Dobies and boxers are two breeds I will never own personally. Too many health problems, although I love them.

With dobies... expect a lot of health problems. We learn about them all of the time in class (3rd year vet student). They very commonly get Dilated Cardiomyopathy (I think the incidence is 50-80%) and die suddenly without any symptoms. They also get "Wobblers" (Cervical Verterbrate Instability... causing spinal compression and tetraparaesis or paralysis), Von Willebrand's Disease (a severe bleeding disorder) and many types of cancer and hypothyroidism. If you get a dobie, have a cardiac ultrasound done yearly at the minimum to make sure there are no heart problems brewing.

AKC status does not always mean that individual is a responsible or good breeder. Be prepared, do your research, and choose a good breeder who tests for these genetic problems and removes affected dogs from the breeding line.

Good luck and I hope you find the pup you are looking for. Also consider adoption from a dobie rescue. There are so many that need homes!

All of the health issues you listed, I've already been made aware of. It is my understanding that a very good breeder can breed Von Willerbrand's out of their dogs? That may have been utter bullshit, but it's something I have heard :P After being a vet assistant since August, I have yet to see any dobies with any diseases at all - the only one we've actually treated, and not just examined, had been bitten by another dog. I understand the health risks that these dogs are susceptible too, but it seems like the wide majority of pure-breds will be predisposed to SOMETHING. So it's kind of already factored into my head when I decided to look for a pure-bred dog. I'm also thinking of getting VPI pet insurance for the dog to help down the road, just in case.

As far as breeders, I still have some research to be done. I'm going to try to make a list of things to ask the breeder before even thinking about purchasing an animal from them. It is likely that I may end up getting a dog from out of state, so I have to factor that in, too, since there's a good possibility that I may not actually be able to see the dog I'm getting until it's here...which makes me very nervous.

Thank you very much for the advice! I haven't found any dobie rescues yet, but that's a really good idea, too. I'll have to go look 'em up :D

I'm glad I could help! If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask. I might as well put my random knowledge to good use!

Aye, vWD can be avoided with good testing, but there has been an increase in incidence in the past few years. No one is quite sure why (poor breeding?). I think you will be fine if you find a breeder that tests regularly for it. Provided you don't plan on breeding you can own a "vWD carrier" with no problems. This dog has only one copy of the affected gene and is unlikely to be affected since vWD is an autosomal recessive disorder. About 50% of the dobie population are carriers and 25% clear of the disease and 25% affected. Dilated Cardiomyopathy though is a big problem in boxers and dobies. It is seen after the dam/sire is several years old or middle age and had puppies already. There is no genetic test for this, and is only diagnosed by cardiac ultrasound. This is why dilated cardiomyopathy is a real headache for even very responsible breeders. The best you can probably do it to ask the breeder about ages and causes of death of the ancestors listed in your puppy’s pedigree.

Be aware that pet insurance companies like VPI offer none or limited coverage with heritable conditions so do your research and know the plan you purchase =D I was curious what is considered" heritable" so I checked out the VPI website (good to know when clients ask me!) . According to the site "There are certain breed-specific hereditary conditions that are not covered under the VPI Medical Plan or the VPI Injury Plan. The VPI Major Medical Plan provides limited additional coverage for these hereditary conditions after you’ve had the policy for a year: $250 annually toward the diagnosis or medical treatment and $500 annually toward surgical treatment." In Dobies this includes Cardiomyopathy; Color mutant alopecia; Dancing Doberman disease; Familial glomerulonephritis (familial renal disease); Lupoid onychopathy; Narcolepsy; Renal tubular dysfunction (familial renal disease). I am surprised vWD ad wobblers are not on the list since it is pretty common in the breed. This is only for the VPI company and insurance provider will have their own idea of what is considered a heritable condition and various plans.

Definitely check out the rescues! I recently adopted an AKC registered 10 month old Pembroke corgi from a rescue near the TX state line. The family didn't want her anymore because she was "too demanding for attention". It is sad that people do not do enough research into the breed they choose... yes corgis are VERY demanding, but they are perfect for the right person. She's a great dog and top of her class in obedience right now. She's a total little princess, the perfect dog and I didn't have to puppy train her!

Thank you, I really do appreciate it! Do you have any ideas for me as far as questions to ask the breeder, aside from the genetic diseases? I'll definitely list all the ones you gave me, and see what else I can dig up in literature on the breed.

Also, that's good to know about the insurance...sheesh. I had read a flyer from work not too long ago, but must have forgotten or not read about hereditary diseases. That's kind of a shame, but maybe there's another company that could work out a bit better.

My only concern with a rescue right now is mostly getting an older dog - I really wanted to get a puppy to make socialization with our current dog easier on both of them. But puppies have a lot of draw-backs, too...I guess I just have to check it out and see what I end up with :P

We used to have a red dobie. My mother wanted a guard dog for some ridiculous reason, so she got one who had been fully trained for that. He... never did make a good guard dog. Loved people, always wanted attention. He didn't care who it was. He just wanted to be by your side. Didn't really care for our other dogs too much. He would snarl and growl if they got up in his face, or bothered him at all. He was dominant, but never violent. And you hear that bullshit myth about their brains growing too large for their skulls, and that it drives them mad. It's not true at all, and I want to smack every person who says this. Pfft. A lot of them do end up having some health problems, as circuitcat noted.

