Posted on 12/04/2013 7:00:11 PM PST by Usagi_yo
He's a male Blue point Doberman, rescued from the animal shelter at a very young adult age. He's actually grown a bit over the 2 years we've had him.
Well he's starting to have some biting problems now after 2 years. He's bitten my sister (the owner) 3 times breaking skin each time, bruising bone and requiring antibiotics. These have happened to her at night when he's sleeping with her and her husband. Seemed it was some type of sleep problem from being woke up from dead of sleep.
Now he's bitten me. I've had direct contact with the dog almost everyday and pet him, give him biscuits, he loves to get facial rubs from me.
After coming in, he had one of those giant burrs from a sweetgum tree in his front paw. I've picked them out of his paws many times, and I know how to pick up a dogs paw. Well this time he latched on to my arm, pretty vicious, drew blood in multiple locations. Deep enough I'll have to go to the Doctor and get x-ray and antibiotics.
If you own a doberman you know they don't growl or warn before biting.
Suggestions? We have 5 dogs between the two of us. We live on about 10 acres in separate dwellings with both houses fenced in for a common dog area. Non of the other dogs are problems, German Shepard, Red Heeler, Basset hound and a hybrid 1/4 wolf 1/4 Malamute the rest Husky. None of them have been a problem or challenge the doberman.
What to do? Is this fixable? My sister doesn't want to put him down. Her husband is pissed. I say have his canines pulled.
I just can't tolerate a dog like this. Not knowing it's going to go off on any slight, perceived or otherwise.
I never hit my dogs.
Good tip for puppies.
Has this dog been neutered? I ask because I didn’t see the question asked by anyone else.
I also agree that the dog should never be allowed in bed. Where is the pack order?
No dog that bites me or mine stays. Period. It’s just asking for trouble
Uh yeah. He’s getting away with working his way up the pack hierarchy. You should have smacked him down immediately
Sleep bedamned, he was targeting.
This is a dobby, not a stupid dog.
Crate training in not only not cruel it is kind.
A dog left on it’s own will seek a secluded space to sleep. A crate with the door open gives the dog 3 walls and a ceiling of security.
We always had the open crates in our bedroom and the dogs would choose where they would sleep at any given time; beside the bed, in the crate, by the door or wherever.
I always felt quite secure with that arrangement.
Pretty much too late for the OP though, unfortunately.
Is he neutered?
They like a den.
And it keeps them true to who they are.
I own a 1 1/2 year old male doberman. We got him at 8 weeks and enrolled him in puppy socialization classes at like 3-4 months. He is extremely tolerant- one of the most tolerant dogs I have ever had. I never forget what he is though. A doberman can maim, mutilate and even kill a person. Your dog probably missed puppy socialization. As a rescue dog, there’s no telling what he learned during his critical impressionable puppy months. As such, this dog’s temperment is probably unsuitable for a family pet and that’s very sad because doberman’s are outstanding animals. If I had no small children and I was inclined to keep him, I would kill a few things in front of him- varmints and such. Few things scream alpha louder to a dog than watching you kill and eviscerate something and they absolutely know what the gun is all about after seeing it used a few times. A dog like this has to know you are the pack leader. He clearly doesn’t know that presently. Doberman’s are highly intelligent. They require lots of exersise or they become...difficult. They are also very sensitive and needy. They need a master. They respond very poorly to an abusive master. They are not for everyone. Plenty of dobermans have been put down or given away by people who were not suitable doberman owners. This isn’t a golden retriever. Not even close.
Dobermans are among the most loyal, loving and defensive dogs on the planet, but you are correct.
They require direction.
Honestly? First of all, don’t sleep with a dog. Secondly, either the dog dies or the human dies. Either one is fine with me.
I believe you do not do the dog (of any breed) a favor by elevating it in the pack.
It is likely that other behaviors you exhibit to your dogs make clear to them you and your wife are higher in the pack order.
Even small dog bites hurt.
I don’t think this can be ‘cured’... now that he knows what he can do, you need to fix this before something worse happens.
then how would you feel?
Its out of your hands
Our boxers sleep with us, no problems...well, they do snore loud.
Dobermans are among the most loyal, loving and defensive dogs on the planet, but you are correct.
They require direction.
Yepper, had to retire my first dobby to a junk yard, he wasn’t willing to accept my bride. No ammount of smackdown would work. She wasn’t allowed into close proximity.
The dobby is not a dog for rookie do gooders!
Cesar's is not that good a trainer, mostly showmanship. Our rescue has had surrender requests for German shepherds by owners who bought a dog from a kennel that he referred to in his book.
Warren Eckstein is much better and you can call into his national radio shows on Saturdays. He's a friend of mine.
Please take the dog to the vet to make sure there isn’t a physical problem first. My dobie slept on my bed for most of her life. One thing I never did though was enter the house or wake her up without calling her name. Probably silly but I believe Dobermans react faster than they think. Well, their reactions are extremely fast and it seems to be to protect so I just wanted her to know it was Mom not some stranger. I am so sorry you are having this problem but he’s not safe anymore and if you can’t find a cause you just can’t keep him around. The doctors will report the bites.
Get the dog out of the bed.
Tell your brother-in-law I said "you are welcome" in advance.
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