Below you will find a list of resources that may be helpful to you. Click on each title to be redirected to the corresponding link. Please note that while we consider these to be credible sources, we do not necessarily endorse all of their opinions, and this information should not be used to replace the recommendations of your veterinarian or trainer.

Doberman Information

Ready for strong, savvy, style, sweet, and sass?

"Energetic, watchful, determined, alert, fearless, loyal and obedient...That’s a Doberman Pinscher...Naturally, we’re biased. For us, the Doberman is, paws down, the world’s Number One breed. But that said, the Doberman just isn’t for everyone.For more about this astonishing breed, please spend some time here at our site."

Doberman Health Info

"[This information] is intended as an aid to those seeking health information and should not be used to form a diagnosis replacing regular veterinary care by one's own Veterinarian."

Flank Sucking

"Flank sucking behavior in dogs is almost exclusive to Dobermans. It is part of a category of sucking and licking behaviors that are known as grooming stereotypes...Whether using traditional, natural and/or holistic treatment methods, analysis of the lifestyle and environment of the dog with should be given top priority as the key to understanding why the dog has developed ritualized coping behaviors."

Researchers Relate Serotonin Gene to Compulsive Disorders in Dobermans

“Up to 30 percent of Doberman Pinschers have compulsive tendencies, such as blanket and flank sucking. The behaviors, which are unique to Dobermans, are considered inherited disorders that are likely encoded in the primitive areas of the brain.”

Canine Compulsive Disorders

"In dogs, compulsive behaviors include acral lick dermatitis, flank sucking, pacing, circling, incessant or rhythmic barking, fly snapping or chasing unseen objects, freezing and staring, polydypsia (excessive drinking), sucking, licking, or chewing on objects (or owners), tonguing or licking the air and other forms of self mutilation. There may be a genetic predisposition to compulsive behaviors. For example, flank sucking is most commonly seen in Doberman pinschers, spinning in bull terriers, fly chasing in miniature schnauzers, and acral lick dermatitis in many medium to large breeds. The diagnosis begins by ruling out or treating possible underlying medical causes."

"Always Faithful: The Centennial of the Doberman Pinscher in the United States"

"Welcome to the website created in honor of an American hero, the Doberman Pinscher…Our theme reflects the overarching characteristic that makes the Doberman Pinscher so special. They are truly, Always Faithful…As you explore this site, you’ll recognize how these traits have come together to create a dog that has served people in war and peace, as pet and friend, as eyes, ears and limbs for those in need. Ask anyone who has been owned by a Doberman and you will hear it again and again. No matter the task, they are Always Faithful.Welcome to the website created in honor of an American hero, the Doberman Pinscher…Our theme reflects the overarching characteristic that makes the Doberman Pinscher so special. They are truly, Always Faithful…As you explore this site, you’ll recognize how these traits have come together to create a dog that has served people in war and peace, as pet and friend, as eyes, ears and limbs for those in need. Ask anyone who has been owned by a Doberman and you will hear it again and again. No matter the task, they are Always Faithful."

So You Think You Want a High Drive Puppy?

"I can't tell you how often I have heard people say they would like their next puppy to be a high drive dog. My comment is usually -- be careful what you wish for because it may come true. Many people don't know how much work it is to raise a high drive dog. The fact is most people are simply not equipped from a skill level to be able to raise a high drive dog. Take a good hard look at Endy being Endy here. Very few people could handle a puppy like this. In the beginning, like the first 15 minutes, it's easy to say "ISN'T THAT CUTE." But what about 2 hours from now? Or what about a week of this when the puppy is still demanding 4 times the work of raising a 2 year old human? Puppies like this require management 100% of their time. They not only need to have their physical needs met, just as importantly they require their mental needs met."

Why We Do What We Do

ASPCA Pet Statistics

Free to a Good Home

The High Price of "Free to a Good Home"

Craigslist and Your Pet

"I Consider Him a Rescue"

Reasons to Adopt

Dogs and Allergy Resistance

"Couples expecting babies may want to consider adding one more thing to that long list of must-haves before the babies arrive – a dog. It has been well-known for some time that children living in homes with one or more dogs are much less likely to have allergies. New research published in Plos One journal provides the answer to why that is true."

A Dozen Reasons to Adopt

"One of the best things about adopting a rescued pet is the knowledge you are saving a deserving dog or cat from languishing in a shelter or being put to death. In honor of National Pet Week and all the wonderful shelter animals waiting patiently for new forever homes, here are a dozen more great reasons to adopt an abandoned or rescued cat or dog."

