Love Dobermans? Our Top Doberman Training Tips and Advice

The Doberman is a large breed of dog that originated in Germany in the late 19th Century. Nobody is quite sure of their exact origins, but they are believed to be a mixture of breeds including the Rottweiler and Pinscher. Many people love this breed because of their protective qualities and unique, aristocratic looks. However, it is vitally important that they are trained properly from a young age to ensure that they will grow up into good family pets.

A Doberman’s puppyhood is critical for their psychological development. When they become teenagers their attitude changes. As a result, they become stronger both mentally and physically, which can cause problems if it is not dealt with properly. This is why Doberman training is so important.

When this breed is a teenager, you will be able to direct them to their proper purpose during their lifetime. There are plenty of options that you can choose from. For example, they are suitable for any kind of dog training area such as Dog Sports, Obedience, or Protection, or they can simply be trained to be the perfect family companions. Keep on reading to find out more about our top training tips, as well as some general tips if you are considering adding this majestic breed to your family!

Doberman Training Top Tips

Many people feel that a Doberman will be very difficult to train and keep control of, which puts them off this breed. However, with the proper training, this definitely doesn’t have to be the case, and they can be developed into loving family dogs just like any other breed! Here are some things that you should keep in mind to get the best out of your Doberman.

Doberman

Be aware of their behavioural issues

If not managed properly, the Doberman can develop behaviour issues that will be hard to control in the future. Issues such as high nervousness or high aggressive tendencies are quite common due to their nature. But, the correct training can help prevent these issues from becoming a big problem, so they can still live a happy life as a loving family pet.

Ensure that you are on hand to keep them calm

Dobermans are sometimes very intimidating for humans and other dogs due to their large stature and somewhat intimidating presence! Due to this reason, it is up to the owner to introduce their Doberman to people and dogs in a calm way, using obedience exercises and measures to keep them under control, especially for particularly boisterous dogs!

Choose a good breeder

If you are choosing to buy a Doberman, choosing the right breeder is really important for a harmonious home. A good breeder will be more than happy to tell you all about the puppy’s blood lines, as these can be carefully selected to aim for a specific type of behaviour that will make the Doberman a better family pet with far fewer aggressive tendencies.

Socialisation is key

Proper socialisation has to be provided for Dobermans from an early age, and maintained during their lifetime. This is so that they can get on well with other dogs and people in a calm way, and they are used to everything that day-to-day life can throw at them! Make sure to expose them to a range of sights, sounds, smells, people, and other pups to give them the good level of socialisation that they really need to thrive.

Ensure that you keep them healthy

Health and physical maintenance wise, this breed is fairly easy to develop and maintain if the proper food and medication (calcium, vitamins, etc.) is provided. However, it is still important to ensure that they go to the vet for regular health checkups. This is to make sure that they are keeping healthy and any issues can be picked up on early. This is an important tip to remember for all breeds of dog, not just the Doberman, if they are to live long and healthy lives!

Provide them with a place to relax

It’s a good idea to provide your Doberman with a large and spacious crate of their own, that they know they can use to relax and feel safe. They are a large breed, so make sure that their crate is big enough for them to relax in comfort. It’s also important to bear in mind that they are quite sensitive to the cold, so keep their crate near a radiator in winter if you can.

Play with them!

The Doberman is a really intelligent breed, which makes them ideal for all sorts of work. However, it also means that they can get bored easily. Ensure that they are kept occupied with lots of games and Doberman training, or they may be more inclined to take out their boredom by destroying your furniture and belongings! Dobermans enjoy high energy games such as frisbee, because they are large, athletic, and love to be busy. Playing with them will also strengthen your bond, which will make training far easier.

Dobermans

Don’t forget exercise

As a large breed, Dobermans need lots and lots of exercise! If you are planning on adding one to your family, make sure that you are prepared to take them on multiple walks a day to meet their exercise needs. However, this also means that they are the perfect companion for outdoor activities such as running, hiking, and cycling, as they will be able to keep up with ease!

Keep them included

As pets, there is no denying that the Doberman is a family dog! They love getting involved in your day to day life and hate to be left out, or left alone for long periods of time! So, if the whole family tends to be out all day, this may not be the breed for you. Make sure that you are prepared to have a big dog involved in your daily activities, though, and the whole family is sure to develop a really strong bond with your Doberman that will last for years to come.

Our work with Dobermans: what does good Doberman training look like?

Here at Royvon, we are completely passionate about helping owners and dogs with any training assistance that they may need! We work with all sorts of breeds, but Dobermans are quite common for us to see. They may come to us just to brush up on their manners, or because they have behavioural issues such as lunging or aggression. Whatever issues they may have, we will work with them and you to come up with the best solutions! Take a look at some of our amazing trainees here to see the sort of thing that can be accomplished with good, consistent Doberman training:

Meet Loki!

Loki came to us because he had reactivity issues towards other dogs and general quick movement around him. He was extremely anxious towards people and needed to build his confidence up. Our Esher trainer, Thanasis, used engagement training to make Loki focus on him, and then made sure to train the pup around distractions so that he could learn to ignore them. Loki made great progress and was eventually able to ignore dogs while solely focusing on his trainer. Owner training is still extremely important in developing these skills but Loki is well on his way to a happier, more confident life! Great work Loki and Thanasis!

Meet Chuy!

Chuy was a unique case as his behavioural problems were severe. This was because he was bred purposely for protection work by the well known Zamolxis Kennel in Timisoara. His owner didn’t realise what the significance of having a dog like Chuy as a pet could be until he was already a part of the family. Chuy was aggressive to humans and dogs, including the people he cared about, when a situation that he didn’t like arose and the consequences of his behaviour become very serious. But, our trainer Romeo knew that he could work with him to improve his behaviour. Romeo is very experienced in training dogs with aggression. So, he worked with Chuy to instil a high degree of obedience to help his parents’ life with Chuy in the future.

Chuy’s dad is now more aware of the significance of a dog like him and is working hard with Royvon to ensure a safe life for all. Chuy is loved and Royvon will support his dad in the next stage of his training, where we hope to see an even bigger improvement in his behaviour. Chuy’s story just goes to show how important the correct Doberman training is if you want this amazing breed as a pet. However, it also shows just how well-trained this breed can be for jobs such as protection work when this is needed.

Here at Royvon, we provide everything from group puppy sessions to residential, one on one training, to suit all needs. If you’d like to find out more about what we can offer you and your dog, no matter what breed they may be, please don’t hesitate to visit our website and get in touch today!

Enjoyed this post? Why not read this one about Akitas next?