Look At That Dog!

As you walk your Doberman in public places, you’re likely to get several different types of reactions because of the breed’s reputation, and what different generations tend to believe about the dog. The reactions may be spoken, or revealed through actions, but most people have a typical response to seeing a Dobe on the street. To follow is a purely non-scientific survey of the kinds of reactions I usually receive.

Age: Infants through preschoolers

Reaction: “DOGGY! I want to pet the doggy!”

Age: School-aged kids

Reaction: “Cool dog. Is it a girl-dog or a boy-dog? Can I pet it?”

Age: Pre-teens through young adults

Reaction: “Hey, that’s a mean-looking dog. Does it bite?” OR, “Is that a police dog? Is it trained to fight?”

Age: Middle-aged adults

Reaction (speaking to own kids): “Kids, look out for that dog! Don’t touch it—they can be mean!”

Age: Older adults

Reaction: “Beautiful dog. Didn’t they fight in the War?”

Naturally, these are only generalizations, but they are based on actual statements and physical reactions. It is interesting for me to note that young children who haven’t been influenced by the Dobe’s portrayal on television have the most trusting reaction. They see a happy dog, and they trust it. My dog, in turn, trusts these friendly children.

School-aged kids usually don’t know what type of dog she is, but recognize that she isn’t your everyday golden retriever. Their guesses have ranged from greyhounds to great Danes!

Pre-teens through young adults have usually watched enough movies to realize that the Doberman is routinely portrayed as a sinister foe. Reactions can range from curiosity (“Are they as bad as they say?” one person asked) to outright fear (one boy jumped in his car and locked the door, yelling, "Look out for that dog!" upon seeing my well-behaved, leashed dog trotting beside me down the sidewalk).

Middle-aged adults are usually wary of Dobes for their kids’ sake. For example, some parents let their little ones poke my Dobe all over (which she loves) until mom and dad ask what kind of dog she is. Then, they quickly try to haul their children away from this obviously loving dog. I assume that this happens because these parents think that Dobermans are dangerous.

I think much of their unfounded fear arose from the 1970s when Dobermans were widely popular and subsequently over-bred. Unscrupulous breeders tried to produce as many Dobes as possible, and, as with any other breed, the genetics suffered. This included the dog’s mental stability and a disproportionate number of unstable Dobes were released into the general population.

Go To Page: 1 2

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic