# Differences between German Shepherds, Dobermans and Rottweilers



## LoboFloppyEars (Oct 15, 2016)

Putting physical differences aside, these 3 dog breeds are very similar as far as temperament, trainability and intelligence goes. Yeah one sheds more than the other, but I'm asking y'all what the differences between these 3 breeds are from y'alls experiences?


----------



## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

Lordie, if you were at my DVG club this would be a common discussion. It seems that dobermans can be more...persnickety. If they don't like how you are handling things, they are more likely to shut down on you than a GSD will. We don't ever talk about rotties. There aren't any in the club. We have bouvier de flanders instead.


----------



## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

How are the Bouviers as working dogs nowadays? The ones I have known in Europe were kinda lazy and nothing like the original type. Many had soft hair and started to look like Labradoodles, only at that time the latter were not "designed' yet. This was about 20 years ago. Maybe things changed. I saw some in agility and they were sluggish.


----------



## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

I've only come to know a couple dobes and both didn't like cold weather. They looked miserable out in the snow and preferred to be in doors. They may be out there, but I haven't come across a GSD that didn't at least like snow, my 4 love it, I'd say winter is their favorite season.


----------



## Tennessee (Apr 13, 2017)

wolfy dog said:


> How are the Bouviers as working dogs nowadays? The ones I have known in Europe were kinda lazy and nothing like the original type. Many had soft hair and started to look like Labradoodles, only at that time the latter were not "designed' yet. This was about 20 years ago. Maybe things changed. I saw some in agility and they were sluggish.


Good examples are few and far between, I ended up passing on getting one even though I wanted one terribly. 

As bad as the GSD has been damaged, Bouvs are worse. 

It's sad, a 60 lb high drive dog that doesn't shed would be awesome.


----------



## Tennessee (Apr 13, 2017)

To answer the OPs question though,

Dobies are more handler sensitive they bond extremely closely with one person & even when most of them could work they had nerve issues. They were phased out of Marine Corps after WWII use due to numerous incidents of them attacking handlers under enemy fire. 

Rottweilers are cattle dogs not sheep dogs, and as such are more independent and stubborn. A flock of sheep isn't trampling a dog like cattle would, so sheepdogs aren't going to die from being overly obedient to a handler. 

There's a better way to put that, but I think you get the jist.


----------



## WIBackpacker (Jan 9, 2014)

wolfy dog said:


> How are the Bouviers as working dogs nowadays? The ones I have known in Europe were kinda lazy and nothing like the original type. Many had soft hair and started to look like Labradoodles, only at that time the latter were not "designed' yet. This was about 20 years ago. Maybe things changed. I saw some in agility and they were sluggish.


I've trained closely with four Bouviers. I like them. Three of the four were/are good herding dogs, the fourth didn't have the right drives and I believe she's now doing tracking and nosework.

Athletic (relative to their size), independent, very aloof - the one I see weekly literally does not care about anyone besides his handler. The rest of us humans are invisible. They are thinkers, not fast-twitch reactive.


----------



## Slamdunc (Dec 6, 2007)

LoboFloppyEars said:


> Putting physical differences aside, these 3 dog breeds are very similar as far as temperament, trainability and intelligence goes. Yeah one sheds more than the other, but I'm asking y'all what the differences between these 3 breeds are from y'alls experiences?


They are not at all similar in temperament, trainability and intelligence. Block headed dogs are different. Bouviers are more similar to Rotties than a GSD or Malinois would be. You have a lot to learn. :grin2:


----------



## LoboFloppyEars (Oct 15, 2016)

Slamdunc said:


> They are not at all similar in temperament, trainability and intelligence. Block headed dogs are different. Bouviers are more similar to Rotties than a GSD or Malinois would be. You have a lot to learn. :grin2:


Well from what I've heard they do sound very similar. All German dogs, rank in top 10 most intelligent dogs, blacklisted by insurance companies and apartment complexes, feared by the public, seen in the military and the police, considered the best breeds to be used in personal protection, and they do similar work. Okay yeah sure the Doberman is part of the working group and the Rottie and GSD are part of the herding group. GSD handles weather the best out of all 3 but sheds the most and Dobermans can't handle the cold but shed ver little.

