Doberman pinscher or Doberman as he is popularly known is a large dog. He stands 61-72 cm tall and weighs 27-45 kg. Naturally, the dog has a long tail; however, it's common to find other dogs with short tails as a result of docking. Docking is a procedure where the tail is surgically removed shortly after birth.

Temperament

While he is a working dog, he is considered ferocious and aggressive; therefore, you need to be careful when living with him. He is extremely loyal to the members of the family and often tends to be over protective to them.

In addition to being protective, he is also intelligent; therefore, he is easy to train.

Training the dog

You need to have the necessary skills for you to train the Doberman. This calls for you to always think ahead of the dog.

For the dog to be interested in the training you should engage him in exciting activities. For example, since he is highly energetic, you can engage him in running activities. You can also engage him in swimming.

You should note that the dog tends to chase other creatures and this can express itself as aggression towards other dogs. To prevent this, you should start socializing him as early as possible.

For example, you should let him engage with other dogs as early as possible. You should also engage him in basic training as early as possible. For example, you should engage him in potty training when he is still very young.

Dog obedience training has to be done on a daily basis and it has to involve a lot of games, tracking, and thought-filled exercises.

Just like when training other dogs you should demonstrate positive reinforcement, firmness and patience. When he does something wrong, you should let him know that he had wronged and when he does a good thing, you should reward him with a treat.

When training, you should remember that the dog is very intelligent and pays attention to detail. For example, if you reward him for a "sloppy" sit, he will always give a poor performance; therefore, if you want him to be excellent, you should only reward exemplary performance.

Health

On average the dog has a lifespan of 10-11 years. During his life, he tends to suffer from a number of diseases such as cervical instability, dilated cardiomyopathy, and prostatic diseases. When your dog gets sick you should consult a vet immediately.