| Do they need
much exercise? Yes, at least 90 minutes daily, free running
and road walking, but more than that, they require mental stimulation
- such as obedience, agility and thinking games. Dobermanns are
a working breed, and if you took a Collie from
a farm and expected it to be housebound 24/7, it won't be happy.
An excellent book is Think Dog by John Fisher; ideal for the new
Dobermann owner for ideas on how to keep this highly intelligent
breed amused. No dog is suitable to be left alone all day whilst
its' owners go out to work, but with intelligent breeds like the
Dobermann for example, it is a recipe for disaster. Left alone with
nothing to do, rather like leaving a 5 yr old child to its' own
devices, breeds like this can become destructive and highly frustrated.
One of the most frequent problems is that once the novelty of the
puppy has worn off, the dog can become as disregarded as the old
couch in the corner. We all lead busy lives, but some people forget
that the dog, especially the young dog, needs a lot of individual
attention and time. You wouldn't (hopefully) ignore your child all
the time, so why do the same with the dog. When we're asked 'how
do I stop my dog misbehaving in the house/nipping clothes/ankles/being
destructive/crazy when the kids come home from school etc' I ask
the owner - 'what is this dogs' purpose in life?' 'What is his job?'
If you treat him like he's nothing, and ignore him for much of the
day, don't be suprised if he directs his frustration to bad behaviour'.
This is such a smart breed. Don't buy a Dobe unless you have time
and mental energy to devote to teaching the dog to do more than
sit!
Is there any
difference between English and European dogs in character? No
more than one could categorise a breed's general character from
one country to another, or one person from their sister or brother's
character, can we determine a dogs' character on where it was bred
- we are all different. Many breeders and exhibitors in the UK are
sadly divided over this question as there is a minority view that
European dogs are hard work and troublesome.
European Dobermanns
are often but not always higher driven than their UK counterparts,
as dogs in Europe are worked, whereas the UK not have a culture
of doing any mental stimulation with dogs in this country and makes
no selective breeding apart from looks. There is considerably more
fear (fear aggression is the most difficult behaviour to eliminate
in a dog), in many English lines than in European lines.
If you ask any of
the 'pro English' if they have ever actually lived with a full European
Dobermann, they would undoubtedly say no. This misconception is
usually from the less educated and those with a
little island mentality! In order to be allowed to breed, a European
Dobermann must pass a fit for breeding test - ZTP. This encompasses
character (crowd pressure behaviour/attitude to other dogs), conformation
standards (head measurements, height measurement), health tests
(heart, eyes, hips) and working (obedience/protection) ability,
and only on achieving a high pass grade and certificate can a dog
be registered. In Europe dogs of inferior character or conformation
may not be bred from. The European Dobermann must therefore demonstrate
an ability to work in line with what it was originally bred for,
and this country does not have a culture of working our dogs. Any
more than one can take a working Collie from a farm and expect it
to do nothing all day, neither can any Dobermann do that ~ and nor
should they have to. That is going to send any intelligent animal
mad, which is why when they start to behave with boredom and frustration,
people can't cope with it because they don't know how to guide or
train a dog. They try to suppress the dogs by 'showing them who's
boss', creating defensive behaviour n them, which when leads to
potential aggression- not something that works well with any breed.
Some buyers are
even advised to 'avoid the Europeans. This perception comes only
from those without direct experience of living with a balanced,
well trained dog. We breed using lines combined from European, English
and some American blood, and we have NO complaints whatsoever from
any of our owners regarding their dogs character.
At home we have
full English, full European, and half and half with some American
bloodlines. Our European import Ken-Ti's Babalouba bitch is high
driven with a huge requirement to work but not particularly dominant.
Her cousin Asia (Dominatrix) 1/2 UK, 1/4 American and1/4 European,
wouldn't get out of bed for less than a full cooked breakfast! She
has no drive to work, but that is not because of the bloodlines
(her Aunt and her Cousin ~ Luba are dynamite), it is from one parent
who is particularly laid back. That said, she is actually one of
the most dominant in the house. Like any Alpha female, she doesn't
have to work, she gets the others to work for her. One of our full
English bitches is always up on her toes, never sitting still for
one moment, always up for games or walks, her brother is a steady
well balanced, easy going dog. There is no hard and fast rule -
they are all different, and anyone who makes generalisations about
Euro v UK temperaments usually doesn't know one end of a Dobe from
another. This is why Volhard character testing is so useful to determine
individual character traits compatible with new owners' requirements,
but as above, think why you would be getting such a smart, driven
breed - you must plan what this dogs' role is in life and what he/she
will learn.