I mean this is just going off of what I read and hear from trainers.


----------



## Kazel (Nov 29, 2016)

These are all very different dogs especially as the breeds have changed over the years. I would more closely look very hard into each individual breed. Dobermans can be difficult dogs and I would hesitate to recommend them. The ones I have seen need a very specific type of owner. Very clingy, intense separation anxiety is very common in the breed from the ones I've been around. 

Rotties, I've met very sweet ones and I've met very difficult ones. Highly depends on the breeding and training that is behind them. 

And then of course German Shepherds. The type of dog you are getting varies depending on breeding and lines. I personally think they are easier than either of the other two. But it really depends on the dog and you. 

These dog breeds are not what I would call similar though. And I like the mention of sheepdogs vs. cattle dogs.


----------



## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

Years ago my trainer said "with Goldens you pattern, GSDs you train, Dobes you negotiate". I've had several Dobes, and that's pretty accurate! I'd have another Dobe in a heartbeat if I could.


----------



## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

Dobes have some awful genetic timebombs in them that can go off in middle age. I grew up with GSDs, but I had a wonderful dobe in the 1990s...LOVED that brilliant, devoted, magical dog....but she died suddenly at 7. She literally dropped dead, after a perfect check-up a month earlier. If you google "sudden death in doberman" you'll find it's actually a real thing in this breed. Some say it's undiagnosed DCM (a heart defect), others think it's a different heart defect. Whether breeders have made progress on it, I don't know. I know way too many dobe people who lost dogs suddenly in that era, though.

After that heartbreak, I went back to GSDs. They seem to live longer, even with all the cancer problems in the breed. At least hemangio strikes later.


----------



## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

We have a bouvier breeder in our club. She was raising show line until we borrowed her fields for a tracking trial a couple of years back. She is now raising working line and has a couple dogs doing IPO. They aren't as biddable as GSDs, that is for sure. She admits her show line are beautiful but none too bright. 

We also had a member have his beautiful she-dobie drop dead at a very young age. He has a GSD about the same age as my big-boy but is thinking about getting another dobie pup if time allows. He loves both breeds, but finds training a dobie more challenging.


----------



## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

I've been pretty lucky with longevity in my Dobes. Had two of them live to be 14.


----------



## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

wolfy dog said:


> How are the Bouviers as working dogs nowadays? The ones I have known in Europe were kinda lazy and nothing like the original type. Many had soft hair and started to look like Labradoodles, only at that time the latter were not "designed' yet. This was about 20 years ago. Maybe things changed. I saw some in agility and they were sluggish.


I saw one at Costco a few weeks back ... most impressive. He had a "Service Dog" harness on it that had big 4 inch letters. The dog was impeccably calm and made a most impressive impressive presence by doing ... nothing! 

No one was eager to ask the guy may I pet??? I stood a respectful distance and asked if the dog was a Giant Schnauzer??? I think that ticked him but he did say no it's a Bouvier. His dog was great ... he did not seem to particularly friendly so I said thank you and went on my way. Still ... I would think that if your going to walk around town with a Breed that no one regularly sees ... you gotta expect questions?? But maybe I was the 25th time that day, he'd answered that question??? The dog was pretty neat to see in any case.


----------



## GypsyGhost (Dec 29, 2014)

Chip18 said:


> I saw one at Costco a few weeks back ... most impressive. He had a "Service Dog" harness on it that had big 4 inch letters. The dog was impeccably calm and made a most impressive impressive presence by doing ... nothing!
> 
> No one was eager to ask the guy may I pet??? I stood a respectful distance and asked if the dog was a Giant Schnauzer??? I think that ticked him but he did say no it's a Bouvier. His dog was great ... he did not seem to particularly friendly so I said thank you and went on my way. Still ... I would think that if your going to walk around town with a Breed that no one regularly sees ... you gotta expect questions?? But maybe I was the 25th time that day, he'd answered that question??? The dog was pretty neat to see in any case.


