I used to post on here alot, but over the last couple of years haven't been on.  Anyway I have my dobermann boy, Mason, who is now 7!  He has always been a bit of a baby, but I must admit he seems to be getting worse. He seems to cry alot more, he weeps whines and whinges.  He doesn't let me out of his site, well saying that I do shut him out of the room sometimes so I can have a bit of peace.  If I get up to go to the toilet, he will follow.  He hasn't ever really settled during the day, he follows me about the house.  He will go in our garden if I go out there, or if he can see me at the door, but if I move from the door he barks and wants to come back in.  I know people say that dogs don't really understand words but I also have to be careful when having a conversation if he is listening because certain things, I would say, he definitely knows!  I love him dearly, but sometimes I feel completely suffocated!!! I did contact a trainer - which I have done before and spent quite a bit of money - but the chap says he can help me £295.00!!

Sounds just like My Mums Doby, (Now at the bridge) He chattered away for England all his life. He followed her about like a ghost, just what some dogs do. I have 3 Bernese who all have to crowd into the bathroom with me, they are convinced there is another way out and I will disapear ! The older 2 will only go out into the garden with me (Pup thinks the garden is a playground at the moment) They move from room to room with me and sit in a row at the bottom of the stairs when I go up for something (They are not allowed up) However I do not mind, I like the company they give me, when cooking dinner they all sit at the doorway, I have instilled into them that they are not allowed into the kitchen during cooking times. Not sure what  trainer will do, he seems to be showing you that you are very important to him. Is he unsettled if you go out at all ? Does he settle down if you sit down and relax? Dogs are all different and some just like to be close, others can be very aloof and are not at all dependant on anyone. I to have to spell out such words as W.A.L.K. and C.A.R. T.R.I.P. However I think they can all spell WALK now LOL...As I sit here on the computor they are all crowded under the desk like sardines...They never really settle while I am up and about but do crash out if I put my feet up.
Aileen

Yes mine is exactly the same.  He is also waiting.  He is sitting here now, he looks at me longingly!!!  We laugh, and my boys say he loves his mum!!!
Actually I go out in the afternoon and then he will settle down for a sleep.  Otherwise he waits for me to sit down and then he will sit at my feet!
The other day I walked down my road and he was howling - I had only been gone for about half an hour!!!  I do think he seems to be getting worse.

My boys are just the same, one is worse than the other though. Raj has to lay on my feet if he is on the floor or have his head resting on me if on the settee lays beside me while I am sat at the table eating etc and follows me every where.  If I have moved from where I last was if he has been asleep or outside he runs round in a panic till he finds me, but having said this they are happy if we go out, they dont mind being left at home (if they did I would class this as a problem ).  I feel honoured that they want to be with me all the time and love me as much as I love them and especially as they are litter brothers and would rather be with me than each other.  I would much rather them be this way than not be bothered.

I have 3 Bernese who all have to crowd into the bathroom with me

LOL :)...I have three WSS who do exactly the same but they know as if by magic when it's time for a bath and just melt away into the far corners of the house. They line up outside the kitchen and adore watching when I cook, since it's usually for them :) and the two older boys have to take turns under the computer desk--the baby prefers a caving expedition under my son's bed!

Hi there dgibbo,

I do think Dobies have the potential to be velcro dogs and therefore separation anxiety.

Assuming that there is no medical reason that would be making your boy more anxious these days, I would perhaps look at taking him right back to puppy style training for separation and building up his ability to cope over time. Start with very short periods and perhaps shut him in the kitchen while you do other things around the house- keep going back in but ignore him (in a nice way of course), like you would do with a pup.

You could perhaps use some DAP to help him settle better. I'd also only do this kind of training after he has had a good walk and something to tire his brain (scent work or similar) all of which might help bring down those anxiety levels. He sounds as though he is very bright and perhaps needs some sense of his role/job in your life and then is clear about when you want to stand him down and go off duty.

I wondered, does he sleep on his own at night or with you? If he sleeps on his own do you say 'time for bed' or something similar and does he cope alone at night? If you haven't done so already you may have to teach him some kind of settle and go off duty command, where he knows you'll go, but that you always come back- this would be different from a formal obedience down and stay, more like a 'time for bed' cue.

