This graceful and strong alpha dog breed is rising up in the ranks. He is getting more and more popular by the day. The Doberman Lab Mix is a regal breed that needs a confident dog owner and leader. But if you handle his personality, you will get an amazing puppy.
A fantastic family dog, he has protective instincts that will make him a good guard dog. Fast, loving, and trainable, these puppies love spending time with the family.
Meet The Breed
This breed has fittingly been named Doberdor puppy. It is a mixed breed between a Doberman Pinscher and a Labrador Retriever.
As a result, you have a hybrid dog that is intelligent, protective, loyal, and friendly. Some people also call it the Labraman.
In any case, it is an excellent guard dog that will become loyal and protective towards the family. At the same time, this large dog breed is playful and needs plenty of exercise and playtime.
If you live in an apartment, we would not suggest this puppy. They are not suited for apartment-living, since they need plenty of space to roam around.
Ideally, you want a safe and fenced yard and access to off-leash parks.
Meet The Parents
The best way to know more about the Doberdor puppy is to take a look at its parents. Let’s go.
Labrador Retriever
The first parent breed is the most popular dog according to The American Kennel Club. The Labrador parent is a sweet, lovable, friendly, and high-spirited companion. This puppy has enough affection for the entire family. Compared to its cousin breed, the Golden Retriever, the Lab is a bit warier around strangers.
In any case, many dog experts and behaviorists consider the Lab one of the friendliest puppies in the canine world. They come in yellow, black, and chocolate dense coats. Here are some common personality traits of the Labrador parent:
- Enthusiastic athlete that needs plenty of exercise
- Loves swimming and games like fetch
- Outgoing companion who loves spending time with the family
- Affectionate breed, yet a bit wary around strangers
Doberman
Next is the Doberman Pinscher. The Doberman parent is the larger dog of the two, standing between 27 and 28 inches and weighing around 80 pounds.
This puppy has a muscular body with a sleek, shiny, short coat in black, dark red, blue, or fawn color.
Considered to be people-oriented, this affectionate and sweet dog can be amazing when socialized properly. Loyal to their owners, they are good with children. One of the big challenges is they usually bond only to one person.
These puppies are powerful and energetic canines that need plenty of exercise. They can become irritable, and aggressive, and resort to destructive behavior without a proper amount of exercise.
The common personality traits of Dobermans include:
- Powerful and energetic dogs
- Amazing with children when socialized properly
- Incredibly loyal to their dog owner
- Strong protective instincts
Appearance
Let’s start with the appearance of your Doberman Lab Mix puppy. What can you expect? What will your Doberman Labrador mix look like?
Well, let’s start with size. Generally speaking, these puppies fall into the large dog breed category. They grow between 24 and 28 inches, but sometimes even larger. More often than not, they inherit the Labrador-like build, but with the longer legs and slimmer face of the Doberman parent.
Common colors of this designer dog include black, chocolate, tan, and fan. The coat can be solid or patterned. It depends on which parent breed has more dominant genes. They have a short coat that feels dense and has a straight texture. This breed will not shed a lot. That means once per week brushing will suffice in terms of grooming. But more on that later on.
Because of their coat, they do better in warmer climates than colder ones. They often inherit their Labrador parent’s love for swimming.
Temperament
When you have a hybrid dog, you can never be sure of the temperament. It is hard to predict which parent will have more dominant genes. With a purebred dog, it is easier, because there are standards set by The American Kennel Club.
But with a mixed breed, it is a toss-up. Generally, they fall somewhere in the middle. People view Dobermans as aggressive and dangerous dogs, but they are far from that. Yes, they do have an intimidating appearance, but they are friendly and affectionate. Yet, wary around strangers.
The Doberman Labrador mix will inherit its parents’ aloofness around strangers. They are friendly with their family, but not so much with people they do not. This is why socialization is essential, beginning at a young age. With socialization, you can reduce that alertness and protectiveness around strangers.
The good news is that both parents are loyal and friendly with the family members. So, you can expect an amazing family pet with some guarding tendencies.
And both parents love to play and perform in dog sports. Games like fetch are a great option for bonding and spending time together with your puppy.
Training
We mentioned that a Doberman Lab mix will benefit from socialization early on. Because of their guarding tendencies and protective nature, training is a must as well. The good news is they respond well to positive reinforcement training.
Dobermans and Labs are food-driven and motivated. With a bunch of treats and dog food, you can make them do almost anything.
The first thing you need to pay attention to is their protective nature. Train them to be friendlier around people by associating people’s interactions with positive things.
Another thing you have to pay attention to is jumping at people. Because of their large size, they can be a bit intimidating when they jump. Work on obedience training and teach your puppy to sit when greeting guests and people.
Do not ignore the Labrador part of your puppy. These dogs are retrievers and might follow scents when they are outside. Work on your recall game. And use their sniffing tendencies to your advantage by playing scent games.
Exercise Needs
We talked about how both parents are highly energetic and outgoing canines. When it comes to the exercise needs of your designer dog, we have to stress that both physical exercise and mental stimulation are important.
Generally speaking, they need between 45 and 60 minutes of exercise per day. But the good news is they are amazing companions. That means you can take them with you jogging, hiking, or playing in the park.
Health
Both parents here are generally healthy, suffering from regular illnesses that plague large dogs. That means hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia.
But the good news is that when you cross two dogs, you lower the risk percentage. Schedule regular veterinary visits. Another problem that might arise is Wobbler’s Syndrome.
Grooming
We talked previously about how your Doberman mix is likely to have a short coat. They do not shed a lot. Generally speaking, bushing them once per week is more than enough.
Besides brushing, you should clean your dog’s ears and paws and inspect nails. Bath them only when they are dirty. Remember, this puppy has an affection for swimming. After they swim, wash them off with plain water to remove chlorine from the coat.
Why Shouldn’t You Get One?
- Doberman Lab mixes need a lot of space to roam and run freely
- They need plenty of exercise, and if not, they resort to destructive behavior
- Training can be a challenge. They need a firm, consistent, and experienced dog owner
Why Should You Get One?
- An incredibly loyal puppy that will never leave your side
- An extremely intelligent puppy that picks up commands and cues with ease
- Great family dog that loves to play games with the family’s close circle
