Currently my wife and I have 2 Dachshunds (1 male about 7 years old and 1 female about 3 years old) and 2 parrots (1 Timneh African Grey about 14 years old and 1 Greenwing Macaw about 7 years old).  Both Dachshunds are rescues.  The male is Alpha when it comes to other males so I'll be looking at getting a female Doberman.  The female Dachshund is a hyper airhead.  Sorry, it's the truth.  Very cute, loving, and playful.  But still...airhead.  I think she'll get along with any dog as long as they want to play.

The birds.  The birds are only allowed out when we are with them.  Both were raised with dogs but have gotten used to being able to climb high enough to get away from them.  Both dogs know not to mess with the birds unless they want to bring done the wrath of the humans.  My wife is worried about a Doberman going after the birds.  Because the Dobie has a bigger and stronger mouth the Mrs is concerned there is less room for error on our part. This is true but I think she is overly worried about it.  Of the 6 Dachshunds we've had, 5 have gone after the Timneh when he's flown off his cage.  They learned rather quickly to leave him alone or Mom and Dad would chew you a new one.  I think the Dobie would pick up fairly quickly also.

Those of you who have Dobermans and other pets.  Let me hear what your experience has been.

I work at a vets office. Make sure to have parents screened for Dilated Cardiomyopathy (if you get puppy). Do regular checks of blood work as well and have vet know you are aware of this condition in the breed. It can be a silent killer, my friends Dobie passed out one day, took to vet, diagnosed with this, month later it was dead. Usually if they get to point of passing out they have really progressed. Boxer (the breed) also have higher rate of this illness as well.

In regards to chasing other pets. We have 3 German Shepherds and 2 Dutch Shepherds (working bloodlines), we use to have cats (they passed) they were the existing animals when the dogs came. I put a light leash on pup and taught "leave it", chasing and harming other pets was/is non negotiable, I never worry because I am in charge, no matter how high a prey drive one of our dogs would have. Only issue I have is dog aggression of one of our dogs vs the pack inside, outside he is fine

Just be on top of your game and don't let pup out of sight, tether to you or crate when you can't have eyes on.

Good luck


DILATED CARDIOMYOPATHY

Dilated cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle in which it becomes progressively weaker and enlarged. Eventually affected dogs die from heart failure. Early signs might include depression, coughing, exercise intolerance, weakness, respiratory distress, decreased appetite and even fainting. Sudden death may be the first clue that something was ever wrong. Routine thorough veterinary examinations are very important, especially in young and middle-aged adults. There is no cure for cardiomyopathy and once clinical signs appear they usually will die within one to six months. Treatment may lessen symptons but may or may not increase longevity. Early detection and treatment may increase the quality and quantity of life.

The Dobe will learn the rules if you take the time to teach them when the dog is young.

My Dobe is a great dog. Gentle, patient, and kind with my son, plays well with our 12 pound Feist, and very tuned in to the family and me in particular. She's protective but not aggressive and takes her cues from me in any given situation.

There are some health concerns to watch out for, namely DCM (mentioned above), hip dysplasia, Von Willebrand's disease, and thyroid issues. Make sure you buy from a breeder that tests for those things. Expect to pay $1500+ for a well bred Dobe puppy, and $2000+ is a more realistic figure.

I've got a mini. Love this little bitch.

I've had to teach all the dogs I've had that the birds are off limits.  I'm sure the Dobe will be no different in that respect.  Actually might be easier since Dachshunds tend to be hardheaded.  Not stupid, just stubborn.

All of my dogs except the first one have been rescues so I plan on getting the Dobe from rescue also.  Thinking I want a bit older dog as I find them to be calmer and a bit less destructive.  I also think I'd like a female. But it will depend on the individual dog more than anything.

Breeding is a combination of Science and Art. Careful breeding ensures a reasonable amount of consistency.

Adopting a rescue or buying from a less than stellar breeder becomes a total crap-shoot. You could end up with a good dog OR one who acts nothing at all like a Dobermann should. You might end up with a healthy dog OR one riddled with genetic issues that should have been screened out by a breeder.

