The Doberman Pinscher

[Dobified]

About the Doberman

The Doberman was officially recognized in 1900 by the AKC and is an elegant yet muscular, quick and powerful dog. Other adjectives commonly used to describe the breed are intelligent, versatile, easily trained, determined, fearless, assertive and loyal. That’s just about everything you could want in a companion animal. But that adorable puppy will soon become not only a graceful and affectionate companion, it will also become very attached to its owner and family and will mature into the ultimate in personal and home protection. The Doberman is naturally protective and does not need additional “protection training” to be a fine guard dog. Dobies are well known for their desire to please the human they own. And they are very intelligent. Just about the only thing they can’t learn is what you don’t teach them!

A Doberman likes to be physically close to its family members. In fact, it is also often described as a “Velcro” dog. That’s because it will almost always want to be wherever its owner is and usually in physical contact with him or her if it can manage it. There’s something funny about at 75 pound lap dog, don’t you think? Dobermans are definitely great house dogs. They can be yard dogs too, but they prefer to be close to their humans. If you do keep them outside, please have a yard large enough to provide them with plenty of exercise which they desperately need.

Although Dobermans have the "reputation" of being very aggressive, even vicious, this is simply not true in the vast majority of cases. Any animal that is not properly cared for has the potential of becoming unbalanced, and even dangerous. Of course, you can make a Doberman vicious but that is true of any breed. Only cruel, unprincipled and immature owners think making a dog vicious is “neat”. As a rule, and when given a good home and kind treatment, they are very sweet and gentle and are really excellent with the elderly, the infirm and with children. They are merely big, protective babies who are devoted to their human children as well as any other pets in the home. That being said, due to their protective natures, it may not be a good idea to leave your Doberman with unsupervised children. As with many protective breeds, Dobermans will be very good companions for their own human children but they may be over-protective and misread the shouting and rough-house play of other children as a threat to their children. This isn’t very likely but it is something to consider.

Dobermans are active and should be consistently and thoroughly trained to be a good pet. For this reason, they do best with an experienced owner (but even humans can learn!) so, if you are a first time owner, it is best to learn as much about them as you can before you take on the responsibility of owning this canine thoroughbred. Fortunately, there are many good sources available in book form and on the internet. Pet stores and veterinarians are also excellent sources of advice.

Many make the mistake of wanting to become “backyard” breeders only to learn too late the inordinate amount of time necessary and the rather surprising expense of being a Doberman breeder. In fact, just the expense of owning and caring for a single puppy will convince most owners that becoming a breeder is far from being the “money making hobby” which many uninformed people think that it is. Experts estimate that it costs $6,400 to raise a medium sized dog to 11 years, so, if you’re in it solely for the money, you’re going to have to sell a lot of puppies and "work like a dog" just to break even.

The Doberman Pinscher is instinctively alert, loyal, loving, and has a watchful temperament. He is naturally protective of those he loves, and uses his keen intelligence to weigh various situations. Unless neglected and bored, the Doberman is a quiet dog. Usually when there is barking, there is a good reason to check out the source of the dog's concern.

Today's well bred Doberman is not prone to outbursts or temper, although, unstable dogs of poor breeding stock can be found in this as well as other breeds. It is to be stressed that poor temperament is more a sign of careless breeding by unknowledgeable persons than a characteristic of the Doberman. It is vital that potential puppy owners be sure of the quality of the parent stock and have a trusting and communicative relationship with the breeder of their pup.

The Doberman is a healthy and hearty dog with few inherent illnesses. A good breeder will take caution to breed only those dogs that have a clear health history, having passed all health and genetic testing specific to the breed. Most important of these tests are

• *VWD by DNA for Von Willibrands Disease
• OFA Certification for hips
• Temperament must also be closely examined and any dog showing temper or an intolerant attitude must be immediately eliminated from the breeding program.

Whether you are looking for a companion, a dog for agility, AKC conformation showing, tracking, obedience work, or many of the other dog related activities, the Doberman is the dog to look toward.

Doberman Fast Facts:

Size:

Males: 26-28 inches tall. Females: 24-26 inches tall.
Males: 70-90 pounds. Females: 60-75 pounds.

Life expectancy:

10-13 years with 9.6 being the average life span given proper nutrition and care. At one year, the females are usually close to being their adult height and further growth is mostly in mass. Males will continue to grow over the next year and may even add a few inches of height. At 12 months, a puppy has become an adult. A male is considered to be in his “prime” at 3+ years and a female at 2 to 3 years. From 1 to 6 years of age, a Doberman is enjoying life and is a great joy to his owner. Dobermans begin collecting their senior citizen discounts at about 7 years of age. They begin to slow down and may begin experiencing the “aches and pains” of aging. They may require a special diet and trips to the vet become more common. Heart problems and cancer are major concerns as are teeth and joints. Examine your friend for lumps/bumps or anything which looks different. Unusual behavior may indicate a problem which should be attended to by the dog’s vet.

Color:

The Doberman comes in a variety of colors, black and rust, black and tan, red and rust, blue, and fawn (known as an “Isabella“). The "blacks" usually will have the thickest coats while "reds" have less hair per square inch than a black. "Fawns" and "blues" are also referred to as dilutes. They have a much thinner coat than even most reds. We do not highly recommend breeding the dilutes because they have a high incidence of thyroid insufficiency and coat loss and there have been other adverse health factors associated with them. Therefore unless a buyer specifically requests one, we usually try to avoid producing the fawns and blues and concentrate on producing the healthier "blacks" and "reds" with rich colors and stable coats.

