Great Dane Doberman mix puppy

[ARIES]

can anybody give me any advice on how to handle her. she is just eight weeks old some one told me that the great dane should not eat puppy food but a doberman should any body got any info on this mix
:confused:

[Karen]

Do feed her puppy food! Whoever told you that did not know what they were talking about. DO feed her puppy food - she's got a lot of growing to do! Do love her, spoil her - the only caution is don't let her get in the habit of running around a lot just after she eats - deep-chested dogs can develop stomach troubles - something can twist if they run around too much just after eating.

We had a Great Dane/ 1/4 Lab mix in my family. She was great! What's your new baby's name? Don't be tempted to teach her to jump up! Start simple obedience early and gently, and you should have a great dog! :)

[ARIES]

Originally posted by Karen:
<STRONG>Do feed her puppy food! Whoever told you that did not know what they were talking about. DO feed her puppy food - she's got a lot of growing to do! Do love her, spoil her - the only caution is don't let her get in the habit of running around a lot just after she eats - deep-chested dogs can develop stomach troubles - something can twist if they run around too much just after eating.

We had a Great Dane/ 1/4 Lab mix in my family. She was great! What's your new baby's name? Don't be tempted to teach her to jump up! Start simple obedience early and gently, and you should have a great dog! :)</STRONG>
Her name is Aries. I am feeding her purina one puppy chow. she is doing really well we have only had her a day now and she goes and lays in her cage at night. she really shocked me that she has not cryed yet and she goes buy the door when she has to go to the bathroom. should i feed her four times a day? the people i got her from were feeding her 2 times a day in the moring and at night

[RachelJ]

You will probably be going to your vet to have her get the necessary shots and everything checked out, and I would ask him/her then about how often to feed her. I would think at least three times. God bless her for going to the door to go out. I love the name Aries!

And welcome to Pet Talk. You wouldn't be another flat lander would you?

[ July 02, 2001: Message edited by: RachelJ ]

[ARIES]

Originally posted by RachelJ:
<STRONG>You will probably be going to your vet to have her get the necessary shots and everything checked out, and I would ask him/her then about how often to feed her. I would think at least three times. God bless her for going to the door to go out. I love the name Aries!

And welcome to Pet Talk. You wouldn't be another flat lander would you?

[ July 02, 2001: Message edited by: RachelJ ]</STRONG>

i am from McHenry IL if that is what you mean buy flat lander. i cant stay away from her i when home on lunch to see her and play with her my soon to be wife was laughing at me that i was paying more attention to aries then to her

:)

[Logan]

Congratulations on your new puppy! Sounds like you have the "puppy love" thing going strong!

My vet advised me to keep food out for my puppies in their early months of life. We eventually went to a once per day feeding. But your puppy will need that nutrition initially. Let your vet guide you. You will get good advice there.

Good luck!! And post pictures soon!

Logan

[RachelJ]

Logan, I see a disadvantage to "at will" feeding when trying to housebreak a puppy in that they generally have to poopie after they eat. It seems like Aries dad does not work from home, hence that may be something to take into consideration.

Aries' Dad, yes, living in Illinois constitutes being a flat lander ;) and tell your soon to be wife what a lucky lady she is latching on to a dog lover such as yourself. I hope you decide to stay with Pet Talk because you sound as though you will fit right in, but we will understand if you are occupied enjoying your puppy. Congratulations on the new addition to your life!

[Logan]

Everyone's situation is different, Rachel. And I should have stated that in my message. It was never a problem for us, but my puppies were outside all day, except in bad weather. That makes a HUGE difference. But even the nighttime wasn't bad, and I kept food down 24 hours a day and did not crate either puppy.

Whatever you do, Aries, good luck!! I'm sure you'll get good advice from your vet.

Logan

[ARIES]

does anybody need a new alarm clock? because Aries wakes me at 3:30A.M. to go outside and then to play. Logan and Rachel i am taking her to the vet today and i have tons of Q to ask her. right now i am feeding her three times a day A.M. noon and P.M. yesterday Aires met some my parents(nikkie) dog a alaskin husky mixed with red wolf. nikkie wanted to play with aries but she was to fustrated with meeting some of the other dogs on the block. thanks for all of your help i like it here already!!!

[Corinna]

Aries, your pup could be getting hungry about that time, I fed my Merlin as a pup Once in the AM as I got ready for work (about6) then at about 2 then again a small snack as we ate dinner about 6 pm then another small portion about 9 pm and always about 20 mintues after eating I took him out and told him to do his business, and waited til he did then lots of hugs. My neighbors thought I was nuts but only one accident ever and hes 4 years old now. they all have put their dogs out side in kennels. Sad just alittle love and they could have a nice in door compainon. Hope this helps and remember they only eats lots as pups after about 2 years watch that they don't over eat. too much weight is very hard on those large joints.
My newfie (gone now) lived til age 12 becouse I kept him active and lean,my vet was always pleased with his health.

