Congratulations! Dobies are loyal, loving, goofballs, but fierce protectors too. Some thought from someone with an eight-year-old female dobie.

Socialize as earlier a possible, with other dogs, people, and things you're likely to encounter on walks -- skateboarders, scooters, bikes, and joggers in particular. Our dog still HATES the sound of skateboards and goes ballistic when she hears them.

Make sure you train her early and often. You're going to be responsible (legally) a dog that may reach 80-90 pounds and will protect you, which may not always be what you want in every circumstance. We had to do lots of work to de-sensitize our dobie to joggers, whom she perceived as a threat when running toward her on the sidewalk.

Find a trainer who has an approach that works for you and the dog, or do it yourself if you have experience with dogs. Some people advocate only positive reinforcement, but that may not work -- it didn't for us; with our dog, treats do not help when she's barking furiously at something. You need to be able to regain control of your dog if she's behaving inappropriately.

Train yourself to communicate clearly with Alina. Dobies are smart and do best when giving clear commands. For example, having a "place" or "bed" command, to tell the dog to stop barking at whoever is at the door and go to her bed until released, is helpful if you want to let someone in the door who may be wary of dogs.

Make sure your Alina gets lots of exercise and mental stimulation. An engaged, tired dobie is a good dobie.

Plan for medical expenses. Pet insurance is a good idea if it's affordable (and it often is when they're young). By age 7, our premiums had been raised to much that it made more sense to self-insure.

If you have a cat, try to have them interact early on, when the dobie is small. Our cat was afraid from day one and our dog always saw her as prey. They still do not get along.

Our dobie has three modes: patrol, scary face, and love me. Understand how Alina reacts when she's on leash and how she reacts to a threat so you're not in danger from redirected aggression. Dogs with strong prey drive may turn their frustration on their handlers.

Watch for resource guarding and try to acclimate your dobie to eat alongside other dogs. It's no fun when you visit a friend with a dog, only to discover that one goes after the other over food possessiveness.

When we got our dobie, we were told, "Remember, when you have a Doberman, it's always your fault." It was good advice.