are going through teething and are looking to get their teeth on new and unique textures in an attempt to relieve stress and soothe their aching gums.

The larger the variety of textures and types of toys, the better. These can be puzzle toys, kong toys, soft plush toys (make sure they’re safe and remove them if they’re getting destroyed), frozen toys, firm rubber bones, nylabones, or any number of other types of toys. Frozen toys are great for something different and really help soothe the gums of teething puppies also.

Step 9 – Leave and Return to the House Casually

Hopefully, you have your Doberman ready to be alone, now you need to have your demeanor dialed in before you leave. Remember this: the bigger you make the “event” of you leaving the house, the more likely your Doberman will be to react to it. Dobermans and people-watchers and pay close attention to your demeanor just about every minute of the day.

So if you leave the house with a big elaborate goodbye with tons of hugs, kisses, and a long drawn out “I’ll miss you!”, your dog is much more likely to react when you’re away. Similarly, when you return to the house, if you instantly run over to your dog’s pen, let him out, give him a big hug and tons of praise, then you are also making more of an “event” out of you being gone. This is only making your Doberman’s separation anxiety worse.

The best thing you can do is make both your departure from the house and your arrival as uneventful as possible. Keep it casual and relaxed when you leave, placing your Doberman in his cage 10 to 15 minutes before your leave and not giving him any big departing hugs either. Just get ready casually and slip out of the house. When you return do the same thing. Remain relaxed, do a few things around the house, and let your Dobie out of their pen maybe 5 minutes or so after you arrive home (there’s no rush!). This will take the emphasis off of your absence, which is one of the most important things you can do while addressing separation anxiety in a Doberman.

The Key to Long-Term Success

To ensure that you have long-term success in addressing separation anxiety in your Doberman, you’ll want to use the habit-forming tendencies of the Doberman to your advantage. Using the habit-forming tendencies of the Doberman to your advantage is the quickest way to long-term success in addressing separation anxiety. Essentially what this means is developing the habit in your dog of them not experiencing anxiety when you leave.

Dobermans love routine and are strong habit-forming dogs. This is something that’s ingrained in them and is one of the reasons they are one of the world’s more trainable dogs according to researchers (source). You can use this to your advantage by ensuring that your Doberman has as many episodes away from you as possible without experiencing separation anxiety. If you have enough of these positive times away from you, being relaxed and calm in your absence will become your Doberman’s new habit.

This is most useful to employ during the desensitization step above (Step 1 – Get Your Dog Used to Your Absence). While you’re doing this, make sure that you consistently return to your Doberman’s pen and let him out before he starts crying, barking, or showing any other signs of anxiety. Then on your next session, you can try to go a bit longer, but you should still return before anxiety forms and release your dog from the pen.

“Returning to your Doberman only once he starts crying is setting him up for long-term separation anxiety.”

– John Walter, FDS
DobermanPlanet.com

Consider each of these trips away from your dog where there are no signs of anxiety as a “win” and any trips away where there are any signs of increased anxiety (such as crying, whining, barking, etc) as a “loss”. Attempt to get as many “wins” in your column as possible as this is what will develop the habit of maintaining low anxiety in your absence and ultimately solve the separation anxiety issues in your Doberman.

Common Mistakes

The most common mistake Dobermans owners make while attempting to solve separation anxiety is progressing too fast during desensitization training. In other words, they’ll begin slowly acclimating their dogs to their absence during step 1 (above) and about when they get to the point of being away from their dog for 10 minutes or so, things start to fall apart.

Most owners become so excited that they’re seeing some progress and are “actually able to get a little work done” without their dog crying that they begin progressing too fast. They begin working on a project for work, or cleaning the house, and are so relieved that they seem to be making progress addressing the anxiety in their dogs that they want to “take advantage” of this quiet time they finally have. So they continue on their project longer and longer until they’re away so long that their Doberman finally does start to whine, bark, or cry. That is when they finally return to the pen to let their dog out.

The problem is, that whole session which was going great and could have easily been a “win”, has now turned into a “loss” and they’ve essentially helped to engrain anxious feelings in their Doberman a little deeper by being away too long. All simply because they were excited to finally get some “quiet time”. Owners who fall into this trap essentially are trading the joys of short-term success for the long-term failure of their dogs with separation anxiety.

Keep this in mind as you address separation anxiety in your Doberman, progress slowly, and get as many positive sessions away from your dog as possible where they end without high anxiety levels. That will ensure long-term success with addressing separation anxiety in your Doberman.

More Helpful Resources

• How Long Can You Leave a Doberman Home Alone – This article will discuss how long you can leave a Doberman home alone at various ages and steps you can take to make sure it’s a successful trip away from the house.
• 6 Steps to Get Your Doberman Pinscher to Stop Barking – This article addresses how to stop barking in your Doberman if it’s the cause of a behavior issue, and not separation anxiety specifically. If you suspenct your Doberman might be barking for behavior reasons, which is common in this breed, take a look at this article.
• 5 Reasons Why Dobermans Howl – Dobermans who start howling are suffering from any number of issues. This is fairly uncommon in Dobermans but can happen for any number of reasons, not just with separation anxiety. If your Doberman is howling, take a look at this article to learn about some other potential causes that really should be addressed soon.

The post How to Prevent Separation Anxiety in Dobermans—Proven Method appeared first on Doberman Planet.

Dobermans are known for bonding extremely tightly with their owners. Of course, that’s only if the owner has made an effort to bond to their Doberman in a way that this unique breed is receptive to. Yes, your Doberman is inclined to naturally bond with you, but there are some actions you can take that appeal to this breed’s natural instincts that’ll help ensure a tight bond builds between you too very quickly and stays for years to come.

As a Family Doberman Specialist, I’ve helped many families to bond with their Dobermans in a way that appeals to this breed’s natural instincts. Below are some of the best methods I’ve come across. Many of these Doberman owners have been using these methods for years to really develop that deep, lasting connection with their dogs.

1. Sleep Close Together

Dobermans, especially young Dobermans, love sleeping close to their owners. This is why Doberman puppies love sleeping in tight groups with their brothers and sisters in the litter. It provides them with a sense of security and is more or less their “happy place”.

This is especially true when they are winding down for the night and their instincts are telling them to find a safe place for the night. It’s also a constant reminder for the attention-needing Dobermans that they are close to their owner and “a part of the pack”.

Don’t be offended though if your Doberman’s natural instinct to protect you takes over and they reposition themselves with their back to you facing the door (or entryway) into the room where you’re sleeping. This doesn’t mean your Doberman is any less bonded with you, it simply means they are in protection mode. Dobermans do this much more often when they are sleeping in a new environment.

2. More Involvement in Your Daily Life

The more you integrate your Doberman into your daily life, the more he or she will naturally develop a deep bond with you. I’ve seen this time and time again with my clients. When an owner starts making arrangements to bring their dog to work with them, or to the outdoor market they frequent, or a mother starts bringing their Doberman to pick up the kids from school, many amazing things can result in the relationship between owner and Doberman.

First, the bond you two have will naturally deepen, but they will also feel more integrated into your daily life and routine (more on routine in a bit). This has other great side effects like reducing anxiety in your dog overall, resolving destructive chewing issues, reducing unwanted barking, and a lot more.

So get creative and see what parts of your life you can integrate your Doberman into. They’re called “velcro” dogs for a reason. They always want to be by your side no matter where you are. Plus, exposing them to new people and experiences does wonders for keeping your Dobie well-rounded, calm, and well-socialized.

3. Play a Game Together

Dobermans are working dogs and they instinctually bond with others who are a part of whatever “job” they feel they need to accomplish. So make yourself a part of that by creating a job for your dog in the form of a new game to play together. This can be something simple like fetch or something where they need to engage their mind like playtime with a puzzle toy.

One of my favorites that’s really easy to do with a Doberman is a game of “hide and seek”. Dobermans are naturally inclined to excel at this game since they naturally seek out their owners, they have amazing scenting capabilities, and they’re trainable enough to teach the rules of this game to easily. Plus it also engages their mind.

Have your dog “sit” and “stay”. They run off and hide somewhere in your house. Yell out a release command and wait for your Doberman to find you. When he (or she) does, reward with a treat and heavy praise. It’s ok to give some verbal encouragement to find you initially, but after a couple of repetitions of this, your dog should have the concept of this game down. If you need help training the basic commands I mentioned, feel free to check out the Doberman training guide which will help you with that.

4. Experience Something New Together

Finding a new experience with your Doberman is a great way to deepen your bond. Most “new experiences” involve what will feel like some sort of task for your Doberman to accomplish, which they love, even if it’s just watching the environment and keeping you safe.

You can take your Doberman on a hike, to a dog show, or out to the lake. These things help your dog become more socialized and will even help reduce the chances of reactivity to people and objects in their daily life. But more importantly, it helps you to bond with your dog.

5. Increase Physical Touch

Dobermans love simply interacting with their owners. Since they’re the only dog breed in the world that was created for the purpose of personal protection of humans, they’re also instinctually inclined to want that closeness to their owners. By physically touching your Doberman more often, you’re deepening your bond and also “communicating” with your dog through touch, even if you don’t mean to.

These things really do satisfy a long list of natural desires the Doberman has and increasing the amount of physical touch between you and your Doberman is one of the absolute quickest ways to bond tighter together.

You can simply pet your Doberman more, lay on the couch, play with their ears, play with their feet, and so on. Gently touching your Doberman while he (or she) is asleep is actually a great way to make sure your dog is steadfast and calm around children. It’ll also make doing things where your dog will be touched in strange ways, like nail trimming and vet visits, much easier.

6. Dedicated Training Times

Having dedicated training times every day with your Doberman is a great way to build your bond together, build your role as the leader of the house, and increase the list of commands and behaviors your Doberman knows. It also satisfies Dobermans mentally since they are working to figure out what you’re asking of them.

Even something as short as 10-minute training sessions one or two times per day will make a huge difference in your bond with your Doberman and their overall behavior in the house. These training times are a great time to teach your dog new commands or work on reinforcing commands they already know.

7. Accomplish a Task Together

As one of the premier working breeds, Dobermans absolutely love having a task to accomplish. It gives them a deep sense of accomplishment and purpose. They are also naturally apt at it. You’ll really see this when they’re performing a task they’re familiar with. Accomplishing a task together with your Doberman will help you tap into their natural instincts and bond with them through the use of this drive that’s naturally already ingrained in them.

You can do things like retrieving the newspaper together off-leash, performing a daily “perimeter” check of your property by walking along your fence line (Dobermans absolutely love this), or playing hide and seek with a family member where you and your Doberman work together to find the person hiding.

Even something as simple as taking a daily walk around the block can be seen by your Dobie as a “task” that you’re accomplishing together. Be creative and keep the activity fun so your dog is always looking forward to it.

8. Develop a Predictable Routine

Dobermans are strong habit-forming dogs and having a predictable routine (that involves you, the owner) is a great way the develop a close bond with your dog. Routine by itself helps to provide your Doberman with a sense of security and lower their overall anxiety levels. They’ll know for certain when they’ll be fed and when they’ll be spending time with you. These are points of stress in a Doberman’s life.

Make a well-thought-out routine with your Doberman and try to keep it as consistent as possible. It’s ok if it changes from time to time but try to make any major changes to the routine gradual so the transition is easier on your dog.

9. Frequent Communication

Since these dogs are extremely in-tune with their owners, they thrive off frequent communication. This is one of the few dog breeds that will look you directly in the eyes while you’re talking to them, and maintain eye contact. Use this human-focused nature of the Doberman as a way to bond deeper with your dog.

Talk to your Doberman often, give them feedback on what they’re doing by simply saying “good boy!” or “no, don’t touch that”. Simple phrases are understood more often than you might expect by a highly intelligent dog like the Doberman. Frequently communicating with your Doberman gives them that interaction with you that they desire so incredibly much and takes advantage of yet another instinct of theirs to build your relationship together.

How to Tell if Your Doberman Is Bonded to You

The more you work at creating a deep, meaningful bond with your Doberman, the more you may notice a few changes in his or her behavior. There are many, sometimes subtle, actions your Doberman will take that indicate they have bonded tightly with you. Below are some examples.

• Look Into Your Eyes with Nose Forward and Ears Back – This is a common way that a Doberman will “listen” to what you’re saying. But this particular pose is one where your dog is reaching their most sensitive body part out to you (their nose) and trying to get closer while listening.
• Try to Get Progressively Closer to You – This often happens when you’re relaxing on the couch with your Doberman, or after you allow your Dobie up on the bed with you. If they’re carefully trying to get progressively closer to you, it is a sign they are deeply bonded to you.
• Randomly Lean Against Your Legs – This is similar to the point above since it has to do with how these dogs need that constant closeness with an owner to whom they’re bonded tightly to. This will often happen at inopportune times though, like when you’re cooking in the kitchen or trying to clean the house.
• Won’t Leave Your Side, Even in the Bathroom – If your Doberman follows you everywhere around the house, even trying to force their way into the bathroom with you, then it’s a good sign they re bonded tightly to you. This is often more than just separation anxiety and is actually a display of that tight bond you have.
• Frequently Check-in with You in New Environments – If your Doberman is consistently looking back at you, or “checking in” with you while you’re somewhere new (or out in public), then it’s a sign that they’re bonded to you. Your dog is essentially checking on you for a sense of security and this only happens if you have a deep bond.

There are many more ways you can tell your Doberman is bonded with you, or even loves you. I give a rundown of 25 different ways Dobermans naturally show their love and bond to their owners in my article Does Your Doberman Love You? 25 Ways They Show Affection.

Bonding to One Person vs. A Whole Family

As a general rule, and as compared to many other dog breeds, Dobermans generally bond a little tighter to one specific person in the household. With male Dobermans however, this is almost not noticeable as they’re generally pretty welcoming of others and do very well in family settings.

Female Dobermans are a bit more obvious about their favorite person in a household and seem to bond better to one specific person. It’s not to say that females won’t bond with others in the house, it’s just that they’ll have that one person they are always checking in on, quicker to respond to when called, and most likely to be hanging around if given the choice.

