Can anyone give me advise, I have a female 9 month old dobe .She is lovely , but just wont let any visitors come through my front door , I hold her back when opening the door to stop her running out but she just goes into one , barking, rearing up and scaring the hell out of my guests , when my visitor eventually makes it to the kitchen , she is fast on their heels and continues to bark at them . She is intimidating everyone who comes through my door , even  when she does calm down and goes back to her normal happy self my guests do not want to touch her  ,they are very wary .She is getting bigger, meaner looking and I can just hear the whispers " That dogs  vicious ".  She is still a baby and Through this behavour she is missing out. People do make a fuss of her when im out walking but its not the same as in her own home , and I have a fear she might get worse if I dont nip this in the bud soon, Or no one will visit.

Put her in another room while you let your guests in then wait until she's stopped barking before allowing her into the room where you are. Instruct guests to ignore her (no eye contact, touching, speaking to her, you do the same) when she enters. If she starts off barking again remove her to a seperate room again and wait for calm before trying again. Keep doing this each time she barks at guests and she will eventually get the message that she is only allowed in with everyone if she is calm. If she remains calm when allowed in, give her a few minutes to settle and lie down, then call her to greet your guests. If she starts to bark at this point remove her and start the process again.
I would try to invite people around everyday for the next couple of weeks so you can put this into practise and she will gets the message quite quickly.

I would also have your guest give her a treat, maybe even put her in a sit.

All 5 of my dogs bark and jump when the door bell goes, I'm having everyone put them in a down before the door is even opened. Once that is done I reward after since they are getting pretty good in staying in the down.

Do you put your dog in a sit or a down? A down is harder for them to bark, maybe try doing that when guest are to come to the door. Do some practice first have someone in the family leave and ring the door and before you answer it put your dog in a down. Always treat and praise after and have a release command. I always say OK Good Dogs and treat. You can also have someone inforce the down while you answer the door, or you put in a down while they answer the door. Works good with atleast 3 people, 4 in my family and it seems to be going pretty good with all 5 dogs. :)

What I do with my Doberman who is about 9- 1/2 months is allow and praise him when he barks at someone when they're driving up my driveway or knocking on my door. I happen to have two doors, the inner one solid and then a glass storm door. Before I open the door, Lyric must sit and wait. He's still not perfect on this yet, still learning. When I say in a friendly way, super cheerful voice "Oh, it's so and so. Ok, ENOUGH" he needs to stop barking. If he doesn't, he gets scolded, "ENOUGH!!!! QUIET!!!! SIT, WAIT!!" I mean business. No screwing around. He is not allowed to act vicious once I tell him enough. There's no two ways about it. I have certain expectations of this dog. I won't accept less. He has been well socialized, massively socialized and he knows the difference between a friendly stranger, a friend and someone who is breaking in in the middle of the night. (it happened) I always praise him when he quiets. Then when the person comes in, he's allowed to sniff and invariably his tail starts wagging and he's glad for the company. When they sit down, he is usually a bit of a pest, putting his head in their lap, licking their face, paw on the lap etc.

It can be a difference in temperament, in past socialization or whatever. But, while I believe in positive reinforcement when training, I also believe in correction....quick, swift, decisive, now. I don't wait around for them to correct themselves with things like this especially. I won't tolerate it. And I've never had a problem with any of my dogs. They're happy, enjoy visitors and get lots of praise and attention. They also get shown their place in my household....firmly, but fairly.

Carrie

I think my dobe has not been as well socialized, even though i have kids , it was winter when we first got her, she use to shiver ,so had short walks , the parks where empty and few people came to visit over the winter , now its summer and friends are calling round we noticed the problem. Yes i do agree with you I must take control of her  Quick and Swift, I just wish my visitors would show some confidents towards her aswell , under all this barking is a lovely natured dog that can smile and play all day long.

Yes I do put her in the sit postion but find her straight up again in seconds , I manage to open the door but its all such a struggle , Im red faced and not feeling in control. I know I must be assertive , Im the boss , and yes I think by getting more people to come to my door would give me more practice at handling her and enforcing how she greats people. Thanks

Harriet, thanks for the tip about removing her for a short period , she has calmed down on occasions and my guest suddenly laughs or makes a noise and she starts barking at them again , so I will now tell her off and remove her for a minute , I think this may also work as an inforcement if the barking starts up again . Im going to be busy with this dog ..lol  Diane

I don't want to sound know it all or come across as though I think you don't know anything. Obviously you do. A Dobe is a handful. I just want to explain what I do with my dog (s) and that it has always been successful for me, that my dogs have always been lovely, happy, well mannered, loved and attended to with all I've got. I am not a professional dog trainer, but have studied a lot and had experience for a long time. My opinion or method is not the same as everyone's on this board. I do what works for me and what produces happy, well guided dogs.

