Dobermans are large, powerful, and friendly dogs. If you are a dog lover, it makes sense to bring one into your home.
However, if you have other dogs present in your home, you may be concerned with knowing whether or not Dobermans can get along with other dog breeds.
Yorkshire Terrier, German Shepherd, Poodle, and Pomeranians get along well with Dobermans. However, you need to introduce them with care, and allow the dogs to bond with each other.
This article will help you to understand whether or not Dobermans can get along with other dog breeds and what dog breeds can get along with Dobermans.
Can Dobermans Get Along with Other Dog Breeds?
Yes, Dobermans get along with other dog breeds.
However, it’s only a Doberman that has been well-socialized from a young age that is likely to get along well with other dog breeds.
When a Doberman is not well-socialized, problems can occur, especially during interactions involving food or when both dogs are unneutered males.
Unless you take some basic steps, pairing your Doberman with other dog breeds like Toy Poodle, Miniature Pinscher, Pug, Shih Tzu, and Pomeranian can be a potential disaster.
Something a minor corrective swipe with a paw, nip, or unexpected rollover from your Doberman can be deadly to other dogs or at least turn to a minor incident.
Although Dobermans are generally friendly and kind, they can have some issues sharing their home with other breeds of dog. Most of the issues between a Doberman and other breeds of dog are not the result of purposeful actions but accidental.
Yes, your Doberman can do exceptionally well with other dogs living in the same home as it.
Dobermans are gentle and intelligent dogs that can be easily trained and have a strong desire to please their owners.
All these attributes can work greatly in your favor when trying to get other dog breeds along with Doberman.
Can Dobermans Get Along with Small Dog Breeds?
Just as with large dogs, Dobermans also don’t have a problem with smaller, more fragile, breeds of dogs sharing the same household with them.
You just need to provide the necessary guidance and ensure that the dogs know what’s expected of them in the house.
Other Dog Breeds That Can Get Along with Doberman
Several other dog breeds can live together and get along quite successfully with Doberman. Below is a list of some dog breeds that are quite successful living with Dobermans:
Please note that this is not a comprehensive list. There are many other dog breeds not mentioned in this list but are likely to get along well with a Doberman.
Here are dog breeds that can get along with Dobermans:
- Border Terrier
- Pomeranian
- Jack Russell Terrier
- Dachshund
- Cocker Spaniel
- Chihuahua
- French Bulldog
- English Bulldog
- Beagle
- Labrador
- Malinois (Belgian Shepherd)
- Golden Retriever
- Alaskan Malamute
- Siberian Husky
Note that every dog has its temperament. Therefore, it’s very important to consider temperaments when trying to pair a certain dog breed with Doberman.
More so, the tips below will help you to make a successful pairing of other dog breeds with Doberman.
1. Get Other Dog of the Opposite Sex
When trying to pair another dog with your Doberman, it is advisable to consider a dog of the opposite sex. A dog of the opposite sex will get along better with your Doberman than a dog of the same sex.
However, in the case where dogs of the same sex are a must, we suggest that you pair another female dog to your female Doberman and make sure that the two dogs have a good age gap in-between them.
Another male dog would likely have a much more difficult time getting along with your male Doberman. More so, two male dogs will likely have issues due to their natural instincts to exercise their dominance in the house.
While this may not be a problem if the new dog is a puppy, but once the puppy matures, disagreement may occur over food, and this may lead to other big problems.
2. Space Out Their Ages by at Least Two Years
When choosing a dog to pair with your Doberman, make sure you space out their ages. From careful observations, it has been found that dogs of different ages get along much better than dogs of the same age.
So, if there is at least an age difference of two years between the new dog and your Doberman, then you stand a good chance of having them get along well.
Sometimes, it’s ideal if the other dog breed is the older one and is already established in the house before getting a younger Doberman or puppy.
This is because younger Dobermans or puppies are more likely to express playful curiosity at a younger age towards other dogs than any kind of aggression.
So if your other dog breed is mature but your new Doberman is immature and younger, you’re more likely to have a positive interaction between the two.
Nevertheless, be cautious when the Doberman begins to get large – lots of injuries might happen around then.
3. Neuter the Males
If you’re keeping a male Doberman and want to bring in another male dog, neuter them.
Neutered male dogs are much more docile and have less of those pesky male hormones running their body.
Neutered male Doberman is less likely to be forceful when asserting dominance in the house over your other dog. Hence, fewer problems will occur as a result.
Neuter your Doberman at a younger age, the younger the Doberman is neutered, the better off you’re.
But if you wait until your Doberman has already reached adulthood, neutering won’t be as effective as it should be in suppressing some of the dominant behaviors.
4. Keep the Dogs Separate at Feeding Time
Most times, dogs protect their food from scavengers, which could be any animal (including other dogs). That’s why they tend to be extra protective and even aggressive with other animals around them during feeding time.
So keep your dogs separate at feeding time. Statistics showed that most dog bites occur during or about feeding time.
7. Introduce Them When They Are Both Young
If possible, you can introduce both dogs when they’re both young puppies. As younger dogs, they’re both immature and smaller in size.
That means there is less likelihood that accidental injuries would occur – the type that may occur if one dog is so big and heavier than the other.
More so, two puppies would be friendly and have a playful curiosity about each other with no likelihood of aggression.
By the time the two dogs will leave puppyhood and enter adulthood, they’re likely to have already developed a bond.
8. Keep Your Doberman in a Chain During Introduction
To be able to note and closely supervise the interactions between the new dog and your Doberman, you need to keep your Doberman in a chain when introducing the new dog.
When you start to see aggression in your dog or things get too rough on the first encounter or interactions, you would be able to quickly end the encounter by pulling the Doberman out of the situation.
Although, dogs on a leash are naturally more protective than if they aren’t on the leash, keeping your Doberman on the leash is a very fast and surefire way to end the interaction if things go bad.
9. Separate the Dogs When You Leave the House
Always supervise the two dogs initially and ensure that all interactions between the two dogs are closely monitored.
As time goes on, you can then begin to loosen up on both dogs. Nevertheless, it’s still advisable to keep the dogs separate when you leave the house for a longer time.
You can put the two dogs in different rooms or keep one dog in a crate and the other out of the crate.
Don’t be too fast at trusting your dogs and leaving them alone in the house while you’re gone – the last thing you would want is to come back home to see an injured dog.
Conclusion
Naturally, Dobermans are friendly and can get along very well with other dog breeds most of the time.
The list of dog breeds that can get along well with Doberman is listed above.
Nevertheless, it’s better to take the introductions slowly and ensure that the other dog you’re introducing to your big mature Doberman is of proper age, and not a puppy.
You wouldn’t want to introduce a 5-pound Chihuahua to your 100-pound Doberman.
Follow the tips above carefully and you would enjoy a near peaceful cohabitation between your Doberman and other dog breeds.