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sweetchastity

New 7 month old Dobermann Sheba

sweetchastity
13 years ago

We've just got a new puppy and I'd like advice on some concerns I have about making her a member of our pack.

We have an 11 year old female German Sheppard which, quite honestly, doesn't want anything to do with other dogs. We have 2 cats and its my retired mom and I in the house. My dad was training the dog for a friend when they asked him if he'd take her otherwise they'd take her to the pound or put her down. We saw her before and we like her so we are happy to accept her into our home but she's a bit too much for my father and mother to handle. She is a calm, submissive dog who needs more exercise (I'm walking with her but can't go at the pace she really wants to go at, I'm a bit out of shape) and gets frisky because she's a pup still.

Separation anxiety(?) - She hasn't really been left alone home yet but when my father leaves she gets restless and she seems to need to be with people. She was leaning against me and I was petting her and thinking that she seems most calm with a human presence. I don't want to nurture a need to be with people to be calm. I want her to be able to be in the same room and lie on the bed or floor while I work on the computer. I can't pay 100% attention to her because I need to bathe and work on a website. How much attention should a 7 1/2 month old pup need to be balanced?

Cats - Sheba came from a home with dogs, kids, snakes but no cats. I'm pretty happy with her initial reaction. She was watching Dustin and would get within a few inches (once I saw she didn't bark, growl or seem to want to chase him) and he'd hiss when she got too close and she'd back away but keep watching sometimes and sniffing the air to catch his scent. Then this morning she did growl once at him and if he runs away from her or past her she wants to chase him, though it doesn't seem aggressively. Muffin won't come out but I pulled her out from under the bed to move her to the basement where she could hide while still being able to eat, drink and potty. Sheba was pretty much asleep in the living room so I brought Muffin close then let her downstairs. Sheba didn't even budge. Muffin stopped at the bottom and looked back then went down the rest of the way, so I don't think she was threatened by Sheba (if she was she'd bolt and just never come into view). Any thoughts on dog/cat relations?

Breeding - She hasn't been fixed yet because the guy wanted to breed her and now my parents are talking about it thinking they might make some money off one litter before fixing her. They didn't have success with the Sheppard and their old Sheppard who passed away and they love puppies but I feel they aren't realistic about the cost and care of puppies. Personally I don't think their reasons to want to breed her are right, but I've convinced my mom we should discuss it with the vet. I feel fixing her before she goes into her first heat eliminates any behaviour we might not like that are created by hormones. Plus even if she becomes physically ready to mate around 8 months I think its too young an age to mate her. She's still a puppy but my dad says she'll mature from the experience of being a mother. If anyone here has breed dogs can you shed some light on the subject?

Comments (7)

  • jean001
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    No, breeding her won't help!

    Among other things, she needs time to adjust to the new surroundings (I adopted a 3-year old. It took 6 months before he & my original male were on very good terms, now they're best friends.)

    Beyond that, obedience classes help bond dogs & their people. And consider going on to puppy agility claasses where she'll have a good workout.

    I'm certain other folks will come along with more suggestions.

  • calliope
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    If anything helps an animal settle in and not be neurotic, it's spaying and neutering as soon as it can be done. My daughter and son in law took in an abandoned, young female beagle whom nobody would claim. Make some money? Hah. They've sunk in mucho on vets, shots, worming, feed, fencing, and finding good homes for the pups.

    If you have your hands full with one new dog, think about nine or ten of them. First time females whelping can be a handful as they can be clueless and have problems and the vet bills will more than eat up any money you think you will make.

    My last doggie had separation anxiety so badly when I rescued him from the shelter, he self-mutilated. We had him settled down and acting appropriately out of our sight within months. Take gentle command, start a routine, and be consistent. He's a great little dog now and has finally learnt that he can be off by himself occasionally even when we are in the house and will settle and go 'lay down' if we get tired of his boundless energy. And yes.........we work it off of him several times a day. It's just part of being a pet owner. A necessary part.

  • mazer415
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Leash walking, leash walking, leash walking - taking both dogs for a leash walk, where they walk by your side is the best way to let the little one know you are the boss. Start basic positive traiing right away. Sit, stay, and leave it are easy to train and are worth their weight in gold....The more you train now the easier things will be later on. Good luck

  • doberman_2007
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    You have to let that DOBIE know who is boss they need to run and like , mazer said leash walk. When my dog walks her full attention is at the task she is directly next to me..on my left.The most important thing is socialize and scold for bad behavior such as chewing...work work work it took me 2 years to get my dog to where she is an inch will become a mile if you let it start now.

  • petaloid
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    As others have said, spaying as soon as possible should help her calm down and be more manageable, and it's better for her health in general.

    The idea of breeding a purebred sounds good until you think about the unwanted shelter dogs that are euthanized in this country each year -- I've heard it's more that a million.

    We inherited a neutered purebred dobie who lived eleven years. He was a lovely pet, and he settled down a lot after he passed the one year mark, so hang in there!

  • doberman_2007
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I just want to add refrain from breeding if you are not familiar with this as it can become exspensive tireing venture. The DOBIE becomes a dog at 2 years old , do you have a fenced yard? I have invisible fence and taught her at 3 months , she broke it during training and 1 after 2 years ago . They make a swell house dog but will retain their guard dog instinct and will protect.You must introduce her to strangers when you walk her. A friendly dog is a good dog , The sight of her will detour most rif raf. people always give way... my dog is a nursing home dog. Most of the time run your fingers in her coat back and forth this will get rid of a lot of hair also invest in a grooming stone they are a pumice type deal that works well . Use a dremel on her nails get ger use to the noise put her on a chair that is comfortable and lay back against her not to hurt her but hold her dont let her get up and gently use the tool , get rid of the clippers...
    And keep her ears clean...

  • ilovedobies
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Your dad's friend did he call the breeder to let them know he was getting rid of Sheba? Responsible breeders make you sign a contract when you purchase a puppy. That puppy must go back to the breeder if you need to find them a new home. They don't want their puppies being dumped off in shelters.

    Why would your parents even think about breeding Sheba, she is just a puppy. So many pups in shelters being PTS everyday, its so sad.

    I'm not a breeder but I love dobermans. They have several health problems, DCM cardio is their number one killer. Responsible breeders show their dobermans, put titles on them. Health test their dogs and study pedigrees before breeding. Do you know where Sheba came from, how long did the other dogs live, what health problems did they have, and the list goes on and on, they just don't put two dogs together just to have puppies, please spay her and just love her.

    I had to laugh when you talked about her leaning on you. Dobermans love to be with you all the time. They follow you from room to room and when you turn around you usually bump into them. They do need a lot of exercise or they drive you nuts. I've always had one at a time but a few months ago we got a female. They two of them play all day and its a lot of fun just watching them. I take them out for a couple of hours, no running just long walks and when we get back I don't see them for a couple of hours. Females mature a lot faster than males. I've noticed that my males slow down when they're two years old, but always a puppy at heart. Good luck with your girl.