There are actually many behavioral differences between male and female Dobermans and I give a rundown of these differences in my guide to the differences between male and female Dobermans.

Bonding with Young Dobermans

Puppies, especially those between 8 to 12 weeks of age, but really any Doberman under about one year of age, is much easier to bond with than an adult Doberman. This breed will naturally bond with an owner early on (a left-over survival instinct) and have trouble bonding with other owners or handlers down the road (should they change homes, for example). This is one reason Dobermans aren’t used as often in military and police roles anymore—they have difficulty changing handlers.

The quickest way to bond with a Doberman puppy is to regularly provide them with a sense of security. Providing a sense of security to a young Doberman puppy who is away from his or her siblings and mother will instinctually cause them to bond tightly to that person providing that security.

To bond with a young Doberman, you should also interact with it regularly, and it certainly helps if you are the one who feeds the dog as well. Really there isn’t much specific you need to do to bond with a young Doberman since they instinctually bond so quickly at a young age.

Bonding with Older Dobermans

While it’s easier to bond with a younger Doberman fast, it’s certainly still possible to build a tight bond with older Dobermans as well. This is most obvious to those who adopt or rescue older Dobermans. While they may be bonded to their previous owner, they can still develop a strong bond with their new owner with a little work.

Providing an older Doberman with a sense of security, purpose, and companionship, is the quickest way to bond with them especially if they’re in a new environment. Develop a predictable routine with your adult Doberman which includes some “tasks” to accomplish together. Even if this is a simple daily walk around the block. The routine itself will provide security and the task will give them a sense of purpose. Also, doing the walk together will help with companionship. This helps to develop a deep bond between owner and dog, even with an adult Doberman.

The post 9 Proven Ways to Bond with a Doberman of Any Age appeared first on Doberman Planet.

One of the most desirable features of the Doberman breed is its protection abilities. This is what draws a lot of families I work with to the Doberman breed in the first place. However, most owners either don’t want to or aren’t able to, get their dog’s “protection trained”. So this begs the question, will a completely untrained Doberman protect its owner—out of instincts alone?

An untrained Doberman will often instinctually protect its owner from a perceived threat such as an intruder in the house. How likely a Doberman is to physically intervene is dependent on factors such as its training, confidence, past experiences, and its bond to its owner.

The Doberman breed possesses an impressive set of behavior traits that make them highly likely to instinctually protect their owners from harm. Additionally, with even just minor confidence reinforcement through specific activities during daily playtimes, an owner can increase their Doberman’s confidence levels and therefore the likelihood the dog will physically protect them if needed.

Physical Traits Great for Protection Work

Physically, the Doberman is certainly cut out for protection work and it’s obvious that this is the case while simply looking at a Doberman. Here are some of the physical traits that make this dog so perfectly cut out for protection work.

• Physical Stature – Dobermans are large and powerful standing at between 24 to 28 inches tall and weighing between 60 and 100 pounds (source). They also have a deep broad chest which is a great asset for taking down a human or any large animal.
• Muscle Mass – The Doberman is known for having lots of lean muscle mass which is impressive to look at but also means they’re very strong.
• Mouth and Jaw – Dobermans also have a mouth that can open extremely wide, allowing whatever they’re biting on to go all the way to the back of their mouth where they can get plenty of leverage for biting, which is partially why their bite is so strong. You can read more in my article all about the bite force of the Doberman.
• Head – The Doberman posseses a wedge shaped head that is not oversized like some other breeds. This, combined with an often thick neck means the Doberman is incredibly hard to gain control of through a choking type manuever.

Additionally, the Doberman Pinscher traditionally has cropped ears and a docked tail. This reduces the handholds for an attacker to gain control of the dog and also makes them more alert in appearance. This is why the creator of the breed originally had his Doberman’s ears cropped and tails docked (for protection work).

You can learn more about why Doberman’s ears are cropped here: Doberman Ear Cropping Pros & Cons. Also, you can find out all the reasons why tail docking is done here: Doberman Tail Docking Pros & Cons.

The Doberman’s Guarding Instincts

Doberman Pinschers are the world’s only dog breed specifically created to excel at the personal protection of their handlers. The breed was created by a tax collector and night watchman during the 1890s named Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann. He also happened to be the local dog catcher in his small town of Apolda, Germany.

This meant that Mr. Dobermann had access to many different breeds of dogs. So he set out to create the ideal personal protection dog that would accompany him on his rounds collecting taxes and performing duties as a nightwatchman. Through selective breeding, he eventually came up with the dog we know today as the Doberman Pinscher.

The Doberman has an impressive natural drive to guard and protect its owners. This comes with some really cool instinctual qualities that are engrained in this breed.

Instinctual Features of Dobermans Great for Protection Work

• Highly Intune with Their Owners – Dobermans are known for being highly intune with their owners. So much so that it is often said they can sense how apprehensive their owners are about a given situation while out on a walk “down the leash” and react accordingly.
• Fearless – Dobermans are known to be fearless when compared to most other dog breeds. They are much more likely to challenge a scary situation than they are to run from it. Another great trait for a guard dog.
• Suspicious of Strangers – These dogs are naturally suspicious of strangers, although this depends on their levels of socialization when young and other factors. In fact, female Dobermans are known for being much more suspicious of strangers than males. You can learn more in my article Are Male or Female Dobermans Better Guard Dogs.
• High Drive and Determination – Dobermans love having a task to accomplish and have a natural drive to accomplish that task no matter what. This means they are incredibly difficult to discourage from continuing an attack if they have decided to physically intervene to protect their owner.
• Highly Trainable – In the book “The Intelligence of Dogs” Dr. Stanley Coren, a professor of canine psychology at the University of British Columbia, concluded that the Doberman was able to understand new commands in fewer than five repetitions and obey the first command 95% of the time or better (source). This places the Doberman among the most trainable dogs in the world, perfect for guard work.
• Loyalty – Dobermans are known as one of the most loyal breeds on the planet. This is one reason militaries and police departments are actually using the Doberman less often. They have a hard time changing handlers. However, this is a great trait for a family protection dog.
• Stay Close to Their Owners – Dobermans are known as “velcro dogs” meaning they have a strong natural desire to stick close to their owner’s sides and make sure they don’t go anywhere alone. Another great trait for a protection dog.
• Intelligent Problem Solvers – Dr. Stanley Coren, PhD also concluded that the Doberman was the 5th most intelligent dog breed in the world. They are apt problem solvers and when combined with their drive and determination, this makes them an extremely formidable protection dog.

Clearly, the creator of the breed did amazingly well in selecting traits to preserve as he was selectively breeding. He created a dog that has many natural traits that make them perfect for guard and protection work.

Natural Protection Behavior

A Doberman, even one that has never been trained in protection work or bite sports, can often be seen exhibiting natural protective behaviors that are completely instinctual to them. Below are some examples of behaviors you’re likely to see from a Doberman.

• Sleeping Facing the Door – Dobermans can most often be found sleeping with their backs to the wall and facing the doorway or enterance to a room. This is especially true when sleeping with their owners in new enviornments.
• Sticking Close to Their Owners in New Environments – This breed will naturally stick closer to the side of their owners while in new or unusual environments, especially female Dobermans.
• Checking in with Their Owners Frequently – If let off leash, most Dobermans will often periodically check back in with their owners. Usually every couple of minutes.
• Protective or Aggressive Behavior When Their Owners are Anxious – This is most often seen while an owner is out on a walk and becomes tense in an unusual situtation. Dobermans can sense this tension and will often react accordingly.
• Checking the Perimeter of Their Property – You’ll often notice that when a Doberman is let into their yard after being kept away, they’ll immediately run around the perimeter searching and smelling the area for any changes since they last left.

These are common behaviors you’re likely to naturally see out of any Doberman, even completely untrained ones. These behaviors, which come naturally to the Doberman, are incredibly useful to an owner wanting a protection dog.

Dealing with Intruders

Whether or not a Doberman will physically protect its owner when an intruder breaks into the home is dependant on many factors including that specific dog’s personality, level of training, confidence, and more. It is not a given that a Doberman will automatically protect its owner, although Dobermans are arguably one of the most likely breeds to do this.

European Dobermans especially are most likely to physically intervene if an intruder breaks into their home, although many American lines will as well. You can learn more about this, and other differences between these two varieties in my article American vs. European Doberman: A Side-by-Side Comparison.

Almost all Dobermans will alert and bark at an intruder, and many will physically intervene. Especially if that intruder is becoming physical with someone in the house. Dobermans, like many dogs, understand the significance when a situation turns physical, versus when it’s verbal only.

Training Your Doberman to Protect You

There are some things that you as the owner can do to help encourage your Doberman to physically protect you if the need arises. Below are some of the things you can do to help with this.

• Build Confidence – The number one thing any owner can do to increase the chances of a Doberman protecting them if needed, is to build that dog’s confidence. Confident Dobermans almost always intervene when needed. Confidence building games such as tug-of-war or agility games great ways to do this. I made a video all about building confidence in a Doberman which you can see here.
• Bite Sports/Training – Many owners will get their dogs involved in bite sports such as IGP, IPO, or Shutzhund. This is a great way to get your Doberman confident in protecting you when needed. To excell at this sport you need to have a Doberman who knows when it’s appropriate to be protective and when it’s not.
• Build a Stronger Bond – The stronger the bond between you and your dog, the more likely they are to put themselves in harms way for you when needed. Spend time with your dog, train them, work with them, and include them in family events. The more bonding time the better.
• Increase in Socialization – The more socialized your dog is, the more relaxed they’ll be in new situations. Having a socialized Doberman isn’t just great for a relaxed family dog, it’s also great for a protection dog because they’ll more easily be able to tell when a situation is “unusual” or “abnormal” and will be more likely to react appropriately.

Past Examples of Dobermans Protecting Their Owners

There are many examples of Doberman protecting their owners in various ways when needed. You’ll notice below that the intelligence of these dogs means they won’t just protect you from a burglar or attacker, but they are smart enough to realize when they need to protect you from other things like snakes.

Example 1 – Doberman Takes a Bullet Defending It’s Owner

On September 1st of 2020, a 58-year-old man was returning home after withdrawing cash from the local bank when two men, armed with guns, approached and threatened the man. They told the owner that they were going to shoot him when the man’s granddaughter opened the gate to their property without realizing what was happening.

When she did that, the family Doberman “Niki” can be seen on a security camera assessing the situation before physically attacking the assailants. The dog was shot but made a full recovery. The owner said the following about what Niki did, “She saved my life…They would have shot me, they told me they were going to shoot me.”

Video of This Incident

Example 2 – Doberman Saves Baby from Snake Attack

In 2007, a family rescued an adult Doberman name “Khan” from an animal shelter. The Doberman had come to the shelter as an abused dog who had been starved and beaten and had multiple broken ribs. The family who adopted Khan had a one-and-a-half-year-old girl, Charlotte. Only four days after the family rescued Khan, Charlotte was playing in her backyard when with Khan nearby.

At the time, Charlotte’s mother saw Khan “pushing” Charlotte away while she was playing. Khan had spotted a King Brown Snake, near Charlotte (the world’s third more venomous snake). As Khan wasn’t succeeding at pushing Charlotte away from the snake, he eventually grabbed her and threw her away from the snake.

Khan the Doberman was then bitten by the deadly snake shortly after. He was treated and made a full recovery. You can read more about this story here.

Example 3 – Doberman Shot Defending Owner from Armed Intruder

In 2011, a five-year-old Doberman named Zeus was let out of the house by his owner into his backyard when Zeus ran around the side of the home. His owner followed closely behind, but before the owner got to the corner of the home where he could see Zeus, the owner heard a gunshot, and Zeus “yelp”.

This gave the homeowner enough warning to quickly turn around and run back into the home for safety, calling authorities. Zeus recovered from his injures. You can see a video of the news report here.

Example 4 – Doberman Bites Home Intruder

In 2018 a home intruder broke into Vicky Cataldo’s house in Edmond, Oklahoma. Vicky’s daughter was inside the home alone with their 10-year-old Doberman Pinscher named “Prince”. Prince had never been trained to bite and was only raised to be a family dog.

Vicky stated that she believed the intruder was watching her house and broke in only once he saw all the cars leave. That’s when the suspect opened up the front door and came into the house. The dog quickly bit the intruder who ran from the scene screaming.

News Report on This Incident

Example 5 – Doberman Attacks Potential Burglar During the Night

YouTuber “amikegyver” posted security camera footage from his property in July of 2017. He reported that a trespasser came onto his property before his Doberman chased him away.

In the video, the potential burglar can be seen scoping the property for an entry point. He finally came within the fence line when a large Doberman shows up and appears to be aggressively pursuing the intruder before he is sent scrambling back up over the fence and off into the darkness.

Video of This Incident

Final Thoughts

Dobermans were bred from the beginning to be the ideal personal protection dogs and they certainly excel at that role. Their intelligence, drive, determination, loyalty, and fearlessness all play a huge role in why they are so great at protecting their families.

If you’re looking, as I was many years ago, for the ideal family dog who could double as a great personal protection dog, I would strongly suggest you consider the Doberman since they’re naturally great at protecting your family from an intruder with very little, or even no, training.

The post How Even Untrained Dobermans Will Protect Their Owners appeared first on Doberman Planet.

Our Doberman Cooper was still a puppy when he first demonstrated his talent for howling. As he got older, he can still certainly let out an impressive howl but luckily, like most Dobermans, he doesn’t howel unless something is seriously wrong. Howling is a behavior I didn’t expect when I first got a Doberman but now that I’m deep in the Doberman world, I have learned that these dogs certainly do howl, and usually, they do it for a specific reason.

While studying for my Canine Communication Certification, I quickly realized that there is certainly a multitude of reasons dogs use howling as a means of communication. However, there are certain reasons why Dobermans specifically are more likely to howl over other dog breeds.

These are the most common reasons why Dobermans will howl, and how often is normal for a Doberman to howl.

