Well Look Who It Is- Doberdog

[Dakonic]

Jaaaaazi, Pitbullforum needs some love and updates.


Side note: Holy cow, my dog would snap that leash in a heartbeat.

[Jazi]

I gave his foster mama some, I'll throw the updates on PBF once I get back home :]

It's a tieout, too hard on the hands for a leash. I usually use it for outdoor recalls but I wanted pictures and he didn't want to pee while at heel, so I tied him to the tree and backed off to let him potty.

[Bluebird22]

He is so stunning! What are you plans foe him with Christmas coming up?

[Jazi]

I posted these updates on my dobie forum but I haven't here. You guys have heard bits and pieces but have them all together.

A quick rundown of what happened, though, is that my friend from another forum knew I was looking for a dog and had interest in dobermans. She saw him posted on one of her pitty forums and sent the link to me. I'd been holding off because I wanted a puppy from a breeder and those are more effort than I can give right now, but a calm adult that just needs to be taught manners is a lot less stressful to me so I jumped on the opportunity.

I'm his 4th home; first was a truck cab, second a small 1br apartment, third a horse farm. He was bred by someone in the Oshawa area going by the kennel name EuroDobes. His foster mama said they are well known in the area for being a terrible breeder. While on the horse farm he was subjected to some rather archaic... and barbaric imo... training methods. Things like wrapping a choke or prong collar around his muzzle and yanking whenever he stepped out of heel or reacted to anything on a leash, turning the shock collar up all the way and holding in the button even after he gave up whatever he stole, purposely stomping on his feet to get him back into heel, etc.

He retaliated 3 times, 3rd ending with an inhibited bite that did draw blood, that was the shock collar after he gave up the nail file he'd taken. He apparently hid behind their other dog (male mastiff) and they went after him anyway still holding the button and got popped on the hand. They were going to put him down due to being "overly aggressive" and "not listening" but someone at the vet clinic saw something about the situation wasn't right and convinced them to turn him over to her instead.

She's had him tested by a behaviorist and hired a trainer to work with him in the meantime. He's not HA or DA, he's a bit wary of new situations and people but he's already leaning against me for love and has been goofy and likes to bring me toys to show me before wandering off and wiggling with them.

He is a VERY quiet dog. Outside of barking at the cat and screaming in his crate, he doesn't make very much noise. He's also very calm, not hyper at all. Not sure if it's the stress or his personality, time will tell. The vet clinic and the ones in his past medical records did note that he was a very quiet dog especially for a young doberman. He is however very VERY food motivated... and a little sharky in taking the treats. He's also a little thinner than I like for a dog. I can see the last 3 or 4 ribs along with his spine very easily and I can't feel any fatty or muscle cushion on the rest of his ribs. I prefer a hint of spine and the last 1 or 2 ribs so probably another 2-5lbs will have him looking better. He's currently 95# now at 2yrs 7mos, haven't checked height.

He is reported to having some issues guarding super high value items like rawhides and raw bones. I have not seen it, the trainer did not see it, the foster mama only saw it once and that was the day before I got him. Soft growl that seemed to surprise him as much as it did them when a coworker touched his head while he had a rawhide. I don't intend on giving him rawhides but I do have some raw bones for him that are intended to be a supervised in-crate only item. We shall see.

I was later informed that his weight is spot on, and once he gets some exercise the amount of rib lacking muscle covering will go away because he'll bulk up. Especially once I switch him to the higher protein EVO instead of Science Diet.

Still deciding on what I'd want for his registered name if we get into anything competitive. Possibly Chasing the Light Bringer or Stalking the Daylight.

Thank you for the thumbs up on his weight. Perhaps I'm just too used to Titan's fat butt and Mocha's fuzz hiding their ribs. Once he switches completely to the EVO and settles completely, he'll be my walking buddy and if possible I'll be having him with the trainer who is willing to get into sports with me I did speak to her about him, she wants to evaluate him (free) before she puts him in a group class since he has a history, but is confident that he'll succeed. She's incredibly nice as well and +R only.

