Doberman Pinscher was created by Louis Dobermann, of Apolda, Germany, in the 1890s. Dobermann wanted a medium-sized dog who could be a companion dog and yet still serve as a guard dog. It is believed that Dobermann used German Pinschers, Rottweilers, a black and tan Manchester Terrier, and a short-haired shepherd to create his new breed. Some experts believe that there might also be some Greyhound mixed in.
No matter what the ancestry, Louis Dobermann created a versatile working dog who has served ably in many capacities. The U.S. Marine Corps has used many breeds, including the Doberman. In World War II, dogs were integral to the success of so many operations that a war dog platoon was required to serve with every Marine Corps division. A life-sized bronze statue of a Doberman stands in Guam, labeled “Always Faithful,” in honor of the many war dogs who served and died there.
The Doberman Pinscher today is a medium-sized dog who stands tall and carries herself proudly, making her look larger than she actually is. Doberman Pinschers stand between 24 and 28 inches tall and usually weigh between 60 and 85 pounds, with females smaller than males. The head is wedgeshaped, the eyes almond-shaped and expressive, and the neck well-arched so that the head is carried proudly. The ears are cropped, although today many people retain the natural ears, which are folded. The Doberman’s chest is broad, back is straight, and tail is docked.
The Doberman Pinscher coat is smooth, short, hard, and thick. The Doberman can be black, red, blue, or fawn; all four colors will have rust marking above the eyes, on the muzzle, throat, forechest, and all four legs, and below the tail. Grooming the Doberman Pinscher’s short coat is easy; brush it twice a week with a soft bristle brush or curry comb. During spring and fall, when shedding is at its worst, daily brushing will help keep hair in the house to a minimum.
Doberman Pinschers need exercise, and a walk is certainly not enough. A run alongside a bicycle will be better, as will a vigorous game of catching a tennis ball or a good workout on the agility course. Vigorous daily exercise is needed to keep her fit and to prevent problem behaviors that will crop up when she’s bored. Although Doberman Pinschers today are much softer that those of years past, they are still excellent watchdogs and protectors. It’s very important that Doberman Pinscher puppies attend a puppy class where socialization is emphasized, especially to a variety of people. An overprotected and undersocialized Doberman Pinscher can be worried and fearful, neither a good trait for this proud breed.
Doberman Pinscher training should begin young, too, not just to teach household rules and social manners—although both are important—but also to keep that intelligent, inquisitive mind busy! The Doberman Pinscher dog breed thrives on canine sports. Doberman Pinschers are dedicated, loyal companions, excellent with people of all ages, although Doberman Pinscher puppies can be rowdy and need to be taught not to play roughly with children. They can be good with other pets and, when taught not to chase, with the family cat. They can be aggressive toward unknown dogs. Health concerns include cardiomyopathy, wobbler’s syndrome, and von Willebrand’s disease.
12 replies on “Doberman Pinscher”
I enjoy this sight very much! I am looking for male black n tan puppy.
This is the love of my life Misty. She is a two year old Doberman Pinscher living in Bergen, Norway. Hopefully she is soon ready to compete, but no matter what she will always be my champion.
This athletic dog needs brisk walking every day and all-out running as often as possible. Too little exercise and too little companionship can lead to restlessness and other behavioral problems.
Mental exercise (advanced obedience, agility, tracking, Schutzhund) is just as important to this thinking breed.
Though some Doberman Pinschers are big softies who love everyone, most are reserved with strangers and protective of their family. Early and extensive socialization is mandatory to avoid either shyness or sharpness.
Some Doberman Pinschers are dominant with other dogs. Some are confirmed cat chasers, while others love small animals.
Some excel in advanced obedience competition, while others are hardheaded and will test to find their place in the pecking order.
Calm, consistent leadership is a must, and obedience training must be upbeat and persuasive rather than sharp. This breed does not tolerate teasing or mischief.
Dobermann are generally a healthy breed but you have to remember when getting a puppy home that almost all and every breed has a chance of developing genetic disorders and they can also contract any of the common diseases. So this not a word of law these are some of the unfortunate cases that you can encounter with your Dobermann at times. One of the common diseases generally found in Dobermann is the Dilated Cardiomyopathy, this is a fatal heart disease that can affect your pooch. You will need to go through an ultrasound to confirm the disease and from then on a veterinarian’s help can be seeked.
