Train a Doberman Pinscher

Contrary to popular belief, the Doberman Pinscher can be a kind, loving, and loyal dog. They are working dogs that are very open to training. While such dogs have been stereotyped as aggressive, fighting dogs, which may happen if you improperly train a Doberman, with proper attention a Doberman can really be man or woman's best friend. Here is how to train your Doberman to be a kind, loving dog.

Steps

Applying General Training Principles

1. Get an appropriate collar. A young Dobie will not need much more than a collar. As your dog ages, however, you will notice its strength increase. For most females dogs this is not a problem, but for the deeper-chested males you may need to purchase a head collar. A head collar is best because it establishes dominance. While using the head collar, you walk right next to your dog's head. The head collar is much like a horse halter. Instead of constantly pulling the collar and being dragged the Gentle Leader, a great brand of head collar, only needs a quick, sharp pull to control the dog.
   • Most dogs take a while to get used to the head collar, but if you are doing it right it will not hurt them. Make sure you follow all the instructions given to you when you purchase the head collar. Gentle leaders are available at your local pet store.
   • Pinch collars are also effective, but establish a bond based on fear. These should be used as a last resort. Solid training will eliminate any need for a pinch collar.
2. Focus on reward-based training. Give your dog a reward when it does something correctly instead of punishing them when they do something wrong. Reward-based training helps your dog create a positive link between the desirable action and getting a reward. The dog then learns what actions go with what cues and carries out the actions in order to earn a reward. This is a humane and highly effective training method.
   • Dobies have a strong food drive but overfeeding can lead to health and behavior problems. Try toys instead, because food aggression is common with Dobies.
   • When your dog does misbehave, because all dogs misbehave sometimes, try to get to the bottom of the behavior. If you know why the dog is doing bad things, you can possibly alleviate the problem, and thus the bad behavior. If all else fails, get rid of temptation for the dog. Move items it destroys or eats out of its space, so that you are not setting the dog up to fail.
3. Be a strong leader. Doberman need firm handling. Many people take that instruction as an excuse to be mean to their dog. Firm handling just means that the Doberman is a fairly dominant dog, and needs to be taught right from wrong at an early age. Teach your Doberman that you are its leader when it is a puppy, because being bossed around by a large dog isn't fun.
   • Dogs can detect and reflect the emotions around them. So if your dog is behaving well, don't go overboard on the reward, because your dog can sense your happiness. When you dog is not behaving well, don't punish your Dobie horribly. It knows you're unhappy.
   • Don't be scarce on discipline. Dobies should respond well to a firm "no". The scold should be directed at him/her, so at the dog and point at them. Dobermans don't respond well to physical punishments, and hitting or physically punishing your dog is animal abuse.
   • Do not deliberately stare a dog in the eye, especially if they may be aggressive. This is considered hostile, and you may inadvertently be challenging the dog to a fight.
4. Practice consistent training. The key to training is teaching your dog through repetition. Tell your dog what you want it to do and never give it any mixed signals. This can be harder than you would think, so pay attention to your actions as much as your dogs.

Socializing and House Training a Doberman

1. Teach a Doberman to respond to its name. This is an important first step for further training. Begin calling your dog by its name as soon as you adopt it. Even though the dog won't understand that you are talking about it right away, the repetition over time will help it to learn that you are talking about it.
   • Pick a name for your dog that is easy to say. This will allow you to teach the dog its name more easily.
2. House train a Doberman Pinscher. This is an important bit of training that is key to having a happy and healthy relationship with your pet. House training a dog is a bit different than teaching commands. Dogs instinctually want to keep their bathroom spot separate from where they sleep and eat. Because of this, house training a dog is more about showing the dog the boundaries of home and bathroom than directing the dog when to go to the bathroom.
   • The key to house training is taking your dog out on a regular basis. When you first begin training your dog, there will probably be accidents between trips outside, as the dog is not used to the routine yet. However, over time the dog's system will adjust to the regular intervals between trips outside.
   • If a dog goes to the bathroom in the house, immediately take it outside to finish its business. The important part of this is taking the dog outside immediately. A dog doesn't have the ability to make a connection between going to the bathroom inside and being taken outside unless these things happen basically simultaneously.
3. Socialize a Doberman Pincher as early as possible. Dobermans, like all dogs, need to be socialized at a young age. This means that you must take your puppy to parks, dog-friendly stores, and other places your pup will meet new people. You want your puppy to constantly be meeting new people, so that it understands that this is a normal, and pleasant, part of life.
   • If your puppy goes with little socialization, he or she will not be friendly to other dogs in the future. This will prove to be a major problem.
4. Socialize adult dogs that are fearful of strangers. If you adopt an adult dog that has not been socialized you should begin remedial socialization with them. This means that you need to start with the basics to get them used to people and animals out in the world.
   • Start by building trust with the animal. It needs to trust and follow your commands in order to be trained how to respond to strangers and other animals.
   • Once you have bonded with your adult dog, then start doing short excursions into public. You should keep your dog away from actual contact with strangers and animals at first, simply letting the dog see that others out in the world mean it no harm.
   • Gradually introduce the dog to new people. Get a friend to help with this training. Have the person stand near the dog in a non-threatening position, but not so close that the dog could actually make contact. Have your helper use a kind voice and hold treats for the dog, so that it gradually goes to the helper on its own.
   • Also introduce your dog to other dogs. This is a delicate and gradual process, in which the dog first needs to see and smell the other dog before being allowed to get close enough to make contact with the other dog. This may take quite awhile if your dog is aggressive to other dogs. Over days, and probably weeks, gradually expose your dog to the sights and smells of other dogs.