I think that since the man had a service dog, he probably just gets tired of fielding questions about his dog while trying to do normal every day things. I don't know. I typically don't ask questions about peoples' service dogs. You never know what service that dog is providing. Now, if he just had a Bouvier with him and no vest, I for sure would have been asking lots of questions!


----------



## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

WIBackpacker said:


> I've trained closely with four Bouviers. I like them. Three of the four were/are good herding dogs.


Can you post a website or name of the breeder(s)?


----------



## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

GypsyGhost said:


> I think that since the man had a service dog, he probably just gets tired of fielding questions about his dog while trying to do normal every day things. I don't know. I typically don't ask questions about peoples' service dogs. You never know what service that dog is providing. Now, if he just had a Bouvier with him and no vest, I for sure would have been asking lots of questions!


Oh I completely understand your point and normally I don't, interfere. 

But ... the guy was already stopped ... waiting for the crowd to clear some space. And it was my "impression" that it was not his dog but a dog he was training??? But I don't know just my impression. There's just something different about "Dog Trainers" ... I don't know what it is but I know it when I see it. 

To me ... if you simply don't want to deal with "The one is it question at all from JQP???" You go with the standard Lab, Golden or GSD. The new is a GSD a pointy eared Lab thing ... not with standing. 

I actually saw out here in the real world ... a "PTSD" Boxer I suspect!!! So but of course I had questions! The dog was at that moment with the lady's son and not her. He answered a few questions and when his mother who the dog actually worked for came out I backed away. My quick impression was ... that while the dog was calm ... she seemed way to interested in somebody else??? I did not get the sense that it was that focused on doing it's job?? More like a just barely focused sense of commitment??? And I know Boxers but again I backed off. 

I did see "One" Seeing Eye Boxer on TV many years ago! I just about fell out of my chair! That must have been a very time consuming and expensive dog to train??? I've never seen another such Boxer. 

But no normally no not matter how little intrusive, I may be I don't tend to interfere with "Service Dogs at work" ... so no worries.


----------



## cliffson1 (Sep 2, 2006)

I have owned and trained all three over the years, and bred GS and Rotts, they are NOT similar in temperament, drives, or training approaches in my experiences.


----------



## maxtmill (Dec 28, 2010)

I am just a pet owner, but I did chat with a woman in the vet's office who has raised both Dobies and GSDs. She said simply that her GSDs were in tune with her leadership, but she had to remind her Dobies of that fact daily. Very simple, but I thought it was interesting.


----------



## Nurse Bishop (Nov 20, 2016)

car2ner said:


> Lordie, if you were at my DVG club this would be a common discussion. It seems that dobermans can be more...persnickety. If they don't like how you are handling things, they are more likely to shut down on you than a GSD will. We don't ever talk about rotties. There aren't any in the club. We have bouvier de flanders instead.


Are you saying that Dobermans are more soft than GSDs?


----------



## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

From all my years of experience (pet dog training/ownership), I have found the GSDs to be the easiest to train. Especially when started out as pups, they seem the easiest in preventing problem behavior with consistent training. To me, they are so easy to read. Just a few reasons they are my favorite breed.
Had several Rotties in my class and they were lovely, easy going. Dobermanns were harder to train but I am sure much depended on their owners.


----------



## Nurse Bishop (Nov 20, 2016)

Yet Rottweilers are the second most killingest breed Dangerous Dog Breeds - DogsBite.org


----------



## LoboFloppyEars (Oct 15, 2016)

Nurse Bishop said:


> Yet Rottweilers are the second most killingest breed Dangerous Dog Breeds - DogsBite.org


Rottweilers like any popular breed are a victim of overbreeding and their number 1 enemy are BYBs. Doesn't help that they have a "trailer trash" and junkyard dog image.