In addition to this they are affected by hip dysplasia, One of the most common problems that your Dobermann can encounter is of hip dysplasia, this at time is a heritable condition and it can be developed later in life as well. This is a condition when the thigh bone does not fit efficiently with the hip joint. This is a common problem in various breed dogs. This can be easily treated and at times requires surgery as well. Along with these they can easily get hypothyroidism, here the thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones to maintain the dog’s metabolism. One of the common symptoms of this disease is weight gain, poor coat and irritability.
Doberman Pinschers at play
Herr Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann (1834-1891) was a tax collector & dogcatcher /skinner for the state of Thuringia, Germany and had a second job as night watchman. As a dogcatcher, he could choose the best dogs for his purpose. He was concerned with character rather than conformation. His requirement was to create a watchful, sharp, brave and intelligent dog. He wanted a guard dog with a strong mouth, a good nose, courage, hardness nd a highly developed protective instinct. We know he succeeded. From the beginning, his dogs were known regionally as “Dobermann’s Hunde”. They gained a solid reputation for harsh strength of character and an ability to hunt, bite and kill vermin. Herr Dobermann crossed several types of dogs but did not keep records (there were no pure bred dogs at that time) and there is little agreement on the origins of the dobermann.
Herr Dobermann’s son tells us his father had a clever and fearless dog named “Schnupp” who he later mated with a very keen protection bitch named Bismark (later called Bisart). Bisart’s puppy’s were black with rust markings. One named “Pinko” had a natural bob tail and produced some blue puppies. Otto Goeller ,a later breeder (photo below) who knew Herr Dobermann, claimed the foundation was a mongrel named “Schnuppe” (a grey smooth coated dog seated in the photo left) mated to a Butchers dog. Goeller later claimed the German Shepherd dog, short haired gun dog, the Dane and the German Pinscher played a role.
A German dog magazine article dated 1898 states “At the end of the 1860’s, the owner of a gravel pit at Apolda called Dietsch had a blue-grey bitch, a sort of Pinscher which he mated with a black butcher’s dog. The sire already had the characteristic tan markings and was a cross between a sheep dog and a butcher’s dog. Herr Dobermann, a skinner who unfortunately died too early, crossed the issue of these two dogs, which became good guard dogs, with German Pinschers. That is the origin of today’s Dobermann”
In 1901, Richard Strebel (German authority on canine matters) wrote “It is doubtful if the Dobermann Pinscher is a true Pinscher, it should probably be classified more as a sheep dog”. In 1933 the German Dobermann club investigated the origins of the breed and decided the main ancestor was the German Pinscher. But in 1947 Herr Gruenig wrote the Dobermann probably descended more from the Beauceron because the German Pinscher is not similar body structure or behaviour and it would not be possible to raise the average shoulder height from 40 to 70cm in only thirty years.
However “dobermann like” dogs (referred to as the “Thueringen breed”) were around Apolda before Herr Dobermann began breeding and these were created by crossing German Pinchers and Sheepdogs. Beaucerons are known to be in Apolda in those days and it is also possible they were ancestors of the Butchers dogs. The Butchers dogs were not purebred Some early Dobermann closely resembled Butchers dogs and some resembled Rottweilers.
Max Kuensler wrote in 1925 that the sheep dog, the Weimeraner and the German Pinscher were involved but certainly no Rottweillers or Terriers were known in Apolda at that time. Most agree the Thueringin Shepherd (sheepdog), Butchers Dog, German Pincher & Beauceron were available and some experts include the black and tan terrier. Interestingly, the best authorities on the Rottweiler confirm that so called Butchers dogs were their common ancestor.
Initially the guarding qualities and keeness on game posed some hindrance to the breed’s popularity but, in 1863 (when he was 29 years old) Herr Dobermann presented his “Dobermann Pinschers” on the first dog market in Apolda Germany with great success. This event became so important that it is officially recorded in the history of the city of Apolda.
It is known that, after Herr Dobermann died, both the Manchester Terrier and the Greyhound were introduced into the dobermann breed.
