[nagdu] Doberman guide dogs

[Tami Jarvis]

Lyn,

Oh, well said! My shorthand for all of that is as follows: Humans are a 
dangerous breed!

Dobies did get screwed up there for awhile by show breeders as well as 
aggression breeders. They were bred for the smaller head, which would 
cause them to go crazy when their brains got too big for the tiny skull. 
/shudder/

The breed has been undergoing rehah from more responsible breeders for 
some years now, so they're back to being intelligent, well-balanced 
dogs. Whew! Yes, they can be trained to be *very* effective guard dogs. 
So then some humans will try to get one and make it mean to be a faux 
guard dog, which is different. Sigh.

So they still have a street rep, as do pits now, and rotties still and 
GSDs and... Sigh. People do bad things to dogs who then do bad things, 
so it's the dog's fault? Um... Whatever. /grim smile/

Actually, of course, from what I hear, the most statistically dangerous 
breed is... wait for it! .... drum roll, please! ... The poodle! Yup. 
Part of those statistics come from the smaller versions, bred down from 
the standard poodle. But the standard version is, well, from what I can 
see, a lot like the dobie. Very velcro, one person dogs, attached to 
family but shy of strangers, a bit territorial and guardy, etc., etc. 
They just look like adorable little stuffed animals... Which means a 
poodle guide gets all sorts of hands on interference! I have met people 
who were bitten by one of the early poodle guides... But I think the 
programs have adapted to that quirky temperament over the years.

I, too, have grown to love the sweet, well-bred and well-mannered pit 
bulls out there. I would hate to be on the wrong end of the other kind 
when it was out of control, but that doesn't mean the entire breed is 
bad. Just those who are bred for aggression and/or mishandled and/or 
treated abusively to make them mean. Again, that comes down to humans. Sigh.

Since I've always loved dobies, I'm glad the breed has been rehabbed by 
responsible breeders. And I'm seeing more and more square, great GSDs 
from responsible breeders. Wonderful! I've gotten quite fond of having a 
nonshedding dog in my poodle, but I still love to encounter a great, 
healthy, athletic shepherd! /smile/

Tami

On 12/23/2012 02:29 PM, Lyn Gwizdak wrote:
> Hi John,
> Dobies are just like any other breed - some nice and others not so nice.
> Alot has to do with their breeding, socialization, and training.
>
> I've know lots of great Dobies - one was a guide dog.  This Dobie was a
> good guide and I never saw her show ANY aggression at all!  My sister
> had a Dobie who was a rescue and the sweetest thing ever.  She got my
> Mom over her fear of Dobies.  She lived with cats, other dogs, and
> horses and did well with them all.
>
> Same with Pit Bulls.  My niece has a real nice one who lives with dogs,
> horses, pigs, and a parrot.  Dogs like Pits, Rotties, Boxers, German
> shepherds and simiolar breeds need good socialization skills and
> obedience training from early puppyhood. It helps if they come from nice
> parents and not dogs bred to fight.
>
> Dogs are like people; good and bad.  We need to focus on TRAINING and
> having owners who are responsible dog owners and not breed banning laws.
>
> Landon is going to see his pit bull friend on christmas.
>
> Have a good one, everyone!
>
> Lyn and Landon
> "Education creates tolerance towards diversity."
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Russo"
> <johnnyrusso at windstream.net>
> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, December 19, 2012 5:31 PM
> Subject: [nagdu] Doberman guide dogs
>
>
>> Greetings members,
>>
>>                I read comments about Doberman's as guide dogs.  What are
>> the benefits compared with other breeds?  People generally believe
>> Doberman's are aggressive and mean.  Do they get along with other home
>> pets?
>> What do you know?  Thank you.
>>
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>
>
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