How much does
a Dobermann puppy cost? Between £600-£800, maybe
more depending on the bloodlines of the litter. You should be supplied
with 6 weeks free insurance as standard, a complete puppy pack including
food guide, worming having already been done. Do not always expect
vaccinations to be done - these are usually done at 8 weeks, although
our puppies are vaccinated pre-sale. Vaccinations are not included
in the price of a puppy. KC Reg papers should always be available
by the time your puppy is ready, although sometimes paperwork errors
can occur causing delays. If in any doubt about the breeder, call
the Kennel Club on 0870-6066750 to ensure pups are registered and
that the breeder holds a kennel name. I hear some people (who are
never seen at shows or working) are charging £850 for puppies.
Without full health tests and no more than any usual stud fee, this
is a rip off. That said, if you come across someone charging under
£500, likelihood is they are also not doing health testing
and would find it difficult to raise a good quality litter at that
price.
What health tests
should the parents have done? Regrettably this is a question
not enough buyers ask. For more information about health in our
breed, click HERE. Some breeders
don't bother to have any tests done on parents. Some do all feasible
tests. We test for Von Willebrands, Heart (DCM), Eyes (PHPV),Thyroid
and Hips. You are making a substantial investment both financially
and emotionally. Would you buy a car without any checks? There are
no guarantees, but breeders should at least do the best they can.
How many litters
should a breeder have? If a breeder has more than two litters
at one time, they would in many people's opinions, be breeding commercially.
Not all breeders keep puppies from each litter, but usually three-four
litters per year is considered quite sufficient. If when you call,
the breeder says 'we always have puppies', they are breeding commercially.
Ask why the breeder has had a litter. Reasons such as: we wanted
to keep one, or we breed to show/work are acceptable. If there have
been no health tests, personally we wouldn't recommend them.
Should I see
both parents? You should always expect to see the Dam, but not
often the Sire. Most quality breeders do not use their own dogs
on their bitches although there can be occasions when this is done,
for example if someone has brought in a dog for that purpose. If
you can't see the Dam, do not buy from the breeder.
What should I
look for when buying a puppy? Happy, confident puppies who readily
come forward to meet newcomers. Any litter hiding at the back of
the box should be left alone - do NOT feel sorry for litters
or puppies displaying lack of confidence or fear - you might manage
it when they are young, but when you have an adult terrified of
everything, you will end up with fear aggressors - virtually impossible
to cure. Puppies should have shiny coats, be clean - not left in
litter pens with faeces and urine everywhere. Additionally, you
might not want the puppy who launches him/herself at you, tugging
your sleeves etc, unless you particularly want a worker. This puppy
might be a little too much to cope with for the owner just wanting
a steady companion. A good breeder who knows their puppies characters,
should be able to point out the best puppy for you.
What guarantees
should my puppy have? This is up to the individual breeder,
however, no-one can guarantee future health of a dog any more than
we can guarantee our own health. Look on our puppy page for details
of what we offer.
Why are
puppies from puppy farms are bad idea? These sad little
dogs and their poor Mothers are purely money making machines. They
are raised without love, the Mothers are usually mated as soon as
they come back into season, and puppies are literally raised in
pens. They have no toys to play with or any emotional stimulus,
their Mothers can't teach them anything as they've never benefitted
from living with humans. Their living conditions are barren, they
learn no human interaction which is so vital in order for them to
become integrated in our homes. Consider that when we have puppies,
like all good breeders we are in with those puppies all day every
day, playing with them, loving them and teaching them how to behave
with us. Puppies from such places know no love or human contact
in these vitally important formative stages. Incredibly, the Welsh
Assembly have actually given financial grants to some farmers to
help them diversify their farming! A recent demonstration in Cardiff
showed the depth of feeling from caring dog owners to this shameful
decision. Don't buy a puppy from dealers - it will have come from
a farm in Wales. However, not all Welsh breeders are puppy farmers,
and if you visit their homes, you will be reassured. No farmer would
have you come direct to them - no-one would buy if they saw these
rows upon rows of miserable dogs in barren kennels. They either
sell via dealers or deliver. NEVER accept a delivered
puppy however cheap. Don't always be fooled by price. We heard of
one breeder recently, selling their puppies for £850, - no
health checks, and they are raised outside by a breeder having had
9 litters last year. No breeder having that many litters can devote
those puppies the time and attention they need. Kennel Club
Accredited Breeder Scheme. The KC recently introduced this
scheme to ostensibly 'raise the benchmark of breeders', and to give
buyers assurances they were getting puppies from so called 'quality
breeders'. There is NO joining criteria, so yes,
a puppy farmer can join. Unfortunately, the Kennel Club don't see
anything wrong with a breeder having 20+ litters a year ("as
long as they are doing the DNA checks"). We are not
interested in sitting alongside such breeders, so until such time
as the KC change their criteria on this, we will not be joining
until the standards are raised, as our standards are far greater
than those which can currently be offered by this scheme. |
