One of the most daunting aspects of owning a Doberman is the task of training them. Every new owner seems to know that Dobermans are a unique breed that require a lot of training to be happy dogs. This uniqueness can make training them not always as easy as it is with other dogs. That’s why I wrote this guide to help you get started with basic training for your Doberman, using their uniqueness to your advantage. The techniques in this guide are the best and most effective methods I’ve found for training Dobermans specifically.
How to Train a Doberman
The basic principle of training any Doberman is to elicit the desired behavior while giving a verbal command along with a visual cue, and then reinforce that behavior.
Doberman Training at a Glance
Here is an overview of the general process for training a Doberman in any obedience command or behavior:
- Give your Doberman the command you are training for, along with a visual cue.
- Get the action you want from your Doberman.
- When the action is done partially or completely, praise and reward.
- Repeat these steps while setting a higher praise and reward standard each time.
Dobermans are very in tune with human emotions and have a natural desire to please their owners. Both of these things work greatly to your advantage when you are trying to train him.
The steps above are a very basic approach, but there are specific approaches that work best when training certain commands and behaviors.
This article will cover these specific approaches that work best for the Doberman breed, depending on the behavior you are trying to train.
If you are completely new to the breed, take a look at this comprehensive overview of Doberman Pinscher dogs to give yourself a quick course on this amazing breed.
If you are reading this guide, you have probably found it because you already understand how important training is for a Doberman. Dobermans, due to this natural drive, tend to feel “lost” if they are not provided with regular guidance and direction.