Dobermann breed - temperament with children

martco

this might be a "how long is a piece of string" question but anyways here goes

I have been offered a pair of Dobermann pups, brother and sister, 18 weeks old, coming from a decent place and they would be coming to a home with great life and activity prospects and will be loved...2 adults, 2 grown children and a 12 year old.....he's my main concern as *John has Down Syndrome....now John was raised alongside my now sadly deceased Labrador for all his life, he's good with dogs generally but there'd have been occasional rough and tumble play/petting where the Lab would have put up with a fair bit from him

I'm confident with the raising aspect itself as although I've not had Dobermanns I do have a wee bit of experience with German Sheps.

Cherry Blossom

Hi OP, please tread very carefully here. A reputable breeder will very rarely place two pups in the same home. Among other things littermate syndrome can cause temperament problems in pups homed together. If you are going to go ahead with this be aware that that you will need to bring up the pups as seperate dogs. Most people are unable to do this. Please look up littermate syndrome.

Another thing to be aware of is that Doberman’s require a long list of health tests that should be done before they are bred from. Run away very fast from anyone who hasn’t done these tests. You will get a list of them here:

https://www.dogbreedhealth.com/dobermann/

As a larger breed I would expect they would also need hip and elbow scores in addition to that list. You want longevity in a dog that will live with a special needs child and if they have neglected the pups physical health the chances are they’ve also neglected the pups temperament. Poor temperament is the most inheritable aspect of a dogs make up.

martco

sorry should have mentioned the origin is via a family relative...money isn't in the picture here...they're confident and I am (sort of, hence the question tho)
will def research that syndrome you mentioned, thanks

Cherry Blossom wrote: »

Hi OP, please tread very carefully here. A reputable breeder will very rarely place two pups in the same home. Among other things littermate syndrome can cause temperament problems in pups homed together. If you are going to go ahead with this be aware that that you will need to bring up the pups as seperate dogs. Most people are unable to do this. Please look up littermate syndrome.

Another thing to be aware of is that Doberman’s require a long list of health tests that should be done before they are bred from. Run away very fast from anyone who hasn’t done these tests. You will get a list of them here:

https://www.dogbreedhealth.com/dobermann/

As a larger breed I would expect they would also need hip and elbow scores in addition to that list. You want longevity in a dog that will live with a special needs child and if they have neglected the pups physical health the chances are they’ve also neglected the pups temperament. Poor temperament is the most inheritable aspect of a dogs make up.

Dial Hard

martco wrote: »

sorry should have mentioned the origin is via a family relative...money isn't in the picture here

So are we to take it that nothing in the way of health testing was done on the parents?

jimf

i personally would not have 2 pups from the same litter at that age come to me

as their loyalty and bond can be to each other

having said that i have often kept 2 pups from my own breeding without issue

tk123

One Doberman can be intimidating/frightening to people not familiar with their level of barking.. two together would IMO would be a nightmare. I’ve seen this first hand with 2 unrelated Dobes in our park egging each other on. No disrespect to Doberman owners but they’ve not the dog for me. They’re not imo comparable to a GSD. Somebody who’s keeping two pups together needs to do a lot of work with them individually - the fact you’re being offered two together would suggest that this work hasn’t been done already..

Knine

As a mammy also of a child with Special Needs, I would worry that the dogs might be extra protective of your child & you really don't want this with a restricted breed. Strange dogs spot that my daughter is different the minute they see her & on several occasions out walking, they have launched themselves at her in a threatening manner, this resulted in my own dogs fiercely defending her. Two the same age are a definite no. Also I would pick a longer lived breed as likely your child will get very attached.

twiddleypop

I'm not sure what you mean by the lab "had to put up with a fair bit from him". Another dog, doberman or other breed may not have the same patience.

Please be careful in taking on 2 and don't underestimate the time commitment required for training. They should be muzzled in public by law. Don't agree with the RB laws personally but they should be trained as young as possible to be happy wearing one when required.

VonVix

I'd never get two puppies at the same time. Not worth it. Especially a large breed that needs 1-on-1 training with his owner. Doberman are lovely, but can be intense dogs and not very tolerant of things they do not like/enjoy. They tend to be leash pullers, barky and "punchy" (with their front paws) at their worst. They are prone to being quite anxious from my experience too. At 18 weeks old you're going to be getting two puppies who are entering a very awkward stage of their puppy-hood.

At 18 weeks you're also mostly past the critical socialisation period, which isn't ideal if the previous owner hasn't put in the work.

If you do want a dog, just get one, not two. But I'm not 100% sure a Doberman is the breed for you if you had a Labrador previously who your child had a lot of interaction with that he had to "tolerate."

fits

Yes they are too old and taking two pups at once is not a good idea. Take one 8-12 week old pup and get another a year or two down the line if you want two.

MissShihTzu

I had Dobies when I lived in London, and my father also had one. They're a fantastic breed - I would have another in a heartbeat, but they're a RB here and the rules are very strict. So I have a Shih Tzu instead! BTW - are you aware of all the restrictions around restricted breeds?

I'm with the others if I'm honest. Why have the dogs been offered to you? And do you know what if any training was done? Do they have papers - are you able to trace the parentage and breeding? Have the dogs been hip and elbow scored?? Dobies are super smart and super protective. They're also very chatty - not really barkers but can be yappy. As you have a special needs child, I would be extra careful. It might work out - But you could never relax.

I would think about this very, very carefully. Hope it works out for you!

martco

so I made my excuses and passed in the end though I went down to visit the relative involved to at least pass myself and say thanks
I also met the dogs, mam and dad and the pups, they seemed lovely and friendly to me but god very bouncy and lively altogether!!
although I didn't ask about scores etc. due to the family aspect he's kept dogs for years and seems to have a very good setup there and definitely well cared for, top class food etc. backstory was that the family grapevine got word of the fact that I'd been struggling to find an affordable option to replace the deceased dog and he offered, it was simple as that. taking the pair wasn't mandatory and the more I thought about it the amount of work involved might have been a problem. I would have had the boy probably, I was very tempted but in the end I've chickened out

will keep looking

thanks for all the advice!