Dobermans in Military Housing

Sign the Petition : 5,765 Letters and Emails Sent So Far

In January, the Department of the Army released a memo stating a new breed specific ban for all on base housing. The ban targets Pit Bulls (including American Staffordshire Terriers and Staffordshire Bull Terriers), Rottweilers, Chow Chows, Wolf-Hybrids, Dobermans and crosses of these breeds. This ban also includes other dogs that demonstrate a propensity for dominant behavior such as:

Unprovoked barking, growling, or snarling at people approaching

Aggressively running along fence lines when people are present

Biting or scratching people

Escaping confinement to chase people

Every military branch has this same policy. So far it is ONLY the Army who has decided to add Dobermans to their list. Dobermans have played a major role in our military’s history and the Army apparently couldn’t care less.

Dobermans are very loyal, gentle and docile creatures. They are excellent with children, seniors, and everyone in between. I have done my research and can’t find a single bite incident regarding a Doberman on a military installation. My grandmother (who dislikes all dogs) has even commented on how well behaved and good natured my DOBERMAN is over all the other dogs she has been around. So why is my girl banned? She is not just a pet, she is my child. Why is it that my neighbor’s German Shepherd is allowed on post? Every time I go out into my own yard, I get barked and growled at by that evil thing. Myself, and a lot of people I know, are more afraid of Chihuahuas than Dobermans. The banning of a dog should be based on individual temperaments, not a specific breed.

When my husband and I recently moved into base housing, due to money issues, I was told, not asked, to get rid of my Doberman or live off post. No exceptions. It did not matter that my husband has dedicated the last six years of his life to the Army, spending one tour in Korea and two in Iraq. It didn’t matter that he is actually employed by the Army as an explosive dog handler. It didn’t matter that he spent 800 training hours at Lackland AFB becoming the excellent dog handler that he is today… nothing mattered.

How are current military families expected to want to reenlist if they cannot even be trusted with their own animal? Until recently, we had planned to stay Army until retirement. Now, we’re giving serious thought to rejoining the civilian world. When weighing the options staying in no longer makes much sense. We can’t afford to live off post, and we certainly won’t be giving up our silent family member.

I’m writing this petition in the hopes of opening some new eyes to this subject. I am not only writing this for myself, but also for the other families that have been hit with this ridiculous policy, and for the potential future military families. I can only hope that my cause will be taken seriously by my politicians, and others. I’m asking you congress, to please help me keep my family and others together.		Dobermans in Military Housing

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People signing the "Dobermans in Military Housing" petition!

  1. Mon., Feb. 8, 2010 9:17 PM    link Cecilia N. | Burson, CA

    I was one of those people who believed Dobermans to be agressive, unpredictable and unreliable. I was wrong, they are superb animals, with a higher awarness than most breeds. Please remove this breed from your "bad citizen" list.

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  3. Mon., Feb. 8, 2010 2:41 PM    link Elena D. | North Branford, CT

  4. Mon., Feb. 8, 2010 2:23 PM    link Edgar K. | Warsaw, NY

    We have had 4 good Dobermans and they never bit anyone. I was bitten by a toy poodle and also by a beagle however! Our dogs were loyal and very smart, we took them to parks where they played with children and other dogs, never a problem.

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  6. Mon., Feb. 8, 2010 2:22 PM    link Edgar K. | Warsaw, NY

    We have had 4 good Dobermans and they never bit anyone. I was bitten by a toy poodle and also by a beagle however! Our dogs were loyal and very smart, we took them to parks where they played with children and other dogs, never a problem.

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  8. Sun., Feb. 7, 2010 8:55 PM    link Jo Anne L. | ,

    I live in Canada but had adopted a total of 3 Dobermans in the past from DRU, these dogs are loyal and sweet and do not attack anyone or anything unless provoked. I cannot believe that these dogs are on a banned list, I currently own a male Dobe who is my best friend and protector. I do not feel that this wonderful breed should be classified with pit bulls!!

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  10. Sun., Feb. 7, 2010 8:49 PM    link Jana D. | Warwick, RI

  11. Sun., Feb. 7, 2010 12:20 PM    link McKayla C. | Acton, ME

  12. Sun., Feb. 7, 2010 10:53 AM    link Gail P. | Halifax, MA

    My baby...........rescue dog.........sleeps in my bed under the covers with myself and two cats.
    She visits with the little children next door and loves them.
    Now, seriously, does my baby who I adopted sound like a dog that needs to be banned?
    This is my third Doberman and I have never had issues with any of these kids.

