I have two Dobermans which I bought from a well-known breeder/kennel.When they grew up, they were very sweet and friendly, but I could notcontrol them when I would walk them together, so I brought them back to the kennel for a 10 day obedience school. The dogs stayed at the kennel during this time. When I got the dogs back, they would growl at me and they seemed constantly angry. Then, one of the dogs attacked me verybadly when I made a routine correction, and he could have killed me. Ican tell that something was done during the training which changed thetemperament of my dogs and that this is what caused the attack. The people at the kennel deny that they did anything wrong, and they refuse to take any responsibility or to help me with the very large medical expenses which I have. Can you do anything for me?

A: The scenario you described is not as uncommon as you might think.  There are two issues that jump out at me. First, the kennel selling you two Doberman puppies. There are many reputable Doberman breeders who will not sell more than one Doberman to any prospective owner.  These are extremely powerful and potentially dangerous dogs and the ability of an average dog owner to control multiple Dobermans and other similar breeds such as Rottweilers, is very difficult. Depending upon your experience with dogs, your family arrangement, the type of property you live in, it may well have been a breach of care for the breeder to sell you multiple Dobermans. 

The change in the dog's temperament following the training raises a number of red flags. First, proper training of dogs always involves the dog owner. Knowledgeable, professional dog handlers/trainers include the dog owner in the training of the dog. The change in the temperament of the dog would seem to indicate that the dogs were trained and corrected in a harsh manner. In order to establish this, a good deal of formal discovery will be needed. There may well be training videos available at the kennel. The use of animal behaviorists as expert witnesses in such a case may also be necessary. This type of a case can be very complex and expensive, and these theories of liability can only be pursued properly in the most serious type of case. We have successfully developed cases along the lines described above and have achieved very significant recoveries for both adults and children based upon these theories of liability.