Hi Dino,
Three years ago I purchased my first Doberman for my partner who had
grown up with them all her life. While she has no problems off
leads at the big local dog parks here in Australia she has always
been painful when being walked on a lead. As I plan on relocating
to the UK myself next year and have been preparing the animals for
transport I though it was about time I tried once again to get her
to pull a little less while on the lead. As such my girlfriend now
takes her to the local dog training park once a week where they rely
solely on positive reinforcement through treats etc. Now I must say
I had major doubts but after 5 weeks (about half way through the
course) she is beginning to get better. With this in mind however
we must follow some simple rules such as not being feed first or she
has no interest and always praising when she is being good. So it
may be a bit early to call but I may now be a believer!
With regards to not feeding before exercise my local vet also
suggested that this is a good idea for Dobermans as it puts too much
weight on there heart???
Regards,
Brendan