----------



## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

I had an opportunity to see all of these Germanic breeds work -- not sport or trial training or sport - real work with security company that had contracts for rail lines and large lots 

training/decoy was young man who was a professional k9 handler in his home country Czechoslavkia .

Dobes - out and quickly .

The best Dobe I have ever seen is owned by friend who went to Sweden to get the dog.
Down ears , and long tail . STRONG dog . Body and attitude . Very impressive.
I've known the owner for a few years and so was involved in all the excitement and lead up to her
going and bringing back the pup . Saw him 2 days after arrival . Very chill - self confident .
Had talks about health concerns -- no wobblers, no cardio myopathy -- long lived . 

way back in the day --- early 1980's I got to see William Shatner , Captain Kirk , handle some of
his own home-bred Dobes at a dog show gala in Toronto -- nice dogs --- .

If they were all like the Swedish import I could like them very much --- 

Rottweilers -- had little endurance -- handled heat badly -- too stubborn not biddable .
Dismissed . 
I helped prepare two Rotts for competitive obedience . Handled one , owner/breeder handled another.
I was offered pick of any puppy , any litter , for my help. These dogs were gorgeous . I thought about
it - even bought some "breed" books -- .
At that time the Rottweiler club wanted to prevent the Rott from the GSD popular every-body owns one , every-body breeds one. They priced them at $5,000 for a pup - and that was back in 1987 .
Well that doesn't work long and so 10 years later there was a popularity surge in Rottweillers - some looking more like hounds, terrible temperament with the wrong type of people owning them --- and enough bite incidents to put them on the dangerous dog list . I seem to recall a fatality in south Durham area , a child mauled when she and a parent 
were walking on the sidewalk and had to pass the dog and handler.
This was at the time when the heat was on for the pit-bulls . 

Bouviers -- north american type which were brought along by one of the k9 handlers were told to stay at home 
flaky --

Bouviers -- another k9 handler had a mini breeding kennel and all his stock ws imported directly from Holland
totally different story --- good , stable , energetic working dogs.
They were smaller than the "show" type bred Bouv's and most of them were brindle .

he later formed his own security company with great success, using Bouv's to patrol .

I don't care for a dog who has its eyes hidden --- eyes are so important to the "read" -

I also like the natural tails -- which give another read on the dog .

differences between the breeds was vast . Nothing similar.


----------



## Hineni7 (Nov 8, 2014)

When I got my first Shepherd at 17, right next door neighbor got a doberman and directly across street neighbors got rottweilers. The dobe was very athletic and played with my female GSD well. Very springy. Rottweilers next door were nice dogs, a bit heavy and lumbery, but nice.. Difference was in work and handling of life. My girl handled things in stride, almost certified her trailing SAR (life happened and I moved) and her first helicopter ride was like no big thing. Rottweiler (LE K9) was a bit more nervous and very aggressive, was muzzled... Dobe next door barked and ran, barked and ran.. Looked impressive and scary, but if you pushed him, he back barked.. Rotties had breathing issues in the heat and endurance was low, but seemed to have stable temperament.. 

That helped solidify my, "I know I picked the best breed of the Germans" for me. No slam to any dobe, or rottie owners; I am sure there are good ones out there and they serve their purpose.. But for me? GSD's all the way!


----------



## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

My first obedience dog was a Dobe. I have trained with some very good dogs in all three breeds. If you are looking for a working dog, far better chance to find a good GSD than the either two breeds. 

Dobe's don't handle wet and cold well. The really good ones tend to be pretty hard in temperament, but there aren't a lot of those dogs out there. Super obedience, not always as good as tracking or protection dogs. They tend to be very athletic, but do have some awful health issues. 

Rotts handle the cold, but many do not handle the heat well. Even the short legged more show type are good jumpers. Always surprised me. They are not the greatest in protection work even when worked correctly, but, as I said about, I have trained with some very good ones. The males can be grumbly and not open to strangers. 

All three were bred for different reasons. The GSD created to be a utilitarian working dog, the Dobe a protection breed and the Rott was originally a drover. I am a GSD person. I like my jack of all trades.