His nose had started bleeding when he was 9 years old, and this went on for a little over a week before my mother decided to take him to the vet. They said they wanted to run some tests, and she didn't want to pay for them, so she just had him put down right there. :/ I've never forgiven her for this. She assumed that his body was "filled with cancer" and said that he was doing very poorly, and was "suffering". Or at least that's what she tells people, trying to justify it. The bleeding was the only issue he had at the time. Other than that, he seemed fine and was acting normal. It may have been Von Willebrand's Disease, but we'll never know now. He was a good dog.

I've never heard that brain rumor...that's rather hilarious lmao :P

It sounds like that may be what the dog had - from what I hear, basically the dog can get a tiny nick and hemorrhage and die :/ It's a shame your mother couldn't delve further into the issue - we have people like her at work all the time, and sometimes they just genuinely don't have the money...other times, they just don't care about the pet that much :/

We do have another dog, but he's pretty submissive. And since we plan on getting the dog as a puppy, there should be plenty of time to socialize and prevent anything from happening. That, and the new dog will be in a kennel in a closed-off part of the house while we're at work until it's older.

Thank you for your input! :D I've always heard they're lovers and fiercely loyal, it's one of the things that draws me to them.

Yeah, if you get a puppy, that shouldn't be a problem at all. We got this guy when he was two years old, so he didn't grow up with our dogs, and never really bonded with them. Good luck!

Thanks! <3

dobies are good dogs, though will need a firm hand for trianing. :) They can be a very independant dog, and can sometimes attach themselves to one person. Not saying all dobies are like this.
As Circuitcat said, lots of health issues. Since they are a large breed dog, there is also a chance for hip displaysia(sp?). Which can make it hard for them to get up, and lay. Even walk at times.
They do not make good dogs for small children. Ever. They are very HYPER and active. My friend got one, and it constantly knocked the baby over, and once snipped at the baby when she was a toddler.
Something for future planning ;)
Also, as Circuitcat said, consider rescues. They're already trained, fixed and utd on all shots. :) And their temperments are usually already known. Good for picking out a suitable pooch. AND its cheaper then buying a puppy.
Love ya chels.
Note me if you have any questions regarding dog training or of the breed. :)
I'm going to school for this. ^^

The firm hand in training could be said of all dogs :P And I'm definitely committed to putting some hard time into getting the dog where I need him to be. I have also heard that they tend to attach themselves to one or very few people. This shouldn't be an issue as we don't have a large number of people coming into the house, but I am definitely going to try to socialize from a young age to make the dog people-friendly. It's more difficult as they age, as I'm discovering with my little adopted son/dog Borys :P

I've heard about the hip displaysia, too, but fortunately my veterinary experience has made me keen on what to look for and treatment. A LOT of dogs end up with this, so at least it's a widely known issue that isn't all too difficult to fix...just takes time, money, and dedication :/

From what I've heard, if the dogs are raised around children, they make excellent family dogs...but it makes sense that if they aren't they can be too rough or just dangerous. This makes me nervous, as me and my boyfriend do want a kid or two around in the future, but it's possible that by that time the dog may be old enough to have calmed down and not send our child to the ER :P

I am definitely going to check out the rescues, my only issue with this is having a dog already pretty firmly established in it's behaviors and demeanor, and trying to introduce it to our other dog. It'd be much easier to work with a puppy IMO.


Thanks Chica <3 I appreciate it :D Hope school is going well for you, miss you and love youuuu!

:> best time to bond with the puppy is 7weeks for you and your man, and then 7 to 16 weeks is the best period for general socializing. :) If you can.... take them around young children, and baby nosies. That might help.
Well, sometimes, you get lucky and get a pup from them. :D

Also, i learned in my classes, a doberman is a working class dog,and can be very stubborn to train, and insensitive to corrections.

One more tip! I swear! D:
If you do want a puppy, or even a rescue dog... Take Borys with you... Or even just take him around puppies if he's not accustomed to it. It can be very overwhelming for a older dog to have a hyper little thing dropped on them. :) Dog parks are great if Borys isn't aggressive, and if he's fixed.

<3<3 School is going great! aced my first exam. :) anddd miss and love you too. If you ever need help training, lemme know. :> I'll offer discounts! :D or a snake trade!

