Training Doberman Puppies

Doberman Pinschers are an intelligent breed and are easy to train. The keys to effectively training Doberman puppies are proper socialization and consistency. Puppies between the ages of three and 12 weeks are the most accepting of new experiences, so proper socialization needs to occur during this period.

  1. Socialization

    • Socialization is the process of introducing puppies to new experiences early in their life. Proper socialization makes a puppy more confident and more amenable to training. Fear inhibits training, and puppies are less likely to have a fear reaction to something to which they've been exposed at an early age. Ideally, an owner will expose his puppy to every possible thing and situation the puppy will encounter later in life. These include children, crowds, other pets, other dogs, cars and strangers.

    Frame of Mind

    • Before commencing any training session with Doberman puppies, owners must be in the right frame of mind ̵2; calm and assertive. Dogs sense their owners̵7; moods and respond accordingly. An excited dog is difficult to train. The puppies learn to associate a calm and assertive state with a training session.

    Consistency

    • Consistency in commands is critical to successful training. Everyone in a Doberman puppy's household must use the same commands, or the puppy will become confused and unable to respond to a command. One common example is the command "come." Some in the household might use "come" while others use "here" or "come here." Similarly, consistency in reinforcement and reward is critical. For example, puppies off leash and chasing a rabbit should never be commanded to "come," because the command in that situation cannot be reinforced. A puppy commanded to "sit" should not be rewarded with a treat or praise for partially lowering its back legs, only for a full "sit."

    Training Sessions

    • Training sessions should only be 10 to 15 minutes in duration, according to veterinarian Race Foster. Beyond this, the puppy may come to resent training, thereby reversing the learning process. Trainers should hold daily sessions and end them on a positive note for maximum effect.