I love Doberman

by Tracy Pounds

He is loyal, devoted, trusting, obedient, highly intelligent, creative, talented, protective but discriminating, friendly to friends, but observant of strangers and wary of unusual behavior. He is not reactionary but reacts when the situation calls for it. He is wise, perceptive, personable and has a great sense of humor. He is sensitive and caring, expressive and demonstrative of his thoughts and feelings.

Very often he is too smart for his owner. He must be a house dog… for he was bred to be a personal protection dog and has a strong physical and psychological need to be with his people. He wants to be with you 26 hours a day… even if there are only 24. But he'll take what he can get, and let you know if it isn't enough. You can't hide your feelings or emotions from a Dobe… he can see right through you and you can never fool him. He will strive to the ends of the earth to be near you, to please you, to be as much a part of your inner being as you are to his. Many people find such devotion and demonstration of this undying loyalty and affection annoying, but they miss the point. He cares not for independence, he wants to be part of the "team." To be apart from his beloved owner is to find him in sorrow. Dobes have been known to grieve themselves to death at the loss of a loved one.

You must be strong willed to have a Dobe, but he is sensitive and is hurt to his soul by physical and verbal abuse. You have to treat a Dobe like a partner… with you being the managing partner. Lead and he will follow. To physically dominate a Dobe is to lose that which is so very special about him, for he will be a kindred spirit, a soul mate, if you let him.

There is no other dog who is more "human-like" than a Dobe. And it is this reason that he is not the dog for everyone. He takes more patience, more understanding, more time, more love, more of just about everything from you as an owner and a partner. He cannot be taken lightly nor can he be taken for granted.

Often he is misunderstood… the unknowing believe he is too friendly and would never protect them. Many who get a Dobe for the wrong reasons cast him aside for this reason. Those are the stupid and undeserving. Only those of us who have had the occasion of being in danger or at risk have witnessed the awesome power of a dog willing to die to protect you, of a dog who rises to the occasion with all he has to offer to get the job done, using his extraordinary discrimination in knowing just how far he has to take it to get that job done. It is inborn and cannot be "beaten" into him as some have tried to do when he appears not to be "aggressive enough". It comes from the love of his people and because of this love he will do "his job"… and stupid, uncaring, and sometimes abusive people, that he has put his love and trust in. And there are so many of those in rescue who desperately need the kindness and love they are so willing to share. I've had two Dobes rescued from sad situations. More devoted and loyal companions you'll never find. Even those I've bred myself and raised weren't any better companions, protectors, and friends than those who came to me in their hour of need and found a home for the rest of their lives. It is the love that makes the difference.

So unless one is willing to give 100 percent and unless one is willing to accept 110 percent in return, do not get a Dobe. But if you are one of the special people who can submerse yourself heart and soul totally into your dog, you'll find that to experience the joy and devotion of a Doberman Pinscher is unlike any other feeling you'll ever find through canine companionship.

A Dobe is not just a dog. He is a spirit placed on this earth to watch over us, to teach us humility, kindness, and devotion, and those of us who have these dogs find it is our privilege to share our lives with the Doberman.

http://www.dru.org/dobebest.htm