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  14. Sat., Feb. 6, 2010 5:14 PM    link Paul D. | Pittsburgh, PA

    Find the people who wrote this rule and ban THEM from bases. Certainly such stupidity should be removed from our military!

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  16. Sat., Feb. 6, 2010 9:27 AM    link Joan M. | Sparta, NJ

    No dog breed is innately vicious or aggressive. They are trained (either intenionally or unintentionally) to be that way. Please stop making responsible dog owners pay for the acts of the irresponsible!

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  18. Sat., Feb. 6, 2010 6:10 AM    link Ellen R. | Mamaroneck, NY

  19. Fri., Feb. 5, 2010 11:18 AM    link HELENE D. | Morehead City, NC

    THIS IS AN OUTRAGE, IT'S NOT THE DOG -IT'S THE OWNERS WHO SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE.WE HAVE HAD DOBIES HOW OVER 20 YEARS -NEVER HAD ANY BAD INCIDENTS-THEY WERE THE GREATEST PETS FOR OUR CHILDREN AND FAMILY.I FIND THIS "MILITARY HOUSING" TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY-THESE CANINES HAVE ALWAYS SERVED THEIR COUNTRY ABOVE REPROACH IN PEACETIME AND IN WAR. EACH DOG SHOULD BE EVALUATED ON ITS OWN BEHAVIOR BUT THE OWNERS SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.

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  21. Fri., Feb. 5, 2010 8:22 AM    link Jackie K. | Bellingham, MA

  22. Fri., Feb. 5, 2010 7:15 AM    link Ann D. | Wingdale, NY

    I recently saw a show on the military channel that showed Dobermans, along with Shepherds, being trained and used by the military in World War II. The soldiers that trained with them had nothing but love and admiration for the dogs that they served with noting their ease of training, loyalty and most of all friendship. The military should look at their own history books! My Doberman is gentle, obidient & sweet. She is a loyal companion. We recently lost her brother to cancer, and he was a "big mush" too. My dogs are not the exception, they are the norm for this noble, beautiful breed. People are sadly misinformed when it comes to Dobermans and truly shocked when they see how friendly and loving my dog is. This is the only breed I will EVER have.

  23. This comment has been reported to the site manager. It will be reviewed and removed if inappropriate. Thank you!

  24. Thu., Feb. 4, 2010 9:25 PM    link theresa a. | West Haverstraw, NY

    in the past i have had 2 dobermans they were both adopted from pounds. all though i have had many other dogs in my life none were as sweet and obedient as the 2 dobies. right now i have a rottie mix and i love her but if i was to come across a dobie that needs a home i would be more than glad to adopt it too. i truly believe there is no breed of dog that is dangerous it is the people who mistreat them, which i am sure would make a poodle mean terry annunziata ny

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  26. Wed., Feb. 3, 2010 10:55 PM    link Jennifer W. | Raymond, NH

    I have owned Dobermans for forty years straight, all rescues, and have NEVER had any of your listed issues with the dogs.

  27. This comment has been reported to the site manager. It will be reviewed and removed if inappropriate. Thank you!

  28. Wed., Feb. 3, 2010 11:16 AM    link Laura O. | Jamaica, NY

    I find every breed ban ridiculous, as only dogs which are actually proven dangerous should be banned. Few breeds are actually potentially dangerous across the board, with few to no members of that breed being exceptional. Of all mentioned, the doberman is among the least threatening if anything.

    Even the pit bull is actually originally a mascot of the marine corp, and dobermans have served the military faithfully for decades. The military should know, of all people, that the doberman and all other dogs are what you make them. How you breed and train them means everything, and even military dobes, certainly police dobes, today, are stable, mannered dogs. Tons of families have them with no issues, and I myself have met tons of friendly ones.

    Don't be so ignorant that a black and tan dog with a pair of ears cut to be erect, is all it takes to support misguided predjudice.

  29. This comment has been reported to the site manager. It will be reviewed and removed if inappropriate. Thank you!

  30. Tue., Feb. 2, 2010 6:20 PM    link Name not displayed | Augusta, GA

  31. Tue., Feb. 2, 2010 6:20 PM    link Jana S. | Bettendorf, IA

  32. Mon., Feb. 1, 2010 4:40 PM    link Julie B. | Salem, NH

    Dobermans are one of the most gentle and beautiful dogs I have ever owned. It is not the dog that is bad it is the owner. They are loyal and very obedient. I couldn't imagine my life without a Doberman in it.

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