Teaching a Doberman Basic Commands

1. Training a Doberman to sit. Get your dog into a standing position and position yourself in its line of sight. Focus the dog's attention on a treat in your hand. Raise that hand in front of the dog’s nose to let it get the scent, then to above its head level. When you hold the treat above the dog’s head, most dogs will naturally sit to get a better view of it.
   • Give the dog an immediate treat and praise. Follow the routine of treat and praise and say “good sit” when the dog is performing the behavior. Your pup may be slow at first, but more treats and praise will speed up its response.
   • Make sure that you do not praise the dog until its actually sitting. If you praise halfway through the sit, the dog will think that is what you want. Also, make sure that you do not praise it for getting back up, or you will get that behavior instead of the sit.
   • If your dog does not sit with the treat technique, you can use your leash and collar. Stand next to the dog, facing the same direction as it. Place a little backward pressure on the collar to encourage a sit. You may even need to encourage the sit by adding a little gentle scoop behind the dog’s hind legs. Gently lean the dog backward with the help of the collar while doing this. As soon as it sits, give the dog immediate praise and reward.
   • Praise natural sitting behavior. Look for times throughout the day when your dog just sits on his own. Praise that behavior, and pretty soon you'll have a dog that sits for attention instead of jumping or barking at you.
2. Training a Doberman to come when called. The “come” is used whenever you want your dog to come to you. This command is potentially life-saving, as it can prevent your dog from running off if he gets loose. Begin by getting your dog’s attention. You want to make it run toward you. Use praise and your “happy voice” to encourage the dog to move toward you. Once the dog comes, give immediate praise.
   • Pair the behavior with the verbal command. As your dog begins to realize it will be rewarded for coming to you, start giving the verbal command “come.” When it responds to the command, reinforce it in praise by pairing it with “good”: “good come!”
   • Move the training to more public spaces. Because the “come” command could save your dog's life, it must learn to respond to it even when it's distracted. Move the training sessions from your home or yard to a public park. There are more sights, sounds, and smells demanding his attention there.
   • Give enormous rewards. Because this command is so important, the praise you give for performing it should be extravagant. Responding to the "come" command should be the best part of your dog's day.
3. Teach a Doberman to heel. Take your dog on regular walks with a leash. This is important not just for training, but for its physical and mental health. Depending on what breed of dog you have, the dog may need a lot of exercise to keep it happy and in shape.
   • Discourage pulling. Most dogs will pull on the leash when they're learning to take walks. When it starts pulling, stop immediately. Don't take another step until the dog comes to your side and focuses its attention on you.
   • Change directions. An even more effective method is to walk in the opposite direction and encourage your dog to come with you. Once it has caught up, praise and treat it.
   • Make it fun to be by your side. Your dog's natural impulse is to chart its own course and investigate its environment. You need to make walking by your side more appealing that that. Use an enthusiastic voice when changing directions, and lavish the dog with praise when it comes back to your side.
   • Pair the behavior with a verbal command. Once the dog walks consistently at your side, you can give the behavior a name, like “heel" or “let’s go.”

Tips

• Puppies will chew things. This is just because their teeth are growing. But don't leave this unadvised, this is a bad habit to break.
• Your new Doberman puppy is very sensitive to punishment, so a firm "no" is perfect.

Warnings

• Make sure your dog knows its boundaries. Many Dobermans become territorial, and may even start chasing cars that come too close to your driveway.
• Never let your puppy attack a bigger dog. It may be cute, but it won't be when your 75-90lb Dobie attacks your neighbor's Lab. Puppy fighting leads to many problems, including: Biting, growling, aggression, etc. Make sure you can tell the difference between play and fighting. If your puppy is playing with another, scold right away if it gets rough.

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Sources and Citations

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