I think separation anxiety/devotion to duty/owner issues can be quite hard to deal with and I would really recommend you to get someone in to help. I wonder if your breed club might have some ideas? You could also look on the APBC site and see if there is someone close to you. As for the guy who wants to charge you £295, ask him to explain what he thinks is happening and what his treatment programme would entail. Presumably he has already spent time with you and Mason in your home and assessed you properly. What are his qualifications, does he have vet references? I only urge you to be careful as you do not want to go down the wrong route. Make sure it is someone who understands dobes and do your best to check them out first. Don't go in for anything harsh or punitive.

Good luck

Have you considered a possible thyroid problem? I mention this as I had a bitch who became very "clingy" and wanted to follow me everywhere to a ridiculous point. Upstairs, bathroom etc. No Vet here could find anything wrong with her following several blood tests. However Dr Jean Dodds hit the nail on the head by identifying a parathyroid problem and following supplementing her diet with simple additives the condition improved to normal behaviour and the additives were withdrawn slowly over several years.

The thyroid profile done in the USA was far more detailed than any available in the UK at that time.
http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/bizarre_behavior.htm

Hello,

Thank you for your reply.  He sleeps downstairs, he will normally go to his bed in the late evening, or I say bed time.  He usually gets up once in the night (around 3am), he comes upstairs to my bedroom, licks my face and then goes back downstairs to his bed!  He always does this.  I don't want to shut my door, as I have never done this, but sometimes it's a bit of pain being woken at 3am, as I get up at 5.  He only does it to me, not my husband, I was thinking of swapping sides of the bed but I am sure he will just wander round the other side.
The trainer who I spoke with hasn't assessed Mason, I just had a conversation with him on the phone.
For quite a while now I have been (sort of) ignoring him when I come in etc.  When I have been out, and I come in the house he gets my slipper and wanders around crying with it in his mouth.
I have often thought it would be helpful if someone else in the house did things for him (eg. feed him) then he wouldn't be totally dependant on me.  It's like everything he wants or needs is with me, but I have tried to explain this at home but it is difficult when everyone else says, he is a dog and he is happy, don't worry about him, he has a lovely life!!!
I have heard that dobes are velcro dogs, I just worry that he isn't happy!
Sometimes I do tell him to stay when I go upstairs, but then he just sits at the bottom of the stairs looking up waiting, and then I think what is the difference really if he is sitting there waiting (on the cold wooden flooring) or waiting up with me (on the carpet) where I am!!!!

dgibbo,

Please don't feel bad, it does seem like your boy is wired up for devotion so you have to figure how to play it down and help him and you be a bit more relaxed.

I would have him checked by the vet and you might, as the op suggested, have a look at his thyroid panel- but you would need to go through Jean Dodds in the states as it is very specialist/fine analysis that most vets here are not geared up for.

My advice would be to avoid the man who quoted you £295. To do this on the basis of a 'phone call alone is rather dodgy. A proper assessment of the dog needs to be done in situ before a treatment programme and cost is discussed. The only cost to quote for prior to this would be the assessment. You could speak to your vet, or as I said, look on the APBC site.

Your hunch about involving the rest of the family sounds spot on- it might also help your dog to feel more secure and give you a break, but tbh you'll most likely always be the one. Still, why not ask the family again and say that you've taken advice and everyone says that it would be better for the dog if other members, walked, fed and played with the dog.

I was encouraged to hear that Mason sleeps downstairs. This is proof that he can go for quite some time on his own. It does seem like you have to work on him being less wholly dependent on you and, as I said before, possibly a training programme that teaches him the difference between 'work' time and when he is to go off duty and relax (leave you alone). On the surface this does not sound like a big deal but I think you do need the help of someone who knows what they are doing and can guide you.

Also, have a think about what you as a family do with Mason-what are you doing to get him to use his brain and to give him a sense of his role in life. He does sound as though perhaps he has a strong work drive that has become foccussed on monitoring you! If you have the energy, could you or better still one of your family, start to do some high level obedience training at a class?

Mason sounds a lovely lad, he is genetically built to be observant and dutiful and to work hard- like a soldier he needs absolute clarity from his captain as to his role in life, his jobs and what is expected of him. So long as there is no medical problem I would concentrate on getting help to rebuild a very clear structure to his day so he knows what to do at every turn and understands that it is okay for him to go off duty. As for the waiting at the bottom of the stairs, try not to worry too much, that is what he is designed to do- a terrier will stand at a rabbit hole, motionless, for ages...........happy? You bet.

