Responsible Pet Ownership
Buy a crate. You need a crate to properly housetrain your puppy.. They are not to live in buy provide safety for your pup when you can't watch them. They are not a maybe.
Make sure they are given flea control. We use Frontline. I always urge people to use frontline or something similar. Few of the others work in my opinion or they don't work very well. If your pup has fleas or ticks, you will have skin problems.
In addition, remember flushing flea dip is pollution and traces to our streams and rivers. Dips or lawn treatments with Durban, diazinon or malathion cannot be disposed of even in a sanitary sewer. Personally, we never use any of those poisons. Ran can wash the insecticide into the drains and in our water sources. Please do not use dips or poisons on your lawn to control fleas. There is just no reason to pollute our environment or risk our dog's health. Most of the herbal remedies haven't work. Never use dips or poisons. We use frontline and it works very well.
Take them to the vet for heartworm preventative and shots. Heartworm prevention is not an option in any area. Put them on it and be safe. Remember shots from the feed stores or other places may not have kept shots at the proper temperature. Take the puppy to the vet or buy from a source you know do not have ineffective shots.
Train your pup. Basic commands such as sit, stay, and going on a lead are required for a well adjusted puppy. Remember Dobermans are housedogs and deserve a comfortable bed.
Your Doberman will be easy to live with and provide protection for your family.
Feed a high quality dry dog food ( Eukanuba ) is what we feed. We cook for our Dobermans ( chicken and rice ) We cook bones and all in the pressure cooker to pour over their dry food. And also mix in fresh vegetables from our garden. A large bone that won't splinter is also good for their teeth, and keeps them busy, they love to chew on the bones.
Barking has a place. We live in the country and want our dogs to bark at strange people or dangers. We do not want them to bark for no reason. We use the word " leave it " if they are barking at something we don't want them to view as a threat, such as chickens, birds. You want your dog to alert you of danger but you don not want them barking at everything that moves. If you live in the city, you will not have very happy neighbors if your dog barks at everything.
Pick up your pet's waste. As a pet owner, you can establish habits that will help keep our creeks free of pollutants and keep your dog healthy. Animal waste contains bacteria, viruses and nutrients. Walk your pets in grassy areas and take a plastic bag or pooper scooper to pick up waste. You could flush it down the toilet, bury it in the yard away from the dogs, put it in the trash, but do not put it in your compost pile. Keeping your own yard clean will keep our creeks cleaner and our pet healthier.
Provide a place for your dog to exercise. We provide 2 fences acres for our dogs, but live on 10 acres that is also fences. I can not imagine not having a yard for a dog. It is your responsibility to provide a safe place for your dog to exercise. They can't be left alone all day, in a small run, or left to roam. A Doberman must be a housedog.
Give your dog success. There is nothing more that your Doberman wants is to do than please you. Dobes do not do well with constant harsh corrections. You have a responsibility to praise your dog and reward them for what they are doing right. You get hugs and head in our lap and lots of petting with praising.
They are one of the most intelligent of the dogs but they require success, love, and security.