In Apolda Germany, in the 1800’s a man named Louis Doberman needed a
courageous, guard dog with strong mouth, good nose and one who would be
protective. Herr Doberman had various jobs, which required protection. It
has never been proven just what he did, but some have said he was a tax
collector, while others maintained he was a night watchman. For whatever
reason he succeeded in fixing the guarding character in the dog he created,
but was not really interested in the conformation aspects of that
dog. While crossing many breeds to obtain what he wanted, he did not keep
records of these crosses, so we have to rely on others who knew him to
supply us with some of his efforts. According to his son, Herr Doberman
owned a black bitch called Bissart who had tan markings and a gray
undercoat. One interesting thing about Bissart was her naturally short
tail and a short coat. He tried to produce a naturally short tail by
selective breeding but was unsuccessful. We do know that some of the
breeds that were used were a gray Pinscher, a black and tan butchers dog,
and a local sheep dog type. After his death in 1894, the Germans named the
breed Doberman-pinscher in his honor, but a half-century later they dropped
the pinscher because it was a German word for Terrier and was no longer
appropriate. The Germans goal was to develop a dog capable of the ultimate
in protection and companionship. They selected the bravest, toughest and
most loyal. These headstrong dogs were known as “Doberman’s dogs” or
“Thuringia Pinschers,” and were sharp, aggressive with other dogs, of medium size, with a body that is compactly built, muscular, and distrustful of strangers.
It is believed the first Doberman came to the United States in 1908, but it
wasn’t until the end of WWII when GI’s brought back Dobermans from Germany
that the breed attracted fanciers. In 1921 the Doberman Pinscher Club of
America was founded. Many imports arrived to gain popularity with breeders
in this country. Many times when these imports were shown, the Judges
could barely touch them if ever. One German import won Best In Show at
Westminster, the judge never putting a hand on him.
Over the decades, the Doberman breeders refined this tougher temperament to
a more suitable disposition allowing this breed to co-habitat with the laws
of our land. Today, the Doberman is a trustworthy family companion. His
protective nature is still sought, but selective breeding, making him one
of the most favored family dogs controls it. Although this dog is a
working breed, his former use in Police, and Military work is not as it
used to be. He has no protective undercoat to allow him to be used for
these purposes to withstand the great variation in temperatures. This lack
of undercoat has been bred out of him since he has become more accustomed
to living in the homes with our controlled temperatures. The Doberman is
not a kennel dog and does poorly as such. We have some health problems
such as Cardio Myopathy, which is our worst, causing many of our dogs to
die at early ages. A 10-yr. Old Doberman is an old dog. The DPCA and the
Doberman Pinscher Foundation is funding several universities in finding a
cure and a DNA marker to help the breeders wipe out this dreadful problem.
Today’s Doberman Pinscher commands a high status in the Show ring, winning
many Groups and Best In Shows. We’ve come a long way baby, in a very
short time.
Doberman pinscher adults brown and black
Doberman pinscher puppies brown and black
Dobermans are fearless, loyal and highly intelligent. These traits have made them ideal police, war and guard dogs, but they are also outstanding companions.
I Got My Doberman Pinscher at 7 weeks old. I am 13 and always have been begging for a dog my whole life so finally my parents agreed and we saw her from 3 weeks up until she was ready to take home every monday. I did a lot of research and worked hard to make everything perfect for here.
I’d Describe My Dog As… Sybil is very sweet, she is small about 60 LBS, she is very funny and when we come home from being out she gets so excited she steals a shoe or holds her toys to contain her excitment.
She is so smart, she can learn a trick after about 2 tries, we can walk her off the leash and she will come when she is called and never go more than 20 yards in front of me and will wait for me to get to her.
One toe is curved under and the vet is thinking a tendon issue but it doesn’t seem to bother her at all.
She is protective of us but remembers our friends, she is most cautious with teenage boys.
When people pet her she will wag her tail and put her ears down and give small kisses.
Over all she is amazing.
Advice
Always be strong and be the dominant one
When they are puppies do not be afraind to scold them, when they are older you will be glad you did
always socialize them with EVERYONE old, young, man, woman everyone
Dont walk them until they are atleast 6 months, i know it sounds tough, but it will be tougher if they get Parvo a terrible disease that dobermans easily get.
Love them forever and always they will be the best companion for a long time
They are wonderful with children!!
Talk About Your Dobie!
Tia is a red Doberman female that is 8 years old. She is a 69-pound lap dog. Any chance to get close to people she is right there unless you are using power tools or the vacuum. She loves to play in the snow and chase squirrels. Overall, she has been in very good health with minimal hip problems. She plays too hard at times and limps for a while. We learned from watching The Dog Whisperer that we were not exercising her enough, so we started walking her 5 days a week. It has really helped with her hips.
Deevo the Doberman Pincher at 9 months old is shy until he gets to know you, then he will be jumping all over you. He likes to go for walks, run around the beach, and to play with other people’s dogs (very friendly). He hates when they stop playing with him to relax or rest. Every once in a while he will dig a hole, happens rarely. Rarely barks, never tries to run after other dogs, always sticks to me wherever I go around the house, he never leaves my sight. Doberman are not aggressive as many people say, no dog is born aggressive; they are created.