----------



## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

Nurse Bishop said:


> Are you saying that Dobermans are more soft than GSDs?


it depends on the dog, of course. I've seen some that appear softer and some that just seem more stubborn. I watched one who knew exactly what he should have been doing. He's been working well for years, but his owner/handler wasn't feeling well. What looked like disobedience to some looked more like "I'm going to be the goof ball and try to make you smile" to me. But who really knows what goes on in the mind of a dog.


----------



## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

When my first Dobe was in training classes, the trainer was getting pretty repetitive when teaching "down". After several correct downs, my Dobe threw herself on the ground with her feet in the air and gave me a big goofy smile. Well, technically she was down, lol. She knew exactly what she was doing, and got a big laugh from everyone. Was the worst puppy I ever had, and turned out to be one of the best dogs you could ask for.


----------



## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

dogfaeries said:


> When my first Dobe was in training classes, the trainer was getting pretty repetitive when teaching "down". After several correct downs, my Dobe threw herself on the ground with her feet in the air and gave me a big goofy smile. Well, technically she was down, lol. She knew exactly what she was doing, and got a big laugh from everyone. Was the worst puppy I ever had, and turned out to be one of the best dogs you could ask for.


She was too smart for that trainer. Good for her! I love it when dogs teach you.


----------



## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

Once I discovered the clicker, she was delighted! Got to use her brain, and threw behaviors at me like crazy. She was a really fun dog.


----------



## Deb (Nov 20, 2010)

dogfaeries said:


> When my first Dobe was in training classes, the trainer was getting pretty repetitive when teaching "down". After several correct downs, my Dobe threw herself on the ground with her feet in the air and gave me a big goofy smile. Well, technically she was down, lol. She knew exactly what she was doing, and got a big laugh from everyone. Was the worst puppy I ever had, and turned out to be one of the best dogs you could ask for.


Enya has done that, also has turned in circles to decide the most comfortable spot to choose...


----------



## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Well I know only Rotties as pets, I never had one my friends did, two as a matter of fact, nice dogs but yeah they are "grumblers??" That seems to be a "Rottie thing??" We knew them for years and where they were ... Rotties seem to be the thing?? One of my friends neighbors as a matter of fact ... dragged a lose, Rottie into her house because she thought ... he was Bear ... she called my friend and my friend said ...uh ... that's not Bear, Bear is with me ... I don't know who that dog is??? Must have worked out ... no horror story followed. 


We had a friend that was a "Dobbie" person and she switched to a Rottie and one day she called us in a panic! She'd said every time she tries to get the dog to do something ... he growled, groused and grumbled! We laughed and said ... yeah they all do that ... your dog is fine. And he was on the other hand you don't want to tick one off! Inside of ten feet ... endurance is not really a factor.


----------



## Dunkirk (May 7, 2015)

I did see "One" Seeing Eye Boxer on TV many years ago! I just about fell out of my chair! That must have been a very time consuming and expensive dog to train??? I've never seen another such Boxer. 


I chatted years ago to a blind lady with her seeing eye dalmation years ago in Auckland, New Zealand. It was just after the Disney 101 Dalmations movie came out.


----------



## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Dunkirk said:


> I did see "One" Seeing Eye Boxer on TV many years ago! I just about fell out of my chair! That must have been a very time consuming and expensive dog to train??? I've never seen another such Boxer.
> 
> 
> I chatted years ago to a blind lady with her seeing eye dalmation years ago in Auckland, New Zealand. It was just after the Disney 101 Dalmatian's movie came out.


A Dalmatian really??? From what I understand ... despite the movie Dalmatians are pretty intense dogs??? 

Ah well there is always that guy ... I'm waiting for the first "Seeing Eye Bull Dog???" Maybe being close to the ground has it's advantages??


----------



## Dunkirk (May 7, 2015)

Chip18 said:


> A Dalmatian really??? From what I understand ... despite the movie Dalmatians are pretty intense dogs???
> 
> Ah well there is always that guy ... I'm waiting for the first "Seeing Eye Bull Dog???" Maybe being close to the ground has it's advantages??


