First Things First

Why A Doberman? Only you can answer this question. When selecting one breed over another, look at the reason each breed exists, and then choose one accordingly. If you want an outdoor/property dog, choose a breed that prefers outdoor freedom, is more independent by nature, and is happiest with learning fewer rules. Look for dogs created for herding, field, or sporting, as these dogs may best fit your needs. So the decision of what breed is best for you comes down to personal preferences and desires.

Why do I Love Dobes? I enjoy the combination of beauty and brains that a great Dobe has to offer, as well as the fact that these dogs can be social climbers, serious protectors, and best buddies. When selected correctly and provided with a proper education that includes the expectations of our society, this would mean a dog that is capable of kid-sitting, watching over the family (night and day) and fitting into the most intricate situations you can imagine provided their human counterpart has those equal capabilities.

My clients, as well as myself, enjoy these superb creatures because of their well-known traits; this breed has a tremendous and complex capacity for thought, they ask questions, have a great sense of humor, and basically see themselves as more than �just dogs.� And remember, this is a breed that wants to be at your side at all allowable times, a trait many see as negative. Of course we ( our clients and yours truly ) find that affection wonderful, and just add education which creates understanding of when we just can't have them under foot.

The right Dobe is capable of becoming not only a member of the family, but a true extension of its owner. With consideration for the dog's likes and dislikes, a life with the right Dobe is a phenomenal experience. Before I knew dogs came in different styles (breeds) , I learned to walk holding onto a Dobe; and even though my situation evolved differently than most, many of our clients today also began life holding onto a Hoytt Dobe's ears. If these dogs were anything less than spectacular, I'd probably have become the most famous Koi Producer in the world instead of the power behind today's Hoytt Dobe.

My Thinking: Why waste time trying to change something that came with poor health, character flaws, and/or the wrong personality? We only get one chance at this life; why not take full advantage of the time we are given? If you find talking about personality, character variables, education, and style is a bit much� select a breed that has minimal interest in direct companionship and is content just being �a dog.� Considering the number of shelters and rescue organizations at maximum capacity, it is clear that there are many impulsive buyers who decide to acquire a dog today, bring one home tomorrow, and the day after put it out back. Please don�t be �one of these buyers� who has failed to understand the responsibility of canine ownership, which is almost as complex as raising a child, from the need for personal attention to the financial investment.

Should your next dog be a Hoytt, or the other guys? I can't help you there. I am a Doberman enthusiast, and a Dobe with all the right character traits creates tunnel vision. I want the best, and for me there is but one 'wine'. Hoytt ... Vintage 1945. If you have done your research and have long-term expectations, then I suspect you already have the answer to whether or not House of Hoytt Is the Way to Go.

Do you want a dog that you can take to one or more types of trials in obedience, rally, agility, or Schutzhund (VPG)? Do you have the time and energy necessary to devote to the training and ongoing refinement of your canine�s lessons and of course the funds? Train and handle the dog yourself and the costs can be kept to a few hundred a weekend. Have a top trainer/handler and $500.00 a day is the norm since you will also be picking up travel-related costs and win bonuses.

If you are thinking formal obedience or high performance competition...look to breeders that have really proven themselves not just a few times but hundreds of times.

For the last three decades the Hoytt Dobes have remained number one in awarded obedience degrees

Why not go with the winner? Besides, winning is so much more fun and intelligence is as genetically enhanced as comprehensive qualities and physical attributes. Again the more knowledge the seller has of both mind and body, the greater the chance of total owner satisfaction and the more correct instructions can be passed on throughout the dog's life.

