Where are they now?
The Dobie Trail
Since the DWA site was launched in 2007, quite a following has developed for the many dobermanns that have passed through our hands. Here is an update on just a few of those dobes we caught up with between the 12 and 21 April 2010. Our travels took us to near Hull, Selby, a hamlet outside Huddersfield and on down to deepest Somerset returning via Worcestershire, Cheshire, Lancashire, Cumbria and Dundee.
Dixie
Travelling down the east side of the country taking in Newcaslte and Durham Cathedral our first stop was a diversion into West Yorkshire to meet Dixie who originally came to DWA in a thin and nervous state from a very troubled background having been cruelly treated and bred from before she was mentally and physically able to cope. Dixie made a huge transition to sharing a home in the country with Sid a laid back dobie who tragically died prematurely with suspected leukemia Dixie has turned into a beautiful looking bitch and is in fine condition however she does need more socialisation with both humans and livestock as she can be quite reactionary. In addition to lovely rural walks Dixie has a two acre paddock to play in and enjoys her toys. Hopefully she will be attending local obedience and training classes to help over come her anxieties. Today she is much loved and very well cared for by devoted owners who are perhaps a little too indulgent.
Rosie
When we first met Rosie she was called Kea and was so fat she could only waddle and her back was so broad you could have use have her as a small table! Rosie was a rescue case in the second home that we knew of. Her owner surrendered her as he had serious health problems, he had taken Rosie from a Rescue Centre knowing she had been abused, subjected to a stabbing, possible cigarette burns and a horrendous docking. Despite all this Rosie is an absolute gem and with her new owners is one of the most easy going, relaxed, well mannered dogs you could ever wish to meet. Initially Rosie pulled like a train on the lead, now she walks to heel no lead required, lives happily with Snoogie the cat and despite still being overweight can run for ages and swim like a fish. Rosie loves to lie on the front lawn outside her home watching the world go by and being greeted by all the neighbours who love and appreciate her gentle nature. Her only real dislikes seem to be men in flourescent jackets, cyclists and a fear of a newspaper or magazine being picked up. Rosie now has devoted owners who have been prepared to cope with her incontinence problems and give her the time and attention that rescue dogs so desperately need. Needless to say her excess weight problem is being addressed by plenty of exercise but possibly a few less snacks might help too ... it would be hard not to spoil Rosie.
Young Ozzie
A handsome, very tall individual Ozzie is somewhat spoilt but kept in absolutely tremendous condition. If he was a person I'm sure he would be a regular visitor to the gym doing weight training. Well walked Ozzie has a very special diet enjoying extras like a boneless kipper on a Friday and his own plate of Sunday roast each week. Ozzie does need a few basic good manners reinforced and further socialisation as he is a bit wary of strangers. He is very playful and can show dominant tendancies, and likes to have something like an old tee shirt to trash and carry around. He lives with a loving family in a large home with extensive garden and great walks on the doorstep where all 3 members of the family take their turn with his exercise regime. Ozzie's early days where spent shut up in a crate for nearly 8 hours a day and then his young owners split up and surrendered him for rehoming. Now he has a fun and caring family to live with, however, a little firmness would not go amiss from a certain member of the household, sometimes you can be too nice!
Amber
A senior lady who was rehomed by being featured on the DWA website she is now the beloved pet of lady living in Wiltshire. Amber is very sweet natured and friendly but only has eyes for her owner. Initially rehomed with the lovely Harley, a weimaraner who sadly died recently of old age, they would curl up under their blankets together like two lovers. Amber now in her ninth year does have some arthritic problems and when Metacam did not agree with her tummy her vet recommended that although she was not overweight she should still loose weight and having done this Amber is now virtually sound and able to continue exercising like a young dobie. Alas our lunch time meeting was all to brief with this happy, well loved dobermann whose owner frequently helps the DWA collecting dogs and doing home checks which is much appreciated. At least we all enjoyed a nice walk together which made a good change from the hours spent behind a steering wheel.
