Videos Doberman Pinscher Breed Information
Alternative names
Dobermann
Country of origin -
Germany
Common nicknames -
Dobe,
Dobie
Classification and breed standards
FCI:|Group
2 Section 1 #143|Stds
AKC:|Working|Stds
ANKC:|Group 6
(Utility)|Stds
CKC:|Group
3 - Working Dogs|Stds
KC
(UK):|Working|Stds
NZKC:|Utility|Stds
UKC:|Guardian
Dogs|Stds
The Doberman Pinscher (alternatively spelled
Dobermann in many countries) or
Doberman is a breed of
domestic dog. Doberman Pinschers are among
the most common of pet breeds, and the breed is well known as an
intelligent, alert, and loyal companion dog. Although once commonly
used as guard dogs, watch dogs, or police
dogs, this is less common today. In many countries, Doberman
Pinschers are one of the most recognizable breeds, in part because
of their actual roles in society, and in part because of media
stereotyping (see temperament). Careful
breeding has improved the disposition of this breed, and the modern
Doberman Pinscher is an energetic and lively breed ideally suited
for companionship and family life.
1. Quick Facts
Doberman
Pinscher Quick Facts
Weight: | 75-100 for males, 60-85 for females lb
Height: | 24-28 in
Coat: | Short, coarse
Coat (cont): | stiff to touch
Activity level: | High
Learning rate: | Very High
Temperament: | Gentle, loving, loyal, protective
Guard dog ability: |Very High
Watch-dog ability: | Very High
Litter size: | 3-8
Life span: | 8-12 years
2. Appearance
The Doberman Pinscher is a dog of medium size. Although the
breed standards vary among kennel
and breed clubs, the shoulder height of a Doberman Pinscher bitch
is typically somewhere between 24 to 26 inches, 25.5 being ideal(61
to 68 cm), and the male typically stands between 26 to 28 inches
27.5 being ideal(66 to 72 cm). The male generally weighs
between 75 and 90 pounds and the bitch between 60 and 75 pounds.
There is often a slight difference in type between bitches and
dogs, with males being decidedly masculine (but not coarse) and
females being noticeably feminine (but not spindly).
Doberman Pinschers typically have a deep, broad chest, and a
powerful, compact, and square muscular body of medium size.
However, in recent years some breeders have primarily bred, shown,
and sold a slimmer or more sleek-looking Doberman Pinscher. This
has become a popular body type among many owners, especially those
who show their Doberman Pinschers competitively. The traditional
body type is still more desirable to many casual owners and to
those who want the dog for protection. Dogs bred to the ideal
standard are bred to possess a body to meet the , "Breed type,
" which is to say they are bred to withstand the physical
rigors for which the breed was originally intended. The working
abilities of endurance, jumping, climbing, pouncing, etc.
Furthermore, despite the "ideal" standards, it is
impossible to have complete control over the size and weight of
dogs. Generally speaking, show animals must fall within the ideal
range of both size and weight (for that country's breed
standard), but it is not unusual to find male Dobes weighing over
100 pounds or females that are also larger than called for by the
breed standards. Those who are looking for a Doberman Pinscher to
provide personal protection or for use in police agencies or the
military generally seek out the larger examples and some breeders
create specific breeding pairs in the hope of getting a litter of
larger dogs.
2. 1. Color
Most people know the most common black color of a Doberman
Pinscher. However, two different color genes exist in the Doberman,
one for black (B) and one for color dilution (D),
which provides for four different color phenotypes: black, red, blue, and fawn
(Isabella). The traditional and most common color occurs when
both the color and dilution genes have at least one dominant allele
(BB, Bb, or bB and DD, Dd, or dD), and is commonly referred to as
black or black and rust (also called black and
tan). The most common color variation occurs when the black gene
has two recessive alleles (bb) but where the dilution gene has at
least one dominant allele (DD, Dd, or dD), which produces what is
called a red or red and rust Doberman Pinscher in
America and a "brown" Doberman in the rest of the world,
which is a deep reddish-brown with rust markings.
The remaining two colors, "blue" and "fawn",
are controlled by the color dilution gene. In the case of the blue
Doberman, the color gene has at least one dominant allele
(BB, Bb, or bB), but the dilution gene has both recessive alleles (dd). The fawn (Isabella) is the least
common color and occurs when both the color and dilution genes have
two recessive alleles (bb and dd). Thus, the blue color is a
diluted black, and the fawn color is a diluted red.