That's good to know :) So keep the pup mostly around us and maybe our other dog until around maybe 10 weeks? I don't know where we'd get kids to try the dog out on though lol :<

Thankfully Borys isn't too much older, just 3, but he definitely needs some other-dog training. I don't think we have any dog parks here, and we still don't have the money to get Borys neutered, unfortunately :/

Glad to hear school is going well though, that's awesome! And I'll have to hit you up on that offer some time c:

As excited you are about a puppy, defiantely wait until Borys is fixed and use to other dogs. That could mean the difference really. Borys is big, and would do some serious damage toa puppy, especially if he gets jealous.
annndd, Petstores allow you to bring the dogs in. :) He him a soft muzzle, and a head collar if you feel he might bite.
Parks are great for seeing kids! :) and everyone loves a puppy.
<3

Oh yeah, we are definitely going to get him neutered beforehand. He isn't already just because of the money issue...I wouldn't go dropping a grand on a pure bred puppy without spending the couple hundred bucks to get him fixed :P

I've actually brought him in to PetSmart a couple times. He does surprisingly good with other dogs, doesn't seem to be aggressive towards them, it's just people he's nervous about. However he LOVES babyfood, so I think I'm going to try to carry a thing of it around with me with a spoon and see if I can get random people to give him some as positive reinforcement :P

YES! :D FFF so proud of you.
Seriously, if you need help trianing, let me know. I will gladly help.

I definitely will, tysm <3

I think we're not going to go with a doberman. There's just too many health risks. My boyfriend really wants a boxer, but I said no for the same reason...We can afford another dog, but not another dog that may come with hundreds of dollars in vet bills. Now we're thinking of getting a young dog from a rescue, or buying an American Bully or APBT. <:

i've always had rottweilers, which are close to dobies,
but not quite the same xD i know with rotties, cancer
is very common, so i'm not sure if it's similar with
dobies as well. as far as temperament goes, i always
say it depends on how you train your animal. start
training your puppy as soon as you get it, and always
try to reward it for good behavior, instead of punishing
for bad. teach it not to bite early on, and to give kisses
instead. there is of course the breed stereotype, so
you want your dog to be on its best behavior. people
very often react very harshly toward breeds like that.
good luck, i hope everything goes well! (:

Rotties are awesome dogs, too! They're big sweethearts :)

Fortunately, I have quite a bit of experience with training so far. I'm probably still going to buy a book or two for puppy/dog training and obedience just to make sure everything goes according to plan. It's exciting, but it also makes me very nervous...I've seen way too many BAD puppies at work :P

well if you're that prepared, everything should go well(:
and yeah i love rotties! my dog doesn't have a single mean bone
in his body, he's a big snuggler ♥ really clumsy though! haha

xD sorry, Don't mean to be a smartass or anything. I just learned this two days ago... you don't want to start training the puppy until its about 6 months old. its the best time to start with it. Usually you start pretty early with socializing, desensitization, and its confindence. As at a young age, the fear imprint is strongest.

oh that's interesting information; personally i feel that it's
an opinion-based thing, as far as when you should start training.
i started with my rottie when he was six weeks old actually (we got
him really young cause he was a rescue) and he learned to sit
within that first week. he never had any sort of behavior problems,
he's always been very well-tempered, and he's such an excellent
dog. i wouldn't do anything differently if i could go back and
do it again. so that's just my personal experience. maybe it was
just luck that nothing went wrong with him, who knows d:

Yea, not alot of people know. o.o
I didn't. xD I learned it in my studies. If it works for some, it does. but professionals i dont think would actually take a puppy yougner then 16weeks at the absolute youngest. 6 months is a prime. :>

yeah i'm sure there's a good reason for it. maybe my dog was just
a prodigy or something idk xD but he definitely got enough love
and socialization, he loves everything he sees haha. and he listens
well enough for a two year old!

There great dogs, its good to have the puppy socialize with other dogs and humans when its a puppy. if not when they get older the tend to get very protective of their owner. and not in a good way, they can get aggressive with other dogs and humans. But as long as you socialize it then no problems.

Also like any bread their puppy and yound years (1 and such) they are quite hyper, and either need to be taken on walks alot or able to run around.

Yeah, I definitely plan to do as much socialization as I can. I just don't want to end up with another human-shy dog. It's a pain in the ass. And especially because dobies seem to be very prone to attach themselves to JUST their owners.

Also, we have a fenced in back yard, and I plan to go on lots of walks, so exercise should be a breeze :] Thanks for your tips! <3

Dobies are amazing. I am not a fan of the cropped ears though cause Over here it's practically unheard of.
The only thing i could say is about breeders. Just because they are Kennel club breeders doesn't mean they are going to produce and raise good tempered, well socialised and overall healthy animals. You might want to even look for unprofessional breeders, since these are usually the better choice if they know what they are doing. You can get a beautiful dog for a fraction of the price which is usually well socialised with people.

Although there are some unprofessional breeders who have no clue what they are doing, so you really might want to be safe with a KC breeder.

My plan is basically just to ask a lot of questions, go to them prepared. I've heard horror stories about some breeders, so it does make me nervous, but I think as long as I know my stuff I'll be ok :)

You shouldn't get any problems, but you can never be too careful. Pics as soon as you get him ;u;

Will do! It'll probably be a very long time, though, since we're still struggling through what we're going to do with this house and all. We're looking into an American put bull terrier or American bully now, though! :D Also considering another mastiff or a Rhodesian ridgeback hehehe