Why Dobermans Howl

Doberman puppies usually make their first attempts to howl when they’re around six to eight weeks old. By around eight months of age, they’ll likely be experts at it—even if they don’t use it all that often.

When they’re that young, their howls are mostly a combination of practicing the vocalization and trying to get their mother’s attention. When they get older, though, their communication abilities expand and so do the reasons why they might be howling. Here are some of the most common reasons Dobermans howl.

1. Loneliness or Separation Anxiety

Probably derived from the practice of howling to get mother’s attention when a puppy, some grown Dobermans will howl if they’re experiencing increased stress due to being bored, left alone, or if they’re separated from their owner or pack.

Interestingly, this 2001 study found that dogs who live in urban settings such as apartments—where, unfortunately, howling can be more disruptive for neighbors—are more prone to separation anxiety.

Separation anxiety is very common in Dobermans and probably the most common trigger of howling for this breed. It can usually be diagnosed easily since it tends to be accompanied by other signs of anxiety, such as pacing, going to the bathroom indoors, overeating or undereating, and destructive chewing or digging all focused around the departure of their owner (or member of their “pack”). It’ll also usually come on around the time their owner is preparing to leave the house, or after they have already left. Learn more about how to spot (and correct) separation anxiety in Dobermans here.

2. Responding to Other Sounds

Some Dobermans will howl in response to a trigger sound, like an alarm, doorbell, siren, certain types of music, or even their owner’s making howling noises. Dobermans who do this seem to be particularly sensitive to high pitched noises. The science isn’t really settled on precisely why they do this, though it may be related to both the desire to find the pack or the urge to ward off the perceived intruder away from the dog’s territory. Or simply, they could just be singing along!

This is fairly common in Dobermans who are left outdoors and hear an emergency siren, for example, in the distance and coming closer.

3. Illness or Injury

Dogs who are sick or hurt in some way that is not immediately visible will often howl more than usual in order to alert their pack (or owner) that something is wrong.

It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with your Doberman’s usual howling habits—their triggers, how long they usually howl, what time of day they tend to do it, and so forth—so you can be more likely to pick up on a howl that might indicate illness or injury of some kind.

Typical behavior for a Doberman is to seek out their owner when they’re injured but if they are trapped, or unable to reach their owner, they may resort to howling. This type of howling is rare, but when it occurs owners should definitely take notice.

4. Sounding the Alarm

A good, hearty howl can serve Dobermans as a way of warning other dogs to keep their distance. Most dogs, including Dobermans, will use a howl to indicate to other dogs that they’re claiming a particular territory for themselves. Sometimes, Dobermans will give a defensive howl if they hear a surprising or unexpected sound, which seems to be a way of alerting other members of the pack about the potential danger.

Although it’s much less common than just using a deep strong bark, some Doberman owners report that their dog will howl when they are alerting to the presence of a trespasser on their property.

5. Getting in Touch With the Pack

Like wolves, with whom they share a common ancestor, Dobermans usually howl as a way of letting other members of their pack (which, in most cases, means their owner and family) know where they are. When they hear other dogs howling, they might also reply as a way of confirming that they’re there and listening.

How Much Does a Typical Doberman Howl?

Most Dobermans don’t howl on a daily basis and do not have problems with excessive howling. Although each dog is an individual with their own tendencies, in general, very few Doberman owners report excessive howling issues. In fact, a majority of owners report no howling from their dogs whatsoever.

Since Dobermans are a particularly human-dependent breed, when they do howl, it’s usually a sign that they want to be with their people. Usually, this is spurred on because the dog is experiencing separation anxiety, something that is very common in Dobermans.

Also, most likely due to similarity in frequency and tone, Dobermans are also prone to howling at the sound of sirens.

How Loud Is a Doberman Howl?

A Doberman’s howl is fairly throaty and gruff in comparison to many other breeds. However, they can certainly carry the tone and make it long and drawn out.

The adult Doberman has a very deep chest, which gives it a large resonance chamber, and they have strong protective instincts, which means there can be a propensity for powerful barking from a Doberman in many circumstances. They’re certainly capable of an attention-commanding howl that can easily be heard through walls, closed windows, or across the street. Their howl will definitely catch the attention of your neighbors.

Like most dogs, it starts off rather quiet when the dog is a puppy and peaks at around three years of age. Their howl will remain strong until the dog enters older age, at around eight years old, at which point the strength of the howl typically tapers off a bit.

Doberman Howling as Compared to Other Breeds

While the Doberman has a powerful howl, it’s not the loudest or most frequent howler. A number of other breeds are well-known for their frequent howling abilities including:

• Huskies
• German Shepherds
• Hound Breeds
• Beagle

These super-howlers share the closest genetic links with wolves or they’ve been specifically bred over generations to be communicative.

Dog Express, and many other outlets, rank the Doberman among the top 10 loudest breeds of dogs in the world based on the capability to be loud, and not their desire. Luckily for us Doberman owners, these dogs are easily trainable and although they have the capability to be loud howlers, you generally need to worry more about their bark.

Barking is far more likely to be an issue with a Doberman than howling, learn more about how often you can expect a Doberman to bark here and when you’re ready to resolve the barking for good, my article 6 Steps to Get Your Doberman Pinscher to Stop Barking will get you to a quieter dog quickly.

Howling When Home Alone

Since they have a powerful pack mentality, and always want to be close to their owners, Dobermans are especially prone to howl when left alone or when separated from their family.

If you keep your Doberman outside at night while the rest of the family sleeps inside, you should expect to hear from your dog—and from your neighbors. But it doesn’t just happen at night. Dobermans have been known to howl for their family when they’re gone for a while—such as when they leave for work for the day—or even just briefly out of their sight in some cases.

This kind of howling is not a cause for concern unless it recurs consistently. Be especially alert for additional symptoms of stress, such as destroying things or changes in appetite. Combined with constant howling, these can indicate an underlying emotional condition, such as depression or anxiety, that may require additional intervention.

If you’re struggling with this in your Doberman, I have an article all about handling needy Dobermans with separation anxiety here which will resolve these issues.

How to Stop a Doberman from Howling

In most cases, the easiest way to stop a Doberman from howling is to remove the stimulus that triggered the behavior. If they’re lonely, keep them company. If there is a noise that is setting them off, find a way to block or turn off the noise. Sounds simple, and it is, but it’s just the first step.

If your dog’s trigger recurs often or if you don’t have the ability to prevent your dog from hearing it, you’ll want to start using a desensitization and counterconditioning training regimen so your dog will learn to ignore the trigger.

This kind of training involves conditioning your dog to gradually substitute an alternative, less problematic behavior, such as fetching a toy or going into his crate or bed. If you’re not comfortable tackling the training yourself, look for a behaviorist or dog trainer to assist you in developing a personalized plan.

You can also try silence reward training: this is a more straightforward practice in which you give a silence command (such as “be quiet”) and when the dog stops howling reward your dog right away. Over time, your dog will learn that he gets a treat or attention when he doesn’t howl, and he will learn to obey the silence command as well. My Doberman training page will give you the keys to quickly training your Doberman in many different commands and behaviors.

The Difference Between Whining and Howling

Be attentive to the difference between howling and whining (or whimpering) in your Doberman because these have different meanings. Howls are much louder and typically involve an upturned head; when a dog whines, it’s quieter and the dog often cowers while doing it. Whining is typically a signal of fear, anticipation, excitement, or simply a display of begging.

If your Doberman is whining out of fear, give him some space and try to resolve the trigger of their fear. It’s best never to approach a scared dog. If your Doberman is whining because he’s begging for something, its best to ignore the behavior and not reward it with attention. Otherwise, you can expect the dog to whine even more in the future when he wants something.

Be aware, however, that Dobermans will sometimes whine, rather than howl, if they’re injured or ill and lack the energy to give a full-throated howl. If your Doberman doesn’t usually whine and he starts randomly, particularly if the whining is consistent and accompanied by lethargy, contact your veterinarian.

Final Thoughts

Lucky for us Doberman owners, these dogs don’t generally have issues with excessive howling like other breeds will. For us, dealing with unwanted barking is usually a much larger hurdle.

But knowing what to expect from a Doberman before choosing to bring one home is incredibly important and so is being prepared for other behaviors you might not be expecting.

If you Doberman is howling excessively though, I’m willing to bet that it’s related to separation anxiety as this is something that Dobermans consistently struggle with. If you believe that may be the case for your Doberman, I usually suggest addressing separation anxiety with a good desensitization routine.

Related Questions

Why do Dobermans whine? Dobermans typically whine due to excitement, anxiety, frustration, or fear. Examples of times when a Doberman will whine include when they are injured, bored, lonely, or anticipating something exciting, like a meal or treat.

The post 5 Reasons Why Dobermans Howl appeared first on Doberman Planet.

As Doberman owners, we always want to make sure our dogs are healthy and happy. To do this, we keep an eye out for behaviors that seem out of the ordinary. So when it comes to our Doberman’s sleeping habits, how do we know when they’re getting the right amount of sleep versus when they might be sleeping too much?

How long do Dobermans sleep? The average Doberman should sleep about 12 to 14 hours per day, including during the night.

Even if they don’t fully wake, they are aware of sounds around them like passing cars or unfamiliar footsteps that may signal danger. This means it takes 12 to 14 hours to fully recharge their energy over a 24-hour period.

Adult Doberman Sleep Cycles and Habits

According to the AKC, when Dobermans sleep, they cycle through the same levels of sleep that humans do, including SWS (short wave sleep) and the deepest sleep, REM (rapid eye movement) sleep (source).

However, our dog’s sleep cycles are very different from ours. In a 24-hour period, we may sleep 8 to 9 hours a day and spend the remaining 15 to 16 hours awake. But like other large, active breeds, Dobermans tend to experience deep sleep for around 15 minutes and then 5 minutes awake. This may not be a wide-awake state, but they’re still alert to their surroundings (source).

This is because of the Doberman’s innate protective instincts. Whether from the ‘old days’ when he needed to guard the pack or today when he wants to protect our family, Doberman’s are constantly sensing signals around them, even in their sleep. This means they awaken more easily. If you’ve ever tried to sneak past your Doberman while he or she was in this state, you know how easily they will wake up.

Often they wake before they have had a chance to finish a full deep REM cycle. This is why it takes 12-14 hours to fully collect the amount of restorative sleep they need.

TIP:
There’s a good discussion between Doberman owners on this forum about how much sleep they typically see from their Dobermans on a daily basis.

What happens when my Doberman falls asleep?

In people, the change from SWS sleep to REM sleep is one long cycle. But dogs, including Dobermans, go through these phases much more quickly.

As soon as your dog falls asleep, his heart rate will lower and his breathing will slow. This is his SWS sleep stage. After about 10 minutes, he will sink into REM sleep. Like humans, dogs dream in this stage. Have you ever seen your Dobie’s paws twitch as they sleep? This is a sign they are in REM sleep and dreaming. Another sign is their eyes rolling under their eyelids.

“A large dog that has an active day outside may sleep more soundly and experience longer phases of REM sleep, giving him more time to dream.”

– Lynn Buzhardt, DVM, VCA Animal Hospital

But their protective senses are still listening to everything going on around them. Unfamiliar footsteps, a passing car, or an unexpected noise will cut through their dreams of hunting down that squirrel outside and bring them right back to their primary duty—alert watchfulness.

Because Dobermans can reach REM sleep so fast, they don’t need the long uninterrupted hours of sleep that we do. Whereas we would be cranky and tired after lots of short bursts of sleep, dogs handle it just fine. They have the ability to get all the necessary REM sleep in small pieces throughout the day.

How Long Do Active Dobermans Sleep?

Active Dobermans need about 16 hours of sleep per day, or roughly two hours more sleep than an average Doberman. The more active they are, the more sleep they’ll need. Often though, short burst naps throughout the day often do the trick.

It’s important for Dobermans to get plenty of exercise, which in turn regulates their sleep cycles. I recommend 1 to 2 hours a day of exercise to start, but some dogs certainly need more. This can be a combination of daily walking, general aerobic exercise, playtime, and mental stimulus.

A minimum walk should be 30-45 minutes a day at least once a day, although twice a day would be better if possible. Also, it’s definitely best if it’s a quick pace.

Because a walk alone won’t tire out a strong, energetic dog like your Doberman, adding in some activities that involve running and jumping will help increase muscle tone and burn off that extra energy in the process.

How Long Do Dobermans in Heat Sleep?

Some Dobermans will sleep longer at the start of their heat cycle, but most will sleep a few hours less per day until the cycle passes.

Dobermans in heat are experiencing extreme hormonal changes that last about 2 to 4 weeks (source). Usually, these changes come with an increased restlessness that may increase to a powerful distraction that makes getting sleep much more difficult.

How Long Do Pregnant Dobermans Sleep?

A Doberman who is pregnant may sleep 2 to 3 hours more than normal throughout the day, or about 14 to 15 hours total.

As a Doberman’s pregnancy continues, she will become increasingly tired. The extra weight and hormonal changes will consume a lot of her energy. But more importantly, her body will be using a lot of energy to grow the puppies inside her.

Early in the pregnancy, make sure your dog gets light exercise like walks or easy fetch games. By middle to late pregnancy, it’s usually best not to allow any strenuous activities.

However, complete inactivity isn’t healthy either. Short walks on flat walkways a few times a day can help keep her healthy as the whelping time approaches.

For some of the typical signs Dobermans will display when they’re pregnant, take a look at my article 5 Signs Your Doberman is Pregnant: Week-by-Week Changes.

It’s always a good idea to consult with a qualified veterinarian as soon as you suspect your Doberman might be pregnant so you can develop a plan to ensure the healthiest possible outcome for your dog and her puppies.

How Long Do Elderly Dobermans Sleep?

Elderly Dobermans tend to tire easily and may sleep 17 to 20 hours a day depending on their age and general health.

Our Doberman friends who have spent years bounding around through our yards and protecting us at every turn have earned a little extra rest.