Health and Wellness Links

Why an Annual Veterinary Exam Is Important for Your Pet

"With the current controversy surrounding annual vaccinations, many people are electing to have their pets get fewer vaccines. This has led to a tendency to not bring them in for an annual examination. This is a serious issue... While I jokingly told my clients to stay away from conventional vets in order to avoid unnecessary vaccinations, the truth is that I far more often found serious health problems in pets whose annual exams had been neglected. Even if your pet is not getting any vaccines, it is still essential that your veterinarian have the opportunity to give your animal companion a thorough wellness examination at least every year (and make that every 6 months for chronically ill or elderly animals)."

The Fundamentals of Natural Pet Care

"Natural Pet Care is a concept that involves every aspect of our pet's lives, with the intention of coming as close to their natural environment as possible, while still providing safety and comfort."

Vaccines, Nutrition, and Your Pet's Immune System

"When I discuss ways to keep your pet’s immune system healthy, I always discourage over-vaccinating. The role of vaccines is to stimulate the immune system to respond. Repeated vaccinations can excite the immune system to such a degree that it becomes hypersensitive. This in turn can prompt it to overreact to benign environmental irritants like pollen, which can lead to a chronic allergic condition. It can also cause the immune system to launch an attack against an organ or system within your pet’s own body, creating an autoimmune disease."

Good News About the Latest Canine Vaccination Guidelines

"The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) Canine Vaccination Task Force has updated their vaccination guidelines for 2011. According to AAHAnet.org: Developed in a manner consistent with best vaccination practices, the 2011 Guidelines include expert opinions supported by scientific study, published and unpublished documents, and encompass all canine vaccines currently licensed in the U.S. and Canada. The task force that developed the guidelines included experts in immunology, infectious diseases, internal medicine, law, and clinical practice...The absolute highlight is that all core vaccines with the exception of the 1-year rabies are now recommended at 3-year or greater intervals. Even more exciting is the task force has acknowledged that in the case of the non-rabies core vaccines, immunity lasts at least 5 years for distemper and parvo, and at least 7 years for adenovirus. Hopefully these new guidelines will help more dog owners understand the long-lasting effect of those puppy shots! And hopefully, more dog owners will now request titers rather than automatically revaccinating their canine companions for distemper, parvo and adenovirus."

(Even the American Animal Hospital Association accepts that most core vaccines are only recommended every > 3 yrs: 2011 AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines)

"The previous versions of the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) Canine Vaccine Guidelines, published in 2003 and 2006, and updated in 2007, represented a collaborative effort by academicians, private practitioners, and industry to facilitate efforts of veterinarians in the United States (US) and Canada in making decisions regarding the selection and use of canine vaccines."

More Is Not Better: What Every Vet (and Pet Owner) Should Know About Vaccines

"When it comes to immunity and duration of immunity for vaccines, there is one clear expert. Dr. Ronald D. Schultz is one of perhaps three or four researchers doing challenge studies on veterinary vaccines – and he has been doing these studies for 40 years. It is Dr. Schultz’s work that prompted the AAHA and AVMA to reevaluate vaccine schedules. In 2003, The American Animal Hospital Association Canine Vaccine Taskforce warned vets in JAAHA (39 March/April 2003) that 'Misunderstanding, misinformation and the conservative nature of our profession have largely slowed adoption of protocols advocating decreased frequency of vaccination; Immunological memory provides durations of immunity for core infectious diseases that far exceed the traditional recommendations for annual vaccination.'"

Vaccinating Dogs: 10 Steps to Eliminating Unnecessary Shots

"When vaccinating our dogs, most of us rely on our vets, trusting that their advice is up-to-date and not biased by economic or political concerns. Unfortunately, unless vets stay current on veterinary journal reading (no easy task) … and actually assimilate new findings … and decide to forgo significant vaccination income, their advice may lag well behind many years behind what experts now advocate.Vaccination is a serious medical procedure with the potential for adversely affecting health, both in the short and long term. Experts now advise us to vaccinate each dog according to his or her individual needs. But how do you cut back without endangering your dog’s health? Here are 10 ways to eliminate unnecessary shots while actually improving pet health."

Titers: Protecting Your Dog with This Simple Test...

"After three decades of veterinary practice, I believe vaccination to be a troublesome aspect of medicine. My own observations, along with insights from those who taught me, indicate that vaccination is fraught with misunderstanding. Furthermore, vaccination, in my experience, is likely responsible, at least in part, for the vast majority of chronic disease we see in human and non-human animals in the modern world. For this reason, I do not generally recommend vaccines. However, there is also an inherent risk in not vaccinating. Vaccination does in fact prevent some acute illnesses like parvovirus and distemper virus in dogs and panleukopenia virus in cats. While puppies are at much greater risk than adult animals for contracting infectious diseases, adult animals are not without risk...Today, many animal caregivers recognize the basis of the danger of overvaccination, and many will choose not to vaccinate except as required by law, preferring the risk of exposure to that of vaccine induced disease. Others, however, choose not to risk infection, preferring to vaccinate as wisely as possible. For those guardians, we look for ways to minimize the damage while maximizing the protection. Titer testing is one way to do this."