A little about competition: If you are considering work in Schutzhund, then you should definitely learn the term �Hard Dog.� Start out by going to a VPG club training meet, and then spend four or five weekends at some of their get-togethers. Many of the individuals you meet will have purchased their dog from a member of the club, or are brokers themselves. Spend time studying the dogs and their owners, watch the percentage of dogs that remain quiet between exercises. Also, watch which dogs or breeds are relentless hell-raisers and which ones are loose in their owner�s car, patiently awaiting their turn. Note the difference in the percentages of the quiet, calm dogs vs. the hell-raisers. Pay close attention to each team and their interactions, ask as many questions as you can, and remember � it is what YOU expect from your future canine that should be your guide, not what someone else prefers.

If you are serious about Schutzhund and want to be the "other half" of the team that takes the gold, then expect to be guided toward the direct importing of a Dobe for your purchase. These Dobe breeders reside in areas of the world without the same rules as ours; they sell dogs that present extreme drive, energy, and ferocity. In these countries, the problem of being on the receiving end of a dog bite does not lie with the owner or breeder of the canine unless of course there was serious negligence by the person responsible for the dog at the time. Remember, in our end of the world there is more compassion toward the person who is bitten. Our clients tend to prefer calmness and a mild natural protectiveness over 'Rambo types'.

Can Schutzhund be an interesting direction to go? Of course...remember, for some, skydiving, bungee jumping and swimming with sharks is a kick too.

However, the well mannered, highly focused, obedient dog usually also requires social skills to deal with the public. Social skills are usually not top priority for teams that want to walk away with �top dog� honors in Schutzhund; yet being an �out on the town�, people-oriented, well-mannered canine who can also partake in VPG tournaments will only come from breeder/trainers who both understand the purchaser's needs, true expectations and previous knowledge that has been related to this sport and whose own goals as breeder/broker by record establish their right to guide the purchaser.

Real world direction...Perhaps you have thoughts of getting your new kid titled in Obedience for refinement that has to be in place before the canine can be awarded each degree. If this is the case, check the breeds in AKC or UKC trials that are high achievers and consider each by learning about its heritage. A handsome well-mannered dog receives the same attention as an extreme sports car, while dogs that just seem to do what they want on or off the lead at best are seen by the public as 'cute', 'big' or just an accident waiting to happen.

When considering a breeder, check out their breeding line history; and remember, someone who had even one litter 30 years before your contact with them regarding a current litter can legally claim they have been breeding dogs for 30 years. Ask about their success in the obedience ring and note if they have seriously worked in the different obedience formats. If a seller tells you what a dog will be like during the years it will be an adult and if they have not created the last three or more generations, they are just telling you what they think you want to hear and are just another seller with perhaps little more experience than you have.

Consider the ultimate family tree...You meet a wonderful person who you think you want to spend the rest of your life with. Initially most of us work on first impressions; important, of course, but what if we could step into a time machine and meet not only the parents, but the grandparents, the great-grandparents and even the great-great-grandparents. Now, were those you met wonderful caring folks or a group of individuals with health issues, emotional problems and lack of drive?

This is the advantage a creator of a Line of canines can have. Select the pair to be mated through past knowledge of the individual dogs behind the producing pair.

In today's canine world we are the only Dobe breeder that create unmatched odds of total success through first-hand profiling of at least the past five generations of 'family' to create the 'kid' you may soon be welcoming into your life. See Owners Gallery to learn about this Hoytt Dobe.

TEMPERAMENT...Is a breeder's claimed success dependent on one or two personal dogs? Have they consistently showed off their youngest, freshest minds in the obedience ring? Has the breeder you are considering even attempted to work on the intellectual levels of their dogs? Remember, the obedience ring is how breeders can show off their various breeding stock personalities, comprehension skills and balanced temperaments.

The obedience ring after all is for those 'creators' seeking to breed the best in companions...the performance ring is in fact the test track of the mind. Too many downplay the importance of education because they themselves may also be a bit short. Those folks cannot even imagine what it takes to create a really great companion.