[RachelJ]

Because she is still a baby and physically immature, 3:30 am is probably as long as she can "hold it". But I think you will find that will change very rapidly and in a week or two she will be sleeping through the night. Personally, I would be very thankful for the dog that "asks to go out". In the long run, the amount frustration that you are avoiding with this type of dog is considerable.

[ARIES]

oh dont get me wrong i am so happy that she wakes me up so she can go outside. i beats cleaning up after her. i much rather her wake me up every night to let her go outside
i just think that it is amazing that for a dog who was kept outside that it will not just go anywhere it wants to in the house she already has her spot picked out for number one and number two. we were at the house next door and she drug me to back to our yard so she could go do you think that this will be a problem later in life when he have out with us at a park or in the car?

[ownerof3dogs]

I just wanted to say that a Great Dane/Doberman mix has always been my dream breed you could say. She must be so cute. does she have the doberman markings? Good luck. Shes going to be a big one

[ARIES]

right now the only doby marks she has is the small eyes. she is black in color with white on the bottem of her paws and a with streak running down her chest

i will post a pic soon i am going to go and try to buy a digital camra to take her pic

[RachelJ]

Originally posted by ARIES:
<STRONG>..she already has her spot picked out for number one and number two. we were at the house next door and she drug me to back to our yard so she could go do you think that this will be a problem later in life when he have out with us at a park or in the car?</STRONG>

Bless her heart. I think she may be one of those "dogs of a lifetime". I am really going to enjoy hearing more about this one. As far as this being "a problem", there is a small chance. Try instructing her to "go potty" or "do your business" or what ever phrase you want to use when you know that she needs to go. When she goes, praise her enthusiastically. What you are doing will actually be teaching her to "go on command."
This will be helpful should she turn out to be one of those dogs who seems only to feel comfortable going in a special place. I even have two different phrases for Number one and Number two. Keep using the command on a fairly regular basis, even though you know she is going to go without it. She'll enjoy the praise and she really understand the association.

[ARIES]

ok how do i put pics up here i have no website of my own. but i took some pics of her to put up and show everybody but i dont know how HELP!!!

also is there somthing i should be doing to Aries when she goes to the bathroom in her crate in the middle of the night and i wakeup to her crying. i take her out not knowing that she whent pee in her cage. then when she is out side she goes pee and some times number 2

[RachelJ]

No, I don't think there is anything you should be doing to Aries. She had an accident, she's still a baby. You know how hard she tries to do the right thing, but accidents do happen even to the bestest of sweethearts. You clean up her cage and give her some fresh bedding and go back to bed. Just make sure you take her out the very last thing before you go to bed every night.

Pictures: First you have to have the pictures in digital format. You can do this by use of a scanner, or with a digital camera, or when you have your regular film developed, asking to have it also put on a diskette or cd. Do you have any pictures that are already digital?

[ARIES]

yes i have pics are digital

[Tanya&Fritz]

You have to copy your pictures to webshots.com.

Then go to the picture you want in webshots and right click it. Click on properties, highlight the url and hit copy. Come back here and hit paste. At the beginning of your url you have to add and at the end .

[ July 05, 2001: Message edited by: Tanya&Fritz ]

[ARIES]

http://community.webshots.com/user/aries_kid

[Cinder & Smoke]

Close ;).
Here's ARIES !

http:// http://wsphotofews.excite.com/023/ba/tK/lH/9M58847.jpg

And here's the album:
Aries' Album (http://community.webshots.com/user/aries_kid)

[RachelJ]

Wow, that was quick work.

[Daisy's Mom]

Aries you are so beautiful! What expressive eyes! You're just precious :)

[Jasper's Mom]

Welcome Aries!!!

Your Aries is a beautiful pup. You are so lucky to have a dog that is so young and already asks to go outside to potty. Don't worry about the crate accidents for bladder growth will ease those night time slip ups. Scolding isn't necessary with such a good potty track record so far. You do have a treasure there.

One of my dogs is also picky about his potty place, only on long grass and in our back yard. He goes on walks, to the dog park, the beach, but when he comes home he wants into the back yard to potty. Don't know what to do to change that. Only once did he potty away from home. We were at the beach, he couldn't find his tall grass, so he went into the ocean and pooped in the waves. I tried to grab it with a bag but the wave action floated it away. We really laughed hard over that one. Luckily no one was watching.

How did you find Aries and choose him for your special pup? Is this your first dog, and do you have any other pets now?

We're glad you're here!!

[ARIES]

right now my parents have a alaskin huskie named nikki i have some pics of her. and about in april we had to put or dog named Lady to sleep. we had her for 15 years she was in so much pain that the vet said that we should doit. it broke my moms heart. lady was her baby. she planted two rose bushes in her memory and they have both blossemed almost every stem has a rose on it. this is my first dog that is all mine and my fiance's.

[KYS]

Many moons ago, when I was a teenager camping
with my family,
I saw the most beautiful dog I had ever seen. The dog was a Great Dane/Doberman mix.

