Acquired: Breeder (professional)
Gender: Female
Training: Books
When my dad brought home a Doberman puppy for me, everyone thought he was mad. They immediately spoke of the breed being one of the most dangerous, a 'Devil Dog' or said "You'll be sorry when the dog turns on you". We called her Tara, and she turned out to be a gentle, loving, almost timid dog. We were able to train her to do agility tricks quite easily, as well as basic obedience such as 'sit' and 'lie down'.
Despite being a shy dog, she was still an effective 'guard dog' and the breed's reputation was enough for ne'er-do-wells to keep away from our property. Her bark was definitely worse than her bite!
You do need a degree of strength to own a dog of this size, as you need to be able to control it in unforeseen circumstances, but if you are considering a Doberman, please don't be out off by the perceived bad reputation, and give this beautiful breed a go!