So im not going to lie, Meet Odin isn’t an original idea, I saw the lovely Nagi from do this with her dog Dozer and I thought It was a great idea. I also wanted to do this because I want to (try) get rid of the stigma that Dobermans are scary, nasty security dogs. On a side note, if Dozer lived in Adelaide I’d be stalking Nagi for play dates !!!
The origins of Dobermans: Dobermanns were first bred in the 1880s by Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann in Apolda, Thuringia, Germany, a tax collector who ran the Apolda dog pound. With access to dogs of many breeds, he got the idea to create a breed that would be ideal for protecting him. They were originally bred as protection or security dogs and yes they are still used for this but they are also the most amazing pets as well.
I decided to get Odin because I had been through a super rough patch in life and I wanted a big scary dog to protect me – boy, I never knew what I was getting myself into! Mum and I drove out to literally the middle of no where in the Adelaide hills, down dirt roads; that had us wondering if we were about to be murdered!
Anyway I digress. We eventually found the house that Odin was eagerly waiting. We were told that we could choose 1 out of the 4 boys on offer. They were brought out to an area to run around and I was drawn to Odin and another dog, both being the biggest of the boys. So why and how did I pick Odin? Well he was the clumsiest, he often tripped over thin air and attacked 1 small blade of grass – to be fair to poor Oodin, his paws were massive. Basically, he was a little silly and that called out to the silly in me.
He has grown to be food obsessed, I mean, motivated; with peanut butter and apples being his favourite – in moderation of course. His best friend is a Kelpie cross chihuahua (Opal), that is about a 1/4 or 1/5 of his size. They have grown up together and while Odin can be a little rough when he plays, Opal certainly holds her own, tackles him and at time literally hangs off off his face. He plays so nicely with her – they are adorable together!
Here are some of my favourite photos of my silly boy, I hope you grow to love him as much as I do. I’l make sure to share videos and photos updates of my handsome boy on Instagram.
**Forewarning for those who want a Doberman, they are called Velcro dogs for a very good reason, they have to be touching you, around you or in your way 24 hour of the day. They take a lot of commitment and willingness to train them as they are far to intelligent for their own good and get bored fairly quickly. They also require a fair bit of exercise – at least a walk a day, or be prepare for tantrums (haha!)
If you want to get a Doberman, please check out your local Doberman association for accredited breeders, please don’t support backyard breeding. Certified breeders will also socialize their puppies and perform relevant tests and health checks. It also reduces genetic defects when breeding pairs are medically checked properly.
Please also ensure you do your research before purchasing a Doberman or any dog for that matter. Join facebook groups and ask plenty of questions. Dobermans are not set and forget dogs, they need a lot of attention and love and I promise they will return it 10 fold.