Since 1994 the blue and fawn colors have been banned from
breeding by the Dobermann Verein in Germany and under FCI
regulations Blue and Fawn are considered disqualifying faults in
the international showring.
In 1976, a "white" Doberman Pinscher bitch was
whelped, and was subsequently bred to her son, who was also
bred to his litter sisters. This tight inbreeding continued for
some time to allow the breeders to "fix" the mutation,
which has been widely marketed (beware of breeders selling their
white Dobermans as "special" or "unique" for
ridiculous prices). Doberman Pinschers of this color possess a
genetic mutation, which prevents its
pigment proteins from being manufactured, regardless of the
genotypes of either of the two color
genes; that is, it is an albino. Though
some potential Doberman Pinscher owners find the color attractive,
albino Doberman Pinschers, like albinos of other species, face
increased risk of diseases and because of this and because of
abnormal development of the retina, should
avoid sun exposure as much as possible. The popularity of the
"white" Doberman Pinscher has decreased dramatically as
these risks have become known, with many people having called for
an end to the breeding and marketing of the white Doberman Pinscher
because they perceive it as cruelty to the animal. They are also
not a correct representation of the breed, with many having
unpredictable temperaments, and serious behavioral problems. Some
countries have made the purposeful breeding of the white Doberman
illegal, but breeders who care and take note of the ancestors can
avoid breeding albinos as they are all descended from the original
female. A list of every descendent of the original albino-producing
dogs is available so that breeders can avoid producing this mutant
dog. The American Kennel
Club registers albino Doberman Pinschers but disqualifies them
from conformation shows, and
the Doberman Pinscher Club of America has actively worked to
discourage breeding to obtain albino Doberman Pinschers.
2. 2. Tails
Although the Doberman Pinscher has most commonly been seen with a
short tail, it is actually born with a tail that is longer than
many breeds'. The short tail is the result of docking, a procedure in which the
majority of the tail is surgically removed within days of the
dog's birth. Today, docking is illegal in many countries, but
not in North America, France, Russia, Japan and a number of other
countries with large Doberman populations. One argument for docking
the Doberman's tail is that it completes the sleek look that
the dog is supposed to have, since it was the way Louis Dobermann
had originally envisioned the dog, even though nature did not.
Few potential owners have a choice on the length of their
Doberman Pinscher's tail, as docking is normally done soon
after the dog's birth. This means that the breeder nearly
always makes the decision before their dogs are even put on the
market.
2. 3. Ears
Doberman Pinschers will often have their ears cropped, a
procedure that is functionally related to both the traditional
guard duty and to effective sound localization. Like tail docking,
ear cropping is illegal in many countries, and in these Doberman
Pinschers have natural ears. Doberman Pinscher ear cropping is usually done between 7
and 9 weeks of age. Cropping done after 12 weeks has a low rate of
success in getting the ears to stand. Some Doberman Pinscher owners
prefer not to have their pet's ears cropped because the
procedure is painful for the animal. The process involves trimming
off part of the animal's ears and propping them up with posts
and tape bandages, which allows the cartilage to develop into an
upright position as the puppy grows. The puppy will still have the
ability to lay the ears back or down. The process of posting the
ears generally takes about a month, but longer show crops can take
several months.
After the initial surgery has been done, the ears are taped. Ear
taping uses posts to keep the ears straight in the upright
position, allowing them to grow and strengthen the cartilage. There
are many variables involved such as crop size, infection, healing,
post choice, tape choice, time, etc.
The traditional Doberman has always been the one that has had
both tail and ears cropped. Although a number of countries such as
Russia, Japan, Italy, United States and France to name a few still
allow docking and cropping, it's illegal in some countries as
well. In some breed shows Doberman
Pinschers are allowed to compete with either cropped or uncropped
ears. In Germany a cropped or docked dog cannot be shown regardless
of country of origin.
3. Temperament
Doberman Pinschers are, in general, a gentle, loyal, loving, and
highly intelligent breed. Although there is variation in
temperament, a typical pet Doberman attacks only if it has been
mistreated or believes that it, its property, or its family are in
danger. According to the US Centers for Disease
Control, the Doberman Pinscher is less frequently involved in
attacks on humans resulting in fatalities than several other dog
breeds such as pit bull-type dogs,
German Shepherd Dogs,
Rottweilers and Alaskan Malamutes. Those familiar
with the breed consider well-bred and properly socialized Doberman
Pinschers to be excellent pets and companions, suitable for
families with other dog breeds, excellent with young children, and
even cats. The
modern Doberman Pinscher is well known as a loyal and devoted
family member.