Kaya
One of the many seniors that has come up for rehoming for whatever reason this grand fellow found himself distressed and just a frame pining away in Rescue Kennels in the very north of Scotland. Kaya also needed an operation to remove growths on his rear end these are known as adenomas and are caused by an excess of testosterone so he was castrated at the same time. The DWA heard about Kaya's plight from one of its members and took on responsibility for his well being. Not long after he was featured on the website a particularly caring couple drove from Somerset to Aberdeenshire to meet him. Kaya found himself in dog heaven from the cold and windswept north of Scotland he moved to the soft warmth of Somerset's countryside to live with a wise Siamese called Simba who is an expert in handling dobermanns. Kaya and Simba now happily share a basket which is strategically place for them to observed any comings and goings around their extensive domain. They take walks together and Kaya has been very busy clearing the top paddock of its large rabbit population, but now he has dealt with those he will just have to admire the wild flowers! It was a joy to find this old lad in such excellent fettle after our initial introduction some nine months ago when he was in such a pitiful state.
Marley
What fun it was to catch up with Marley, he has not aged a bit and is as fit as a flea again another senior in his tenth year. We first met Marley when he was living in an isolated crofter's cottage in the Grampian mountains having been rehomed there from a city in the north east of England. His new owner was working full time and Marley was spending long lonely days on his own and was quite destructive, being an expert in the art of bed chewing with a few car seat belts thrown in for good measure. Marley came into kennels and being the handsome fellow he is soon attracted attention from his pictures and story on the website. His new young and enthusiastic owners flew up from the Midlands, met Marley who we walked together with our dobies on a local beach and then drove him back to his new home the next day. That was almost a couple of years ago and Marley now has a new addition to his family in the form of young Oliver aged 4 months. This dobie lives on Planet Marley and whilst I was there for coffee and cake he busied himself around the house and garden either with a toy or wellie boot in his mouth, snatched a piece of cake off the table whilst backs were turned for a split second and welcomed in a wandering neighbour's labrador. He has not managed to destroy his Tuffie bed but will march up the stairs trailing his duvet between his front legs and recall is still to suit Marley. Marley is a lucky chap his owners are calm, quiet and totally unruffled in their approach which suits Marley's nature perfectly.
Boston
We get some big strong dobies and we get Boston type dobies. Those alas bred by people out for a quick buck who have done no health checks and know nothing about the breed and then when they do breed dobies don't feed the mum in pup properly or her puppies when they arrive. Boston is a sweetie, a small dobe light of bone with a charming nature but alas he has a heart murmur which is thought to be a congenital problem and this was not helped in his early days by not being properly reared. He has now been adopted by his foster family who are unique in that they are not influenced by looks, or problems a dog may have, they deal with them in a sensible and down to earth manner and as a result have a happy household with children, dogs and farm livestock including free range chickens, sheep, cattle, horses and pigs. The only issue Boston still has is with the ferral cats but they keep well out of the way peering at him from hay bales stacked high in the barn. Boston loves playing ball, is seldom without one and also enjoys tumbling about with the other dogs. He is a happy and friendly soul and whilst I was visiting came and flopped at my feet as we chatted in the sitting-room and was still fast asleep when I left. However long this little fellow's life may or may not be he is going to enjoy what he has to the full.
Merlin/Freddie
Merlin was featured on the website on behalf of an animal rescue in Cumbria after he had been surrendered to a local pound. New life, new name a great big chap Freddie as he is now known quickly attracted attention finding a loving home with a couple in Cheshire who were quick off the mark beating all other interest. Now he lives in great style with acres of fields to exercise in. It won't be many months before he is a trim figure of a dobe, apparently a grossly overweight 52 kgs when rescued. Freddie absolutely idolises his new owner and rarely lets her out of his sight. A few teething problems initially when his Mum went out into the yard as Freddie became very anxious when she went into a stable but he has quickly settled into his new routine after the trauma of pound life and is now attending local obedience classes. Sharing a home with two lovely rescue girls with his own bed infront of an Aga and a huge chair in the snug this is another dobie whose fortunes have justly turned around.
