Adoption Checklist
Selecting the right owner for a Dobermann is as big a responsibility as being the adopter. Therefore, we will require you to consider carefully the following factors:
Should I adopt a dog or a bitch?
Males can be more of a handful than females. Young adolescent Dobes can be especially trying, and males will “try it on” with other males in the pack. Males are, of course, bigger and stronger, and can prove difficult to control by newcomers to the breed. This doesn’t mean Males will start fights – they are not violent – but they are territorial, and usually won’t suffer any nonsense from other dogs.
Likewise, a bitch, although smaller, and generally easier to handle, can also be aggressive in nature (do NOT confuse aggression with violence – aggression simply means they are VERY assertive). Bitches can also be affected by hormones when they are in season (although we insist that Bitches are spayed before being adopted). Bitches can be more loving, and enjoy cuddles more – but there are Males who love cuddles and bitches who don’t!
Dobermanns and children
Reproduced by kind permission – Sun.co.uk
If you have a baby, or are expecting a baby – or if you have ANY plans to have a baby, then we recommend you wait until you have children and they are past toddler stage. Too many times Dobes comes back into care because new humans have come on the scene.
Dobermanns are usually great with kids and will protect them as a pack member. Provided your children are over 5, and don’t run around trying to hit the dog with a stick, then there is no reason for problems, provided your Dobe understands it’s position in your pack (i.e. at the bottom). Children and dogs should ALWAYS be supervised, not just to protect the child, but because children can often do silly things that may injur the dog.
This is very important with young Dobes, as it may not forgive being hurt, and the relationship can suffer forever as a result. Dobermanns remember who has hurt them, and rarely forgive or forget. Also beware (as with any dog), your child may get away with pulling your Dobes ears – but other children will not.
How many Dobes can I cope with?
The Dobermann was originally bred as a companion animal, and are not as pack oriented as some other breeds. They are best suited as single dogs or in small groups (2 or 3). Many people keep several Dobes together successfully, but you do need to know the temperament of each animal. Certainly, we would not rehome a male to live with another male, as this is inviting problems. Bitches can live with other bitches, but again the results can be variable, and we would have to consider your experience before allowing such a rehoming to take place.
Same sex partnerships are naturally harder to make work than male-female combinations, so this is normally more desirable. However, young males and females will naturally show more interest in each other than in you, so training should be done individually to ensure best results. This situation is improved when there is a reasonable age difference. For this reasons we recommend against introducing a youngster to another young Dobe of the opposite sex unless the adopter is very experienced.
If you are happy with the above, then please read on…
The adoption agreement
Thank you for your enquiry about a Dobermann. The aim of Dobermann Rescue Ltd is to find permanent, caring homes for Dobermanns that have been abandoned or become homeless for any reason.
In many ways taking on an adult Dobermann can be more demanding that a baby puppy, and the aim of our adoption application form is help us match the right dog to the right home.
Some of the dogs are simply victims of circumstance – their owners have died or families have split up or gone abroad. These dogs usually settle into new homes quite easily. Unfortunately some of the dogs we get have had one or in some cases several unsuitable homes where they may have been cruelly treated or simply allowed to develop bad habits.
Dobermann Rescue will not attempt to home a dog known to be vicious, but some may have problems that you may have to cope with at first. This may be noisy, destructive, not clean indoors, may run off at every opportunity, males particularly may be aggressive with other dogs.
Although this sounds bad, on the plus side is the fact that very few dogs are un-trainable and very few dogs will not respond to kindness, affection and firm handling. Having gained their confidence and established your relationship, your Dobermann will reward you with affection, loyalty and a lot of fun.
Each Dobermann looking for a home will usually have spent some time in kennels where experienced people will have access. You will be given as much information as possible about any dog offered to you, but if the dog has come in as a satry for instance, there will be little if any information.
We prefer males not to go to homes with small children unless we know the dog has lived safely and happily with small children before. We do not allow males to go where there is already a male of any bread as rivalry can lead to fighting. You must have a securely fenced garden as Dobermanns are very agile and strong.
If you decide, having read the above, that you are willing to add a Dobe to your family then rest assured you will not be on your own. The area officer that supplies your dog will always be available to help you and will probably be able to put you in touch with a training class, and other more experienced dobermann owners in your area.
You will not be allowed to breed from your rescue Dobermann and will not be given any pedigree or registration documents. If having acquired a Dobermann from us and your circumstances change, and you are unable to keep your Dobe then it must be returned to the rescue kennel it came from, or to another Dobermann Rescue kennel as arranged by your area officer.