Doberman - Temperament

The Doberman Pinscher is a breed known for fierce loyalty, protection, and intelligence.  Dobermans are a very alert, high energy breed. Coupled with their intelligence they are a dog that needs a job to do, and excel at sports such as formal obedience, agility, flyball, Schutzhund, among others.  Dobermans can easily become destructive when left with no outlet for their energy and no way to work their brains. When bored, they can easily find something for themselves to do, and it's usually not something the owner wants! Chewing, digging, barking, and chasing cats/cars/small animals are generally a sign of boredom, not necessarily a "bad" dog.

They are the epitome of what some people call a "velcro dog". They oftentimes follow their owners from room to room within the house, including the bathroom! They love being around people, and are prone to separation anxiety. They are also very sensitive, needing a firm, but not harsh, training method.  Dobermans need an experienced owner, they are not a breed for dog newbs.

Bred for personal protection work, Dobermans are a breed of dog naturally aloof with strangers. No training is needed to a Doberman a "watch dog", he will happily alert you to people and other animals intruding on your property with his bark. Socialization and training is key to making any dog, including a Doberman, a good watch dog. Keeping the dog locked away from people during those important weeks as a puppy will easily created a fearful dog, and people aren't going to be wary of a dog that is afraid of them! Socialization will allow the dog to understand what is acceptable behavior and what isn't. An unsocialized Doberman may see a simple handshake as threatening behavior, and may run and hide when a real threat is presented.

Dobermans are largely misunderstood. When thought of many people conjur up the image of snarling, snapping, barking dog frothing at the mouth. Headlines pop up of Dobermans doing deeds ranging from chasing someone down the street to mauling the family's four year old child.

But let's look at the facts.

Dobermans are breed known for being protective, intelligent, high energy, and sensitive. They are not a breed for beginner's or the weak of heart. A Doberman, coupled with an inexperienced or irresponsible owner could easily make the headlines with it's unforgiveable deeds. But who's really at fault here? The breed of dog, or it's owner who neglected to socialize, train, and responsibly care for it's dogs?