He's velcro to the core, spent the entire 6 hour drive home with his head on my shoulder licking my face and ear even though he had a peanut butter kong I'd given him. When we were waiting to get the tire replaced on the car I was sitting down and he climbed into my lap, resting his head on my shoulder and almost falling asleep. When he's NOT in his crate or on a walk, he's been sitting next to me, leaning against me while worrying at one of his toys.

She did give me his "stuff"; some toys, a blanket, and his food as well as a reflective leash and the EZ-walk. He spent his time out of the crate this morning going over each of the old and new toys figuring out which one he likes best. The answer is the hedgehog which he chewed the nose off within about 5 minutes.

Chased the cat when we got home from potty break, but didn't seem to want to kill her. He caught her before I caught him and all he did was stand over her, like it's a game that's no fun when she doesn't run. Will need to work on counter-conditioning the both of them.

No screaming in the crate tonight! The rats wake him up occasionally and he looks around, looks at me for a few moments, then settles back down to sleep. He also had quieted by the time I got home from work and he didn't start "wuff"ing until I was already up the stairs, not sure if that was an intruder alert or a let-me-out.

Today we started something rescues call the two-week shutdown officially. He spends most of his time in his crate, with regular out times and potty breaks of course. Fussing has been minimal and he got a nice knuckle to gnaw on in the mean time. He was out for about an hour this morning since I figured he was tired of the crate, took a nap, woke up to find him back in it. He IS crate trained, he just wants to go in on his own time it seems.

[Cardinal]

I was going to say something about his weight but didn't want to offend.. >_> I can't wait until he gets all muscly and nice. Right now his weight looks great, and with gaining even a 1lb more he'd be flab city. He's so gorgeous though, <3

He noms fingers when you feed him treats..? Peanut butter on a spoon.

[Marley.&.Me]

He's beautiful! How old is he?

[Jazi]

Welp, we've encountered a problem. Took him out for a potty break, he does have the runs like you said he might, when we got back he suddenly decided that the staircase to my bedroom is scary. The one up to the second floor he climbs, usually, willingly. The one to my bedroom he is absolutely refusing. I've got him able to put his front feet about 4 steps up but he's not moving those back legs and I don't want to push him.

For tonight, since I can't get him upstairs to his crate, he's sectioned off with his bed right before the stairs. If he decides to come up, great! In the crate he goes, with something delicious and distracting. If not, that will work as a "crate" until tomorrow when I'll have someone to help me move the crate down to the storage room, or if he decides that the stairs AREN'T scary tomorrow. They've got open backs as well so I'm also going to try covering them with blankets so he can't see through them, but he is at his limit for the night and I don't want to push it so I ended it on a high note and went upstairs to bed. I can peek out and see him, he's on the little bed I made for him down there with his head on the bottom step feeling sorry for himself.

On the positive side, when I WAS able to get him up the steps (with lots of rewards I might add, and he hasn't slipped, so I have NO idea why they're scary now), he needed a little food encouragement to go into his crate but was relatively quiet all day in there (until the runs hit!). If he did bark it was for less than a minute (I timed) and he settled to sleep. I misinterpreted his fussing once as a let-me-out when it was really an I-need-to-poop and he did soil it, I cleaned it after taking him out to finish pottying and he was content in there for a few hours after so I don't think he's associated that with the steps or the crate. He was very ashamed of himself and I actually caught him attempting to cover his mistake with his blanket- which made my clean up that much longer of course. I've started mixing a little rehydrated pumpkin mush in with his food and that has been helping. He's not 100% firm yet but it's not as bad as it was. He's got unlimited access to water in the mean time and if it's not cleared up by tomorrow I'll give the vet a call... wanted to finish the shutdown before taking him to the scary vet's office.

