Short answer: YES. 😁
The Doberman is very very trainable, he is capable of EVERYTHING, but he is difficult to train and educate if you don't know how to do it or if you go about it wrong. It matures very slowly, so it's a job for the next 2-3 years.
The Doberman is the only breed created to defend/protect its human, the other so-called guard breeds have been selected to protect a herd, a property, objects, a territory...
Why this is important to know before considering a Doberman, because it is IN HIM, he is Genetically coded for this.
How is this expressed in his behavior?
They are connected to the 220v of their human emotions.
They want constant visual and tactile contact.
They are on the lookout for what is happening around 24/7.
If he believes that a situation is not normal, he will react.
If his human loses his means, he will take the lead.
He makes connections/associations very quickly and not necessarily the ones you would have wanted him to make.
All these characteristics selected to make it an extraordinary dog at its job, can become a nightmare if not well managed.
To achieve a Doberman who understands the limits well and who can differentiate between a truly threatening situation and a bizarre but non-threatening situation (e.g. a clown handing out balloons, a drunk man staggering), there are many education work, training and work on the relationship of trust.
Don't mix love and trust, I love many people in life, but I wouldn't trust them all if my life depended on it.
For a dog, many situations in human life are abnormal, they make no sense. This is the importance of socialization and exposure when they are puppies. We show them that these things exist and that it's normal. Despite our good will and the time spent on socializing a puppy, it is impossible to be able to expose the puppy to ALL THE POSSIBILITIES of life during its first months. This can mean that even if we have had excellent socialization, one day a situation arises that the dog does not understand and it will react. There are also periods of fear during the puppy's growth which will accentuate these types of reactions. This is where the portion (working on the trust relationship) comes into play. If this strange new situation for your dog triggers a reaction (fear, insecurity, protection, etc.) as you have worked on the bond of trust, he knows that he can trust you to manage it, or he will imitate your behavior in the face. In this situation, or at most, you will tell him what to do and he will be happy/relieved to do it.
Always remember that genetics and instinct will be the dog's natural first response if it has not been taught or conditioned to produce another behavior.
Forget your ego, the Doberman will do everything to break it. The education of your Doberman will be long, laborious, punctuated with obstacles, questions, tears, frustrations and slowly, you will become proud, you will have a relationship fulfilling with your dog, and you will have the feeling of experiencing many more successes than failures.