Titers: What Do They Mean?

"Many vets and pet owners are fond of using titers to determine whether a dog requires revaccination with the understanding that a low titre equals low immunity. Wouldn’t it be nice if that were true, but unfortunately it is not...What if the circulating antibodies are low? Does that mean that immunity is low? Well, the answer is no. Immunity is an all or nothing thing: a dog is either immune or he is not. There is no grey area or sliding scale. According to Dr. Ronald Schultz, any amount of titer means your dog is protected."

Homeopathic Treatment for Dogs (Acute Homeopathic Dosing)

"In homeopathy, true acute cases are basically those that are from trauma, poisonings and epidemic type contagions. Emergency prescribing can also include those crises of chronic disease, such as seizures or hot spots that present dramatically and suddenly but are not true acute disease. For truly acute diseases, a cookbook approach using a homeopathic first aid book or the repertory may be appropriate. Usually the picture of the disease symptom will be very clear and this will make finding the right remedy a fairly easy process."

Healthy Pets with Dr. Karen Becker

"Hello! I'm Dr. Karen Becker, a proactive and integrative wellness veterinarian. On behalf of myself and Dr. Mercola, I'd like to welcome you to MercolaHealthyPets.com. My goal is to help you create wellness in order to prevent illness in the lives of your pets. This proactive approach seeks to save you and your pet from unnecessary stress and suffering by identifying and removing health obstacles even before disease occurs. Unfortunately, most veterinarians in the United States are trained to be reactive. They wait for symptoms to occur, and often treat those symptoms without addressing the root cause. As you read through my articles, you'll learn how to make impactful, consistent lifestyle choices to improve your pet's quality of life. I'm looking forward to helping you make positive health changes in the lives of your pets."

Gold Wire Implants (DOBER, Inc.'s recommendation* for pain associated with arthritis, hip dysplasia, etc.)

"Long-term stimulation of acupuncture points can be achieved by surgically implanting gold beads or wire with sterile technique. In general, this procedure is reserved for pets with severe pain from osteoarthritis and or for animals with conditions or diseases for which conventional medicine and all other methods of treatment have failed."

Prolotherapy (DOBER, Inc.'s recommendation* for treating ACL/cruciate injuries - both partial and full tears)

"Prolotherapy is an injection technique to stimulate the growth of healthy, strong connective tissue to help eliminate many chronic painful conditions."

*A Note Regarding Prolotherapy, Gold Wire Implants, Acupuncture, etc.: As with any veterinary care, it's important to choose a practitioner that is experienced in these techniques. We recommend contacting holistic veterinarians in your area. For those within driving distance, we specifically recommend Dr. Sharon Marx at the VCA Animal Healing Center in Yardley, PA. She not only offers prolotherapy and gold wire implants but a variety of other highly successful alternative treatments as well.

Dog Food Links

Dog Food Advisor

"The Dog Food Advisor is published as a public service to help you make a more informed decision when shopping for dog food. The Dog Food Advisor’s approach to evaluating dog food is based upon one important principle: No dog food can ever be magically better than the ingredients that were used to make it. That’s why it’s so important for you to know what’s actually in your dog’s food — before you buy it. And the only reliable way we know to do that is to carefully examine the label."

Dog Food Analysis

"Created as a resource for Boxerworld members, Dogfoodanalysis has been online since 2005 and continues to be updated periodically. On this site, you will find information about the contents of +1500 dry dog foods, along with ratings and reviews."

Prey Model Raw - How to Get Started Feeding Raw

"Feeding a Prey Model Raw diet can be VERY easy if you follow some simple guidelines when making the switch from kibble to raw. Making this transition as easy as possible is the ultimate goal. Because the easier it is for the dog, it will be easier for you as well."

Behavior and Training Related Links

Dogs Living with Humans: Ten Things Every Dog Should Know...

Hey, Old School Dominance Theory: School's Out!

Introducing New Dogs to Your Pack

Four Things You Should Know About Your Dog's Growl

Misc. Links

How to Know When It's Time to Euthanize

Information for Dealing with Breed Discrimination from Insurance Companies

7 Rules for Allowing Children to Meet Your Big Dog
(We would like to add a footnote that YOU know your dog best and it is your job to protect them, so please exercise your own best judgement to control these types of situations.)

Shopping Links

Vitacost - Supplements, etc.

PetCareRx - Medication, toys, etc.

1and1.com - Web hosting and more
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DOBER, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) Doberman Pinscher Rescue serving PA and surrounding areas