Talim the Doberman: Saturday Hike

Today Talim, my Doberman, and I decided to spend our Saturday afternoon on an outdoors adventure. I hopped on my Schwinn and she jogged along beside me to a local wooded area with decent unpaved hiking trails. Keep in mind I live in Florida, so this is not any mountainous terrain, or even foothills. This is more of a forestesque and swampy walking trail. Picture dark moist soil underfoot, on either side viney palms and tall sand pines filling in any gaps.

There is a new shiney bike parking post where I dropped off my trusty Schwinn, and Talim and I headed off into one of the trails.The trail was dotted with beautiful flora, of course, and squirrels, 'coons, insects, mice, and all sorts of fun wildlife kept Talim on her guard. She dotted from side to side of the path, sniffing along excitedly.

Talim sniffed out a nice walking stick for me, so I cleaned it off with a disinfecting wipe (always smart to carry a pack) and began to trod forward after rewarding Talim with a little treat. We spotted a beautiful cardinal and even a blue jay, not together though. A squirrel made an amazing leap I would have not thought possible, even Talim looked surprised.

Before we knew it the path looped around back to the bike. I took a big gulp from the water bottle and gave Talim what was left, then we headed home. I kept the pace slow since she was obviously ready to tucker down. Another fun adventure with Talim, I'm glad she didn't take off after an opossum again!

6 Things To Look For In Commercial Dog Food

Feed your Doberman a commercial dog food brand that meets ALL SIX of these requirements:

1. All the ingredients have PASSED USDA INSPECTION. Most dog food brands will fail this requirement and should not be fed.
2. The FIRST TWO INGREDIENTS are pure meat. Most dog food brands will fail this requirement and should not be fed.
3. Contains NO corn or soybeans, which are difficult for dogs to digest and cause skin allergies in many dogs. Most dog food brands will fail this requirement and should not be fed.
4. Contains NO "by-products" or "animal digest" whatsoever. Most dog food brands will fail this requirement and should not be fed.
5. Contains NO artificial preservatives (BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin). Most dog food brands will fail this requirement and should not be fed.
6. Contains NO "fillers" that don't sound like real food you would eat yourself. (Examples include bizarre ingredients like beet pulp, rice flour, and brewer's rice.) Most dog food brands will fail this requirement and should not be fed.

Talim the Doberman: Beach Trip!

Today my girlfriend and I took Talim, our Doberman,  to the beautiful Florida treasure coast beach. Naturally we had to make sure we had everything on the checklist, we spend almost as much time preparing than we do at the beach! Luckily, I was only in charge of towels and Talim!

Talim was wonderful, as always, in the car. She laid with her head on the beach ball, I wish I could have taken a picture! It is just a quick 30 minute drive to the beach, and another 10 minutes to stop and pick up snacks and soda!

Talim is just starting to get used to the beach water. She does fine at bath time but I believe the roar of the ocean frightens her. Even so, today after getting our beach towels and umbrella set up, Talim and I made her timid approach to the constant onslaught of waves. The first large one that crashed to reach to our ankles, she almost backed out, but I knew Talim had it in her. After that little dance in and out, she finally made the plunge in after me!

A bag of chips and a few frisbee tosses later, we're on our way home with another set of smiling faces. I'll have to add a camera to the checklist for our next beach adventure!

Limping Doberman Puppy? Panosteitis?

My young Doberman is limping! What do I do?

Okay, don't panic. You should take your pup to your veterinarian. Most likely the vet will confirm that your puppy has panosteitis, an inflammation of the long bones in the legs of adolescent pups. It's fairly common in Dobermans, my roommate's male Doberman even had panosteitis as a puppy. It's also known as "long bone disease", "shifting leg lameness" and "growing pains". "Pano" can be detected and diagnosed by x-ray.

Onset can be from 5-12 months (occasionally later) and last until 18 months or more. Though it is uncomfortable for the puppy, it almost always grows out of it. The lameness is not limited to one leg. Pano is generally considered to be a polygenic trait with limited heritability.

Straight from wikipedia:

The humerus is most commonly affected. Males are more commonly affected than females Diagnosis is made by pain on palpation of the long bones of the limbs. X-rays may show an increased density in the medullary cavity of the affected bones, often near the nutrient foramen (where the blood vessels enter the bone). This evidence may not be present for up to ten days after lameness begins. Pain medication and exercise restriction can help to relieve the symptoms, and the lameness usually goes away after days to weeks without additional treatment.

Is A Doberman A Good Family Pet?

If raised properly, a Doberman is the best dog you could have for a child and family. Dobermans are very forgiving with ear, leg pulling. They love for someone to just "love" on them. They love to sleep in the bed with you and get on couches. My younger brother used to sleep ON our Doberman if they snoozed out on the couch together! If raised with your child, the Doberman will watch and protect them. The females have
more of a tendency to "mother" children.
Dobermans are naturally protective of their "pack", or family. Young children should never be left unattended with a puppy, however, if the children learn to respect the puppy as a living being, the puppy will be a wonderful companion for the children as they all grow up together. Your dog's ranking in your "pack" should always be the bottom (Omega) member below humans.

The only thing to watch is the doberman might not like you to discipline your child, or could become very protective if your child is playing aggressively with friends. They are a very playful breed. They love to run, play, fetch. They will accept other dogs and cats. My Doberman will play for hours with our cat, then they'll curl up and nap together! A Doberman will be a staple in the household.