While education is not reliant upon the dog�s looks, it is the added touch; a sign that structural health was part of genetic considerations when mated. Of course we have added looks to our pup�s great minds. Beginning around 1958 we began creating the American Champions that began the Hoytt Line and by the late seventies had our elegance established. So well in fact that the Hoytt Dobe has graced more dog magazine covers than any other breeder's dogs to date. We began by catering to 'the look' buyers, today we cater to those who seek elegance, intelligence and personality...all in one package. And with our unmatched pre-placement educational programs, we stand alone.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AT A PERSONAL LEVEL, offering our knowledge of a single breed from matching mates to medical services, from basic education to areas of specially-designed, individual client-needs training. Actually in the end, the only unknown will be you, and we will do our best to bring you into our family circle, no matter where you may reside, through discussions and our questions.

On the other hand, if you are like most of our clients and just want "the best of the best", choose the programs you prefer and begin studying the advanced six-plus hour instructional video you receive from us while you await the arrival of your Hoytt Dobe.

If you're looking for a bonus in your companion/traveling buddy, then look at getting a pup with an education from our advanced Super Pup programs to the Rally Degree or the ultimate pre-placement refinements of the Companion Dog training and title. The fact is that everything in AKC & UKC ring certifications up to the Companion Dog title work to enhance daily manners. A truly great Dobe comes equipped with a great mind, and these special Dobes need �a job.� The right Dobe likes to have jobs and will go all out to prove just how anxious they are to please you by showing what they know...what you asked them to do. So if you don't have to sell off your first-born, consider pre-placement education for your future best friend and guardian.

QUESTION? Do you need obedience to have a great companion? Absolutely! However, ring obedience is simply a high performance version of daily needs, and most of our clients are very pleased with our primary Super Pup Programs; but, for many, high school was not the end of their education or their expectations, and these folks want these advantages for their new friend.

QUESTION? Can you educate your new pup on your own? You bet, and we are here to answer any questions you may have, but you have to be very serious about this and have the ability to structure the early months of ownership so not to one day find your new kid was 3 months old on Monday and 7 months old on Tuesday. Forget the worry about bonding and age from day one, and for the life ahead every day is a bonding experience, but in the canine world education can't be delayed.

Now, understand that obedience is not based on someone else's idea of what a breed looks like, whether the dog is tall enough, stands straight enough or is the right color without any variance; rather, obedience is based on the actions of a human/canine team and their ability to interact as such.

Now, don't believe for a moment that an education will change the basic personality of a dog; if the dog simply does not have the personality you sought, all the training in the world will not change the God-given unwanted variables. Excellent instruction only allows altering to varied degrees. This is just one more reason we have gained client ongoing trust. And just two years ago we selected and trained a handsome young red boy for a client who was 99 years of age. And, yes, there were a few safeties. His maid was a young eighty years, and then there was the child. The youngest member of the family was just sixty-five. The sixty-five-year-old had his own Hoytt Dobe, a blue female also trained under the Presidents Choice program. So with many of our clients who came to us in the sixties, we are still serving them in fact today, and the reality is that some of these families have more recently seen their grandchildren welcoming Hoytt Dobes into their now adult lives.

Lacking expectations, then maybe this isn't the right time in your life to think about taking on the responsibility for something that can think quite well for itself � many people can�t deal with a canine that has the ability to think past 'DOG', that truly needs a mentor who has a higher intellectual level than the canine. Some folks would be better suited to a smaller breed that simply is put in its carrier when you head out of the house, or sent out of the room when you have visitors.

Many should avoid the complexities of canine ownership altogether and find, because of their current commitments, they are better suited for life with pets such as cats, hamsters or fish. After all, living things, even plants, give something back to their �people� .

Still, the decision on what breed is best for you comes down to personal preferences, and your expectations. Take your time, do your research, and choose your breed carefully - select your breeder with even more caution. You wouldn�t even begin to think of building your dream home on a weak foundation � correct? I hope not, because it just isn�t possible. Keep this in mind: you can�t make something ugly supremely beautiful, but you can make something beautiful very ugly... if not guided properly, both in body and mind.