When possible, they should still exercise. But now that your dog is older the periods of exercise may be shorter and less intense before they need a short nap to recharge. It’s important to encourage senior dogs to stay as active as possible, under the guidance of your veterinarian. This can help prevent muscle stiffness and depression.

How Long Doberman Puppies Sleep (Puppy Sleep Schedule)

Doberman puppies under one year of age generally sleep between 16 to 20 hours per day.

Doberman puppies are bundles of adorable energy. They will race everywhere at top speed, but then it’s like a switch is flipped and they will almost fall asleep instantly wherever they happen to stop moving. A very young puppy may nap every hour more. These naps can last from 30 minutes to two hours.

Doberman puppies sleep 16 to 20 hours a day on average. They are growing at a rapid rate and that internal work combined with excited external play requires a lot of recharging.

Puppies will gradually transition towards an adult’s sleeping patterns over the first year. The following shows the average amount of sleep you can expect from your Doberman puppy during the first twelve months.

How to Help Your Doberman Puppy Get the Best Rest Possible

1. Let him sleep. Nothing is cuter than a snoozing puppy and the urge to cuddle him may be almost irresistible. That’s ok to do, just make sure you give your pup at least a little bit of time to sleep by themselves too. You don’t want him to begin depending on your lap to fall asleep.
2. Have a special spot. Set up a spot for naps, like a crate, dog bed, or even just a pile of soft blankets in a safe corner of the room. Show him where it is when he looks sleepy. After a few times, he will learn to go there himself when he needs to rest.
3. Set a routine. Dobermans absolutely love routines. Plan plenty of activity for your new puppy, but also plan rest time as well. Dobermans are incredibly energetic and love to interact with you. They may not realize how tired they are getting in all the excitement.

Example Puppy Sleep Schedule

Below is a very general sleep schedule for a Doberman puppy that I created from observing my own Dobermans. This is merely an example and is far from scientific. Remember that each dog is an individual and this will vary.

• Morning: Wake up, eat breakfast, light play, and a short nap (approximately 1 – 2 hours long).
• Afternoon: Heavy playtime or socialize with other dogs, eat lunch, and a longer nap (approximately 2-3 hours long).
• Evening: Light/heavy play, nap (approximately 2 hours), training time, dinner, relax with family, and an evening nap (approximately 1 hour).
• Night: Sleep approximately 10 hours (broken up by trips to the bathroom every 2-4 hours).

Please note that many of these estimated nap lengths will be broken up in the form of multiple short nap sessions spread out over that portion of the day.

I wrote a very in-depth article all about the average sleep times of a Doberman puppy and how to tell if they’re sleeping too much. See What to do About a Lazy Doberman Puppy: Average Sleep Times.

How to Tire Out a Doberman for Better Sleep

Dobermans are both smart and energetic, so you need to tire them out physically and mentally. A mixture of strength-building and endurance exercises will keep your dog in peak condition. Take a look at How to Exercise and Build Muscle in Your Doberman Pinscher for some help if you’re getting serious about exercising your Dobie.

Besides the walks mentioned above, some full-fledged runs on a non-cement surface are a great way to help him let off steam. Because of their agility, Dobermans excel at games like frisbee and catch.

Dobermans don’t completely finish growing until somewhere around 2 years of age (or possibly a little longer). To build their muscles, which is especially important during that time, they should have a diet with a lot of protein. They also benefit from resistance exercises. Activities like running uphill, swimming, and tug of war help to build muscle and tire them out.

Adding weight, like a backpack, can also help exercise your Doberman and tire him out. But in general, the weight of the pack shouldn’t exceed 10% of your dog’s weight. You can go up to around 25% of your dog’s weight if all your dog is doing is hiking and your dog is used to the backpack. But if you’re just starting out, start light. See my list of recommended walking and hiking gear here for ideas on which packs work the best for Dobies specifically.

Beware of overheating. That beautiful black coat absorbs heat and it can lead to your Doberman getting overheated. Make sure he drinks plenty of water as he plays. If you think he is getting too hot, limit the activity and head for some shade or even let him take a swim.

There are a number of toys that’ll help burn up a large dog’s energy that also work really well for Dobermans.

1. Jolly Ball (Amazon Link). This ball is designed to be difficult to bite and almost impossible to destroy. It was originally designed for horses but has quickly become a go-to for Doberman owners. It comes in several sizes, but I’ve found this 8-inch one seems to be the best fit for most Dobermans. This is by far my Dobie’s favorite outdoor toy.
2. Flirt Pole (Amazon Link). This toy features a long handle with a rope and a toy at the end. You control the exercise by moving the pole and flipping the toy around at the end while the dog chases it. It is a fast way to tire a dog out, allowing you to work your dog while remaining fairly stationary yourself (and it works well in a small area). Although the one I linked to above is fairly durable, you still just need to be careful he doesn’t destroy the pole.
3. Spring Pole (Amazon Link). A Spring Pole is similar to the Flirt Pole except you don’t need to be present. A spring is connected to a rope firmly tied to a branch or beam. A tempting toy dangles at the end. If your Doberman likes tug of war, he will probably like a Spring Pole as well.

Best Places and Conditions for Dobermans to Sleep

For puppies and young Dobermans, I highly recommend using a crate, especially at night. Line the crate with soft blankets or use a washable dog bed. Avoid wool or woven fabrics that dogs may chew and swallow. I have some specific recommendations for beds and crates on my recommended Doberman puppy products page.

Sometimes a soft toy or even a t-shirt that smells like the puppy’s mother can soothe your new puppy while he or she is inside their crate at night.

You may want to think about placing the crate in your bedroom so he can feel close to the family—this will also help reduce nighttime crying.

TIP: Dobermans whose owners have good grooming habits are generally healthier and sleep better. If you haven’t been staying up on bathing your Doberman, see How to Bathe a Doberman: Bathing Schedule and Guide.

Older, trustworthy dogs can be allowed to sleep on a dog bed positioned in a corner or somewhere they can see the entrance to the room. Facing the entrance to the room is a natural protective instinct for Dobies and if you position your dog’s bed for this it’ll help them feel more comfortable.

Worst Places and Conditions for Dobermans to Sleep

Dobermans will generally not sleep well if they haven’t had enough exercise or attention. If they haven’t had enough opportunities throughout the day to release their huge energy reserves and challenge their minds, their natural sleep rhythms will be disturbed. This can lead to destructive behaviors like excessive chewing, barking, or digging.

While it’s commonly believed that Dobermans (or any breed), should not sleep with you in bed, research seems to be proving otherwise. The AKC is not against letting your dog sleep with you, as it can ease anxiety, among other benefits. In fact, 45% of owners say their dog sleeps in bed with them (source).

The biggest downside seems to be the differing sleep habits of humans and dogs causing you and your dog to annoy each other during the night, leading to restless sleep. I know my Doberman constantly getting up and laying back down closer and closer to me throughout the night definitely causes me some disturbances!

Some sleeping conditions that are not beneficial for a Doberman, include:

• Outdoor shelters in unfavorable weather conditions.
• Sleeping on hardwood, tile, or other types of hard flooring with no padding.
• Noisy or chaotic environments.
• Areas where your dog will feel “exposed” while they sleep (remember dogs like a safe den by nature).
• Sleeping in any other place where your Doberman does not feel safe, secure, or comfortable.

How Much Sleep Is Too Much?

Although Dobermans do need a lot of sleep, too much sleep can be a sign that there is something wrong. Often it can be difficult to tell when the line is crossed from necessary sleep into excessive sleep.

But if you see any of the following signs, it may be time to have a vet examine your dog for any underlying issues.

1. Extreme lethargy – If your normally active dog suddenly begins sleeping more than he usually does, and if he seems less energetic when he’s awake, it may be time to see a vet.
2. Trouble breathing – Dogs can get sleep apnea just as humans can. This is a condition where your dog will stop breathing for a few moments while sleeping. It’s not very common with Dobermans, but if you see it (or hear it), it may sign of a deeper issue.
3. Other symptoms – If you notice other changes in your dog’s health or behavior at the same time he seems to be sleeping more, it may be a red flag that something is wrong. These other symptoms might be things like loss of appetite, unusual bowel movements, decreased interest in favorite activities, moodiness, or unexplained whining or crying.
4. Ongoing tiredness – Like people, dogs may sometimes sleep a little more or a little less over a given few days. But if your dog’s lethargy continues, it also may be time to speak with your vet.

Common Sleeping Positions for Dobermans

There are certainly a few positions that are common for Dobermans to sleep in, including:

• On their side, all legs stretched out. This means he is very relaxed. If he exposes his belly a little he may be trying to cool down.
• On their back, all legs in the air. This is a very secure dog since his belly and neck are exposed. It’s also the most difficult position to rise from. Dogs in this position feel extremely safe and content.
• Curled up. This is a more defensive position. It’s the easiest sleeping position to spring up from, but the least comfortable. However, occasionally dogs sleep like this to maintain body warmth.

What May Cause Sleeping Changes?

If your dog is sleeping more than he should be, there might be several causes. Here are a few examples of possible explanations, although please keep in mind it’s best to consult with your veterinarian to determine the root cause.

1. Depression – Loss of a loved one or major life change may cause depression in dogs similarly to humans. In most cases, this will pass in a few days or a week or two. But if it does not, veterinary help is needed.
2. Shifts in routine – Moving and/or changing an established daily schedule may temporarily affect your dog’s sleep patterns. Once he gets used to the new routine, things should return to normal with your pup.
3. Poor nutrition – Dobermans have distinct nutritional requirements. If your dog isn’t getting enough food and water, or the right amount of protein, vitamins, and minerals from the food, he may become lethargic.
4. Other conditions – Underlying health issues may make your dog more tired. Excessive tiredness can be a symptom of parvovirus, diabetes, Lyme disease, hypothyroidism, anemia, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), viral or bacterial infection, and other health issues.

As owners of this smart, energetic, and loving breed, we want to take as good care of them as they do of us. Just being conscious of your dog’s normal sleep and exercise habits, and noting any changes, can help prevent minor health issues from becoming major ones.

Related Questions

Should my Doberman sleep with me?
A Doberman puppy should generally sleep in a crate at night near their owners, but not on their owner’s bed. An adult Doberman, however, can sleep with their owners on occasion without danger of it leading to significant behavioral problems.

Where should my Doberman sleep?
At night, a Doberman puppy should sleep in a covered crate near their owner’s bed, preferably where the puppy can see its owner. An adult Doberman can sleep anywhere inside the house where they feel safe, secure, and comfortable.

Why does my Doberman sleep on me?
When a Doberman sleeps or leans on their owner, it’s a sign of affection. It means the dog trusts you and wants to be close by your side.

The post How Long Do Dobermans Sleep? appeared first on Doberman Planet.

So you’re considering getting a Doberman, but you need to know how much Dobermans bark and how loud their bark is. How much any dog barks is definitely at least partially influenced by their genetics, and specifically what breed they are. Dobermans are no different. So let’s talk about how much Dobermans really bark, how loud it is, and how much trouble it might (or might not) cause with your neighbors.

Do Dobermans bark a lot? Dobermans were originally bred for protection work and as a result, they bark more than many other breeds, especially when on guard or attempting to alert their owners. However, they are also easily trainable and efforts by owners to prevent excessive barking are often successful.

A happy, trained, and socialized Doberman will generally only bark as a warning to their owner. However, a bored, frustrated, or poorly socialized Doberman may bark considerably more as a release for their anxiety.

Making sure a Doberman is a good fit for your lifestyle is an often-missed, but very important, step for someone considering becoming a new Doberman owner.

How Often Do Dobermans Bark?

The average Doberman owner can expect at least one short barking session of usually less than 30 seconds in length from their dog per day.

However, many Doberman owners experience no barking on a daily basis, while others will experience many long sessions of continuous barking. So what’s the difference between these two sets of owners and their dogs?

Much of the question of how often a specific Doberman will bark is based on variables such as:

• How much training the dog has received, including desensitization training to various barking stimuli.
• How much exercise the dog regularly receives.
• Availability of alternate outlets for the dog’s anxiety (toys, activities, etc).
• How well the dog has been socialized.
• How often and for how long they’re left alone.
• How much exposure the dog has had to different experiences.
• The frequency of outside barking stimuli (a dog on the other side of the fence, a delivery man coming to the door, etc).
• and other factors.

Since there are so many variables, it’s hard to predict precisely how often a specific Doberman will bark, but luckily there are a few common behaviors and reactions in the Doberman breed that do allow us to be able to somewhat predict what an owner is most likely to experience from a Doberman in terms of barking.

A well-trained and socialized Doberman will only bark when something very out of the ordinary is occurring, or if they’re alerting their owner. If you live in a highly-populated area, but your Doberman is left in a small apartment all day, your Doberman will have likely experience increased anxiety and bark more. If you live where there is no activity outside and he is exercised, socialized, and content, he will bark less. Sounds simple, and in a lot of ways, it is.

“90% of barking issues in Dobermans come down to one simple rule… as anxiety increases, so does barking. Lower anxiety levels mean less barking.”

– John Walter (DobermanPlanet.com)

Dobermans were originally developed to be a clingy, “velcro” type of dog that would act as a personal protection dog and protect their owner with force if necessary. As a guard dog breed, they were expected to bark a warning if an intruder was spotted or a dangerous person approached.

However, a guard dog that barks all the time is pretty much useless, since the owner rapidly learns to ignore the barking. So although barking while on alert was a trait Louis Dobermann (the creator of this breed) likely bred for originally, excessive barking was a trait that would have been avoided. If you are interested in learning more about the history of the Doberman breed, see the “history” section of my complete Doberman breed overview here.

The website Vetstreet, which ranks many common traits of various dog breeds ranks the barking tendency of a well-bred, happy, socialized, and trained Doberman as a two on a scale of one to five (source).

I’m certain that the biggest influences in this ranking for the Doberman is a balance between the Doberman’s instinctual tendency to “alert” their owners by barking and their extreme trainability and intelligence to discern what a real threat is.