More positives, he has now officially seen both roommates coming and going and he likes them very much. He respects the baby gate as a boundary even though he could easily clear it, so we've been keeping him sectioned inside whatever room we're in whenever he's allowed out of the crate. He did chase, and catch, Saffron when she was in a room we thought was clear. No harm done, just an incredibly peeved cat and a dog that's learned that cats do occasionally have claws. If she runs, he'll chase her. If she's just there, he's curious and wants to sniff (and gets a good smack on the nose). I will be counter-conditioning both of them. I've been working an edited crate and rotate and making sure she remembers her safe places in the mean time.

He is velcro to the core! I don't know if I'd said but the entire ride back he'd kept his head on my shoulder and licked my face and sucked on my earlobe. We ended up having to stop to get my driver's tire replaced, while we were waiting and sitting on the place's stairs he'd climbed into my lap with his head back on my shoulder. Here he sits or lays leaning against me, or with his head in my lap. He's beginning to open up and show me how much of a goober he is, and how much he wants to be a "good dog" for me even if he's afraid- like the steps, he WANTS to go up them, but they're too scary, but I'M upstairs and thus he wants to be with me, but stairs are scary, etc. I did end up putting a trail of treats up the steps so in the end his stomach and food drive might win.

When I say he isn't afraid of the other stairs, even though they also have open backs, it's because while he's nervous and goes slow, he does willingly go up and down them as he chooses. In fact, he's so okay with going down, that he'll bounce down the steps and then bounce over to wherever I am and wiggle. Just not the stairs up to my room, which are the ones that made him nervous in the first place. He's a goober and likes tugs and carrying things in his mouth and wiggling and being a generally silly dog.

Update for the foster mama.

@Bluebird22; apologies, I missed your post. The relatives I'm visiting for christmas have a dog that is not good with other dogs, so Skoll will be watched by my neighbor who has fallen head over heels for him.

@Cardinal; He's learned that he isn't getting the treat if he's being a shark. He's beginning to take treats gently, but my poor fingertips in the mean time are sore ;]

Oh and one other thing. He loveloveLOVES his coat. After he soiled his crate he obviously didn't have a blanket to sleep on anymore, so he's been carrying his coat in his mouth when he's inside, laying it down on the ground, and sitting on it since he doesn't fit to lay down. We took pity on him and gave him a temporary blanket until his crate ones finish going through the wash.

[Jazi]

Got his measurements. He IS oversized. I'd thought he was a little too big. 30in, 95#; not too far of a cry from the ideal 27in, 90# but still a little large. I've also got his collar measurements too so I'll be ordering a custom collar soonish for him to replace the ratty old leather one he's got on now. The green one I got for him is a tad too large. He did end up climbing the stairs this morning and has returned to breakfast and a nap in his crate.

[Bethicus]

yaaaaaay!!!! awww He sound lovely! I can't wait for ore updates! In the past couple of days, reading this has been the only thing able to get a smile on my face, so thanks ^.^
and Ozzy had a problem like this with the stairs when we first got it It goes surprisingly quickly once they learn that they're allowed to share the room with you, because he luuurrrves you soooo much and wants to spend every minute with you
The bouncing down the stairs also reminds me of Oz, but obviously Skoll is much bigger, so I was wondering if you'd train him to walk slower down the stairs, or to go first so as to prevent 'down I go as fast as i can!!! ohh... woops... I just knocked Jazi down...' incidences? Having never had a large dog run down the stairs like Ozzy, I wouldn't know (Ozzy's very much the 'I'M GOING TO RUN AND DODGE ANYONE/ANYTHING BY A MILLIMETER SO I DON'T GET STOOD ON YET STILL GIVE THEM A HEART ATTACK!!!' dog xD but being small means he hasn't actually tripped anyone up or been close to doing so... yet )

[bearcups]

screeches

Jazi he is beautiful oh my god he's such a pretty boy owo
congratulations on getting him
and I secretly may or may not have laughed at how excited you were getting no I did not read this entire topic sshhhh