We had a dobe before but at that time we had no children.  This time we have a 14 year old son and our dobe jumps up and bites and growls at him when he gets a bit bored and fancies playing.  My son can be sitting on the sofa and for no reason he runs in and jumps up and nips him, he seems aggressive.  Generally he is loving and affectionate (to my son).  Myself and my son are attending training classes with him.  I am just worried that he will hurt my son.

It's great that you are attending training classes with you son.  It would be a good idea if you son is the main handler for your dog, which will clearly establish that he is the boss. 

Don't worry about your dobe, he is full of energy and wants to play with the other "puppy" in your home.  He's not being aggressive, he's treating your son just the way he would treat another puppy. If the did the same to an adult dog, the adult would not put up with it and would teach him pretty quickly it was unacceptable behaviour.  He needs to learn how to interact with people. 

Talk to your trainer about ways to stop jumping and nipping.   If you don't stop it now, believe me, it will continue .. and that's true for any breed.   (Just don't expect it to stop immediately, keep at it and it will.)

With regard to hurting your son, a nip from a puppy hurts like the dickens, especially from sharp little puppy teeth.  *Everyone* who has ever had a puppy knows the feeling!   When my Cairn was a puppy she used to run straight to my husband (when he was playing with her on the floor) .. twice over the course of about a month my husband had to explain at the pub why he had a cut on the top of his nose.  It was from Abby running straight at him with dead aim for his nose.  :-)  She still likes to play fight with my husband (not something I approve of, but hubby is beyond training), but as a young adult she long ago learned that her teeth hurt and she never, ever hurts.

Stacey

Thank you for your reply.  It is so different this time owning a dobe as before we didn't have children, also obviously puppies are different.  This one has so much energy, and loves lots of attention, my other one was alot quieter.  It is just so worrying when its your child, and my dobe is already quite a size.  Luckily this doesn't happen all the time.  I know he is only playing.  Then later they will be curled up on the floor together having a cuddle. 

As your son is 14 get him to stand up as soon as the dog starts this and walk away. Tell him to 'not give eye contact and not to speak to the dog'  until he has calmed down and then get your son to tell him to sit. Then to praise the dog and go back to sitting on the settee. If the dog does it again repeat until the dog realises that it will not get any where by jumping on your son. As you both go to classes your son will have learnt how to command the dog to do this.:) Don't play rough games at this stage of the dogs growing up as it will only make things worse. Also as the dog gets older look at the protein levels in the food to see that you are not giving him too higher levels as this can make the dog over excited. 

It sounds like attention seeking to me ,I also have a dobe and a 14yr old son ( scarey combination lol )the training classes should help and lots of little training sessions at home just a few sits and stays should help , we find a big NO works best on our lad and then ignore him for a few moments. I agree with jumbuck on the no rough stuff .
good luck ;)

I agree with the above posts and would also like to add that this is very normal behaviour (esp. in "only" dogs ;) ). My dog would do very similar stuff both indoors and out when she was a teenager. My OH would get very irritated and shout at her but she just got so excited when this happened that she was much much worse. She would lunge and nip - I had to train my OH as well as the dog :D and we did much as Jumbuck has outlined, always rewarding the response to Sit etc.....after some time the dog will get more into the habit of being calm, and will be fine ;) although it won't happen overnight.

It can help to remove the dog from the room for short periods and also to redirect the dog onto a fav. toy....my BSD will now always redirect any excitement/frustration OTT behaviour onto her toys and she makes the choice to do so ie she wants to be "good" but can't help herself if a cat is in the garden, so grabs her toy and gives it a good shake or chase :)

Lindsay
X

It is not only because you have a 14 year old son - I have a 15 week old Dober-pup and I forget - every time - just what a pain they are and that I won't ever do it again - till next time :)

Just be consistent and persistent.

I have had an awning outside since the pups were small to give them some shade - today it decided to take off and I have been chasing it around garden and over fences abley aidded and abetted by my pup and her mum - it proved to them that they don't melt in the rain though :D

Thank you for your advice.  It really helps.  My dobe is so lovable and it is like he turns into a different dog for a few moments.  He also seems to react to the word "No" - I suppose like a naughty child.  He looks like he is up to mischief! 

I feed him on the dried Beta Puppy food.

Stacey,

Yesterday in the garden my son was playing with the football and our dobe (Mason) was playing too, then all of a sudden for no reason he turned to my son and started jumping at him trying to bite him, this time he was showing his teeth and growling.  I am glad I was there.  My son was said he is worried.  My son held his collar and told him "No biting", Mason calmed down and then my son brought Mason indoors and made him sit on his bed.  After a few minutes I let him out again and he done the same thing, so we done exactly the same again, we done this about 4 times, Mason eventually went out and was okay.  I do think he is playing, but he looks very aggressive.  Occasionally he answers me back when I tell him off. 

He is definitely not aggressive, as we can lay with him, cuddle him, basically you can do anything with him, I am just concerned for my son.  At 19 weeks he is a very big and powerful dog.  As I said before we are attending training classes (my son and myself).  My son was going to do the training but he is quite shy and in the end wouldn't do it, but he does do training at home with Mason.

>> He is definitely not aggressive, as we can lay with him, cuddle him, <<

Think this may be part of the problem your dog is seeing you as litter mates to be treated as equals. Try withdrawing yourselves from him a bit more, no laying on the floor and no dogs on the furniture if you are using it. Don't let him start games only play with him when you want to. If he pesteres either put him in another room or leave him in the room and remove yourselves. Do not think it is agression but do think the dog at the moment thinks he can do as he likes when he likes, and why not, if he can get away with it.

It is quite strange with him - he is fine all day when he is with myself or my husband but he definitely changes when my boys come in from school.  We are ignoring him with toys etc. but he definitely seems to see my boys as the fun time - but yesterday it was the showing of teeth that I was concerned with.