If you need help on how to begin training your Doberman, see my guide all about how to train a Doberman Pinscher here.

Reasons Why Dobermans Bark

Simply, a well-bred, happy, socialized and trained Doberman is only going to bark when the time is appropriate. Examples would be such as in response to a command to bark, some forms of play, an intruder in your home, someone trespassing in your yard, or acting threatening towards a member of the family.

Dobermans who are poorly bred, poorly socialized, bored, or frustrated may bark because:

• They hear a benign noise.
• They see someone walking down the sidewalk.
• They see or hear another dog.
• Someone rang the doorbell.
• A car drives down the street.
• They hear people talking.
• A general increase in anxiety (including fear).

Most of the excessive barking examples listed above can be prevented by teaching your puppy what is normal (people walking down the sidewalk) and what is abnormal (someone climbing over your fence).

Incorporating adequate exercise and mental stimulation on a daily basis for your Doberman is another very common method for preventing this unwanted barking that is highly effective with this breed.

How Loud Is a Doberman’s Bark?

The average dog’s bark is between 80 to 90 decibels. The Guinness World Record’s record holder for the loudest bark is a Golden retriever named Charlie who hit 113 decibels. The previous record-holder was a German shepherd who hit 108 decibels. To put this into context, chainsaws are between 110-120 decibels, and power lawn mowers are at 96 decibels. Although certainly, a dog’s bark is much shorter in duration than either of these examples.

Since Dobermans were bred to be protectors, they have a naturally deep chest that easily allows them to make their presence vocally well-known and produce significantly loud barks.

One YouTuber named Joey Ferris recorded his Doberman Kruz’s bark at 128.7 dB (video above). This is equivalent to a military jet take-off (which is 130dB).

So how is it possible that Joey Ferris’s Doberman’s bark was louder than the world record holder? Well to be fair, I’m sure the Guinness Book of Records has specific requirements for measuring the volume of a dog’s bark, such as distance from the meter and other such variables. Even so, 128.7 dB measured in the manner in which Joey did from his Doberman, is still quite impressive (and loud)!

Most owners rank the loudness of their Doberman’s barking as being quite loud, almost as loud as a German shepherd’s typical machine-gun-style barking. If they bark, you will certainly hear it through walls, and your neighbors will definitely hear it, especially if the dog decides to bark at 3 am.

If you share a wall with a neighbor, such as in a townhouse or apartment, you should definitely take steps to ensure your Doberman’s barking is kept to a minimum. Those walls will seem paper-thin to your neighbors when your dog starts barking.

At What Age Do Dobermans Start Barking?

Generally, most breeds of puppies start barking between 7-8 weeks of age (source). However, owners of Dobermans will usually note that their pups will start barking a little later than this. By 10-12 weeks of age, you will notice your Doberman puppy being more vocal and barking during game time or when trying to get your attention.

However, at this age, the barking is not near as loud as an adult Doberman and certainly higher pitched.

Most Dobermans don’t start exhibiting “guarding” type barking until around 1 to 1.5 years of age, although they may bark for other reasons prior to that.

Stopping a Doberman From Barking

Here are six steps to stop your Doberman from barking:

• Determine why they’re barking.
• Reduce or eliminate the motivation to bark.
• Put your dog in tempting barking situations for training purposes.
• Give correction.
• Reward when not barking.
• Repeat as necessary.

You can find a more in-depth guide on these steps in the article I wrote, 6 Steps to Get Your Doberman Pinscher to Stop Barking here.

The first thing to do is to determine why the dog is barking and correct the problem. If the dog is barking because it’s left alone for 10 hours a day or is consigned to the backyard all of the time, it’s pretty clear what you have to do: fix the dog’s lifestyle.

Obviously, people do have to go to work, but if you get up early, take the dog for a good brisk walk or run, then engage in 15 minutes of advanced obedience training or some other mentally stimulating work. If you do this, the odds are that your dog will sleep all day instead of barking.

Once you get home, engage the dog in another bout of exercise and mental stimulation. Dobermans are very intelligent and athletic. They excel in many different dog sports, such as obedience, rally obedience, Schutzhund, agility, scent work, and tracking.

Practicing skills from these sports at home on a daily basis is a great way to give your Doberman a job to do and keep them mentally engaged. This will lead to an overall calmer dog.

“Teaching your dog a ‘stop barking’ command is a great first step in getting a handle on excessive barking. Teaching this isn’t as difficult as it sounds with a Doberman.”

– John Walter (DobermanPlanet.com)

If you plan to keep your dog in the backyard all of the time, don’t get a Doberman. They are clingy, “velcro” dogs, and need to be with their family as much as possible and the increased anxiety of being away from their family for a significant portion of the day will often lead to excessive barking.

If the dog is engaging in inappropriate “guarding” barking, like barking at people walking by across the street or in the neighbor’s yard, the best approach may be to work with an experienced trainer to teach the dog when it’s appropriate to bark and when it’s not.

When Can You Start Training a Doberman Not to Bark?

Immediately! Start training your Doberman in obedience, appropriate guard/alert barking, and general good manners the second you bring the dog home. Young puppies are learning sponges; good breeders start training puppies as soon as their eyes open.

Many commands can be taught easily at home to Dobermans at 8 weeks of age. You can start making significant progress in teaching more advanced behaviors in Dobermans starting as early as 12 weeks of age.

TIP

One great way to prevent barking, is actually to teach the “speak” command so that your Doberman understands when the appropriate time to bark is. To learn how to do this, see my article all about training a Doberman to bark on command.

Other Common Behavioral Problems in Dobermans

While barking is certainly a common behavior problem with some Dobermans due to their natural guarding instincts, this breed is known for other issues as well. Some of these can be related to, or incorporate, barking issues into them.

Probably one of the most common behaviors in Dobermans is flank-sucking. Almost all of them will do this to some extent. This is considered to be an obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The dog engages in sucking on its flank (the flap of skin connecting the dog’s lower torso to their back legs), a toy, or blankets. In mild cases, the dog just seems to enjoy doing it or does it to relieve stress and can easily be distracted from sucking. In severe cases, the dog won’t stop the flank-sucking and this can result in self-mutilation and even the need for medication to treat the condition.

Other common behavioral issues in Dobermans include:

• Separation anxiety (which can cause destructiveness, barking, and crying).
• Fear-based aggression if poorly bred or undersocialized.
• Destructiveness if bored or under-stimulated.
• Resource guarding.
• Intolerance of other dogs.
• Chasing cats and other small animals (especially furry ones).

The first step in preventing behavioral problems is to ensure a Doberman fits into your lifestyle before acquiring one. These are dogs that need a lot of exercise and attention; if you can’t provide what a Doberman needs, choose another breed. But if you have the motivation and desire to adapt to your dog, as much as they will need to adapt to you, then you can be successful in raising a Doberman.

The next step is to be sure you only buy your puppy from a reputable, responsible breeder who breeds for a Doberman temperament that fits with your lifestyle.

The third step in dealing with behavioral problems is to simply put the effort into providing your dog with the stimulation, training, and guidance that they need. I rarely see a Doberman owner who is willing to put in significant effort and still fails. If the effort, desire, and willingness are there on your part, then you’ll be successful with your Doberman.

The post Do Dobermans Bark a Lot and How Loud Is It? appeared first on Doberman Planet.

There is a common myth about Dobermans that says they will randomly turn on their owners without provocation. It’s said that due to the Doberman’s small skull size and their continuously growing brain, eventually, the brain will become too large for the skull and it’ll cause a sudden burst of aggression that’s directly primarily towards their owners.

Do Dobermans turn on their owners? No, Dobermans do not turn on their owners. They are the only breed ever created for the personal protection of their owners and are extremely loyal. They are not known for sudden acts of aggression towards their masters.

Doberman Pinschers are a naturally protective breed. They are no more prone to turn on their masters than any dog originally bred as a guard dog. John T. Brueggeman of the Doberman Pinscher Club of America states they are more loyal and trustworthy to their owners than most other breeds (source).

Throughout my years of working with the Doberman breed, I’ve yet to find a case of aggression that did not have an explanation involving the dog’s past treatment or physical health.

Why Dobermans Do Not Turn on Their Masters

Dobermans possess a long list of behavior traits that run contrary to the belief that they are prone to turning on their masters. Some of these traits are:

• Highly Intelligent – Dobermans are extremely intelligent. Intelligent dogs don’t generally have as many problems with impulse control as dogs of lower intelligence levels do. They have a strong cognitive ability to think before they act. Dobermans are one of the top five smartest dogs according to PetMD. Their high level of intelligence makes them easy to train and allows them to easily adhere to rules and boundaries their owners have set.
• Loyal – Dobermans are known to be extremely loyal dogs. A dog who has naturally loyal tendencies will bond with and protect their families, not suddenly become aggressive towards them. They do have a tendency to bond more with one particular family member, but they also protect their “pack” as a whole. This single-person bond is stronger in female Dobermans than males, however. You can read more about the differences between male and female Dobermans here.
• People-Oriented – Dobermans are people-oriented dogs. If you’ve ever had an up-close interaction with a Doberman, you may notice that he or she will look directly into your eyes while you’re talking to them. They are highly in-tune with your body language and emotions. Dogs that display these qualities rarely have aggression issues towards their owners or families.
• Loving – Love and affection are a priority for Dobermans. This is likely related to their role as a personal guardian. They are often referred to as “velcro dogs” because once they bond with you, they will stick to your side. Dogs who behave like this are far more likely to protect their owners than harm them.
• Protective – These are highly protective dogs. Dogs that have the natural instincts to be protective of their “pack” (or family) as the Doberman does are less likely to harm their owners. A case could be made that they may be more prone to take physical action against a threatening stranger, but not against their own masters.

The Brain Size vs. Skull Size Myth

The most common myth about why a Doberman might “go crazy” and turn on their owner has to do with their brain growing too big for their small skulls. While it’s true that Dobermans have a smaller head size as compared to their body size than many other breeds, no breed of dog in existence has been known to possess a skull that is physically too small for its brain.

However, there is a serious health condition called syringomyelia, which causes fluid to build up near the top of the spine (or base of the brain) in dogs. This primarily affects Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (source). The earliest symptoms of this are neck pain and discomfort. As it progresses it can lead to timidness, shyness, and touch aversion. However, this is not known to affect Dobermans.

There are no scientific studies currently that suggest any type of unusual brain function in Dobermans is a result of too large of a brain as it relates to the size of their skulls. While their brains and skulls are smaller than other breeds their size, their intelligence level is higher than most and are commonly cited as being among the top 5 most intelligent dog breeds in the world.

There are some possible explanations for this myth however that may be at least partially rooted in fact. These have to do with two other conditions Dobermans can suffer from which may be responsible for feeding into this myth.

One is a behavioral condition called Canine Compulsive Disorder (or CCD) and another is a medical condition called hypothyroidism. Dobermans are prone to both of these.

Canine Compulsive Disorder (or CCD)

As many as 28% of Dobermans may be affected by canine compulsive disorder, or CCD (source). This is also often called compulsive behavior disorder and may be at least partially to blame for this myth. This is the only disorder in Dobermans that may have some relation to the dog’s brain size. This disorder is similar to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in humans.

A dog affected by this disorder will often perform repetitive behaviors that appear to have no purpose to the extent that it interferes with their normal life. In Dobermans, this is usually behaviors such as compulsive licking and sucking on the flank area of the skin. The “flank” of the dog is the two thin stretches of skin connecting the rear legs to the bottom of the torso of the dog. You can learn more about the symptoms of CCD in this article by WebMD.

On rare occasions, Dobermans affected by CCD will show some self-directed aggression issues such as attacking their own legs or tail. However, they have not been known to display aggression towards others due to CCD and no studies to date suggest this correlation.

Although this behavior disorder is usually related to anxiety and stress in the dog, there was one study that showed a correlation between the brain’s volume and density in certain areas and the development of CCD (source). For this reason, it’s possible that this condition may have fueled the myth of Dobermans developing cognitive issues due to brain size.

Hypothyroidism

The second possible explanation for this myth may have to do with hypothyroidism, a medical condition that the Doberman breed, along with many other breeds, is prone to.

This condition occurs with the thyroid gland is not producing enough thyroid hormone, causing a hormone imbalance. This typically develops in middle-aged dogs between 4 and 10 years of age. The symptoms can include weight gain, hair loss, exercise intolerance, decreased appetite, and behavior problems.

The interesting thing here is typically the behavior problems with this disorder are noticeable before the physical symptoms are (source).

The behavior problems associated with hypothyroidism in Dobermans often start with behaviors appearing similar to CCD (as described in the previous section) but can develop into shyness, anxiety, or fear.

“This abnormal behavior can be intermittent and erratic, escalating to aggression.”

– W. Jean Dodds, DVM, of Hemopet in Southern California

It is possible for dogs suffering from untreated hypothyroidism to become aggressive to the point that their owners feel they need to surrender their dog to rescue centers or shelters.

There was one paper published titled “The Effect of Hypothyroid Function on Canine Behavior” by Drs. Linda P. Aronson and W. Jean Dodds, which did show a “highly statistically significant relationship between thyroid dysfunction and dog-to-human aggression.” It also showed a relationship with dog on dog aggression as well (source).

However, hypothyroidism is very treatable in Dobermans and usually involves the use of a prescription medication that will replace the missing thyroid hormone in the dog. Again, this is a common health issue in many breeds of dogs and is not exclusive to the Doberman.

This condition may also be at least partially responsible for the myth of a Doberman’s sudden aggression towards their owners.

To learn more about the health issues common to the Doberman breed, see my article The Doberman Pinscher: A Complete Breed Overview.

Doberman Dog Bite Statistics

According to a study done on dog bite fatalities as reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, during a 13 year period between 2005 and 2017, there were a total of 433 people killed from dog bites in the United States. Of those, only 6 deaths were attributed to Dobermans, or about 1.4%.

This study indicated that Dobermans were 11th most responsible breed for these fatalities. More fatalities from dog bites were attributed to Labrador retrievers and huskys than were to Dobermans.

