I put a post on last week about my dobe (he is 15 months), he had a bit of a to do with another dog in the park, but the dog did come to him and I think they were as bad as each other.  Yesterday I was out in the woods with him and we were just about to go home (we had had a lovely walk) when I saw a lady and man with a Schnauzer (I don't know if thats how you spell it) but anyway they both sniffed each other, and then my dobe tried to mount the dog (he has never done this before), well  of course the other dog growled at him and then he went for the dog.  I got hold of him and got him away, the people were saying "is he always like this", which obviously I replied "no", I said I was very sorry.  My dobe didn't hurt the dog, It looked alot worse than it actually was, specially as he is so big, but it was awful.  The lady was standing screaming!  I put mine straight back onto the lead.  Then the people look at you as though you have a monster.  I was near to tears, he is so gentle.  I came home and rang the vet and I am now seriously considering castration, is this the best way forward?

To be honest, at the moment, I would only let him offlead if there are no other dogs around, unless you have excellent recall. He sounds like a typical teenager and very headstrong. He propably tried to mount the other dog to assert that he was the boss.

As he is big I can understand why the other dog walker was so upset ....it can be very scary I think for someone when a dog zooms out of nowhere and tries to mount your dog.

You have to take responsibility here as it was your dog that began the encounter rather than the other way around :)

Pretty sure more experienced people will be along soon to give more helpful advice than mine ...maybe more training?

Oh and I don't think castration will fix the problem to be honest....

Thanks for response.  I do take responsibility as I stated, my dobe definitely picked on the dog.  He did not zoom up to the dog out of nowhere, to be honest he only actually ever approaches dogs if we are passing them if they are not in his direct path he will not go up to them.  He often looks over but doesn't bother going over.  I can easily avoid other dogs in the woods, I only have to change direction and I say "this way" and he will come, but this time we were on our way towards the gate and the dog was standing by a tree and then they both sniffed each other and then my dobe tried to mount him.  Its sods law really, but normally I have him on lead at this point.

It's always the way, the one time you DON'T have him on the lead he finds another dog :(

Do you take him to training classes at all?

Yes i would castrate him unless you intend breeding from him.  it will help to calm the hormones and enable your training to be more succesful.

Castration is not an alternative to suitable and sufficient training.  These are difficult months in a male's life and if one has adopted the correct approach and consistency you will come out the other side.

You may wish to consider Tardak which mimics surgical castration via a temporary injection to see if this would indeed ameliorate your dog's behaviour or help to make him more receptive to you during this time.

Male intact dobes can be extremley dominant and bolshy -Mine is three and a half ,ok with bitches but bolshy with other males -at 15 months he is still a sea of raging hormones :rolleyes:

To me it sounds like you have a pretty good handle on him -there is bound to be the odd incident but you don't want him to get into a habit of instigating fights -don't be too hard on yourself ,just be aware

Thanks for reply.  I was out with him yesterday and each time we saw other dogs I just kept telling him "leave", I always talk to him when we are out and he is totally in love with his frisbee, so yesterday I distracted him each time there was another dog near us.  He was lovely to be out with yesterday.  I must admit he definitely had a bit of a mood on on Sunday, but yesterday he was fine.  It just really upsets me when people look at him as though he is this aggressive monster, when most times he runs a mile.  In the woods there is a lady with 8 cocker spaniels and they all charge at him barking and he runs away, also generally little dogs "terrier types" generally snap at him and he will run away, that is why I was surprised when he had a go at the Schnauzer.  I did have a dobe before and I remember at around this stage he was a bit funny, but we got through it.

It was the vet who recommended castration to me, but I will ask about Tardak, thank you for that.  We did go to training classes but unfortunately I had an accident when my dobe was 7 months old, I won't go into details but another dobermann ran into me in the park and I couldn't walk, since then I have had two operations, so unfortunately for my dobe I didn't go to anymore training classes (but I did do training at home with him).  My husband had to take my dobe out.  Then I had to have another knee operation 12 weeks ago, so I have now been taking him out again for about 5 weeks.  I would take him out at weekends but my husband took him out weekdays.  My leg is alot better now, but I still cannot run or walk quickly but I am getting there.  I am considering training classes again now, but I must admit he is pretty good though.

I asked my vet about castration and he said it is not a ''cure all '' -I also asked him about tardak and he wasn't to keen on that either :rolleyes:

As for the ''terrier types '' they are a pain in the bum ...I've got one LOL :D