Just wondering,

I have a 4 month old Dobe pup, I am trying to bring him up to be a respected family member. My question is I try to socialize him as much as I can with everyone I can, on the street and in my home, the thing I am running into is, in my home when family members come over they want to play with him. I don't like this because he jumps up, licks and bites and gets very excited. I am trying to train him to be calm and serious to know life is not just about playing.
I want a working/family/companion that when he see's others then his mom and dad, he only accepts them and doesn't not want to play.
I like a dog who only responds to his family. When I was young we had Rotties that would greet someone at the door but then would ignore them the rest of the time.
Should I limit his socialization, or just have him leashed all the time when people to come over, its just that i'm doing this now and i can see people think i'm too serious and should let him be a puppy. This dog has some working characteristics as he likes to put the nose to the ground, he will fetch for a ball for long periods of time and will search for a lost ball till he finds it, he will even fetch when distracted by the dog next door, I play rough with him sometimes and when he comes to jump on me he comes in full boar, no hesitation and when I say the word quit he stops playing right away.
He does have some fear in him though, is it normal that sometimes he may be afraid of a situation.
Sorry for all the questions but this seems like the place to ask them.

Liam,
I agree with the ones who are telling you to let the little guy be a puppy! That doesn't mean to let him run amok with no rules, but I think it's good that he likes to play with people, and I think it's natural, at his age, that he doesn't know all the rules yet (not jumping, not mouthing, etc.). Teach him what is acceptable behavior, yet let him enjoy his puppyhood. Remember he is still a baby. It won't last much longer, and you'll have a much more stable adult if he's had a chance to develop a positive association with people besides his family. Don't be in a hurry; remember that the foundation is so important; it is what the dog will fall back on in times of stress.

BTW, to a puppy, life IS about playing! LOL! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

So basically letting people pet him and occasionally play with him is okay, I want to make sure no one trys to dominate him or correct him, I had someone try to pet his belly so then I kicked in and said please don't do that.
I want to be able to walk him later on and have him looking up to me for commands and ignoring the people on the streets. I want him to if it came that he would defend my wife is she is alone, so I really want to make sure that he doesn't turn into a clown, but at the same time I want him to accept people and other animals.
Thanks for the info.

Liam,

May I suggest that you hook up w/a good trainer *now* if you are hoping to turn your pup into a protection dog. Get an honest evaluation, learn about drive development, confidence building, etc. from an expert.

As for the belly rub, geee we had a retired K9 (patrol) who liked to solict tummy rubs from humans he liked.

as for the dog defending your wife, it takes more than the animal having a bond with the owner. many people think that if it came down to it their dog would back them up, but usually this isnt the case (with dogs not trained in protection work). if you are serious about the protection thing, you seek the aid of a trainer who can point you in the right direction. just because you have a doberman doesnt mean that he will fight for you. I've seen situations come to a head and 9 times out of ten, a dog not trained for the work will either run away, or bark and circle the situation. as for the socialization, let him be a pup and play, but you're right, don't let others dominate him.

Does the dog come from working lines? It's very hard to find a Dobe that will do the work.

If you want your puppy to end up the way you described here is my advice.You do want to socialize your pup with people, animals and new places because the last thing you want to end up with is a dog that is afraid of these things.The trick is control in these situations and not letting the pup act out its every whim.Obedience! You should be workong on formal obedience with your pup now.Before now even.Letting your pup mouth you or other people is not teaching it to be a protection dog someday.That is seperate you want to be developing that with a tug.Find a trainer that knows what you want and start obedience training so you can start teaching your pup the desired way to act in all situations and also building a working relationship.

Liam,

You wrote: "I have a 4 month old Dobe pup, I am trying to bring him up to be a respected family member. My question is I try to socialize him as much as I can with everyone I can, on the street and in my home, the thing I am running into is, in my home when family members come over they want to play with him."
ME: Great - socialization is very important at this age. Keep it up.

You wrote:"I don't like this because he jumps up,
licks and bites and gets very excited. I am trying to train him to be calm and serious to know life is not just about playing."
ME: You have a puppy, and the way your puppy is going to learn the world is a nice place to be is by playing. You should be happy your dog is playing and jumping, and not submissive peeing on your guests. You have a nice outgoing puppy. If the puppy starts to bite - its ok for your friends to tell the puppy NO BITE or what ever other command you decide to use. Unless you want to train your dog for personal protection, or police work, it is best for you that he learns he is below all humans at this age. His pack instincts will develop as he matures, but I say for a dog who will be a family pet, it is best he accepts corrections from all at 4 months of age. Belly rubs are great, in fact you should be touching the dog all over his body, and letting others as well so the dog won't go and bite the vet if she has to check him out or the groomer...

You wrote: "I want a working/family/companion that when he see's others then his mom and dad, he only accepts them and doesn't not want to play."
ME: Perhaps you should have gotten an older dog where you knew more about the temperament... starting with a puppy is a bit of a crapshoot, even if you have met the parents. Your puppy may fall short of your expectations, and you should be prepared for that.

You wrote:"I like a dog who only responds to his family. When I was young we had Rotties that would greet someone at the door but then would ignore them the rest of the time."
ME: Maybe you should have gotten a rottie then? Even so, individuals in breeds differ as much as individuals between breeds. You should encourage your dog to accept strangers because the last thing you want is a dog who will bite strangers in your home out of fear or dominance.

You wrote: "Should I limit his socialization",
ME: No way, thats the number one way to ruin your dog.

You wrote:"He does have some fear in him though, is it normal that sometimes he may be afraid of a situation."
ME: can you describe what you mean, what kind of situations is he afraid? What behavior is he showing that makes you think he is afraid?

You also wrote that you want the dog to defend your wife if need be - you can't expect the dog to do that unless you train him to do it the right way. A dog who will bite a stranger falls into one of 2 categories:
1. He will either learn through training the situations he can bite, and this requires you spend a lot of time training him in personal protection with a qualified trainer.
2. He has become so scared of strangers that he will lunge out and try to bite them all. An untrained dog who lunges and bites a stranger while on the leash is dangerous and unpredictable. Then you will have a dog that your wife can't walk at all in public. The looks of a doberman should be enough to ward off the average criminal. You can even teach the dog to bark on command.
So if you are serious about training him in protection, start looking for a trainer, don't try and do it by socially isolating him and making him scared and nervous around strangers - because thats all you will end up with, a dog who is scared and nervous around strangers - a fear biter.
If you don't have the time and money to commit (or your dog doesn't have what it takes to do the work), then the best thing you can do is obedience train your dog to the point where your wife can walk him in a heel in the presence of distractions and have him bark on command.
Michelle