For a full breakdown of these statistics, including sources. Please see Dogsbite.org: U.S. Dog Bite Fatalities (2005 to 2017).

I dive further into these statistics, and the overall instincts of the Doberman as it comes to aggression in my article Are Dobermans Mean, Dangerous, or Overly Aggressive?

Max Sparwasser Law Firm published the statistics relating to significant injury or death from dog bites based on media reports. The statistics were listed by breed from 1982 to 2014. Dobermans appeared 18th on the list of the top 30 breeds of dogs causing serious injuries (source).

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, half of the injuries resulting from dog bites are on children between the ages of 5 and 9 years old. The top three people most bitten were kids, the elderly, and postal service employees.

It’s clear from these statistics that Dobermans are not generally prone to turning on, and injuring, their owners. While it’s clear the statistics don’t back up this myth, Doberman attacks can still happen (just like with any breed). So let’s talk about reasons they might occur with a Doberman.

Why Doberman Attacks Happen

When Dobermans are properly trained and socialized, the chances of anyone getting bitten is really quite slim. However, these are situations where a bite could occur.

You’ll note that many of these are triggers for most dog breeds and are not specific to just Dobermans.

1. Food Aggression. Dobermans, like most dogs, are very protective of their food. This is a survival instinct most dogs have that was passed down from their wild ancestors. If someone approaches a Doberman and there is any fear about sharing or having the food stolen, this could be the cause of aggression if the dog hasn’t been trained properly.
2. Dominance Aggression. Dobermans are dominant dogs and it’s well known in the Doberman world that this can lead to issues with other dogs. Same-sex aggression can be an issue with Dobermans because of this. However, dominance issues rarely lead to anything more serious than a small nip with humans.
3. Fear Aggression. Since Dobermans are bred for guarding and protection of a family, if they become startled or surprised, this could lead to fear-based biting. This is usually easily prevented however with proper socialization early in the dog’s life.
4. Predatory Aggression. Dobermans have a high prey drive so it’s a natural instinct for them to give chase, especially with small furry animals. Small animals and children should be watched carefully around your Doberman when they’re young and still learning what’s expected of them.
5. Territorial Aggression. These dogs are well aware of the physical boundaries of their home and they can be extra protective while on their own property. This is an instinct that is generally directed towards strangers who may come onto your property and is almost never a concern of anyone within the immediate family.

Warning Signs That Your Doberman Might Be About to Bite

Dobermans are not prone to biting out of the blue. There are almost always warning signs that can predict aggressive behavior. You’ll probably easily notice if he is displaying signs of distress.

These are some of the more common signs that your Doberman may be uncomfortable, anxious, suspicious of a given situation, or even about to bite.

• Avoiding eye contact. This is especially the case if the dog is pacing around back and forth near, but slightly out of reach, of someone they just met. This is most often associated with fear and can be a sign of the potential for fear biting.
• Maintaining eye contact while not moving. Maintaining eye contact with someone they are suspicious of is also a common sign in Dobermans. This isn’t generally a sign of fear like the previous point, but of suspicion. These dogs love eye contact naturally but this could be a cause for concern especially when the dog has a motionless body and is intently following the subject with their eyes.
• Licking lips. This can be an early sign that your Doberman may be uncomfortable. This doesn’t mean he is going to bite, but it does mean he is unsettled and anxious.
• Showing teeth, growling, or snapping. This is a much more obvious sign your Doberman is uncomfortable and it’s usually meant as a “final warning.”
• Rigid body. If your dog is on edge, every muscle will stiffen and you’ll notice they will slightly transfer more of their weight to their front two feet. You will see him standing very squarely towards their target with ears perked. They almost appear frozen. If your dog is exhibiting this body posture, it’s another sign that he is very uncomfortable with a situation.
• Hackles raised. If the ridge of hair along your Doberman’s spine (called the “hackles”) is raised, he is definitely on edge. The fur on the neck or back will raise when a dog feels threatened. On Dobermans, this is most noticeable high on the back near the shoulder blades.

Things That Tend to Trigger a Doberman

How your Doberman was raised and socialized is probably the biggest factor in determining how likely they are to get triggered by any specific circumstance. If your dog came from a shelter or had any abuse in his or her background, their trigger may be “pulled” a bit more quickly than other dogs who were raised in more nurturing environments.

If your Doberman was raised in your home and feels safe and comfortable in almost any situation, there will be little that will unsettle him to the point of biting. You’d be amazed how tolerant a well-raised Doberman can be of just about any situation as an adult.

However, there are situations that will make any dog uncomfortable but depending on your dog’s background, the reactions will vary. Be aware of a situation that may create tension for your Doberman such as the following.

• Feeling the need to defend territory or a family member.
  
• Being startled, suddenly woken up, or approached quickly from behind.
  
• Having someone approach when they are already fearful.
  
• Injury or illness.
  
• Physical abuse or punishment.
  

The Importance of Proper Training and Socialization

A Doberman that has been well socialized and has proven itself over time can be an amazingly gentle, loving, and steadfast dog that can be fully trusted with infants and adults alike. In fact, Dobermans are known for being extremely good with kids.

Making sure to socialize your dog as much as possible during their first year of life will help them to become predictable as adults later on.

Expose your dog to as many situations, noises, other animals, other dogs, and people as possible early and often. Then just give your dog plenty of love. These are the absolute best things you can do to promote the development of a gentle adult Doberman.

When their boundaries have been well defined and expectations made clear, they will generally be more than happy to comply. You’ll never have to worry about your dog turning on you, especially if that dog is a Doberman.

Final Thoughts

While the myth that a Doberman will randomly turn on, and attack, its owner is a long-standing one. Hopefully, it’s clear now that this is a myth and nothing more. The statistics and anecdotal evidence of almost all Doberman owners I have spoken to simply don’t support this conclusion.

Many Doberman owners every year come to me with behavior problems of various kinds and levels of seriousness. I have yet to see one case of a Doberman who wasn’t abused or otherwise mistreated, turning on their owner. It just doesn’t happen in the Doberman world in my experience.

This may be just the result of rumors started based on quarter truths from other medical conditions such as CCD and Hypothyroidism, but it’s certainly not based on scientific evidence that their brains swell to a size that’s too large for their skulls⁠—that’s simply a tall tale.

Just keep loving your Dobermans and they will return the favor every day. That’s why this breed makes an amazing family dog. See my article Are Dobermans Good Family Dogs? The Surprising Truth for more.

TIP: Are you considering getting a Doberman puppy? Take a look at my article 15 Places to Find Doberman Puppies for Sale: Best to Worst for a list of some great sources for Doberman puppies!

Related Questions

Do Dobermans become suddenly aggressive? Dobermans are smart, loyal, and obedient dogs. A Doberman raised properly in a loving home will not become suddenly aggressive without provocation.

Can a Doberman kill you? Most large dog breeds are capable of killing a human. However, Dobermans have only been involved in 1.4% of human fatalities over a 13-year period, per the Centers for Disease Control. Despite being bred for use in protection rolls, Dobermans are rarely involved in human fatalities.

Helpful Resources

• 9 Proven Ways to Bond with a Doberman of Any Age – We know Dobermans are one of the most loyal dog breeds in the world but if you place a little extra focus into building your bond with your Doberman, you’d be amazed how far that can go. Having a deep bond with your Dobie makes command training, behavior training, and just daily life with your dog so much better.

The post Do Dobermans Turn on Their Owners? Brain vs. Skull Size Myth appeared first on Doberman Planet.

Have you ever wondered if your Doberman really loves you? Dobermans are one of those breeds that are so in tune with human emotions that it can be scary at times. In fact, they’re also capable of experiencing similar emotions to humans including love. So, after reaching out to thousands of Doberman owners, I’ve compiled this list of the most common ways that Dobermans show their love for their owners.

How do you tell if your Doberman loves you? Dobermans will usually express tight bonds and even love for their owners by sleeping on or near them, making eye contact, leaning into them, and using them for a sense of security when in a new environment. 

That’s the very short answer, but there are certainly many other ways Dobermans show love. After talking to other Doberman owners, I have compiled a list of very specific actions that Doberman Pinschers use to show that they love their owners. Your dog may not do all of these, but if you’ve experienced a majority of them then you can rest assured that your Doberman loves you.

What Dobermans do to show love…

1. Look Into Your Eyes with Nose Forward and Ears Back

Eye contact can be a dominance thing with Dobermans, but more often, if the ears are back slightly and they’re extending their neck to get their nose close to you, it’s a sign of love. Think of them trying to point at you with their nose while maintaining all-too-awkward eye contact. The more awkward this gets, the more love there is. 

2. Run Behind Your Legs When Scared

If your Doberman uses you for a sense of security when something frightening is happening then he’s definitely bonded tightly with you. This happens with a Dobie more often when they’re younger since their naturally fearless nature tends to take over a bit as an adult.

But, as a younger dog, if your Dobie gets really frightened and runs through, or behind, your legs for safety then it means that they not only trust you but more than likely they love you too. That’s because trust at that level goes hand and hand with love for Dobermans. As an example, my boy did this one night when he was a puppy and two dogs came sprinting up to him in the dark.

3. Let You Annoy Them

Ok, I obviously don’t encourage annoying or pestering your dog. But, when a Dobie lets you do somewhat annoying things to him and remains relaxed—that’s love.

This would be like if you’re sitting and watching television with him and he’s letting you play with his paws, tug his ears, or play with his nose or lips. Only a Dobie who fully trusts you and holds a level of affection for you would let you do some of these things to him while remaining relaxed.

4. Try to Be Close to (Or on Top Of) You While You’re Sleeping

This is probably the most common way that they show love for their owners. If your Doberman loves to be right next to you while you (or he) is sleeping, then he has definitely bonded with you. Yes, sometimes this looks like him sleeping on top of you too.

Ever have your dog fall asleep next to you while you’re watching television on the couch, and get up to move to another seat? Does he get up soon after, come over next to you, and go back to sleep? That’s true Dobie-love right there! Some people even say that their sleeping position says a lot about them.

5. Sleep in Your Room Watching the Door

If your Dobermans sleeps with you in your room and seems to always want to be facing the door to your room, then he’s got a tight bond with you. This means that he is in a protective mode of you and Dobermans only do this to those they have that close bond with.

This will be especially noticeable if you take your dog to a new house, or another new environment (camping for example), and you have him sleep with you. If his love is going to show for you in this way, that’s when it’ll happen. However, some Dobermans will feel too secure in their own homes and won’t do this.

Did you know that your Doberman goes through cycles of deep sleep and restful alertness about every 15 minutes or so? This is another instinct to help keep you safe. Learn more about Doberman sleeping habits here.

6. Randomly Lean Into Your Legs

This will happen at the worst of times—like then you’re in the kitchen running around and cooking dinner. But if he sits down right behind your legs and presses into them, that’s a sign that he loves you. Resist the urge to kick him away or send his off running right away. After all, he’s just telling you how much he cares for you. Just don’t trip!

7. Body Slam You While You’re Sleeping

It’s 2 a.m. and you’re sound asleep on your bed with your Doberman. He’s already crowded you to the edge of your kind sized mattress giving you mere inches to sleep. But then, when you are totally asleep and comfortable, he gets up, does a turn or two, and quickly drops all his weight straight down onto your side. It feels like you got body-slammed by a wrestler.

Well actually, your dog got up and realized he wanted to be even close to you, so this was the result. As painful and startling as it can be, it really is just love. This was my Dobie’s favorite move. I was somewhat relieved when other Doberman owners said that their dog did this to them also.

8. Wake You Up by Poking You in the Face with Their Nose

You’re asleep in the middle of the night, or maybe early morning (say, around 5 a.m.) and your Doberman is tired of being alone and away from the one they love. So that’s when you get a cold wet nose jammed in your cheek. 

It’s frustrating when you’re trying to sleep in, but trust me, if your dog didn’t love you he’d go off in a corner somewhere and not want anything to do with you, and certainly wouldn’t care to wake you—almost sounds better sometimes doesn’t it?

9. Cry When There’s Any Distance Between You in a New Environment

This is such a tell-tale sign of love and the existence of a tight bond. If you are in a new environment with your Doberman and he seemingly freaks out much more than normal when you walk away, that means not only does he likely love you, but he’s being protective of you too.

Dobermans were bred to be personal protection dogs that have tight bonds with their owners. There’s no time where this is more apparent than in a new and strange environment when the owner walks away. When I would go on hiking trips with my Doberman Cooper and walk away from him for a minute or two, he would start crying, pacing, and trying to get to me. He didn’t do anything like that at home, only when out in a strange new place. That’s love right there!

10. Try Climbing Into Your Lap at the Worst Times

When you’re skyping with your boss, having a serious conversation with your neighbor in your living room, taking a selfie, or trying to look sexy on that skype call with your boyfriend—your Doberman jumps up into your lap. All 90 pounds of him, making you grunt like a trucker.

Yeah, Dobies love being in the laps of the ones they love and if they see you sitting down with an easy means of climbing up onto you, regardless of what you’re doing, they’ll do it. The good news is they only do this with those they love—lucky you!

11. Randomly Lick Your Face

You know those random kisses when you’re watching television and not expecting them? That’s love. You don’t always need to ask for them, but if you’re Doberman sees an opportunity and goes in for one, that’s a good sign. Yeah, it may be right on the lips, or eyes, or nose, but love knows no bounds.

12. Won’t Leave Your Side—Even in the Bathroom

I’ve heard it said before that if there are many breeds of dogs out there considered “velcro” dogs simply because they stick to your side, then Dobermans must be “superglue” dogs. They always want to be at the side of the ones they love, like all-the-time.

So that means you don’t get any time alone, even in the bathroom. If your Dobie loves you, get ready for a head poking into the bathroom door when you’re on the toilet. The old saying is “Get a Doberman and never go to the bathroom alone again!”