The Doberman Pinscher has been used as a protection and guard
dog, due to its intelligence, loyalty, and ability to physically
challenge human aggressors. Doberman Pinschers were once commonly
used in police work and in the military. The breed was used
extensively by the U.S. Marines in
World War II, and 25 Marine War Dogs
died in the Battle of
Guam in 1944: there is a memorial in Guam in honor of these Doberman Pinschers. In
these roles, they inspire fear. They are often stereotyped in such
roles in movies (where they are trained to
exhibit seemingly "aggressive" behavior), and video games, consequently many people are
afraid of the breed. A related problem is the misunderstanding of
their legitimate roles; because guard dogs are trained to
neutralize unwelcome intruders, many people mistakenly believe that
Doberman Pinschers are vicious. Due to these misconceptions it
is not uncommon to see this breed mentioned in forms of breed specific
legislation.
4. Health
An average, healthy Doberman Pinscher is expected to live about
10 years. Common health problems are dilated cardiomyopathy,
wobbler disease, von Willebrand's disease
(a bleeding disorder for which there is genetic testing). Other
problems that are less severe or seen less frequently include:
* Hypothyroidism
* Cancer
* Progressive retinal
atrophy
* Cataracts
* Glaucoma
* Copper toxicosis
* Color dilution
alopecia in blues and fawns
* Hip dysplasia
* Peripheral neuropathy
("Dancing Doberman disease", very rare)
5. History
Doberman Pinschers were first bred in Germany around 1890 by
Karl Friedrich Louis
Dobermann. After his death in 1894, the Germans named the breed
Dobermann-pinscher in his honor, but a half century later dropped
the pinscher on the grounds that this German word for terrier was
no longer appropriate. The British did the same thing a few years
later. Dobermann was a tax
collector who frequently traveled through many bandit-infested
areas, and needed a protection dog to guard him in any situation
that might arise. He set out to breed a new type of dog that, in
his opinion, would be the perfect combination of strength, loyalty,
intelligence, and ferocity. (He also worked with dogs in his second
job as local dog-impounder, giving him access to dogs for
breeding.) Later, Otto Goeller and Philip Gruening continued to
develop the breed to become the dog that is seen today.
The breed is believed to have been created from several
different breeds of dogs that had the characteristics that
Dobermann was looking for, including the Pinscher, the Beauceron, the Rottweiler, the Thuringian Shepherd Dog, the
black Greyhound, the Great Dane, the Weimaraner, the German Shorthaired Pointer,
the Manchester Terrier and the
German Shepherd Dog. The
exact ratios of mixing, and even the exact breeds that were used,
remains uncertain to this day, although many experts believe that
the Doberman Pinscher is a combination of at least four of these
breeds. The single exception is the documented cross with the
Greyhound. It is also widely believed that the German Shepherd gene
pool was the single largest contributor to the Doberman breed. The
book entiled, "The Dobermann Pinscher," written by Philip
Greunig (first printing in 1939), is generally considered the
foremost study of the development of the breed by the most ardent
students of the breed.
6. Famous Doberman Pinschers
* Bingo von Ellendonk - first Dobermann to score 300 points
(perfect score) in Schutzhund.
* Ch. Cambria Cactus Cash - Sired over 125 AKC champions.
* Graf Belling v. Grönland - first registered Dobermann.
* Ch. Toledobe's Serenghetti - Top winning working and
conformation bitch of all time
7. Fictional Doberman Pinschers
* The Amazing Dobermans movie
* Devil, from the Burke series of novels by
Andrew Vachss.
* Roscoe and DeSoto, from Oliver & Company.
* Zeus and Apollo, "The Lads" from
Magnum, P.I.
* Sniper and Bill, from Ginga: Nagareboshi Gin.
* Lector and Thunder from Ginga Densetsu Weed.
* Blade, from the Batman
cartoon series
* The Master's Devil Dog in Manos: The Hands of Fate
* On some episodes of The
Simpsons, Mr.
Burns' "hounds"
resemble Dobermanns.
* Cerberus, a zombie dog from the
Resident Evil (discluding Resident Evil 4)
* Blitz from Road Rovers
* Pokémon like Houndour and
Houndoom are
possibly based on a Doberman Pokemon, but may have been inspired by
Cerberus or other legends of hellhounds.
Copyright (c) 2008 Kitt Killion Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".
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