Dobermans

Posts Tagged ‘Safe’

The use of a crate (kennel) is an effective way to train a new Doberman Puppy. The kennel imitates a den. In nature, puppies stay in a small den, just big enough for everyone to fit. While the adult pack members are off on the hunt, the puppies stay behind, safe in the den usually with an adult puppy-sitter. Only when the pack returns will the puppies emerge to happily feed on regurgitated food.
Instinctively, a puppy will have a feeling of safety and will not want to mess inside his small kennel. To properly kennel a puppy, the kennel should have just enough room for the puppy to fit comfortably laying down, standing up, and he should be able to turn around. The kennel should be built specifically for dog safety with only small spaces between the bars. The kennel should also be of high quality and in good repair, without bent or broken bars, and with a flat cleanable floor.
Doberman puppies grow fast, so it’s often a good idea to purchase a crate made for a full grown Doberman, 42″ x 30″ x 31″ or larger. Some crates are equipped with a divider to make the floor space inside the crate the right size for the puppy as it grows. With a regular crate, a box or other large item can be placed inside to take up the unneeded space, where the puppy would otherwise mess.

Feeding:

Many Doberman breeders recommend a lower protein puppy food (less than 28%) for the first months of puppy hood. They also discontinue feeding puppy food at an early age, ~4 months. This practice is thought to help reduce the incidence of Panosteitis (wandering lameness) and reduce the rapid growth produced by a higher ratio of protein found in most commercial puppy foods. Many also recommend raising the food dish off the floor to lessen neck strain while feeding.

Adult Dobermans should be an adult dog food containing “joint support” supplements, such as glucosamine, to help reduce the risk of hip dysplasia.

A typical and health adult Doberman can eat nearly 40 pounds of dry dog food a month, which can mean an average of $20 per month per dog. As a Purina “Rally to Rescue,” we feed and recommend the Pro Plan brand dog food.

Water:

All mammals need water. Like in feeding, raising the water dish off the floor will help lessen neck strain. Also, water quality is important. Just like human consumption of tap water is a health concern, the same contaminates can affect your dogs well being. If at all possible, your dogs should be give water that is filtered. If filling a water dish from a garden hose, remember to allow the water to run through the hose for a few minutes, because harmful germs and bacteria grow in the stagnant water left in a hose.

Toys:

The Doberman is likely to be able to destroy most toys suitable for other breeds. One safe bet is a Kong toy which is fairly indestructible. We also recommend toys from Helping Udders. Dobes also have a love of tennis balls but these should only be provided with supervision. There are known cases of Dobermans choking on tennis balls. Beware of products stating they can be “ingested” safely. This DOES NOT mean they can be digested successfully.