The cuddling of him is a problem as he is a very affectionate dog, and he loves to be cuddled, if he sits on the floor he always has contact resting his head on your leg or foot.  He was cuddled quite a bit before we had him.  He is not allowed onto the furniture but sits by our feet.  But if I do happen to sit on the floor he will come and rest next to me.

That is no problem providing you are only responding if you want to, don't let the dog demanded attention and do not let the children lay on the floor with the pup at the moment. As your children are not that young they should understand that they must treat the dog as they would a young child and not allow it to take liberties with them. They must not smack or push and the pup must not bite or jump up them. Any play must stop if things get out of hand and the timeout should be about 10 minutes.

I will try the ten minutes and definitely it is better Mason coming in from the garden than my son, we were trying it the other way round, my son coming in and Mason staying out, but Mason associates the garden with fun, so better he comes in.  We just love him so much. 

Thank you.

Love can cause problems I am sorry to say, he will be a big dog and he has to learn now that people are superiour beings and they make the rules and hold the key to the food cupboard. Love him but don't spoil him ;)

Hi dgibbo

Just a very quick word of advice - bear in mind that it will take a while for any methods you introduce to take an effect, so do be patient - and consistent over coming weeks and months! Make the most of your 'successful' moments or achievements, but don't despair if nothing seems to be happening for days on end - it really does take time to form habits and that's what you're doing with your boy.

Anyway, good luck and keep at it - I've got a dobe lad so know the highs and lows of dober-pup relationships. They're an amazing dog though, so persevere. :D

Jo

We have had fun with Mason this weekend as he is now trying (as of Friday) to assert his authority over me.  It is not the same as with my son (he is not snarling), but he is nudging me with his teeth into my backside and growling.  Yesterday he done this about 3 times, I feel like I am constantly telling him off and sending him too bed.  He is so good the majority of the time and then we get these little episodes.  He knows and goes off to his bed when I tell him, but he always answers back.  We leave him and then after about 10 minutes I let him back in and he will do exactly the same again.  Yesterday he actually caught my sons leg with his teeth.  I will carry on what we are doing at the moment but then I think I will contact a behaviourist.  The problem is, is that my son is actually frightened of Mason.  He will not say this, but I can see that he is.  I have to sort this now as although he is 19 weeks today, he weighs in at 3st 11, and obviously will end up around 7 stone. 

I have started to write on a piece of paper each time he starts his change of behaviour so that I can see if there is a pattern to it.  I have training this evening and I shall have a word there.

 

Hi, Ive got a couple of Dobes also and their jumping up can be a problem, one of the best deterrents I have found is to try and anticipate the jump and then raise my knee up as they jump up, then turning my back on them and ignoring them.  Bit difficult when sitting down though I suppose but worth a try.  But definatley ignoring him until is calm works.
Best of luck
She

My beagle and 10 yr old daughter are the same, Caleb beagle is deleriously happy when she comes in from school and jumps on her with a toy and wants to play and follows her everywhere.  It is really sweet.

When he gets too much I have to seperate them  but when they curl up together for a cuddle it is really nice.

When we go training my daughter handles him and he is very good for her, also shows pup that she is above him and has really help her gain some authority over him...

Hi dgbbo -I think you're doing the right thing by bringing him in when he plays up -he will learn that if he gets too exuberant the game stops -like the others have said perseverance is the key

"then all of a sudden for no reason he turned to my son and started jumping at him trying to bite him, this time he was showing his teeth and growling."

I think this ignoring things is fine for certain, fairly benign behaviors. But for that, I would be getting on that dog! Big time. This is no place to ignore and think it will go away. My Dobe has done this with one of my small dogs and even with me when things got too exciteable. It may be playing to them at this time, but that's no excuse in my book. They have got to know and know NOW that this is NOT going to be happening. I would pull that dog off swiftly and "NO BITE!!!!!!!!!" Then the minute he is acting civilized, praise lavishly. This kind of pushiness from Dobes is what makes them get the reputation they get because it later turns into seriousness. Don't allow it. That's my advice for what it's worth. I have to say I haven't had much trouble with that. I'm not afraid to tell my dogs which end is up. It doesn't mean I'm vicious or a frightening monster. It means I'm strict and unbending with certain rules, but fair.

Carrie

P.S. All those explanation points after "NO BITE!!!" does not indicate that I'm screaming or yelling at the dog. I do not want to frighten him. It's a strict, firm sound, like I mean it. Actually, my voice is rather low....dead serious. LOL. Never hit or do anything to ruin the trust your dog has in you. But at the same time I think Dobermans especially need very certain direction.

And again....lots of exercise, free off leash running, frolicking etc....they need to burn energy. LOL! Don't worry about that 5 minutes per month of age when we're talking about NON-forced exercise. When they can stop and sniff bushes, trot, run, change speeds, direction, take a pause etc, going a little longer isn't going to hurt their bones. I've looked into this with sports vets and other sources. It's repetive, long lasting, forced exercise you gotta watch out for.

Carrie

Dear Carrie,

Thank you for your response.  We are dealing with our dobe in this manner.  We actually get him and put him to the floor and restrain him saying "No biting", when he is calm I let him up and give him lots of praise.  He seems to just lose his way all of a sudden - but we can get hold of him.  I just want him to have respect and know where he comes in the household.  He is very enegetic.  He loves to go out and be off the lead in the woods, he doesn't go mad, he just walks along with me obviously he plays if he meets another dog, but other than I don't think I am over exercising him.  I have been worried about too much exercise as he is now 5 months.  I have been told 20 minutes morning (walking on the lead) and the same in the evening.  The thing is at home he will run around in the garden playing with toys or chasing the ball - and he would do this all day.