I received this e-mail from a fellow Doberman lover:

"Last year we purchased our first doberman puppy, he will be eight months old this month. He is very excitable and was not easy to train at home. At six months we had to take him to obedience classes. We take him to doggy daycare at least 3 days a week, he does great around other dogs and people he knows. He is very skeptical around people he has never met or been socialized around. I believe every dog will be different, but if you do go with this breed, the key to being a happy owner, is lots and lots of socialization around people, children and other animals. In the beginning it was rough, but we would not trade him for anything, he is an integral part of our family. He is now 80 lbs and still growing everyday! He is very clownlike around people he knows, but a great guard dog and protector for us. I do believe the breed requires a lot of attention and it sounds like with seven people in the family, he/she would definitely get it!!! Good luck!!"

How Much Food to Feed A Doberman

 "How much dog food should I feed my dog?" or "How much dog food does a Doberman need?" are very  common, smart questions. Here is an easy chart to determine how much is best for your Doberman. Don't forget to discuss a healthy diet for your Doberman with your vet!

	50-75 pounds	2 - 2 ½ cups	Cut dry up to ½ the amount & substitute the same volume with a can
	Over 75 pounds	2 - 4 cups	Cut dry up to ½ the amount & substitute the same volume with a can

Be sure to read my post about commercial dog food to determine if you should be feeding your dog Real Food along with commercial Dog Food.

Dog Food: Real or Commercial?

What is the best food for a Doberman Pinscher? What kind of dog food should I feed my Doberman? These are very smart and common questions among new Doberman owners, and this post explains why blending Commercial Dog Food along with REAL food is the best way to keep your dog healthy.

Real, fresh food. Real beef, fish, chicken, turkey, bison, venison. Eggs, Fresh Vegetables, even Yogurt.

Now, when I say Real Food, it does not mean People Food. Calling real food "people food" makes it sound as though people are the only living creatures who can benefit from eating these REAL, NATURAL  foods. That is simply not true.

ALL living creatures deserve real, fresh food. Real meat is almost always going to be the best food for your Doberman.

Listen to what Dr. Martin Goldstein D.V.M. says about feeding real food to your dog:

"You can boost your pet's health profoundly by making one simple decision. All you have to do is change his diet from commercial-brand fare to something you may never have imagined giving him – real food. The fresh food you buy at the market for yourself is the food you should give your pet, too."

Keep in mind that dogs have been domesticated for about 15,000 years (Dobermans since 1880!) and up until the 1930s, they were NEVER fed "kibble" or "canned" brands from a store. Dogs were fed real meat and vegetables, and a little homemade bread. On this diet they thrived, frequently living into their late teens.

In the 1930s, cereal and grain manufacturers needed something profitable to do with all of their wheat and corn that failed USDA inspection.  The cereal and grain companies got together with the meat companies who faced the same problem - meat that failed USDA inspection. Hence, "Dog Food" was born.

But processed kibble and canned products has never been a balanced complete dog's food.

Listen to what Dr. Richard Pitcairn D.V.M. says about artificial diets:

"The whole concept of Insta-Meal for humans is repulsive. Most people would soon be climbing the walls in frustration, desperate for a salad or some fruit – anything whole and fresh, or just different. Perhaps the thought of eating kibbles for the rest of your own life helps make the point that pets forced to do so are being shortchanged. All of us – humans and animals – should have fresh, wholesome, unprocessed food in our daily diet."

Sadly, Artificial diets are causing health problems in dogs.

Listen to what Dr. Richard Pitcairn D.V.M. has to say about the connection between health problems and artificial diets:

"Since I graduated from veterinary school in 1965, I've noticed a general deterioration in pet health. We now see very young animals with diseases that we used to see only in older animals. Without the perspective of several decades, vets just coming out of veterinary school think these degenerative conditions in younger animals are "normal." They do not realize what has happened over the passage of time."

Dr. Martin Goldstein D.V.M. sums it up:

"When I tell an owner that a change of diet can affect her pet's health in a matter of days, the first reaction is usually delight, sometimes even exhilaration."

So, "What should I feed my Doberman?" is not such a simple question. When you are shopping for your dog's food and are planning on getting a commercial food, the first ingredient in your dog's food should be a specified "meat".  Not a meat by-product, but the real thing.  Puppies and adult dogs were not meant to eat corn and wheat.  If the first ingredient in your dog food is a corn, wheat,  meat-by-product, bone meal or anything but a real specified type of meat steer clear.  By-products are the left-overs, such as the eyes, hooves, skin, feathers and feet that are not good for human consumption (unless the dog food specifically states otherwise.) Beware of ingredients that do not list exactly what it is, such as words like, "animal" and "meat" as opposed to "chicken", "beef", "duck", etc.. 


A puppy or dog with average activity should have about 26% protein and 15-18% fat. Look for some kind of meat to be the first ingredient, not a grain product. You could even check out feed stores, they are a great place to buy dog food. Prices are often less than at pet supply stores.

When you do have to buy commercial dog food, make sure they pass this checklist.

BUT...

You shouldn't just set another place at your family dinner table for your dog! There are important differences between what's healthy for humans and what's healthy for dogs. Please be aware that it's HARMFUL to feed meat to your dog without adding a healthy specific supplement!