Any Pet Lovers? Torn Between Two Dog Breeds

[MadHatter]

Yep, I've heard that is really the only health issue ridge's have. Doberman's have a TON of health problems.

Doberman's do have several health issues, but one in particular shoudl be looked at. They have a tendency of unusually agressive behavior in thier older years. The issue has to do with the shape of their head. Their skull is relatively pointed at the top and as the dog grows, the brain often pushes against the side of the skull. This can cause the dog to turn on its owners.

We had several as a child. One was fine, but the other had to be put down eventually. His behavior became agressive and irratic.

[CatofWar]

Heard that was a myth about the brain and skull. All dogs seem to get testy in their golden years.

[SN03]

Doberman's do have several health issues, but one in particular shoudl be looked at. They have a tendency of unusually agressive behavior in thier older years. The issue has to do with the shape of their head. Their skull is relatively pointed at the top and as the dog grows, the brain often pushes against the side of the skull. This can cause the dog to turn on its owners.

We had several as a child. One was fine, but the other had to be put down eventually. His behavior became agressive and irratic.

That is a load of BS. My parents had Dobermans all my life. They are not only one of the most intelligent breeds they are extremely loyal & completely harmless. Dobies are big goofballs.

[MadHatter]

That is a load of BS. My parents had Dobermans all my life. They are not only one of the most intelligent breeds they are extremely loyal & completely harmless. Dobies are big goofballs.

I did not say they were not intelligent and loyal. And yes....they are big and lovable goofballs.

Even the one we had to put down was a big teddy bear. My youngest brother used to ride him around like a horse. They were like giant cuddly lap dogs. However, his personality and temperment began to change as he got older. He became more agressive and unpredictable.

It broke my heart when we had to put him down. Our vet was a VERY close family friend. When we took him in to be checked out, she said that it was actually common to see Doberman's personality change like this. Once it did, they are a risk.....due to their size, strength, and what they were historically bred for. She absolutely said that he should not be around children because of this change....and that it was believed to be due to the shape of their heads.

But, do a little research....they do have a long history of health issues, including this.

[CatofWar]

No dog is harmless. They all bite. Just depends on what they want to bite. :)

[CatofWar]

A quick google search reveals the doberman brain swelling is a myth. Im not saying the breed doesnt get more aggressive when its a senior as do a lot of breeds.

[MadHatter]

A quick google search reveals the doberman brain swelling is a myth. Im not saying the breed doesnt get more aggressive when its a senior as do a lot of breeds.

You may be correct. Issue is that Doberman's (by the very nature of what they were bred for) are a real danger when they do get unpredictable and aggressive.

[MadHatter]

Alaskan Klee Kais are quite interesting dogs. I looked into them when I was getting Lykos. I had read that most of them are one-owner dogs and they aren't a fan of other people or other animals. I'm sure this isn't the case for all of them, but I read it's quite common.

They are bad ass little dogs. Not even knee high.

[SN03]

Doberman's aren't "big" dogs. You probably had a poorly overbred "warlock" doberman, which isn't even a real Doberman. It's a Doberman mixed with a great dane to make it larger for someone suffering with small penis syndrome. "Bigger is badder & better." Nope, actually itkills what a Doberman is; medium build, very fast & agile, compact strength. Doberman's are a medium breed, & they have never been aggressive towards their owner.

[MadHatter]

Doberman's aren't "big" dogs. You probably had a poorly overbred "warlock" doberman, which isn't even a real Doberman. It's a Doberman mixed with a great dane to make it larger for someone suffering with small penis syndrome. "Bigger is badder & better." Nope, actually itkills what a Doberman is; medium build, very fast & agile, compact strength. Doberman's are a medium breed, & they have never been aggressive towards their owner.

We had three at the same time. One (the one that became an issue) was much larger than the other two. That may have played into the issues that we had.

But, our vet did say that it was common...so I took her word for it.

[SN03]

We had three at the same time. One (the one that became an issue) was much larger than the other two. That may have played into the issues that we had.

But, our vet did say that it was common...so I took her word for it.

Vets aren't always that knowledgeable on breed specifics. Go to a Doberman forum & post that. You'll get burned alive at the stakes. If your dog weighed more than 60-65lb it was a poorly bred animal & most likely not a true Doberman. There are american & european bloodlines. American are generally larger while european tend to stay true to the breed standard. It comes from americans wanting big badass dogs. Look at youtube videos, generally the ones talking about their badass doberman are the larger ones. Then look at up dobermans at dog shows, they are much smaller & true to the nlbreed.

My dad currently has 2 males & a female that are 2 years old. The males each weigh right at 60lb & the female weighs about 55lb. The are champion bloodline Dobermans with European bloodlines born in Munich, Germany. They are trained sentry & personal protection dogs. If you are a bad guy you would have a very, very bad day. They are extremely intelligent, fast, agile, can clear 6ft fences, & will absolutely maul the poo out of an intruder or attacker. They are the only dog bred specifically for personal protection & are 2nd to none at that task.

But you'd never know it if you were sitting around visiting my parents. They are extremely obedient & loveable. They'll lay in your lap or at your feet all day & love to play. They are extremely attached to my father, who raised them. If he's inside their inside, if he goes out they go out, if he's asleep they're right their at his bedside.

[SN03]

This is what a Dobermann's Pinscher should look like & what they were bred for....

This is the small penis syndrome effect & poorly bred Dobermans that lose key attributes that nake dobies special...

http://www.bigdobermans.com/european_dobermans.htm

[CatofWar]

theres a reason dobies arent popular with pd and schutzhund.

[SN03]

theres a reason dobies arent popular with pd and schutzhund.

Because they were bred by Louis Dobermann as a one person companion/protector. They can't handle cold weather at all. They are meant to be inside at your side.

If your argument is the GSD is more popular does that mean the iPhone is superior to all other devices? There's a reason they're more popular. ;)