Scooby dooby do!

ruh oh!

Ugh! Mites!

Kolten has developed a weird spot on his shoulder where the hair is thinning. I thought it was from pressure on the area when he sleeps, and wasn't too worried about it.

When I took him to the kennel for boarding this past weekend...they said "Better scrape this spot to check for mites." And sure enough, it came back POSITIVE. He has to have 3 treatments of Mitoban dip. It is very toxic, and has to be done by the vet.

The condition is formally known as "Demodectic Mange." It is NOT CONTAGIOUS. Puppies get it all the time. Basically, all dogs have these mites in their bodies under the skin. When a puppy has an immune system that is not strong enough to keep the mites where they are supposed to be, under the skin...they can come out and become bothersome. If left untreated, the condition can cause health problems for the dog.

My yorkie, Bailey, developed Demodectic Mange in her older years as a result of her failing immune system, but hers never cleared up. If your dog is losing hair or has a weird looking spot on it's skin, it's a good idea to get it checked by your vet.

What's in a name?- got good ideas for dobie names? Post them here.

Choosing a name for your dobie can sure be hard! I was in a "western outlaw" phase the last time a got a pup, thus Doc Holliday. His brother was John Dillinger.

For this pup, I wanted an authenic German name, being that my husband is 3rd generation German, and the Doberman is a German breed. So, I searched and narrowed it down to a few.
Kolten is the word for "coal town" in German. It is an actual town in Germany.

I thought it was a fitting name for this pup, since he has more black on his face than most black and tans, his chin is black, and his paws have areas with a black dusting. Plus, it sounds cool.

In memory of Doc Holliday

Doc Holliday

Doc Holliday was my first Doberman.
It is because of him that I fell in love with the breed. At age 11, he died suddenly on May 17, 2005—probably from bloat. He passed before we could get him to the vet.

Doc was always smiling. He showed a gentle nature to all creatures. He loved to follow me around and stuck to my side like Velcro.

When greeting you, he would walk up and lean his head against you, his way of giving you a hug.

Sweet, devoted friend. We miss you tons.

The Ear Crop

To crop or not to crop. That was the question. Reputable breeders sell their pups with the ears already cropped, but Kolten was a rescue, so I had to decide what to do with those cute ears. While dobies are beautiful just the way God made them, I really like them with their ears cropped. It used to be the only standard for the breed.

Nowadays, you see more and more uncropped ears on breeds like dobies, boxers, and great danes and schnauzers. There are fewer and fewer vets who perform this surgery. It is very important to find a vet who has done lots of crops on your particular breed. Ear cropping and tail docking is outlawed in other countries and even is unlawful in the state of Pennsylvania.

The practice has been illegal in other countries since the 18th century. Today, we have humane ways to perform surgery with anesthesia, so I do not view ear cropping or tail docking as cruel at all. I have cropped two of my dobies' ears and they were not the least bit bothered by the procedure or after care.

If you want to crop your dogs ears, don't let other people guilt you about it. Do your own research and make up your own mind. Thankfully, we can still make these decisions about our pets.

Please share your ear-crop thoughts and stories with us!

Training: sit & gimme five!

Doberman Facts

Dobermans are not viscous. This is an ill-formed misconception.

The breed originated in Apolda, Germany 1890.

Named after Louis Dobermann. He crossed German Shepherds and German Pinschers to create a perfect dog with both agility and natural loyalty.

Other breeds in the dobie recipe include: Rotteweiler, Weimeraner, Blue Dane, Manchester Terrier, and English Greyhound.

Pinscher means "terrier."

Dobies are intelligent and easy to train.

Dobies are great dogs. They make therapy dogs, search and rescue dogs, police dogs and family dogs.

Dobies have short hair and can not tolerate extreme temperatures. They are INSIDE dogs! Plus, they love to be with their families.