This sounds very familiar, I have an 8 year old female Dobe and she is exactly the same.  She wants a walk she whines, comes back from a walk she whines, wants feeding, she whines, just been fed she whines.  It is constant 24/7 whining.

I too have wondered if she is happy, but have come to the conclusion that they are just a very needy breed.
 
Every time I get up she's there in front of me, not knowing where I am going but walking in front, stopping to look over her shoulder to check that we are going the same way.

When I am sitting down she's sat right in front of me to make us eye level, she then gradually leans in until our faces are inches apart.

If I call one of the other dogs, she comes running, she trys to rest her head on my knee constantly, even if one of the smaller dogs is sitting there or even my 5 month old baby, she just doesn't see them.

It can get very claustrophobic for me too, we got her as a 5 year old from a family member who was not coping so is not a breed I would have chosen.

However, I love her to bits, she would lay her life down for me, I know that.  She probably finds me frustrating as I am not able to supply her with the 24/7, full on attention that she craves. I have chosen to accept she is needy to save my sanity, but I don't pander to it, she gets the same attention and time as the others.  If she gets over the top she is put in a 'down', which needs to be repeated many times for her to eventually stay down, then she will finally relax and have a nap.

Interesting comment about thyroid, my girls is underactive and was undiagnosed before she came to me, she has been medicated for 3 years now.

They never really settle while I am up and about but do crash out if I put my feet up.

lol  my 2 schnauzers are the same and know where i am going due to my footware. if i get up from watching tv on my bed and dont get my slippers on they know im just off for a wee and stay asleep  but if the slips are on they know im going downstairs and leap up.

I would agree with a vet check, and also it sounds as if he's never been trained to be happy and confident "home alone" or at least able to relax whilst you are home with him?

Home alone training basically involves teaching him to enjoy being on his own for a short while (very short, a few seconds) and is built up very slowly as he gains confidence... he is given a chew or stuffed kong or bone, which is the bit which makes him eventually hopefully! cope happily with being alone for a while, as he learns to associate that state with good things.

However full blown separation anxiety is awful and does need specialist help really. (APBC). There are however some very good books available by Nicole Wilde, Pat McConnell in particular. I'd recommend both, but esp. the NW one

Good luck
Lindsay
x

I've known dobes be like this with children. Especially dobes from working lines.

One dobe took up guarding the family children from the day they were born, would only settle when he could lay next to the moses basket. Would walk at heel with the buggy even when off lead and not asked to. Followed the children round as they grew into toddlers, even when he was absolutely knackered if the children moved rooms he had to get up and go with them, and would happily just lay and observe them playing as long as he could see where they were. The kids could climb all over him and take things off him and he was always calm and happy as long as he was with them. If the two children where in seperate rooms he would get distressed and pace about and try and round them up so he could keep an eye on them both at the same time. But boy at bed time he would kick up an absolute stink and howl the place down, eventually he was allowed to sleep outside the kids bedroom door, but not allowed to sleep with them.

Perhaps your Dobe is the same, and this is the way his working instinct is manifested, his role is guarding you. As some other peeps have said, perhaps you need to encourage this in some situations and also teach him when he can go 'off guard' and relax, and channel his guarding instinct into a more structured routine. Or perhaps if you could channel his working instinct another way, tracking is great fun for dobes, perhaps that might be something to think about. I dont doubt that he will work brilliantly for you seeing as he is so attatched to you, he will undoubtedly thrive in an environment where he has to work to please you.

I have seen this instinct appear much more obviously in males rather than females, which is suprising seeing as you would expect the females to take on the mothering role!

Our young dobe is the complete opposite, she will happily relax on the sofa or chairs while we are out of the room but when we want to come in and relax we get poked and nudged and playbowed at, kongs thrown at us as if to say 'fill this up mum will you'. She is a ruddy nutter! We have three large breed dogs and the odd thing is when your out of the room they are all happy as larry relaxing and watching tv but as soon as i sit down to relax myself they start wrestling about and playing tuggy wars. Show offs!