Comments on: Why Dobermans Can Make Great Apartment Dogs

By: John Walter

John Walter — Sun, 03 Nov 2019 17:00:37 +0000

In reply to Henriett. Yes, he should be inside. Dobermans are inside dogs. They have very short (single-layered) coats. Housetraining takes some work and consistency but is necessary for owning a Doberman.

By: Henriett

Henriett — Wed, 30 Oct 2019 19:56:39 +0000

Hey, i have a 5month old male dobie puppy and now he is outside in a garden but it’s cold outside now in october and i live in a flat can i keep him inside??My parents don’t want him inside they say that he is a large dog and needs space and can’t be housetrained.

By: John Walter

John Walter — Sun, 28 Jul 2019 20:20:33 +0000

In reply to Jeff.

Hi Jeff,
They all kind of have their own personalities, but in general, if you tire your dog out before you leave, give them lots of safe toys to keep them busy, and you have someone come halfway through the day to give them a break and some attention, you should be fine. A puppy is a little more difficult though because they’ll need more than one visit throughout that long of a day (more like a visit every 4 hours at a minimum). After they’re one year old though, you can likely start extending that time and even trusting them enough to hopefully start to leave them outside the pen while you’re gone. A large pen that they can move and play around in is best, I wouldn’t use a tight crate by any means.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Sat, 27 Jul 2019 19:24:06 +0000

How do Dobies react when left in a pin (inside the apartment) for 8-10 hours… especially puppies?

By: John Walter

John Walter — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 16:34:57 +0000

In reply to Leslie Watt.

Hi Leslie,
Your house and yard sound plenty big enough. Leaving 6 to 10 hours at a time is fine for a trained adult Doberman, in my experience. As a puppy though, they do need to be checked on a bit more often. A good rule is that they can be left alone for about one hour for every month old they are. So a 4 month (16 week) old puppy can usually go about 4 hours alone. I worked 12 hour days for a long time and my adult Doberman was completely fine, although he had his own doggie door and could let himself in and out of the house at will. Dobermans aren’t really destructive, with the exception of the teething stage or times of very high anxiety. Just make sure they have plenty of chew toys around so she doesn’t pick something else in the house to munch on. That’ll also help with anxiety while you’re gone.

From what you describe, the only thing I see as being a big issue is being in the kennel 2 to 3 times a month for three days at a time. That might be a bit much, especially for a puppy. If there is any way to make those stretches shorter with the help of your boyfriend, family, or trusted neighbor that would help quite a bit. For an adult Doberman, that would still be a long stretch but possibly workable if they were used to it. Dobermans are very adaptable dogs in general but do love to be around their owners as much as possible.

By: Leslie Watt

Leslie Watt — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 12:53:03 +0000

Hi I’m considering adopting a red Debbie. I am a flight attendant. I work 10-12 days a month. I am single with a 2400 sq ft house & med sized fenced yard. I have a long term boyfriend
Wh has hid own home, but will help & watch dog a couple times a week. She would go to a fun kennel about 2 -3 times a month for 3 days at a time. The kennel has med – large dog town where they are all out together (unless dog doesn’t play well w others) wnen weather is nice, they play outside. They go in their (rooms) at night. Every now & then on long work days she will go to doggie day care for fun. I also do day trips where I work reg 6-10 hr day. I plan to go to dog training. If she likes, I wouldn’t mind amateur fly ball, agility or obedience training. I am 47. Moderate exercise: walks & park .i would like her to have free reign of house when she can handle it. I plan to get the large patches of grass that dogs can potty on(potty patch) so she can go anytime when I’m not home. Ultimately I want her to go outside but don’t want her to suffer if 1) I leave her for 6-10 hrs. I have a few questions. In your opinion:
2) Do you think this dog would do well with my lifestyle?
3) Are they very destructive? I had a precious Rottie & it was hard keeping him entertained & he was randomly destructive. Loved him dearly anyway.
4) would my lifestyle create too much separation anxiety for her? Not a lot of people around. I already spent times puppy & shes bonded to me already.
5) would I be active enough for her with my age(47) and med activity level. I thought kennel & joining a group might help. I’m not super active and have some arthritis so no jogging & big hikes. Just casual hikes in the park. I’m worried that if I don’t provide her w enough exercise since Dobies are athletes, she will be frustrated, unhappy, & act out.
I’m a very candid -direct person. So feel free to answer freely. No holds barred. Feel free to answer me via email
Any input would be greatly appreciated.