Favorite Things Friday - Dobermans

Titus

We rescued Titus, a purebred doberman pinscher, at five months old. Initially we set out to rescue a senior who just needed a comfy home and some love. Instead, we came home with a completely untrained and crazy pup. It happens :) We had his basic training completed when I got pregnant with E two months later, just in time for me to be taken out of commission by hyperemesis gravidarum for the following four to five months. Needless to say, all his training regressed and he used his doberman intellect to get away with any and everything while I lay in bed, five feet away, unable to do anything about it. Chou and I spent the last trimester of my pregnancy trying desperately to get Titus trained enough to be ready for an infant in the home. Up until this point, I couldn't even walk him on a leash, and I was started to panic about adding a stroller to the mix.

The day we brought Titus home

Titus at six months, sitting on Cali

A few months of Chou's hard work paid off. Today he is still our least trained dog but he has all the basics down pat. He just doesn't roll over and scoot back and do all the fun extras, and I'm okay with that. 

We started looking at dobermans for a handful of reasons. They're incredibly loyal, large, and slightly leery of strangers. Living in the city, we wanted a dog that would look and sound scary :) Dobermans are often referred to as "velcro dogs" by their owners, because they like to be with their family. Titus will lean into us so much so that he'll knock me over, just trying to get close. I desperately wanted a dog that was loyal to me and Titus doesn't disappoint! Cali is loyal to Chou and could care less about me. Mo is the most disloyal dog I have ever met. He'd meet you once, go home with you, and never look back. Useless.

Fortunately, Titus took to E the minute we brought her home and hasn't left her side. Those two are thick as thieves, and I love it! He just had better not ditch me for her... then we're back to square one.

Disclaimer: I firmly believe that all dogs are capable of being loving pets. It's up to the owner to establish authority, proper training, and exercise. If you don't want to train and exercise your dog, please go get a cat or a hamster instead.