April 2012 Pet Of The Month Competition Winner Is:

[Ludwig Venter]

The APRIL 2012 PET OF THE MONTH winner is:

---------------------Magpie--------------------------​

Drawing 18 of the 58 votes …..…… Well done and congratulations!!!!

MAGPIE IS ALSO OUR APRIL FISH OF THE MONTH WINNER!..... NICE DUAL THERE ….. Well done!

Thanks to all who entered and also to everyone who voted….

 

[magpie]

Thank you! I've not been online much lately (trying to cut down on computer time) so am just seeing this now.

Silas, my goofy Doberboy says thanks and sends wags and kisses to all.

 

[BigTuna]

I love dobies!! I hope someday I will have one. My favorite dog breed! Congrats magpie and silas

 

[simonas]

hes a beauty dont see many around these days so friendly as well

 

[magpie]

You don't see many dobes around nowadays but that is a good thing - they were really overbred in the 70s. They are a lot of work - they tend to push boundaries (unlike say German Shepherds or other herders which are much more immediately biddable.) They want to please, but are also always thinking, too. You have to be able to be very consistent and put your foot down, and reel them in. I like to say, give an inch, they'll take 5 miles - especially the males. They are so amazing though when you do put the work in. Silas is goofy, yet can be serious. He is very... earnest. He makes a lot of prolonged eye contact (which some people see in them as intimidating) and will often look at us with what we call "melt-face." He needs exercise but when he gets it he has a very solid off-switch. He will alert us to things going on in the yard, yet is also a registered therapy dog and loves working with little kids. Versatile.

There are "bad" dogs of every breed, but a Doberman with a proper temperament should not be aggressive or mean, despite the stereotype. Protective, yes. They'll bark, yes. But they should be able to discriminate what is a threat and what is not. People that really know them know that though most people see them as "mean" guard dogs, they are actually extremely affectionate and can be quite goofy.

The media gives them a very bad rap. That and stupid owners, and those who chain them outside. They are meant to be inside family dogs, not outside guard dogs.

I'd be happy to dork about Dobermans all day long with anyone who can tolerate it.

I also have about 9,782 photos to illustrate the conversation.

 

[magpie]

I just can't help myself... love my guy. Pardon the indulgence....

Obvously about to rip this little girl's face off.

Looking a bit more serious

Meltface. (TM)

His BFF, Scout - our female 25 lb french bulldog/chihuahua mix.

 

[BigTuna]

amazing photos. I really like the one taken by the river. What a great looking dobe. How are they in pairs?

 

[magpie]

What do you mean - if you have 2 Dobes? In general they seem to love the companionship of other dogs - they really enjoy playing and snuggling with their household buddies. They do play rough - smash/bash and wrestle hard, so not all dogs appreciate that. Silas tones it down for Scout, but she can hold her own, too.

I am on a Doberman forum and have some friends with Dobes, and loads of folks have multiple Doberman households. The thing is that males have a propensity for male/male aggression, so it's best to play it safe and do a male/female pair. Though my guy doesn't have that issue, I'm still so happy with my male/female pair and how well they've bonded. They are just in love with each other. I may always keep one big, one small, one male, one female in the future.

If you're talking about 2 Dobe puppies at the same time, just don't do it! It would be really difficult. I can't even imagine the insanity.... LOL....

What's that, you want more photos??? OK, if you insist....

Smash-bash

Chase!

Chase and smash!

Zzzzzz....

 

[BigTuna]

haha that Chase photo is priceless!!! I was was curious what it would be like to have two Dobes together, and I would be getting two at the same age. I will avoid the insanity and go with one! (hopefully someday)


I do a lot of work outside in heavily wooded terrain walking for miles alone. I've always wanted a Dobe also as a pal at home but a working companion as well. Keep me company and keep predators away In your opinion, would a Dobe be a good breed for this?

 

[magpie]

haha that Chase photo is priceless!!! I was was curious what it would be like to have two Dobes together, and I would be getting two at the same age. I will avoid the insanity and go with one! (hopefully someday)


I do a lot of work outside in heavily wooded terrain walking for miles alone. I've always wanted a Dobe also as a pal at home but a working companion as well. Keep me company and keep predators away In your opinion, would a Dobe be a good breed for this?

II think it would be great to have 2, but I'd get them at separate times- train the one (even if a rescue, still go through the training phase) then get the second in a year or two when the other dog can help train the second one. That's how I'd do it personally anyway. We got Scout at a year old when Silas was 2. Now that he's 3, he's even more reliable, but had we gotten Scout sooner it would have been tough since he definitely needed guidance throughout those 2 years, and wouldn't have gotten so much of it with her around. Males are notoriously slow to mature. Females are a bit quicker ... Kinda like in humans.

As you can see, I do a lot off-lead stuff with my dogs. I do a lot of hiking and camping and Si loves it. He does need a fleece when camping though (when we stop moving) because of his single coat. But a Doberman just wants to be with you... So I think that would be great lifestyle for one. Plus, they need exercise so yours would definitely be getting some! They would warn you if anything fishy was happening, but of course you'd ultimately want something else for protection, like bear spray or a gun.

They're definitely not a breed to jump into without research and thought - but if you're willing to put in the work, I think they're an amazing breed. Silas owns a very, very large piece of my heart. He's my special guy. And he's also won over a lot of fiends/strangers who were wary of Dobmans or large breed dogs.

 

[BigTuna]

I knew that there would be times that I would have to keep one bundled in the winter months to keep them warm, but what about in the summer? Is there ever a time when the sun is dangerous for them and their coats?


ps

I hope you don't mind my Q&A. I find these dogs absolutely fascinating

 

[magpie]

I told you I could dork out Doberman all day long.... Hahaha. Ask away!

Well, he does need quite a bit of water. If we are going to go for a leashed run i do it early in the morning (for me too!) or i have this cooling collar i put on him. For hikes he's ok as long as we're not really hot and exposed. He will find shade and wait for me - he seeks shade when it gets hot. How hot does it get there and is there shade or cover available?

 

[BigTuna]

The peaks in the summer would be 90F I'm guessing. (30-35C) And that's certainly not an average. Usually in the Summer mid to high 20s (C) is good weather for us. The harshest of the winter weather would be unsuitable for almost all dogs, but generally -15C (sorry, not sure what the converts to in F). Where I work, water and shade are everywhere Always wooded, and creeks/rivers are never too far away.

 

[magpie]

I think that would be perfect, then. Water and shade and typical temps under 90F and you're golden. You'll have to look into dog clothing, however, for wintertime. Something I never dabbled in before Silas.

 

[aqua monster]

My Doberman ABE, Best dog ever