Pauline,

Both are true. If you don't want a puppy that is going to chew on you until you teach it better, if you don't want a dog that is going to bark a lot when people come around, if you don't want a dog that is going to take exercise to keep the energy at a managable level then select a breed based on that. Not every dog in every litter is a top of the line gem. Some are suited for different purposes and may have a bit less "drive" so they are a little easier to manage. The idea that you identify the breed and then try and create what you want out of the breed is what has caused so many problems in so many breeds.

That has become the problem. There are breeds that exist in there true form that are easy going companion dogs. THey don't take a lot of excercise, they tend to lay around the house and not chew on their owners as puppies (some destroy other things, but not the owners)and are much easier to manage. If that is what you want in a dog get one of those breeds, don't go looking for a breed that wasn't built that way and hope someone has changed it.

Different breeds of the protection breeds have different strenghts and weaknesses. THose differences are inportant when selecting a dog for a purpose. With out those differences there is no need for multiple breeds. Don't get me wrong, there has been some blame to go around. If all the dogs are expected to be involved in the same test and that test isn't really designed for the breeds strengths, people will tend to breed for the test rather than train for it. That is an equal problem in my mind. It creates the same thing and we tend to end up with funny looking Mals and calling them a different breed. There are aslo some breeds that the conformation of the "working " line dogs isn't even close to what the breed should look like. As an example take a look a trialing Labs. THe heads are wrong, the muzzles aren't the proper shape, they tend to have legs that point all different directions.... but they retrieve like crazy. A different breed based on appearance. I embarrased myself (sort of) a while ago. A guy was working some retrieving with a Lab, I looked at the dog and asked what it was crossed with. The dog didn't look like a pure bred Lab, but it was!!!

Breeding for everything is really hard. Most peole don't even want to attempt it so they let things that seem less important slip. It happens on both sides of the argument, it isn't right on either side. But both sides react with rightous indignation if you question their dogs.

Pauline, you seem to have misunderstood some prior statements. I believe I was the one who told you the Lab thing. What I meant was to not buy a SHOW line PET doberman that acts like a labrador. That is the general temperment they breed for. If that is the temperment you desire then maybe you would be best suited to a lab. There is nothing that says you can't have a pet from working lines. When Richard mentioned that he buys showlines that can work, he pointed out that he has gone to the rare breeds. The reason is because of the lack of true temperment type. Once you lose the temperment, all there is standing before you is a black and rust bunch of fur and muscles.

I feel this is pointless. Until you have met one of the working dobes and see them with their owner, all the explaining in the world won't help you.

So far as your last statement, If you want "off here" you are free to leave at any time.

Well the place that I will be taking my dobe to specializes in working Dobermans. They have a dobie that sold for $75,000 in Germany. I assume that this means that they have good working lines. This will be the first time then that I will see a good working dobie and have an experienced professional help me with my dog. I feel this will be a great experience for me. Check out the site and tell me what ya'll think. The dog that sold for $75,000 is named "Alpha". Web address is http://www.whitedk9services.com. Sorry don't know how to use all the conveniences as far as URL's and all that yet!

Pauline

Pauline

That link doesn't work for me and sorry, but anyone that pays 75,000 dollars for any dog is either nuts or feeding you a line of bull!!

I have been involved in working Dobermans a long time and while the price tag for Dobes is higher than GSD's or Mals......that sounds suspicious to me.

No one in this country sold a Doberman for $75,000.00 - I would run from these people as fast as you can. On the other hand I have a real bargin for $25,000.00

I found the site here http://whitedk9services.com

 Quote:

They have a dobie that sold for $75,000 in Germany. I assume that this means that they have good working lines.

No, Pauline, price does not reflect quality or superior lineage. I came from the horse world and knew many unscrupulous dealers that would crank the price up and if you fish in the right circles, you sometimes find a "sucker." It's the same with dogs. That website looks suspicious to me,,,descriptions of many dog's titles are not earned by the dogs in the pictures. Susan

 Quote:

Originally posted by Ed Frawley:
No one in this country sold a Doberman for $75,000.00 - I would run from these people as fast as you can. On the other hand I have a real bargin for $25,000.00

But the $75,000 dog came with a bridge! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Pauline, all kidding aside, good luck with your dobie, I've met a few good ones. Stick around and see if what the guy who sold the "$75k doberman" is trying to teach you and your dog matches up with what some of the experienced folks here (who are not trying to sell you anything) have to say. (Although Ed has $1000 of my money for Gromit and I feel like I got the better part of the bargain! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> )

I also see that they offer blue, red and isabella puppies.... :rolleyes:

Whoa....this thread is getting out there. $75000 dog?

Pauline, you made your point, you love your dog, you think you were treated unfairly, blah blah blah. Richard and others have made theirs. Enough said already. I agree with VanCamp about getting back to dog training. Thread closed.