I've been reading Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and I came across several uses of the word "dockle", usually in the context of light teasing. While I can find some small evidence online of its usage elsewhere, I can't find any actual explanation of its etymology or meaning. The book is set in a lower-class borough of Brooklyn in the early 1900's, if that helps.
Learn English – Meaning and etymology of the word “dockle”
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My Mom used the term "dockle" frequently. It was always used to mean a socially awkward person. Often clumsy or dim-witted, as well.
She was a first generation German, with immigrant parents from the Schwabia region. My Grandfather landed in Philadelphia around 1900, and my Mom was born in 1914. The household spoke mostly German until around 1925 or so. They referred to themselves as "Schwopes." And "dockel" was something I understood well, as a small kid.