KMD
Well-Known Member
My DDB girl is my second ever dog and I am completely in love with her.
She is a "Velcro" dog.. if I am around, she will spend the majority of that time stuck to the side of my leg!
Yes, vet care will be expensive... I took out pet insurance as soon as I got her at 9 weeks. However you can avoid a lot of the "ordinary" stuff by being careful of their diet. I'm researching the switch to raw at the moment as she has a bit of a delicate tummy... the only ordinary dry food she sees to be able to tolerate is Royal Canin Giant Puppy but raw is much, much better for her so I am phasing that in at the moment. So be prepared to spend a lot of time working on their diet to get it right.
Energy levels... I was prepared for a low energy dog. Not always the case! While they might conserve energy, in my experience they can and will run you off your feet when so inclined. My DDB and her English Staffy brother play crazy games of chase in the backyard and she can run him off his feet, even when she was a little puppy.
They snore! Really, really snore! She only really drools when eating and drinking although that might change as she gets older.
Definitely do not get a DDB unless you are willing to spend the majority of your time with them. They are not a breed you can leave in the backyard and ignore. Even leaving them alone for a long work day will be too much when they re younger. I made the decision to leave my DDB at doggie daycare while I was at work up until 6 months of age for both socialization and human interaction. Expensive, yes... but now I have a happy and well socialized DDB.
She is a "Velcro" dog.. if I am around, she will spend the majority of that time stuck to the side of my leg!
Yes, vet care will be expensive... I took out pet insurance as soon as I got her at 9 weeks. However you can avoid a lot of the "ordinary" stuff by being careful of their diet. I'm researching the switch to raw at the moment as she has a bit of a delicate tummy... the only ordinary dry food she sees to be able to tolerate is Royal Canin Giant Puppy but raw is much, much better for her so I am phasing that in at the moment. So be prepared to spend a lot of time working on their diet to get it right.
Energy levels... I was prepared for a low energy dog. Not always the case! While they might conserve energy, in my experience they can and will run you off your feet when so inclined. My DDB and her English Staffy brother play crazy games of chase in the backyard and she can run him off his feet, even when she was a little puppy.
They snore! Really, really snore! She only really drools when eating and drinking although that might change as she gets older.
Definitely do not get a DDB unless you are willing to spend the majority of your time with them. They are not a breed you can leave in the backyard and ignore. Even leaving them alone for a long work day will be too much when they re younger. I made the decision to leave my DDB at doggie daycare while I was at work up until 6 months of age for both socialization and human interaction. Expensive, yes... but now I have a happy and well socialized DDB.