Whites are also possible but are considered to be a genetic abberation and are very prone to disease, a wide variety of illnesses, temperament problems, congenital defects and early deaths. In addition, they are not recognized by the AKC. Reputable breeders are making a conscientious effort to breed away from the production of whites, will not sell a white and you should never pay extra for one. An unscrupulous seller will point out how rare they are…. And thankfully so because they will have many, many problems, their lives will be miserable and they will be the cause of eventual, if not immediate, heartache and expense for their owners.

On the standard Doberman, rust markings should appear on the muzzle, the throat, above the eyes, the front of the chest, beneath the tail and on all legs and feet. A small white patch less than one-half inch square is permissible on the chest. Of course, if you don’t plan to “show” your dog in competition, who cares? They’re all lovable.


Living Conditions:

Dobermans will do okay in an apartment if sufficiently exercised but do best in a medium to large-sized yard. The Doberman is a “working class” dog and may therefore display nervousness, destructiveness, excessive barking and other undesirable behaviors if it is deprived of exercise and training.

Dobermans are very temperature sensitive. In general, if you are uncomfortable with the temperature, your Dobie will be as well. Dobermans are definitely not cold weather dogs. Insulate their dog houses in the winter. If possible, also provide a safe winter heat source in the dog house if they are to be kept outside for any length of time. Provide them with lots of shade and fresh water in the summer. DO NOT EVER lock you dog in a car on a hot summer day even with the windows slightly opened or even for “just a short time". It is a terrible way to die.

[barnjess]

Thats good info, I think there should be something like this for every breed! So are white dobys seen the same way as white boxers?

[Dobified]

White dobes are a serious genetic fault and should never ever be bred. They are true albinos with all the genetics problems associated with albinos.

Honestly I am not sure if white boxers are true albinos or not so I can speak for that.

[Blaze]

That is great info! I love learning about different breeds and Dobermans are such a neat dogs! I've only had the pleasure of knowing a few but they were far from aggressive! They could be trusted completely around children and strangers and the last one I met absolutely loved Lilly! lol

[Dobified]

They usually are huge babies. Jenna is the epitomy of " velcro " she sticks to you and has to be touching you all the time.

[dobermom]

GREAT threads Dobified, lots of great info!!

[rottidobbicross]

My grandma has raised and breed dobis for a long time and they are wonderfull dogs. Very good companions and like you said, never aggresive. I grew up with dobis and know that they truly are a wonderfull breed.

[rutylr]

The Doberman Pinscher, often mispelled as Doberman Pinchers, originated in Apolda, Germany around 1890. It takes its name from Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann. Herr Dobermann crossed old-type German Shepherds with German Pinschers to achieve his perfect dog. Rottweilers, Black-and-Tan Terriers, and Greyhounds also added to the brew. Louis Dobermann was aiming to breed a giant terrier for agility combined with strength and guard-dog qualities. The breed was originally called Doberman's Dog. The name Pinscher which means terrier was later added.

The Doberman has absorbed the good qualities of the breeds that have contributed to its foundation. The exact genesis of the Doberman is not known, but listed below are suggestions that appear to make up the ancestry of the Doberman:

The Rottweiler was used in the development of the breed due to its massiveness and intelligence. This very solid dog also possessed great stamina, and had excellent tracking ability. Sometimes the Rottweiler strain can be seen in a Doberman with a "wavy" coat.
The Old German Pinscher (now extinct) - Black and tan, smooth coat, and energetic. Alertness and aggressiveness
The Black and Tan German Shepherd - Giving the early Doberman a heavy grey undercoat.
The Beauceron contributed size and color to the Dobermann bloodline. The Beauceron was a solidly built dog, very alert, and was known to be intelligent as well.
Sporting Dogs was used to lengthen the head - attentive, loving, and territorial.
Weimaraner - Points, retrieves, good nose for tracking. Possible introduction of the gene for producing the blue Doberman.
Blue Dane - Ferocious - used for boar hunting.
Manchester Terrier – It was used to improve the coat, head type, eye color, and rust markings. This cross was used again six years later.
English Greyhound - Would account for the black in color, additional height, stamina, and the speed of the Doberman.
The first official records of the Doberman appear in the stud books of the Dobermannpinscher Verein stud book of 1890 in Germany.

Otto Goeller, who became very interested in the breed and used the kennel name of Thuringen, is credited with further refining and stabilizing the breed. In 1889, Herr Goeller established the first "Dobermann Pinscher Club." . Herr Goeller, along with a fellow townsman Herr Gorswin who bred dobermans bearing the kennel name of Groenland, produced several of the most important Dobermanns in the breed's history. These dogs can be found in the ancestry of the modern Dobermann.

[Dobified]

That is great info Donna, thanks for adding that. I actually have read alot of that before.

It has been said that the manchster terrier has no relation at all to the Doberman other then looking like a small Doberman.

There is a alot that is not known on what was used to create this wonderful breed but whatever he used I am forever grateful for my Dobes and will more then likely never change breeds again, once a dobie lover always a dobie lover hence my stage name: Dobified....

[rutylr]

I have been looking up why the ears were croped.I know inalot of the fighting dogs the ears were croped so the other dog could not grab them.I could not find out why they were done on the Doberman.