We are a foster-based organization and as such, we do not have an actual physical location with hours of operation. We have foster homes throughout Ohio and currently arrange one-on-one meet and greets with approved adopters. Our mailing address is in Columbus, Ohio as this is a central location in the state.
1. Fully complete an application early even if you are not looking to adopt at this moment or there are no dogs that you think are a good match for you. Applications can take up to 2 weeks to process and we do not hold any dogs. Your application will be good for 6 months assuming you have not moved or added another person or animal to your home. If you have, you can recomplete the application with the updates!
2. Make sure all pets in your home are spayed/neutered, up-to-date on vaccines and on heartworm prevention. Please contact us if there are extenuating circumstances for your dog.
3. Give your veterinarian’s office and/or landlord, if applicable, a heads up that we will be calling. If you rent, make sure that there are no breed restrictions for Dobermans. Your application cannot move forward until we speak to all the required individuals.
▪ We are currently accepting applications in most of Ohio as well as southeastern Michigan and western Pennsylvania. This limited area is due to our requirement for one of our experienced volunteers to perform a home visit.
▪ Generally it is our policy to not place a dog in a family with children under the age of eight. Previously owning a Dobe or currently having a Dobe or other large breed dog in the home are examples that might result in exceptions to our policy. We do consider each application on a case-by-case basis.
▪ The following are required for all dogs in the home:
a. Your current pets must be spayed or neutered unless there are extenuating circumstances.
b. Your pets must be up to date on shots. Health exceptions will be verified and discussed with your vet.
c. Your pets must be on heartworm preventative. Although not required, flea/tick preventative is strongly encouraged.
d. Your pet should receive annual health checks with your veterinarian.
Although not required, a physical fence is always the safest and most desirable. If you have an underground/invisible-type fence, it must be from a reputable company that provides installation, training, and customer support such as Invisible Fence Brand, Dog Watch, and Pet Stop. With an underground/invisible-type fence or no fence, you will not necessarily be approved for all dogs. If we determine a physical fence is needed for a particular dog and you do not have one, we will help you find another dog that will be a better fit for your home. Our top priority is the safety and well being of our dogs.
Visit our Adoption Process page to apply today!
Within 3 days of sending your application to us we will confirm by email that we have received it. If you do not hear from us, please call us at (614) 470-2851. Following that, our next step will be to contact your vet and/or landlord, if applicable. Many times we are waiting for these individuals to respond to our requests. To help move the process along, please reach out and let them know we will be in touch. We cannot move forward with any application until we speak to these individuals, if applicable. Additionally, we may have emailed you some follow up questions, so be on the lookout for any emails from us.
Viewing the many purebred Dobermans on this website will help you narrow down which dog is a good match for you, your family, your home and lifestyle. Our dogs range in age, energy level, training needs and home requirements. This list is updated as new dogs become available for adoption so check back often. As an approved adopter, if there is a specific dog you are interested in meeting, please let us know at handmedowndobes@hmdd.org. We are knowledgeable and experienced with Dobes and the dogs in our rescue, and will work with you to find the right match for you as well as the dog. Our top priority is their safety and happiness. We appreciate that you stay open minded during the adoption process.
Occasionally we have puppies in our rescue. These pups can range in age but most often they are between 5 and 11 months old. Many times people think they want to adopt a puppy unaware of the time, patience, and commitment required to raise a high energy, highly intelligent Doberman pup. We carefully screen applicants that are interested in a puppy and will contact you if we believe you, your home and your lifestyle will be a good match for one.
Many of our dogs come from less fortunate situations and we are committed to carefully placing them into safe, stable and loving forever homes. To accomplish this goal we thoroughly screen all applicants. Hand Me Down Dobes reserves the right to deny any application at our discretion.
With that being said common reasons for denials can include but are not limited to:
▪ Current pets are not up to date on vaccinations and/or not on heartworm preventative.
▪ Current pet is not spayed/neutered without valid reason.
▪ Children under the age of eight living in the home.
▪ You live outside of our adoption area.
▪ Your landlord does not allow pets or has breed restrictions that include Dobermans.
Currently, we are not holding monthly adoption events but we are scheduling one-on-one meet and greets with approved adopters. Viewing the many purebred Dobermans on this website will help you narrow down which dog is a good match for you, your family, your home and lifestyle. Our dogs range in age, energy level, training needs and home requirements. This list is updated as new dogs become available for adoption so check back often. As an approved adopter, if there is a specific dog you are interested in meeting, please let us know at handmedowndobes@hmdd.org. We are knowledgeable and experienced with Dobes and the dogs in our rescue, and will work with you to find the right match for you as well as the dog. Our top priority is their safety and happiness. We appreciate that you stay open minded during the adoption process.
Purebred Doberman pups 12 months and younger – $500 Purebred Dobes between 1 and 8 years old – $400 Purebred Seniors 9 years and older – $300
Every adoptable dog in our rescue has received a comprehensive examination by a veterinarian, spay/neuter if not previously done, Rabies, DHLPP and Bordetella vaccinations if due, heartworm and fecal test and treated for any medical issues. The dog is placed on monthly preventative for fleas, ticks and heartworms. Our dogs are microchipped and the service is provided for the lifetime of the dog.
Dobermans are a very smart breed, thriving on physical and mental stimulation. Attending positive, reward based training classes with your dog starts you both out on the right foot and helps to form a strong bond between you and your new companion. This bond is very important which is why we do not accept sending your dog away for training. Any training method that uses fear and pain including shock, stimulation, or any other punishment-type collar is prohibited. We require that you and your new Dobe enroll in a positive, reward-based training class within 2 months of adoption.
Your application will be good for 6 months assuming you have not moved or added another person or animal to your home. If you have, you can recomplete the application with the updates. If you applied or adopted more than 6 months ago, please complete a new application.
If you need to rehome your purebred Doberman, please email pictures, descriptions, and why you need to make this decision. We will contact you and discuss if we are able to help. If you adopted your dog from us and you can no longer care for him/her, please contact us AS SOON AS POSSIBLE per your contract that you signed at adoption. We will ALWAYS take the dog back. We make that commitment to every Dobe who comes into the HMDD family.
Questions: Email us at HandMeDownDobes@hmdd.org.
We follow the Doberman Pinscher Club of America’s Code of Ethics. For more information visit the DPCA at www.dpca.org.