I think in your case, I'd try taking her places every day to meet new people. Not only new people, but people seen in different kinds of places or contexts, busy places etc. (I know....It must be hard if you work. I'm retired and have lots of time.)You say she's all right when out, that it's in your own house where she acts up. Even still....I think more exposure might help. Be sure to talk to people in a super friendly voice. They'll think you're nuts but it shows the dog that you like the person and she should too. When she can make friends with someone while out, give treats and use that syrupy voice. When someone then comes to your house, use that same voice. I've been known to pat people and talk super friendly to them, even people that aren't my great friends, just aquaintences. There have been men who thought I was making a pass at them, but still....doggie comes first. LOL.  This showed my dog, Lyric that I think they're great. These dogs go by our moods soooooo much.

Then if you're afraid she might bite someone when they come over, you might put a muzzle on her just in case. But she should learn to sit down or lie down when a friend is sitting on the couch or whatever. After practicing with a willing friend....giving treats etc for being quiet (when she stops for just a few seconds, NOT while she's barking) maybe she'll get more use to it. But at the same time, I see nothing wrong with telling her firmly to be quiet and stay and I mean sternly if needed. It doesn't have to be loud, just that you mean it. You don't want to ever ever hit a Doberman or be overly harsh, whereby you're frightening it. There's a difference in being very insistant and firm, showing what you mean.... and being cruel. A lot of people on this board even will think that I am cruel for even saying "No" to my dog. They have a different way and if that works....great. I just don't think it works for every situation and not quick enough. You probably want to nip this now before it becomes ingrained in her mind that that is Ok to act that way. People might say that you need to figure out WHY she's doing this....what kind of FEAR she has, where it's coming from, what happened in her childhood to make her this way etc etc etc......That's one philosophy. My way is to let them know NOW what is Ok and what is not. You can work on their psyches as you go along. IE: the socializing, the practicing the down stay while someone is in your home or out in your yard in a lawn chair. You can be gentle so as not to overwhelm the dog or frighten the dog....using lots and lots of praise, treats, games, fun, cheer. You can take any number of approaches, but certain behaviors need to be stopped and stopped pronto. In fact the contrast between their desireable behavior and bad is made known to them better by the contrast of your correction and your lavish praise. Be sure your timing is right...exactly when the dog stops and starts... correction, praise coinciding right on the target.

So, in other words, my training methods involve a combination of positive reinforcement (for the majority of things) and correction or negative also. I think it works best with a Doberman and in fact all the books I've read on Dobermans (a lot) and the people I've spoken with who train them agree that a combination works best with this breed. They are very sensative, so you don't want to be frightening or too harsh. That's not what I mean. I just mean showing them what you want and insisting on your way. If treats and praise are enough, great and mostly they are, but with aggression and some other things, corrections must be made IMO.

Have you been practicing her obedience? In the meantime, I'd keep working on the down/stay and get it good...lots of praise, treats and fun. Then when someone comes over, she may stay better. If things don't show improvement in a couple of weeks, you might need to consult someone who knows about Dobes. That socializing is so important while they're very young. Sometimes it's hard to make up the time lost when they were young. A lot has to happen in the first 3 or 4 months of age.

I got my dog in the fall and he was young still in the winter. I'm in the north panhandle of Idaho which gets fairly severe winters. It was 30 below zero for a time this winter....3 or 4 feet of snow all winter. I do have a good car for snow and good tires. But where I live is so remote that there aren't very many people to socialize with...some, but not many. So, I made it an "occupation" to drive to one of the cities in the vicinity, one, a small town is 30 miles away, the other 45, the other two about 60 and 90 miles away. Every single day for several months he needed to meet some new people. Some were here, but about 3 times a week, I'd drive far to expose him to traffic, shopping baskets, electric doors in front of grocery stores, elevators, trains, the vet's office... etc. Plus we did a good amount of off leash exercise in a safe place and little training times here and there inbetween things in the house and outside when possible. He was enrolled in puppy kindergarten very early. This was good too. This kind of saturation is necessary for a Doberman and somewhere close to that is necessary for any dog I think.

I do hope things will improve. I'm always interested in fellow Dobe owners and wish success with these wonderful dogs, albeit a lot of dog. They do require extra work, patience and dedication to be sure. Please let us know how things come along. And don't hesitate to get help from a trainer familiar and reputable with Dobes.

Carrie

Carrie, Thanks for your reply I now undrestand that I have not been setting down the rules of the household , as she is such a good dog I just asumed she would eventually stop and this was all just a puppy thing......... I concentrated more on her training when taking her out , she will obey when told to sit , stay, wait ect.. but back at home I failed to carry on with the obedience trainnig , so I must take the blame for not correcting her when she whent into a barking fit at anyone who came into my home.  My friendly neibough has kindly agreed to help me get this sorted  , she is going to knock at my door and come in , while I correct "Jodie" . Then she is going to send her husband a little later to also knock at my door . I hope this will work and that I can get back in control, you are correct I have thought that If I dont stop this now I could be  looking at a dog bite in the future . I am also booking her into training classes as I think this will help , although I do find that It is only other Dobe owners that truly understand a problem . Thank you again  . Diane

