About the Breed:

"Dobermans are in your face. Everyone in the house needs to really understand the breed characteristics and what you're all getting into. This can be a challenging and exhausting breed to live with at times even when you're experienced and prepared.

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And before you get too excited about how smart they are - that can be one of the most challenging aspects of their personalities. Intelligence does not equal trainability. They can be incredibly stubborn and sensitive along with being smart. So they may know exactly what you're asking them to do but they'll think of every way around it and if you're not careful in how you handle them you'll actually do more harm than good with their training. Too harsh and they'll shut down or lash out, too soft and they'll walk all over you. You need a lot of patience, determination, and understanding to successfully train a Dobe. A really even keel, stable personality Doberman owner is ideal.

If you lose your cool easily - this is not the breed for you.
If you have difficulty telling a dog what to do - this is not the breed for you.
If you are easily unnerved/intimidated by a pushy, demanding, athletic and large dog that will sometimes challenge you on things - this is not the breed for you.
If you like an independent dog, one that can entertain themselves more often than not - this is not the breed for you.

These dogs are very sensitive to the household schedule, mood, and family interactions. They know who they can push around and they take advantage of it. They will also not let you do *anything* without being at your side, on top of you, and staring you down to make sure they don't miss a thing. I can't even go to the bathroom by myself. When I shut the door and open it back up, they're both sitting 3-inches from it, waiting on me. If I go to the kitchen for a glass of water, they're both at my side. If I'm folding laundry, they've both got their heads in the basket sniffing through and digging out clothes, trying to steal what they can get ahold of.

They have BIG personalities. Some people really love them. I do. I can't imagine being without Dobes in my life. But they are not for everybody. Some people can't stand how on you they are. Or how busy they are. Or how needy they are. They are emotionally and mentally high maintenance and while their coats are easy to care for, they're physically high maintenance in the amount of exercise they require and the number of serious health problems that are common in the breed.

Just really do your homework and be honest with yourself about what you would like to live with in a dog."