Harry
What can I say about Harry, he is awesome. Harry has a presence and it was like being with a benevolent and worldly guru. Harry's high set ears give his serene face an even stronger charisma, a grand, big amiable dobie it is hard to believe anyone could have treated him so cruelly. Harry is obviously above human frailty and is a forgiving, knowing and loving dog. He lives on a boat on the east coast in the north of England and has acres of sand to exercise on which he does with his new best friend a little brindle bitch called Tara. Harry not only found new owners but was reunited with his breeders who were distraught about the circumstances that led to him being rescued as all their puppies are sold on the condition that at whatever age there is a problem the dog should be returned to them. A little while ago there was a grand reunion when Harry met his Mum, his Dad and other dobie relatives. Here's hoping that Harry has many happy years aboard ship. A great ambassador for the breed.
Honey
Honey originally came up for rehoming with Snoopy however it was in her best interests that they be rehomed independently as she is like her name a neat and petite little bitch and was being overwhelmed by her litter brother. Honey now has a bouncy brindle boxer, also a rescue dog, to keep her company and he is quite protective and possessive about her. They live in a remote area of Cumbria in an old farm cottage and although the family work and children are at school, grandparents living next door in a renovated barn are also involved in the dogs wellbeing. It was just a short meeting with this dainty, friendly character whose young owner was off to sixth form classes when I called. Situated in lovely walking country with lots of rabbits about which caused a few problems with recall initially as Honey used to be a city girl and couldn't believe the fun you could have chasing them.! There are also quite a lot of sheep about so they have to be careful where the dogs go off lead.
Jinty
Nearly home, just a hundred miles to go and a warm welcome from couple who have adopted the jaunty Jinty. What a beautiful looking girl, a good sized bitch aged just 14 months old who oozes class and is in pristine condition. Absolutely doted on by her new owners, hopefully not to extreme, as this girl looks as though she has potential to excel in obedience and agility classs being well adjusted and laid back but with an active mind that would benefit from the interaction. Jinty was rehomed through no fault of her own, sad tale of elderly owner unable to give her the time and exercise she needs, Jinty had already obtained her KC Good Citizen's Bronze Award before moving. Hope to report that she will eventually be going for Gold!
Finally home to be greeted by our own rescue dobie and her ever patient companion Arnold.
Jenna
Lovely to see my girl again having been away for 10 days. Usual super mad greeting with Jenna grabbing the nearest tea towel or oven cloth to tear around the kitchen island wiggling as she goes, Arnold trying to get his nose in for a cuddle between her top speed mad bumps and circuits. It's over two years since Jenna joined us having had several homes before she was 18 months old now she has become such a confident wee girl, loves going to her socialisation and obedience classes and also shows a talent for agility. Successfully achieved all three KC Good Citizens Awards. Favourite occupation looking for bunnies in the sand dunes. First time we've had a rescue dog and the bond is just as strong as if we had raised her from a pup. Cannot exaggerate enough the pleasure we get looking at her curled up at night after a busy day, content and secure after a difficult start in life.
- Home
- About The DWA
- Dogs Needing Homes
- Featured Dogs
- More Dobies
- Success Stories
- Join The DWA
- Adopt A Dobermann
- Golden Oldies
- Long Term Dogs
- Make A Donation
- About The Dobermann
- Dobermann Advice
- Dobermann Health
- Older Dobies
- Dogs and Children
- Photo Gallery
- Do I Go Home Today?
- Contact Details
- Dobie Tales
- Links
- Dog News
- Prize Draw
- The Really ToughTuffie Challenge
- Dobie Cross Breeds
- The Dobie Trail
- FAQ
- Sitemap