Depending on the quality of breeding, Dobermanns can have good prey drive all the way down to practically zero. IF you adopt an adult dog with high prey drive that has been chasing and/or killing critters his whole life you may have a more difficult time integrating the dog into your household than you would if starting with a puppy.

Adopting rescues is a noble thing to do and I don’t want to come across as discouraging that. Just be keenly aware that when you acquire a dog produced by questionable or unknown breeders you may or may not end up with a dog that acts anything like the breed is supposed to.

As long as you accept that premises you may end up with a wonderful loving pet. Here’s the catch though- it also means that when you adopt a rescue or acquire a dog from a random breeding, asking breed specific questions becomes somewhat of a moot point. Nobody can answer “How will my Dobermann (or XYZ breed) act?” unless the dog was carefully and purposely bred to preserve the temperament and traits of the breed.  

I agree with you to a certain extent. The one good thing about getting an older rescue is that the dog's basic personality is already there.  The dog is usually living in a home and being observed so you will know more about how the dog behaves than if I got one from a shelter or a backyard breeder.   I've had dogs that were not fond of people outside the immediate family.  I've had dogs that loved everyone.  Most were in between.  As long as the dog is mentally stable and not visicous, I can work with it.

That is NOT a Doberman.

Not even close. They are two entirely different breeds created at different times and for different reasons.

The German Pinscher was the base for both, I believe. The miniature Pinscher was bred down from that using a mix of several breeds, and the Doberman came along centuries later as a result of a very specific breeding program carried out by Herr Dobermann. He used an entirely different set of breeds in the creation of his breed.

Yep. I try to tell people that when they say they have a "miniature Doberman", but most of them just give me a sort of glassy-eyed look and don't really seem to get it. They see the word "Pinscher" (often written as pincher by the same folks) and automatically associate it with the Doberman. Plus the black and tans sort of resemble miniature Dobermans. So, like a miniature poodle is a scaled down poodle and a miniature schnauzer is a scaled down schnauzer, a miniature pinscher must be a scaled down Doberman, right? They do not know the history of their own breed, or any other for that matter. They're also the same people that tend to call dachshunds "dash hounds".

Sometimes I geek out on dog breed info and history, and I have to remember that the vast majority of people care nothing about it. They just wanna love and brag on their own awesome little Fido.

You do understand that Dobermans are not well known for exceptionally LONG lifespans right?

8 to 10 years is average for this breed if I recall correctly. (and yes, I have met a few owners that had them live well into their teens but that is VERY rare)

If you adopt a 4 year old Dobie or so and then spend a year or more training it before it is 'blended in' with your family - How many years are you expecting to have left???  

Might want to rethink getting a puppy or not in MY opinion.

I prefer females as well for several reasons but you should not just assume that because the dog is a female that it will somehow be more submissive or 'easy' to work with. Mine have regularly made males twice their size back the F up or just plain leave the area because they just plain would NOT tolerate them being in our 'space / area / vicinity'.

Another reason to rethink puppy stuff...

A rescue female is very likely to have been altered (spay) before you get it and that in and of itself could lead to costly health issues in the future. I would not even consider that for a Doberman purchase. No way, No how...

I have NO problems with either of my Dobermans around MY birds but - They have been around these sort of birds since they were young and they learned the rules fairly easily because they were young and because I spent the TIME to train them how to behave around them. My birds only cost a couple of bucks each and I am pretty sure yours are MUCH more expensive. Are you willing to 'risk' a bird as expensive as what you got???



Chickens are really darn stupid and not always 'flighty' in my experience. If your birds are 'flighty' and moving quickly to get away from the dog or whatever - This 'may' cause the dog to get more excited and give chase than say a stupid ass chicken that will walk right up and start pecking on the dogs face. Something to consider...

Best of luck to you in your decisions and potential new dog.

You are a great source of knowledge when it comes to dogs and I got a lot of respect for your views and opinions here. I learn a pile reading your posts and your advice has often helped me with my own dogs and how to better train them / feed them / care for them and such...