HI,
I have had the problem of an over excited dobe for months and i just kept saying it was down to her being frightened one day at the park when she was a pup.My husband always let her off the lead and she would take the mickey and eventually run home.Unfortunatley he did it one night and two young men approached the park with two staffies off the lead.Dobe panicked ,men shouted at her because of her size they thought her barking and jumping about was intending to hurt the other two dogs but all she did was run home again.My husband refused to take her out again, Ihad no prob's at that time ,but as day's ,week's and months past she reacted to every dog or person that she seen.THis has now grown into a major problem.I dont allow visiters into my home as she  barks constantly and will run at them, she wont bite but she is a rather big bitch for 16 months.Only myself and my three children are accepted around the house(husband left now).
I have let kids friends in occasionally and what i do is let dog into back garden,let there friend in,then let dog in.She sniffs ,maybe gives a bark,but my kids keep a handfull of treats and reward her if she stays away.This has been successful.But not with adults.I tried this with my dad,but at 6 feet 5 i think she still felt threatened.I also put a muzzle on her when he was in,she just kept lunging towards him.
nOw i'm at my wits end.I hope you manage to prevent this from reaching the problems i have.My dobe is such a big baby when around house with me and kids and half the time she thinks she is one of my shiddie's as she will try to do the same as them, but i'm afraid the shear size of her stops her from sitting on my knee when i'm on pc.

Yours pamie

It sounds like she needs more socializing. You should probably put a muzzle on her though. Try to make meetings with people and dogs positive. Try to calm her and settle her down. Take a deep breath and relax yourself. Does she have her obedience skills down pretty well? She should sit when you ask her to when meeting someone. I'd practice all that a whole lot first for a week and then try with distractions. These things should be down well by now so that you would have her attention and respect when you meet up with people. She should be listening to you regardless of what her emotions are....should be looking up to you for guidance during these situations instead of flying off the handle. It's hard to say over the Internet but if you think she's afraid or cowering, you don't want to be harsh, but if you think she's being plain aggressive, I'd be pulling her back and telling her to cool it and settle/sit. But if she doesn't have a good obedience foundation, that's hard to do and if she hasn't had a good saturation of socialization, that isn't going to help. That's why they always say with Dobes to socialize the heck out of them by the time they're 4 months and continue forever...and get their obedience skills really solidified by the time they're a year or two old or you can have a problem. I wish I could be of more help. Every situation is different. They are such sensative dogs and the balance between firmness and softness, showing the wrong way and showing the right way must be found without harshness, yet with decisiveness.   Maybe you could find a good trainer who's very familiar with Dobermans. That would be best. I wish you the best. Let us know what you find out.

Carrie

Pamie, At 16 months old  you still have time to correct your Dogs fears, like me you will now have to take total control , forget the housework and anything else . buy a soft cloth muzzle and place a halti head lead on , the dog will hate the halti at first and may try to remove it so get a halti link that attaches to her normal collar for added safety. Now you are ready , take her for long walks in busy areas but not crowded places with the aid of the halti you will have control , she will be scared , she will pull hard on the lead, but you need to regain her confidence in people , and if you keep this up with time and dedication your dog will learn to walk past strangers with no fear , also use the lead and halti when people come to the house , show her you are the boss but dont take chances with a bite, use a muzzle until she shows signs of calm around strangers. When you start to see improvements find your locall training club , Im having to do all this myself with my Dobe  and Im learning how to be boss.  Please dont take chances with children coming to your house , I dont.. I have a wooden pen in my garden for such situations, anything can and does happen with kids around ... be safe.
I wish you good luck , Im far from being an expert this is my first Dobe  so Im still asking for advice myself .. Diane

If you are going to use a muzzle I would recommend a baskerville basket one as this means the dog can breathe and pant easily if it is hot and also drink and accept small treats if necessary.

Hi Diane

I would go at your problem from a completly different angle, just to see if it works.

One thing you must do is get control and get that sit to mean "SIT there until I say you can move!"  It takes time and practice, lots of practice, but is possible.

With the door problem - do you have anyone who will spend some time with you going in and out?  If so take your dog outside on a lead - outside your front gate if necessary and have your "stooge" going in and out past her.  If she is happy with this reward her, if she is not go a bit further away.

Gradually get closer to the house so that she gets used to your stooge coming and going.  Then try and find another person and start from outside again.

I have no idea if this will work but I was thinking about your problem before I went to sleep last night and this suddenly occured to me as something you could try.  The idea being that you get her far enough away that she does not get het-up about the front door and then get closer so she can get used to people going in and out without getting over-excited.  If you do try it please let me know how you get on .

Kerioak, Thanks for reply... This weekend Im having a houseful of people so I have been taking the advise from all on here and I have been extra firm with my " Jodi"  leading up to this event. Im hoping that when I open the Door and she starts barking at my visitors , I will only have to say "NO " once or twice at the most, as I have been using the" No" word a lot Lately  to her . Your Idea of letting her see people coming in and out is a good one  and I had not thought of that , yes I will try that one aswell. A friend came  recently so we could practice this , Unfortunatly we entered the house together and "Jodi" was just so pleased to see me she forgot to bark at my friend . However the true test will come on saturday , and If I can pass the test by stopping her !!!.......... There is a bone as a reward , and a strong drink for me if this works .