DON'T BUY A UNIQUE DOBERMAN.. IF YOU CAN'T BE A LEADER

DON'T BUY A UNIQUE DOBERMAN…. IF YOU CAN’T BE A LEADER

    Dobermans do not want to live life in a democracy.

Dobermans are bred to be strong guardians of Humans, if you do not set clear rules and guidelines your Doberman will begin to set them for you. Your Unique Doberman will thrive in your home if you are clearly the pack leader. Clearly being a pack leader means you are trustworthy and safe, that you are consistent and fair in corrections and that you are the decision maker in all areas of family life. You must have the fortitude to snuggle on the sofa and yet be able to give a swift and well understood (by your Doberman) correction, you must also be able to give a strong correction and then go on like nothing ever happened. Your Unique Doberman will trust you IF you treat him like a DOG, you must learn to think like a dog, do not expect your dog to think and behave like a HUMAN.

Your adorable Unique Doberman puppy will soon grow to be a quite large adult. When you bring that 8 week old baby into your home, do not think that you will just cuddle in bed with it and then when it’s far too big kick him / her out of what they now consider their bed, nope that isn’t how it works. Dobermans are incredibly smart, whatever you allow will become law in your Dobermans mind. This is where the fairness in a pack leader becomes a necessity. This Basic obedience will certainly need to include come, sit, down, stay, no jumping on the counter, stealing food and begging at the table, toenail trimming, bathing, proper etiquette when guests arrive and barking etc.

​We recommend taking your Unique Doberman puppy to obedience classes where they can have a safe place to socialize and learn. Not all trainers are experienced with working Dobermans so be sure and take what applies to you and your puppy and leave the rest of the training advice that may not apply to you. 
We also recommend that you take your Doberman puppy everywhere you go as far as is practical. We take our puppies to home hardware stores and pet stores, when small and unvaccinated we place a blanket from home into the bottom of a shopping cart and place them in the cart to be wheeled around (just don’t let them jump out and break their necks!) Even a 10 week old puppy can safely travel to town and back. But please remember no dog parks and don’t allow your unvaccinated puppy down on the ground to sniff noses at the vet’s office.

Once your Doberman puppy is 9 to 14 months old and beginning to mature a bit, they are safe to send out to be trained with a trainer knowledgeable in dog sports and protection and preferably one with a lot of experience training working Dobermans. Dobermans train very differently from GSD’s, Rotts and Malinois. You must be able to receive instruction from the trainer as well. 
Jan Clark
www.uniquedobermans.com

If you can’t assume the role of a strong and secure leader you may quite regretfully encounter a lifetime of challenging dominant behavior from your Doberman. If you wait until your Doberman is mature to realize life with a working Doberman isn’t all “Kissy Face” kisses and licks then you may find yourself with a 95 + lb Doberman who challenges you for what he now views as his long held position.
Bottom line is do not allow your Doberman to fill the leadership void you leave behind.