13. Breathe Deeply While Their Nose is Pressed Against You

For dogs, scent is everything. When your Dobie is head-over-heels for you he might just want to jam his nose into your neck, cheek, or any other place and start breathing as deeply as possible. Doberman owners often say this is another treat that happens in the middle of the night. A little creepy? Sure it is, but hey, it’s love.

Unfortunately, they also like to do this right after they just had a big drink of water from their water bowl and their mouth is dripping with water. If that’s the only time yours does it, maybe he is actually just trying to annoy you! Nah, it’s probably just love.

Did You Know?

Dobermans are amazing family dogs who are great with kids. To learn more about what behaivor changes you’re likely to see when they start living with kids in the house, see my article Are Dobermans Good with Kids? What You Need to Know.

14. Nuzzle Their Head Under Your Arm

If your Doberman jams his head under your arm while you’re writing an article about Doberman affection for your website, then he probably loves you. Ok, there are other times he might do this, but this is what I usually experience.

This is also often just a bid for attention, but Dobies will only seek that attention from those in the family they’ve bonded with. So consider yourself lucky! I know I do.

15. Yawn When You Yawn

A Doberman only cares to become highly intuned with the actions and emotions of an owner who they feel love and affection for. So if your Dobie is so in tune with you that he yawns around the time you yawn, then he probably loves you.

But it doesn’t stop just at yawning. If he gets up and stretches when you do, takes in a deep breath when you do, or does other mimicking actions then you have a dog who is truly in tune with you. That means they’ve bonded tightly with you as their owner and certainly have some level of love for you.

16. Put Their Slobbery-Wet Toy Right on Your Lap

In the dog world, giving up your favorite toy or bone isn’t just done for anyone. In fact, their natural instincts are to be possessive of those things. But if you’re lucky enough to have your dog come over and give you their favorite toy by setting it in your lap, then you are on part of that dog’s circle of trust!

This is especially true if they just finished reaping the benefits from something you’ve provided for them like a filling meal or cold water on a hot day. That’s why you’re lucky enough to get a slobbery wet toy in your lap after he just finished drinking a bunch of water. Oh, love is great isn’t it?

17. Frequently Check-in While in New Environments

In a new environment, your Doberman will look to you for reassurance and as part of his protective instincts. So if you notice that your dog continually stops what they are doing and makes eye contact with you for a few seconds before going back to it, that’s an expression of the bond they feel with you. This can be very apparent in a dog park setting, for example.

18. Use Your Shoulder or Neck as a Headrest

This is sort of a combination of some of the other signs of love listed here. Many Dobermans owners feel their dogs rest their heads on their shoulders or neck for a few reasons. One is to smell your scent, and the other is to be as close as possible to you. Either reason would mean that it’s an expression of love from your dog.

19. Steal Your Socks When You’re Gone

This goes along with the scent thing for Dobermans. If they’re stealing your socks, underwear, or other small items that have your scent all over them then don’t get mad—it’s just love! Remember that scent is everything in the dog world and if they can’t be near you right now, having something nearby with your scent on it is the next best thing.

20. Sad While You’re Getting Ready to Leave

When you start to get ready to leave the house for the day by grabbing your keys or packing up a bag, a Doberman who loves you will start to feel an increase in anxiety. They might start pacing, crying, or whimpering. They may also start sticking closer to your side than normal (if that’s possible).

However, it can also be a sign of separation anxiety, which is very likely in a Dobie that feels an extra tight bond with you. So if your dog is destroying things, barking non-stop, or trying to escape while you’re gone, make sure you look into ways to help curb separation anxiety. You don’t want your dog suffering all day while you’re away.

21. Over-the-Top Excited When You Return

Almost all Doberman owners report experiencing this, but there’s a difference between your dog being excited because someone who might play with them is home and excited because the one they love is home. You might have to see how your dog acts with others, but a Doberman who loves their owner will get noticeably more excited when their owner gets home.

They’ll be jumping in circles, getting their favorite toy, whining, and you’ll see that little stub on their rear end going a million miles an hour. Ask others who come to your house when you aren’t around to describe, in detail, how your Doberman acts. I’ll bet they’re happy to see them, but not like they are when you get home. 

22. Roll Onto Their Back With Legs Up in the Air with You

This position isn’t natural for a dog. You might think it is, but that’s just because you have a Dobie who’s crazy in love with you. Trust me, dogs would never do this in the wild. A dog who gets onto their back with their feet up in the air and stays there is staying in a submissive position. It’s also a dangerous position if they were in the wild, so that’s why it’s so unnatural for them.

But if your dog is comfortable enough to do that for you, it means his love for you is overriding those instincts. He also fully trusts you and has bonded with you to the point that he can stay, fully relaxed, in a submissive position with you. Nice job—your Doberman loves you!

23. Always Make Eye Contact with You

Dobermans are known for making lots of eye contact. Yes, they may also do this for dominance reasons or when they’re suspicious of someone and on alert. But they also do it when they love someone. It’s difficult to describe here but it’s a different look when they make eye contact out of love.

First off, readily making eye contact with you all the time is a sign they have a desire to be connected to you and are trying to understand you. But more than that, the way they look at you makes a difference. Doberman owners will describe the “love look” as looking deep into their eyes to the point that it’s almost awkward. Often with their ears back and sometimes going in to lick their face soon after. Awkward? Maybe. True love? Yes!

24. Act Eager to Listen When You Talk

If your Doberman loves you, he’ll be highly focused on you and seemingly always “trying to figure you out.” That means that you’ll have no problem keeping their attention while you’re talking to them. Every time you talk to your dog you’re building your emotional connection. If your Doberman loves you, he’ll be eager for that connection and love focusing on you while you talk.

25. Randomly Entice You to Rough House

Puppies always love to do this, and yes, they’ll do this to strangers also. But you will see that you’re your dog’s number one play partner. Dogs in the wild, especially littermates, will play wrestle and play fight quite often as a way of building tighter bonds.

If your Doberman is focused on you as their main playmate and loves enticing you to rough house with him at a moment’s notice then that loving family-type bond is strong and they’re wanting to make it stronger.

Final Thoughts

The humane-canine bond has been around for somewhere between 15,000 to 30,000 years (source) and it certainly seems to be especially strong in Dobies. With a little effort, you can build that bond with your Doberman even deeper and stronger. Check out my advice on building a deep bond with your Doberman here.

After reaching out to many Doberman owners while researching this article, these were the twenty-five most common ways they reported that Dobermans show their love. But, of course, there are many other ways and if you know your dog well, you’ll be able to sense exactly when they’re saying “I love you”.

If you feel your Doberman is overly needy, which can happen, take a look at my article How to Handle a Needy Doberman: A Simple Guide for help.

Dobermans are a truly amazing breed. They’re so incredibly intuned with human emotions that sometimes it seems like they can almost feel what you’re feeling. If you stumbled on this page looking for signs of love from your Doberman, then I’m confident you know exactly what I’m talking about. Now go give your pup some love!

The post Does Your Doberman Love You? 25 Ways They Show Affection appeared first on Doberman Planet.

The choice between a Doberman and a German Shepherd can be very difficult since both are truly amazing and adaptable dogs. So which one should you get? How about both! But can these two amazing dog breeds really live together? I spent hours talking to some of the Doberman owners I know who also happen to be own German Shepherds, and I learned quite a bit. Here’s what I found out, which might be a little surprising.

Can a Doberman live with a German Shepherd? A Doberman can live with a German Shepherd with proper socialization and obedience training from a young age. Both breeds can be territorial, but both can be trained to live with other pets, even each other. Fewer problems will occur if these two dogs are of the opposite sex.

German Shepherds were bred as protectors of flocks of sheep while Dobermans were bred to be personal protection dogs. The final result, however, is two dogs that are actually very similar in many ways. Although there are certainly some differences that you need to be aware of which could toss a huge wrench into your plans to have both of these dogs living together under the same roof.

How Dobermans and German Shepherds Get Along

Almost every single owner of both Dobermans and German Shepherds that I spoke to before writing this article said that these two breeds get along very well together and will have no trouble living in the same household. These dogs are actually similar in so many ways that you may often hear experienced owners refer to the German Shepard as “a Doberman with more hair.” 

Both breeds are prone to same-sex aggression issues however so if you can, it’s best to have two dogs of the opposite sex living together; a male Doberman and a female German Shephard, or vice versa. If you must get two dogs of the same sex, try to have a good age difference between the two of them and preferably have them both fixed. Unaltered dogs can have more issues with same-sex aggression.

Below are some of the similarities and differences between these two breeds so you can have a better idea of what to expect having them in the same household.

Similarities

• Highly trainable.
• Great family guardians.
• Good with kids.
• Love to please their owners.
• May have same-sex aggression issues.
• Prone to separation anxiety.
• Have high exercise requirements (1-2 hours per day).
• Require lots of socialization (especially when young).

Differences

• German Shepherds will do what you want of them, exactly as you want it done. Dobermans will do what you want after thinking it through and deciding if there is an easier way of doing the same task.
• Dobermans do poorly in cold weather, while German Shepherds do much better.
• Dobermans are much more likely to be stuck by your side while German Shepherds are a bit more independent and willing to wander off on their own.
• German Shepherds are a bit less focused on their owners as compared to Dobermans.
• Dobermans are more in-tune with their owner’s emotions (especially female Dobermans).
• Dobermans like to cuddle and “be on top of” humans more often. German Shepherds can give you some space.

If at all possible, get the two dogs when they are puppies so that they can grow up together. Puppies are much more playful in nature and curious about each other. This will get them off to a great start which can be all it takes for a lifetime relationship. This will avoid some same-sex aggression problems since that’s not an issue until after puberty.

One of the biggest benefits of having these two dogs being raised in the same household is that they will exercise each other constantly. Both dogs have high exercise requirements to stay happy and having these two living together makes reaching those requirements extremely easy—it won’t all be on you!

While researching for this article I heard such heart-warming stories of the amazing relationships between Dobermans and German Shepherds. There was a German Shepherd who’s Doberman housemate lost his eyesight. The German Shepherd would go outside and lead the dog inside the house when the owner called. Or a Doberman who helped potty train a German Shepherd puppy by barking at him anytime he was about to go to the bathroom in the house. The relationships between these two can be amazing with proper care and supervised introductions done by the owner.

Each dog’s individual temperament will have a much bigger impact than the breed when it comes to these two getting along together. There are so many similarities that the differences are hardly noticeable. What is far more noticeable is individual personalities, so just make sure you pick a puppy with a good temperament. I have an article all about picking the right Doberman puppy here which should help.

Owning a Doberman

Doberman Pinschers are beautiful, elegant, guard dogs. To successfully own a Doberman, you really must understand their personality. Due to their energy level, protective nature, and ease at which they become bored, a Doberman can be very needy of time and attention. Even more so than a German Shepherd. 

Doberman Temperament

Dobermans are extremely energetic dogs. They are very loyal, to the point that sometimes they will noticeably bond tighter to one specific family member. They’re incredibly smart which makes training them easy as long as there’s plenty of positive reinforcement and clear direction. They are so smart that they will often run what you tell them through their own filter and decide if there is a better way of doing things—something you don’t see as often in German Shepherds.

Dobermans, like Germans Shepherds, do very well with kids and most other pets when socialized often and from a young age. A Doberman is a very sweet dog that will want to spend its evenings laying in your lap.

They’re very in tune with the emotions of their owners and can be sensitive to stress in the home as a result. This is why they will often try to break up a verbal argument between family members. Without proper training and socialization, they have the potential to misinterpret behaviors as threats to their family, such as other people approaching the family quickly or suspiciously. They get bored easily if not kept mentally and physically stimulated. A bored Doberman will often find trouble or become destructive.

Dobermans are instinctively very protective, even without and guard dog training. If you are bringing a German Shepherd into a household where a Doberman resides, it’s best to not have that Doberman guard dog trained. This can increase their “alpha dog” mentality and lead to problems when you introduce the German Shepherd—especially if they are the same sex.

Doberman Care and Training

The three keys to caring for a Doberman are good training, lots of bonding time with their owners, and ample exercise. Since Dobermans were bred to protect, you should put extra energy and focus into socializing them at a young age with other people, kids, and animals. Due to their high levels of intelligence, they also need obedience training, so they learn to respond to their owner’s commands.

Dobermans are a high energy breed. They need to lead a lifestyle that is physically active and mentally challenging for them. Dobermans need at least one hour of exercise a day, although two hours is better. They get bored easily, which leads to mischief and other “bad” behaviors. Pent up energy can also lead to anxiety and problem behaviors.

Potential Problems with a Doberman

Above all, Dobermans need owners that are knowledgeable about their unique breed and it’s requirements. It’s important to be aware of the following personality quirks that a Doberman can have which might be an issue depending on their environment.

• Love being close to people—very needy of attention.
• Require lots of socialization at an early age to be well-rounded adults.
• Respond poorly to long periods of isolation.
• May have same-sex aggression issues with other dogs in the home.
• Clear direction and training are required.
• Can be prone to separation anxiety.

These issues may not be problems at all for you or your home. For example, being needy of attention from people can be a very good thing. It means they are a companion and protector that always wants to be close to you. So you’ll need to decide if these are really “drawbacks” for your situation or not.

Owning a German Shepherd

The key to owning a Shepherd, just like with a Doberman, is careful training and proper care. Shepherds are smart and easy to train and love to please their owners. When properly trained and socialized, they can get along with very well children and other pets. With training, they are confident, watchful, and alert. Without it, they can be high-strung, nervous, and prone to separation anxiety. This is all right in line with a Doberman.

German Shepherd Temperament

German Shepherds were originally bred to be herding dogs and protect their flocks. Because of this, shepherds are fiercely loyal and often leery of strangers and other animals. The main concern would be if either dog felt they had to protect the family from the other.  

German shepherds are not bred to be aggressive. However, their drive to protect their “flock” can lead to aggression in response to a threat. Early socialization helps them learn to differentiate what is really a threat. When shepherds are overly aggressive, it’s usually the result of poor socialization, lack of obedience training, or owners who purposefully train them to be aggressive.