I got to disagree on just a couple of points you made though.

I had read and it was my understanding that Dobermans came along 40 to 50 years later (not centuries). I could be wrong on that one and someone will tell me so if I am hopefully.

Got to disagree with what you call 'normal' Doberman prices. I have seen plenty of VERY nice looking and well trained / behaved $100.00 Dobermans that were adopted from the pounds or got from a rescue. Met a guy at the local park last summer with a hundred dollar rescue Doberman that blew my mind. His dog even had the ears done on it when he found / rescued it and from the look of the work done on the ears THAT ALONE cost a lot more than a bill to have done. Ears were darn near perfect in my opinion and professionally cut for sure. (not quite a 'show' length crop but in between that and a 'longer than military' crop if you catch my meaning here)

My Aunt had a retired police Doberman for a number of years that cost her nothing. That dog was worth a small pile and given away to a good home (my aunt) for FREE.

Saw another guy with a former 'Working' Doberman at one of the local stores recently. He paid little to nothing for his dog and it was beyond awesome (VERY well trained). As me and the girls came around the corner of the isle in the store and saw this guy at the counter with his dog - his dog never budged an inch from his obvious SIT and STAY that it was in. Dog did not move until the owner gave the command and did so as well and when the owner approached us and stopped walking the dog auto SAT and STAY again while we chatted -  Everything about the way this guys dog moved / responded to commands and acted screamed to me that it was VERY well trained and cared for.

It happens sometimes...

AR-15TG, the minpin was factually documented as a breed somewhere around the beginning of the 19th century, and has been recognizably identified in paintings from a couple centuries before that. Herr Dobermann didn't even start his breeding program until the end of the 19th century.

And while you can find an occasional well-bred adult dog at a very reduced price point (even free, in some cases), that is more the exception to the rule rather than the rule itself. It would also be nearly impossible to find a well-bred puppy priced in that range.

Always good taking to you. I've learned from you too!

The German Pinscher at the time the Dobie and the Min Pin was created was at best a 'land-race' but probably more of a catch-all term to describe a generic medium sized short coat* general utility dog, so the German Pinschers that went into the Dobie may not have had any real connection to the German Pinschers that went into the Min Pin.

 

Standard Poodle

Peach Fronted Conure

Like any dog, just socialize them as to who's family from a young age

Worked for our standard poodle, and she's not afraid to drag a dead rabbit in the house......she knows what's fair game and what's not

The ferret and the bird above are family .....the bunny was not

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Standard Poodles usually fall in the top 5 group of smartest dogs...

Dobermans generally fall between the top 5 and 10.

Not just 'any' dog is going to be that smart or even make the top ten list when it comes to intelligence.

Male Dobermans can be aggressive to other male dogs. They want to be alpha. I have a male Doberman and a male pug. They get along but we have to work on it. There are many breed specific shelters for dobermans. They have foster parents who volunteer to take the dogs into their home. They can inform you of a dog's temperament before you adopt him. You typically will have to live in a close proximity to it so look in your area. We came across a few that couldn't be with other male dogs when we were looking at rescues.

My current male Dachshund is definitely alpha so bring another male dog into the house is a no go.  I'm thinking a female rescue that's a couple of years old would be a better fit. I've been keeping an eye on the Houston Area Doberman Rescue site and the Doberman Rescue of North Texas site.  There's a little girl named Mia on the North Texas site that I would love to have, but the wife is still resistant.

I think it will be the same as every other time we brought in a new dog.  We put up the baby fences when the birds are out so the dog can't get close.  When they get a little too interested we tell them to leave it. If they go after a bird they get a sharp NO.  If that doesn't do it then they get banished to the bedroom our outside when the birds are out.  They quickly learn the birds are off limits.

 



























































 

A female Doberman can and may kick his ass (easily) to the point he is no longer the 'alpha' dog.

When YOU as the owner try to interfere with this natural pack order thing you WILL make things worse.

Good luck with that...