Cross Breeds

IS a Doberman Pinscher a right dog for me>>?

i want another dog a mideum size dog . my dad will buy one but is this the right breed for me. i already have a 5 year old male Shi Tzu small dog but i want a Doberman Pinscher. i live in a two story house pretty big, but i have a back yard but no fence . i want this two year old MALE doberman at a shelter where i live in florida seems pretty nice in the picture. but do you think this doberman will fight with my shi tzu my shi tzu kind of barks at people and dogs he doesnt know . i will train this doberman to be good i will do whatever it takes for this doberman to be good . so im asking you guys should i get a Doberman Pinscher. oh and by the way how do you get there ears to stand up if i dont get a Doberman Pinscher then i want a Boxer so which one should i get>>>????

Public Comments

1. If this dog was socialized it should be fine with your shih tzu, ask the shelter how he is with small dogs Theirs dont stand up unless you crop them when they are puppies, so they arent going to stand.
2. i'd go with the boxer because they are very good dogs. easy to train very friendly. but any pinscher is usually very hyper. and very barky
3. You need to find out more about the dog you are trying to rescue...they should know at the shelter whether or not it gets along with other dogs...etc. I would recommend getting a puppy b/c they are a pretty good size dogs and you can only hope that the rescued one will not have major problems already. If it does, and you can provide professional training and keep everyone (including the Dobbie) safe, good for you. I love Dobbies, they are very sweet, but they need a lot of work and attention. If he is 5 and his ears do not stand up, they are not going to. There is nothing wrong with floppy ears :) Boxers might be a tid bit easier to handle...but I have not owned them or knew anyone that did.
4. if you really like doberman pinscher, go for it,, but the consequence is.. that doberman might fight with your toy dog,, large breeds sometimes hate toy dogs.. except for Golden Retriever which are truly kind and friendly dog.. if you want your shih tzu to be safe, i highly recommend GOLDEN RETRIEVER... so lovely and sweet,...
5. i have a boxer there good dogs but you should get the doberman at the shelter.
6. Don't take this the wrong way but you don't sound experienced enough to deal with a Doberman or a Boxer when it comes to the necessary training. If your dad is experienced with dogs and training them, then maybe get one but only if he is willing to do a large share of the training. In terms of the breed it wouldn't make a huge difference, they would be pretty similar and the dogs temperment ultimately depends on their treatment. If it is a 2 year old in a shelter, to me that suggests he has already been placed in another home that was unable to handle him, as young dogs are usually the first to be adopted. Although that is just me guessing. Their ears are cropped by slicing a portion from their ear. It is completely unnecessary to put the dog through that, especially an older pup.
7. You need to ask the shelter about the Dobies personality and past history. If he was a cat chaser, chances are he will chase your little dog. Little dogs tend to act bigger than they are so you probably have to worry about HIM picking a fight! If the shelter has a good background on him (were there other pets in the home? how old is it? good with kids?) it helps you decide. Also, many shelters will let you bring your dog to meet the new one so they're on neutral ground. I did this once with a dog I thought was a perfect second dog. Ended up she was very aggressive towards my 1 year old dog so she ended up not coming home with me. I even volunteered at that shelter at that time and had spent time with her and it was never apparent that she didn't like other female dogs. I had a boxer and they are wonderful dogs! Your little guy may get along better with a puppy, since it starts out his size. Even a dobie puppy would probably work if he ends up not accepting other adult dogs. Be sure to ask the shelter what their return policy is - just in case...
8. The problem is that you have a MALE Shih Tzu, and the Dobe is a male. The combination is not impossible, but a male Dobe generally does much better with a female, especially that you don't have any history on the Dobe, at all. If you really want a Dobe, why don't you contact Doberman Rescue in your area and look into getting a female. The other problem is that you don't have a fenced yard. I don't think that Dobe rescue will let you have a dog without a fenced yard, and the shelter may not either. About the ears, now: The dog is 2 years old and probably has natural ears, which will never stand. Even if the ears were cropped, they would have had to be posted correctly for them to stand. Either natural or cropped, this 2 year old Dobes' ears will never stand.
9. You have a male dog. Do not get another male. Especially a Doberman. They can have huge issues with same sex aggression. They do best in mix sexed pairs. One male and one female. There are less issues that way. Also you do not have a fenced yard. If you have a Doberman you really need a fenced in yard. This is a very active breed that needs lots of running and hard play time. You are not going to be able to just walk the dog and fulfill his exercise needs. If the dog has not had his ears cropped they will never stand. At 2 his ears con not be cropped now. Dobermans like to play hard and rough and a shih tzu is not the best playmate for a doberman. You need to re think you wants in a new dog.