For future owners, it is important whether Dobermans are dangerous and whether the dog can attack the owner. Whether the dogs are evil or kind does not depend on the nature of the breed, but on the person who has taken responsibility for the upbringing and maintenance of the Doberman.

Advice for future Doberman owners is to buy a puppy from trusted breeders who provide genetic testing, metrics, and the like.

The history of Dobermans shows that dogs were originally bred as ferocious animals for possible defensive actions. The appearance of the Doberman is appropriate: a large, athletically built, brave dog can inspire fear with its appearance. In the course of selective development of the breed, Dobermans changed, their character was softened a little.

But all the “improvements” of the breed did not change the essence of the dog’s character and its function as a fearless defender with lightning-fast reactions. Properly trained Dobermans are more reminiscent of silent elite security guards who do not need to “make sounds” to be noticed.

Below are answers to questions regarding the Doberman breed, in particular, is the Doberman dangerous for the family, and how dangerous is the Doberman for humans.

Dobermans: Evil or Good?

Dobermans are known for their strength and power. There is a lot of video information on the Internet demonstrating the frightening protective qualities of dogs of this breed.

Developed intelligence and insight do not allow dogs to show aggression without any reason. Whether a Doberman is good or bad is not influenced by the “pure” pedigree, but by the costs of education, improper care and irresponsible maintenance of the dog.

Correct and timely socialization, experience of communication with other dogs affect whether the Doberman dog is dangerous. For a representative of this breed, communication is critically important – with other animals and people from another family. Otherwise, the dog will not be able to become a full-fledged protector.

It happens that Doberman puppies are turned into family darlings – they are constantly stroked, squeezed and communicated with as with a decorative dog breed. It is quite possible that with such an attitude, the dog will become overly “peaceful”. Overly spoiled Dobermans lose their function as a beautiful, purebred guard dog at home and become vulnerable when playing with other dogs.

There are certain stereotypes about the aggressiveness and viciousness of Doberman dogs. If a dog suddenly starts growling intimidatingly, people around it call it “evil”.

Can a Doberman Attack its Owner?

There are no exact statistics on how often a Doberman attacks its owner. Cases described in noteworthy media are rather isolated. At the same time, cases of Doberman attacks on owners are often discussed on specialized forums for Doberman owners. Many incidents involve abandoned dogs. This is when aggression is shown by an animal that was abandoned by its previous owner.

Dobermans are loyal and patient. Dobermans are wonderful companions. The dog is always ready to “serve” the family. The dog will defend itself as soon as it feels the slightest threat to the home or loved ones.

At the same time, deliberately angering Dobermans is dangerous to health and life. The dog will patiently endure physical punishment for anything, but to a certain extent. You should not test the patience of a Doberman dog in this way – whether it is dangerous or not. At what point the dog will snap, growl or even bite – no one knows. The consequences can be unpredictable.

Several years ago, the media discussed a case of a Doberman taken from a shelter attacking its new owner. Upon detailed analysis of the situation and consultation with experienced dog handlers, it turned out that the dog had previously been subjected to bullying and beatings. As a result, the animal developed an aggressive behavior pattern, and the old owner gave it up to the shelter. The given example does not demonstrate whether the Doberman is dangerous for the owner. This case shows how improper upbringing and inverted formation of the instinct of a protector led to the dog becoming embittered and bullying. This way of “training” inevitably leads to aggression, hysteria and an unbalanced psyche of the dog.

Beginning dog breeders are not advised to immediately take on the training of dogs of this breed. An experienced owner with a high level of intelligence and a balanced character should raise and train Dobermans. Dobermans are sensitive dogs. Nervous, suspicious, disorganized, weak people are an unreliable authority for a Doberman.

Owners of abandoned Dobermans warn that the new owner, even if he is an experienced dog breeder, needs to be patient and enduring. A dog that was abandoned most likely has mental problems, they can behave nervously and unbalanced. A dog in a new place needs time to settle in and get used to it. The owner, in turn, should be strict and confident, and at the same time try to earn the trust of a dog that has already been abandoned by its owner once.

It should be taken into account that according to the nature of the breed, Dobermans are dogs that always feel some tension and are “on guard” for the interests of loved ones. The breed was bred so that the dog would be suspicious of any “stranger” and would be unquestioningly devoted to the owner.

Sometimes Dobermans keep the residents of an apartment building in fear. The owner or mistress of an aggressive animal encourages such behavior and deliberately takes the dog outside without a leash and muzzle. It happens that the dog attacks other dogs or scares children on the playground. In such situations, it is incorrect to talk about animal aggression. Because it is a loyal animal to unquestioningly follow the mood of its owner. Here all questions are to the owner of the animal.

Is a Doberman Dangerous for Children?

Among Dobermans, there are many “family” dogs – pets, reliable and devoted. And although most dog owners answer the question of whether a Doberman is a dangerous dog for children in the negative, some clarifications should be made.

Understanding how a Doberman treats children follows from the attitude that any dog ​​is not a toy. It is undesirable to leave children alone to play with a Doberman. A child treats the animal as a nanny-toy: fooling around, pulling its tail or trying to climb and ride. A Doberman can show its irritation – baring its teeth, growling – and will greatly frighten the child.

Dobermans need to be trained from the moment the puppy first appears in the house. There can be no double standards here. Dobermans have a developed mind and intuition, the dog grasps all the owner’s commands literally “on the fly”. Re-educating a dog is much more difficult than daily and responsibly forming a consistent and controlled style of behavior. Only experienced dog handlers undertake re-education.

Can a Doberman Walk Without a Muzzle?

Aggression in dogs is associated with improper upbringing or a response to the actions of others. The owner of the dog is responsible for it, including by law to other people.

Walking dogs is allowed in a muzzle in a specially designated place, park, fenced area, away from residential buildings, schools and kindergartens.

If the dog lives in a private house and walks in a large fenced area around it, then the Doberman can walk without a muzzle.