I've just purchased a Nine Week old Doberman Puppy. Does anyone have any useful tips and advice for me?

Answers relating to:Training Nutrition Exercise

I would watch the Dog whisperer. look at the links below.

Best advice I can give is to be careful and alert because I had one for less than 3 days and he ran off never to be seen again. A big fenced in yard is a must for any dog. Feed him food that has an animal protein as the first ingredient .

You should do proper vaccins first.If you want it to learn tricks,you should start by now because pups learn tricks better starting from 6 months to 1 year and half. About nutrition? Try buying that Purina Pro-Plan,it was effective with my boxer.Exercising? Try having him into one of those exercise-slide-pannels(those you run on,that simulate a real-life walk) and swimming in very shallow water...

If you ever need to use a tie-out, use the smallest one you need for the situation. ( camping and such)Heavy chains may last longer but they make do a lot of detremenal things: Make him more agressive Make him stonger chested so you have to keep getting bigger ones Make you lazier about watching him. He could break it and be gone before you know it.They should get lots of good active walks to burn off mental and physical energy.Socialize, socialize, socialize, especially with neighbors, their kids and their pets as soon as vet says it's ok for him to be out in public. Keeps him friendly and they won't be so wary and scared. Which keeps them from making him the big scary dog in the neighborhood.They can burn alot of calories off if exercised but will get fat if not given a quaility food and or cooped up. Carrots are good snacks . I use the ready to eat baby ones. They act like it's candy.I hope some of this helps.(I also hope you don't get his ears done, they are so cute if left, though I know they have to be to show) Enjoy your new friend!

patience is the number one key. when i first got my puppy, he went through about 1000 dollars worth of hosing material, but i later found out that he was just teething.make sure you're not violent with your puppy, because that will come back to bite you later in the future ( literally ). if you must discipline him, i suggest a light pat on his behind with strict yelling. be sure you're using a deep voice and that he's looking at you.dont leave your dog home alone unless you're sure all electrical wiring is covered or secured, and dont leave him outside unless you're sure he cant get out (make sure that if you have a fense, you block any holes big enough for him to crawl through). if you're noticing that your puppy isnt through the teething stage, then give him a couple of chew toys or towels to relieve him.exercise is also a big deal considering the fact that he's a doberman, so a walk everyday around the neighborhood is advised. if this is not possible, then put him in the yard under supervision for a few days; eventually, he'll be okay by himself. encourage him to work out by giving him a few balls to chase around. also make sure you're getting those monthly-annual vet checkups to be sure he's happy and healthy. BONDING is a huge part of the human to dog relationship as well. make sure you're not only getting this dog because you were bored, but because you wanted a loyal companion that would love you as you would love it.as for nutrition, i would recomment IAMS puppy chow. both dry and wet dog food is okay, but try to mix it up a little from time to time so that your dog doesnt get bored with the meal. always garuntee fresh water to your puppy ( a new bowl of water everyday even if they one from the day before is perfectly fine).NEVER give him human food, unless it is recommended by your vet. owners will often kill their pet because of carelessness with the choices of food they feed their dogs, cats, birds, etc.IAMS can get a little pricey, so heres the way i choose my dog chow: look at the first 4-6 ingredients in the back of the bag. if all of them are starchy and cheap products, then avoid them. foods to avoid include brands like beniful ( it's basically loaded with tons and tons of sugar). another good brand is pedigree. i had a happy golden that lived off of pedigree for almost 18 years. NO RAWHIDE. rawhide bones and such can often cause gum infections and enamel wear. brushing your dog's teeth can also be a hassle sometimes, so try buying GREENIES. they're these green toothbrush shaped chews that you can give to your dog. they're great!another thin you should remember is hygiene. cleanliness is just as big for dogs as it is for humans. i'm not saying that you need to bathe your dog every day and night. dobermans are shorthaired if i remember, so a bath 2-3 times a month should be enough. dont use human shampoos; this can lead to skin infections and/or be extremely painful to your dog's nose. try using the bottles they sell at petco (beware of the pictues on the bottles; not every bottle with a smiling dog is best for your doberman)also make sure to look into a daycare for your dog if you're gone at work most of the day.spaying and/or neutering is a big deal in most areas as well. in some places, it is illegal NOT to, so make sure you chek your local lawsMICROCHIPS and tracking systems : BIG DEAL. if your dog was to wander off and get lost, the easiest way for someone to return him/her to you would to check its number inside of the dog's microchip. talk to your vet about that.something easy you could do on your own would be to buy him a collar and a tag. depending on where you live, you might also have to register your dog and always keep him on a leash when on a walk.good luck with your dog, and ask if you need anything else. the last thing we need today is more strays getting put to sleep because of careless owners.

Training:I would seriously consider getting professional help here. I have a doberman, and they are really not good for first time owners if you want a well-behaved one. You need to be consistent with training, and use proper training techniques. Any violence directed at a dog, especially a large one or one that will eventually become large, is a big mistake and will contribute to serious behavioral problems in the future. They are eager to please, and a firm NO should be sufficient for any bad behavior. SOCIALIZE your animal! Let it meet as many dogs and humans as possible. Otherwise, it'll grow up to become one of those badly behaving dogs that strain on their leash every time you take them out barking at everything and generally being a pain to walk. Nutrition - Feed him the best food you can find, directed especially to large- breed puppies. I would recommend Innova evo or Orijen (ours is on orijen). Large breed puppies need a lot of protein but regulated amounts of calcium. In some dog foods, high protein = high calcium, and high levels of calcium will contribute to bone problems later in life. There's also a correlation between lipomas (Fatty tumors) and the diet your dog is on. Dobermans are prone to fatty tumors (which may or may not be dangerous - only your vet can aspirate it and tell you), so it's better to prevent them then find out later.Exercise - LOTS of exercise! A bored one is a destructive and badly behaving one! If you have a fence, make SURE it is at least 6 feet in high if you will leave it in the backyard without supervision for any amount of time. Ours scaled our 6ft fence without footholds chasing a cat. Congratulations on your new puppy! Ours has given us 10 years and counting of happy memories. They are very sweet, smart dogs.