How to mellow out a Doberman Pinscher?
No dog is ‘hyper’ – they are untrained and unless you are adept at training I wouldn’t suggest you get a Doberman puppy as a first time dog owner (no, cat ownership doesn’t count). Any dog can be ‘jumpy and hyper’ if it isn’t properly trained – maybe contact a legitimate rescue organization and see about getting an adult Doberman that can help train you about owning dogs. Realize please that just because some person wants a dog that doesn’t mean they are suitable for dog ownership. Go to some shows and trials and meet up with some decent breeders and examples of whatever breed you are considering and learn about them and see if you are right for them and they for you before deciding if you need to be getting a dog. add: I have owned and successfully trained Dobermans for over five decades and hardly ever took one for a ‘walk’ as even five walks a day are not what a dog or a Doberman needs. It will wear you out but it sure won’t bother a dog and it isn’t mentally stimulating at all.
A high energy dog needs lots of exercise. I have a German shepherd and I exercise/train him for over 2 hours a day. (1 hour per session). After our exercise sessions he is so mellow and happy. If I didn’t exercise him like this he would be jumping off the walls. I don’t crate him, so he has free run of the house. He has plenty of chew toys and the only thing he has chewed up was the cover of one of my dog training books. You dont really have to take him out running all the time, you can find games to play with him that will wear him out. Take a piece of rope about 7 foot long and spin it in a circle or run with it…..it is good exercise for the both of you. I started doing things like this and just gave up my tredmill. Hope this helps a bit, but its either exercise or drugs to keep him calm.
I’m not sure a dobie is a really good first dog but it is doable if you’re a strong leader. Dobies act like puppies long after they actually they are. Mine chewed up 27 pair of shoes. She would also dig holes so deep that she could sit in them and only her head was visible. My second dobie chewed our wedding album, baseboards and anything else he could find. These were both before kenneling dogs when you go away was so popular. (We also learned to close our closet door.) On the other side of this debate is how they are when they’ve grown up. Awesome! My female would go from window to window when I would say “watch em”. But on Halloween when the kids came up to get candy, the parents would stand back when we opened the door and the kids would say, “don’t be scared. It’s just Tasha.” She loved kids. My male wasn’t as protective but his energy level was higher. He would stand in the middle of my son and husband when they played ball and go back and forth trying to catch the ball until he
~ Until a Dobe is around 18 months old it is verly likely to be anything but mellow and laid back ~ The Dobermann is not a breed for the weak willed or faint hearted person, but it is because they are such an intelligent breed that they do not suffer fools gladly. They need to respect their owners, and if they suspect the slightest weakening or indecision in their owners, they cannot respect them and problems will occur. The Dobermann who is respected as a valued member of the pack, and who is able to respect his owner, is a wonderful asset to the pack, and will look after the family with their life. They will naturally start to guard from around 6 months – don’t worry if your Dobe doesn’t guard at this age, it will come in time. It is also important to maintain control over their natural ability to guard, to prevent it becoming a possible problem as with any unruly behaviour. The Dobermann may sometimes be perceived as being unfriendly to strangers, however, it is important to remembe
