Today we launch a blog series to showcase YOUR awesome Dobermans. It's no secret that we love Dobies, and if you're here we can pretty firmly guess you do too, which is why we want to feature a Doberman every month and let you in on all the fun facts about that dog.
As an honorary spokes dog for the Doberman Pinscher Club of America we could think of no better dog to kick off our feature series than handsome Buddha. Read on to get the inside scope from his mom on Buddha's training, favorite things, and what makes him so special.
Name: Buddha
How you might know him? Buddha is the furry half of the beloved Cutie and the Beast duo.
Birthday: Feb 25, 2013
How did you train Buddha? We used positive clicker training. When he first came to us I had a bag of his daily food ration doled out in my fanny pack and would click and treat for any positive behavior. This included the obvious ones like relieving himself outside or simple ones like eye contact. Even though he is a naturally more mellow Doberman, he still had his puppy friskiness that we toned down by giving him treats (without the excitable click of the clicker) when he was calm and being quiet. Buddha earned his meals throughout the day this way.
Once he got older, we realized that he wasn't very food driven, and we had to look around for something that he could really work for. We discovered the Glow-In-The-Dark large Kong ball. Buddha will do anything for that ball and responds exceptionally fast. Buddha, smart boy that he is, skipped beginner's puppy classes and jumped into the intermediate level where we basically practiced what he already knew in a very distracting environment. We also did some Agility groundwork that he did amazing in, but because of Panosteitis (bone inflammation in fast growing large dogs) we took a break from it. Buddha and I still train every day, even if it's only for a minute or two, and he get's his food for "free" at the end of the day these days.
What is your/his favorite trick? Saying Hi! Buddha gets such a gush of positive responses from people he meets and does this trick for, that he gets a kick out of it. You can see him smile when he happily says, "Hi."
What is his absolute favorite toy? The Glow-In-The-Dark Kong ball. Buddha is obsessed with it. He will not retrieve or take interest in any other ball or toy, except for that specific type.
What's on the menu for Buddha each day? Currently he is on one cup of The Honest Kitchen on a rotation of ingredients, 2 pounds of organic raw food, and a supplement of Green Juju every day.
What is his all time favorite treat? He loves Beams dried catfish skins.
Aside from the fact that he's obviously amazing, what is most special about Buddha? His adoration for Siena. He loves that little girl almost to the point of obsession. I've noticed that he almost never smiles at her, because he only does that on rare occasions when someone is really riling him up with excitement and Buddha gets a tiny bit hyper. However, he will instantly calm down, and be on babysitting mode when Siena is on the scene. This can either be him laying down quietly for her even when he hasn't had his exercise yet, or standing watchfully over her when we're in public. Buddha's devotion to our daughter is what makes him very special to us.
And finally, what is your favorite thing about Buddha? Pretty much the response from the previous question can answer this. We also love that he is the most well mannered and sweet dog, ever. I never thought I'd say that about a Doberman before I had one but he trumps any dog I've ever met or had in that department.
Can't get enough of Buddha?! You can find him co-starring alongside his tiny human over at @cutieandthebeast on Instagram, Facebook, and on their website.
About featured Doberman: Because we love Dobermans so much, each month we feature a rad Doberman and highlight all the awesome things about that dog that make him special to his family.
How to be featured: We accept nominations for Featured Dobermans. So email us at info@dobermanpride.com with your favorite Dobies and we'll get in contact with their owners. Let us know why you are nominating them, their Instagram or Facebook name, or simply a way to contact their family. Open to all Dobermans, worldwide!
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