They are a bit more independent than Dobermans and aren’t as likely to be stuck to your side, or demanding to crawl up into your lap, as a Doberman is. For this reason, they are a little more challenging to train to walk without a leash, although it’s certainly possible due to their desire to please their owners.

German Shepherd Care and Training

German Shepherds do best with socialization and obedience training at a young age to prevent problems, such as over guarding, aggression, and separation anxiety. They need a firm owner who will establish dominance and clear direction. Their owner needs to expose them to other people and pets, but only under supervision. They also don’t do well with long periods of isolation. Does all this sound familiar? It should, I could easily have written this paragraph under the Doberman column! 

German Shepherds are high energy dogs, just like Dobies. They need ample exercise and mental stimulation daily. They need 1 to 2 hours of exercise daily to prevent boredom and anxiety. Shepherds left alone too often with too little exercise are prone to separation anxiety and being destructive. 

For more information about separation anxiety in German Shepherds specifically, see the All Shepherd Rescue’s article about this topic here.

Potential Problems with a German Shepherd

When owning a German shepherd, you need to be realistic about what you can expect from the breed. German shepherds are prone to their own set of potential problems. Just like with the Doberman list you’ll need to decide if any of these are an issue for you.

• Require lots of socialization at an early age to be well-rounded adults.
• Can be nippy at 6 to 7 months of age—a common puppy problem in their breed.
• They will “take charge” if you are not confident and firm with training.
• Clear direction and training is required.
• Can be prone to separation anxiety.

Again, all very similar to the Doberman Pinscher, however, German Shepherds do have a bit of a reputation for being a bit more mouthy between about 6 to 7 months of age. This shouldn’t be allowed, even during playtime since although it’s cute as a puppy, when they’re adults it could become a serious biting issue.

Separation Anxiety

I feel that discussing separation anxiety separately is important since both German Shepherds and Dobermans can suffer from this and it’s the number one reason these dogs end up in rescue centers or at the dog pound. 

Both of these dogs are very affectionate and loyal people dogs. It’s difficult for these breeds to be separated from their owners. Long periods of isolation and boredom can result in high levels of anxiety. This is one reason you should work hard to make sure these two get along—so they can keep each other company. If you have to always keep them separated when you leave, they’ll both suffer.

Dobermans do tend to need more mental stimulation along with the exercise to help prevent separation anxiety. Puzzle toys or other games that include their mind (or nose) will help set their mind at ease. German Shepherds benefit from this but don’t require it like Dobermans do. Just general exercise seems to help German Shepherds ward off separation anxiety.

If these dogs don’t receive these things and have to do without their owners (or each other) for extended periods of time, they can act out. This is when they become destructive and damage doors, windows, furniture, and other objects.

Dogs with separation anxiety generally act out due to a desire to have their owner return or to escape in order to reach their owner. With Dobermans and German shepherds, this is especially true. Much of the destruction they cause is part of their attempts to dig or chew their way out. 

The important thing is to remember that both of these breeds are very needy of attention. When owning both, balancing time between them will be very important. If you want more information about separation anxiety in Dobermans, much of which applies to German Shepherds as well, see my article How Long Can You Leave a Doberman Home Alone?

Final Thoughts

When deciding on a dog breed, keep in mind that the inheritance of temperament through genetics is much less predictable than the inheritance of physical traits such as coat, coloring, or size. Temperament and behavior are primarily shaped by their owners, environment, past socialization, and training. 

Dobermans and German shepherds are both fiercely loyal, protective dog breeds that can be very fun and loving with the right care and training. Really, their requirements to be happy are not very different from each other and they almost always get along wonderfully together.

Just remember to put in the time and effort to train, exercise, and socialize them from a young age and you should be just fine.

The post Can a Doberman Live with a German Shepherd? appeared first on Doberman Planet.

Doberman Pinschers are known for their natural inclination towards guard work. In fact, the Doberman breed was originally created for this specific purpose. You may have wondered if a male or female Doberman is the best guard dog for protecting your family. After years of working with various Dobermans and their owners, I believe I can shed some much-needed light on this subject.

Are male or female Dobermans better guard dogs? While both male and female Dobermans are exceptional guard dogs, female Dobermans tend to mature earlier and be ready for guard work sooner than males. They’re also more inclined to be protective of their owners whereas males tend to be more territorial and protective of their home in general.

Female Dobermans are great at protecting one person whereas males excel at protecting a large property or whole family. But there’s certainly more to the answer to this question. Each has it’s own advantages when it comes to guard work. That’s why some experienced Doberman owners will opt to own both a male and female together to protect a home. But if you can only bring home just one dog, then this article should help to make it clear which is the better guard dog for you.

Male vs. Female Doberman Guard Dogs

Dobermans are well known for being very effective guard dogs as well as beloved family pets and companions. Their genetic advantage in guard work is clearly visible in their bodies and attitudes. The Doberman’s body is sleek and robust, built for strength and stamina. 

Louis Doberman picked breeds and dogs specifically in an attempt to create the best guard dog possible. Many people feel he succeeded.  While their exact ancestry is unknown, it is believed that Dobermans were the result of breeding dogs like the Rottweiler, Black and Tan Terriers, and German Pinschers—all good guard dogs in their own right.

But like any breed, we have two sexes to pick from for the “best” guard dog. So let’s talk about the advantages each dog has towards certain guard dog work.

The largest difference between male and females Dobermans is their size. Males average about two inches taller and 15 to 20 pounds heavier. They’re bulkier with more muscle mass whereas the females tend to be smoother in appearance. Many describe the females as more elegant in their appearance.

Guarding People

We now know that female dogs generally make better personal guardians than males, due to their maternal instincts and tendency to bond tightly to one specific person. They are much more suspicious of those they don’t know and are better at “keeping strangers on edge” especially when out in a public place with their owner.

Guarding Property

Males, on the other hand, are considered better for guarding property or more broadly, a full family unit. This is due to their greater territorial instincts. They are generally more accepting of strangers when in public, but on their home territory, they are much more likely to show aggression to people or animals that approach their boundaries.

While the traits listed above may be true in a general sense, it’s important to remember that all dogs are individuals and there are no guarantees as to how your specific Doberman will act. It depends far more on how they’re raised, trained, and socialized than what sex they are.

If you want help picking the right Doberman puppy for guard work, see my article How to Choose the Best Doberman Puppy from a Litter.

Female Dobermans as Guard Dogs

Traditional thinking has been that males dogs are almost always better guard dogs than females. After all, they’re usually larger, have more muscle, and are more likely to be “alpha” type dogs. But now we have more information and it’s clear that this isn’t necessarily always the case. 

First of all, females mature quicker than males and usually began acting like adults around the age of two (males usually don’t mature in temperament until about age 4). This means they can be trained earlier and actually perform guard work sooner than males.

If you want a guard dog that will excel at protecting one specific person in the family, be quick and easy to train, stick close by your side, and be exceptional at personal protection when in public settings, then a female Doberman may be the best choice for you.

In fact, now some experts believe that female Dobermans tend to be more aggressive, but why? It’s actually the size difference that experts say contributes to the slight differences in personality types that male and female Doberman Pinschers can display. Surprisingly, being slightly smaller in size might actually make females better than males for guard work.

The smaller stature of female puppies means there is a higher likelihood that they would be pushed around by their littermates. After all, Dobermans are naturally playful and like to assert their superiority over others. To prevent themselves from being overly dominated by male pups, females have learned to adopt a more aggressive demeanor within the first months of their lives.

This can be a character trait that stays with the dog throughout her entire life. This is why it can be dangerous to underestimate a female Doberman Pinscher guard dog.

Male Dobermans as Guard Dogs

Male Dobermans certainly have the strength and power to be a formidable force when it comes to guard work. Their bite strength is unmatched, and that extra 15 to 20 pounds of body weight makes a big difference when they strike their target.

Males are also highly territorial and will often mark the perimeter of their property by urinating around the boundaries. This territorial instinct is great if your desire is to have your Doberman protect your yard, property, or home.

If you want a guard dog who is as powerful as possible, will bond equally to all members of the family, excel at protecting your property, and who’ll be less “on-edge” in public settings around new people, then a male Doberman may be the best choice for you.

However, they’re a little goofier, more playful, and slower to mature out of puppyhood than females.  Usually, male Dobermans will start to “calm down” and become more suitable for protection training at around the age of 4—twice the time of female Dobermans.

They’re also quicker to accept strangers as compared to females. This can be a positive or a negative depending on what you’re looking for. It’s certainly better to have this attitude in your dog if you’re frequently out in public meeting new people.

Will an untrained Doberman protect you? Take a look at my article all about how untrained Dobermans respond to situations where it’s necessary they step up and protect their owners. I also examine five real-world situations where Dobermans have protected their owners. See How Even Untrained Dobermans Will Protect Their Owners here.

Why Dobermans Make Ideal Guard Dogs

Dobermans are consistently rated as one of the best guard dogs in the world and among the top 5 smartest dog breeds in the world. They’re also considered one of the world’s most trainable dogs. They are strong and athletic animals and are proud to protect their inner circles (i.e. their “pack” or family). The breed was originally created with the purpose of making the ideal guard dog, and with a bite force of 328 PSI, they have the means to back up their bark.

Dobermans have served closely with military and police personnel and even had a pivotal role in the success of the allies in the fight against the Japanese during the Battle of Guam during World War 2.

All these characteristics are why the Doberman breed is consistently considered one of the world’s best breeds for guard or personal protection work.

Unfortunately, their assertive temperaments and their general distaste for anyone who may resemble a possible intruder has cultivated an atmosphere of apprehension around the breed. However, in reality, they’re still sweet, loving, and caring family dogs and are known to be gentle with kids. 

Though their reputation is someone unwarranted, they continue to prove how adaptable they can be in almost any living situation—another great benefit to using a Doberman as a family guard dog. I go much more in-depth into Doberman aggression here.

Training for Guard Work

Before your Doberman is ready to be successful at guarding you or your family, you need to be sure he has some basic training under his belt. This is important for any dog, regardless of if he is going to perform guard work.

Start training your pup with simple commands and manners right from the beginning. These foundational commands include sit, stay, down, come, recall, watch, heel, leave it, drop it, and a release command. Instilling basic manners are important also so that he or she can focus during their training sessions.

To further develop your Doberman’s, guard dog skill set, enrollment in an accredited training program is highly recommended. Naturally, Dobermans are fairly good guard dogs but they’ll only excel at guard or personal protection work if you train them. A little training goes a long way.

IPO/Schutzhund

Schutzhund is the german word for “protection dog”. It’s now known as “IPO” training, but many people just call it “protection training”. This training focuses on developing your dog’s obedience, tracking, and protection abilities and dogs that have gone through this training successfully generally prove to be exceptional guard dogs. There are IPO training facilities all over the United States and many other countries. There will be hands-on training and testing to make sure your dog is willing and capable to protect you.

IPO training can be a lot of fun and will surround you with experienced dog handlers. It can become as much of a club for the owners as the dogs. Most owners find they make new friends and get further absorbed in the personal protection dog world than they thought they would.

If you want more information about getting involved in Schutzhund/IPO training take a look at the website myschutzhundlife.com. They have great information about getting involved in protection training your dog, including this resource for locating IPO clubs near you.

Other Training

Other training schools, although not dedicated specifically to protection work, can be very helpful for your dog. These clubs can help you fine-tune your Doberman’s obedience, agility, and other abilities. Participating in these are major confidence boosters for your dog—a very important thing for a guard dog, whether male or female.

These are some of the other training clubs that might be useful for your Dobie to participate in if you are concerned with having the best guard dog possible.

• Scent Work – In scent work trials, your dog must find a specific scent hidden in the search area. They focus on developing and honing your dog’s natural abilities to use their nose to the furthest extent possible.
• Agility Clubs – In agility trials, you and your dog will demonstrate that you can work together through a variety of situations. They’ll learn how to work closely with you and trust your direction. It’s an amazing way to bond with your dog. It’s also a great way for your dog to build confidence by climbing, jumping, and running through obstacles. 
• Obedience Clubs – In obedience trials, your dog must perform a prescribed set of exercises which the judge scores. Clubs that specialize in this will work with you and your dog to develop these things. It’s a great way to bond and develop an overall more easy-to-manage dog.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) has this online directory available of various breed clubs depending on what you’re looking for.

This additional training is so important because, without confidence and obedience, your Doberman is not going to perform well as a guard dog. In fact, if I wanted to know my Doberman would protect me and my family if needed, and I could only enroll him in one training class, I would pick agility training. 

With some dedication, obedience work can be done at home but agility training in a facility does so much do build your dog’s confidence that even without specific protection training such as IPO, your Doberman will be much more likely to act appropriately if a situation arose where they had to protect you or your family. Confidence is king.

Final Thoughts

Dobermans are amazingly capable dogs and there is no other realm where this is truer than with guard work. That’s why we have the Doberman breed in the first place! The great thing is that they’re so adaptable they can also make great service and therapy dogs and also excel with their search-and-rescue abilities.

If you want to decide which sex would be the better guard dog for your situation, you need to take into account what you want the dog for and the environment they’re in. In the end, each dog has it’s own personality and temperament. These things will have a much bigger impact on how good of a guard dog they are then what sex they are.

To learn more about all the differences between male and female Dobermans, not just in guard work, see my article Male vs. Female Doberman: Which is Better?

Like so many things with the Doberman breed, you can’t make a bad choice here. Both males and females are amazing guard dogs and they’ll both love being in a close relationship with you. Neither choice is wrong.

Related Questions

Are female Dobermans more aggressive? Female Dobermans are often considered by experts to be more aggressive than male Dobermans. They’re usually quicker to take aggressive action against a stranger and they make excellent personal protection dogs.

Are female Dobermans good guard dogs? Female Dobermans are excellent guard dogs. They excel at personal protection due to their tendency to bond tightly to one person in the house. Females are also easier to train and more suspicious of strangers.

The post Are Male or Female Dobermans Better Guard Dogs? appeared first on Doberman Planet.