Really!!! One thing I remember her telling me was it would eat the 'preloved' chewing gum it found when she took her dog on the bus.


----------



## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Dunkirk said:


> Really!!! One thing I remember her telling me was it would eat the 'preloved' chewing gum it found when she took her dog on the bus.


LOL I've not "seen" a Seeing Eye Bull Dog! I was saying I would like to see that done!! 

I can safely say ... such a Dog does not exist and there is next to no chance of it ever happening! Most likely it couldn't do that job, it would not want to and no one has that kind of time and patience. 

Right now on Boxerforum we have a member that wanted to train her own service dog and she chose a Boxer!! Sigh ... it's not going well but it's not what one would think the issues would be. 

She did a great job raising a Boxer but ... she's crushed because she says her dogs luv's everyone more than her! Strangers are the next best thing to baked bread for a typical well adjusted Boxer. 

People weighting in say uh yeah. Most likely, to many "yes please do's" to may I pet questions ... it would be all down here from there. It sounds like a very nice ... but not what she wanted. What she described sounds more like my GSD ...he pretty much does not give a crap about uh anyone other than me and my wife. 

I actually recommend a WL GSD to her with the right temperament of course. Apparently they are still out there doing the Seeing Eye/Service Dog Thing??? It does take the right dog, the right owner and proper training of course. So a re home or keep her Boxer and add a real service dog in another 7 months if another dog is an option for her??? At the bare minimum, she should have gotten a Euro Boxer as those are still "real working dogs." The American Lines Boxers, ... not so much ...but many of us luv them.

But no ... there are no Seeing Eye Bull Dogs.


----------



## LoboFloppyEars (Oct 15, 2016)

Sorry to bring this kind of dead thread back but I've heard claims that Dobermans are prone to random aggression and are more likely to be naturally aggressive than say GSDs. Is that true?


----------



## Tennessee (Apr 13, 2017)

LoboFloppyEars said:


> Sorry to bring this kind of dead thread back but I've heard claims that Dobermans are prone to random aggression and are more likely to be naturally aggressive than say GSDs. Is that true?


Depends entirely on the breeding as they have strayed significantly from their original intention, however, Doberman's as they were originally designed are personal protection dogs. 

A tax collector in Germany was also responsible for the local pound, a tax collector in those times would literally go door to door and notify people of their tax debt based on whatever criteria the Emperor & Parliament had decreed and would collect said debt in the same manner. A dangerous job that took him through bandit invested country, and could also lead to violence on the part of disgruntled tax payers. So he set out to cross breeds until he developed a highly loyal and obedient dog that would also be dominant and aggressive enough to protect him at a moments notice.

A true to type working Doberman is indeed what we now call a "sharp" dog which requires a skillful hand on the leash, it's not a family dog for the uninformed by any means. Of course based on the criteria i've just described its easy to see how especially susceptible to nerve & aggressiveness issues from poor breeding's it can be. 

Which is why you've probably heard that, a mix of poorly breed dogs & dogs true to type that were far too much for the owners skill level.


----------



## koenig (Jun 28, 2016)

I have owned Rottweiler's. Id say the biggest difference now VS say 15-20 years ago, is since the Rottweiler's have fallen to around 8th place in AKC registration popularity. The net here in North America, there is only a few decent breeders today. Just looked at the websites of clubs, forums and even Facebook. You'll see that there is not much for a show or sports enthusiast here in North America that owns Rottweiler's. A well bred Rottweiler is almost a unicorn in North America from breeders here. I like showing and also enjoy dogs sports. I'm now more into GSD's because there is more options to do both in the breed. And its also easier to find good breeders too. Id say the difference is in selection, its similar in Dobes, overall there just isn't many breeders in any dog venue sports or show with those breeds, too find an excellent dog without spending a large fortune. German Shepherds, its very easy to find a decent dog for anything you want to do!


----------