As for feeding:
Some owners of large breeds are afraid of
having their puppys grow to fast and
putting access weight on those growing bones. I fed my Akita's puppy food till they were 7 months old and than switched them
to a good adult food.
I also feed the pups 3 times a day
till they were 6 months old, than
cutting them down to 2 times a day.
This is what I did, and what was suggested to me from some bdr. friends.
Who is to say what is the right way.
Trust your vet, I would ask him,
and you also might want to check out
some puppy care books from your local
library also.

P.S Please keep sending us pictures as
your BIG baby grows. :)

[ July 06, 2001: Message edited by: KYS ]

[andrew]

can anybody give me any advice on how to handle her. she is just eight weeks old some one told me that the great dane should not eat puppy food but a doberman should any body got any info on this mix
:confused:
I have the same kind of pup mine is 10 weeks old

[les]

I have had 2 doberdane mixes over the last 20 years, both dogs male and female are outgoing, do anything, RETRIEVE anything, very alert, and protective. While they were pups I DID feed them normal puppy food. Lots and lots of water and attention are necessary as they tend to be quite active. In my opinion they are the best "breed". They were wonderful with my children through the years. Thor [male], left home at about 6 years, Trinket [female] was here for 17 years..both had minimal health problems. Do you have any idea where I can get another one? I would love to have another preferably female, but not a big deal... please help I have been looking for quite some time. Thanks a bunch.

[Vette]

I heard its not good to feed medium/large breed puppy food thats too high in protein as it causes bone and joint issues as they grow. medium/large breed puppies require lower fat and protein level to ensure that they grow at a healthy pace. maybe thats what your friend meant

[luvofallhorses]

It is fine to feed large breed puppy food for Great Danes and Dobes. You shouldn't have to if it's high quality. They are large breeds after all. You would not need to feed large breed food to an American Pit Bull Terrier, they are a medium breed. Just using the APBT as a example of a dog that wouldn't need large breed food. This thread is really old, lol.

[Vette]

^ i didnt notice the date on the first post :o

[Karen]

Do you have any idea where I can get another one? I would love to have another preferably female, but not a big deal... please help I have been looking for quite some time. Thanks a bunch.

Try contacting both Doberman and Great Dane rescue groups - they may either have them, or know of some that need homes. Also, or course look on Petfinder.com - you never know what you will find!

[wolfsoul]

I would not feed any puppy food; Even large breed puppy food is not safe. It is all a huge conspiracy; Babies need baby food, so of course pet food companies came up with a huge marketing scam for puppies. Pups in the wild do not recieve alot of food after the pack is done regurgitating for them. They are on the bottom of the pack, and eat what little leftovers there are; Usually just stomach contents and scraps. They are meant to grow very slowly, and properly. Puppy foods are high in fat, calcium, and vitamins, causing the puppies to grow very fast. In large breeds this can cause growth issues -- in great danes you'll mostly notice it in the front legs.
I am a HUGE advocate of structure guru Pat Hastings. NO ONE has done the amount of research into structure that she has, and she is 100% against puppy foods. In her seminars she shows ALOT of pictures of great danes that she helped "cure" because if you stop puppy food soon enough you can help reverse the problem -- not entirely, but a very knuckled over great dane can improve. She also bred dobermans for many years. She holds seminars all over the world, and she has evaluated 30,000 litters -- many of them fed puppy food -- and she concludes that puppy food is one of the worst things you can do to your puppy, structurally.
I had a GSD puppy when I was a kid whose legs grew too fast for the rest of him; He had to be put to sleep when he was 6 months old because he could no longer walk. We were told it was because he was fed puppy food. He was extremely knuckled over and easty-westy in the front. His long bones were putting alot of pressure on his pasterns; He was in a great deal of pain.
All of my puppies are started on adult food now, and I make sure my puppy owners do the same. My lines are quick to mature and I want to make sure they grow properly.

[wolfsoul]

I just checked, and almost all great dane webpages will tell you the same..


...Feeding Great Danes puppy food, even large breed formulas can have serious consequences. The protein and fat levels of most brand puppy foods are way too high for a growing Dane.
...It is crucial to "grow them slow", slow steady growth is key to proper development!...
http://www.all-about-great-danes.com/feeding-great-danes.html


..Remember, slow, steady growth will do more for your puppy than rapid growth that can happen with puppy foods. The puppy will eventually reach its genetic potential, but without the additional risk to bone that comes from high proteins and supplementation (calcium/minerals) or puppy foods.
..Do not feed puppy foods, even those developed for giant breeds.
http://www.daneangelnetwork.org/puppyfood.htm


...Dane puppies should not be fed puppy food. The high calories and protein levels of puppy food encourage rapid growth spurts, which is linked to growth related problems (i.e. Pano, HOD) in giant breeds.

http://www.fotodanes.com/kibble.htm

And for dobermans too....


..They also discontinue feeding puppy food at an early age, ~4 months. This practice is thought to help reduce the incidence of Panosteitis (wandering lameness) and reduce the rapid growth produced by a higher ratio of protein found in most commercial puppy foods.
http://www.puppypetsupplies.net/tag/doberman-puppy/