Dobermann  

 

 

                                   

History

In the village of Apolda, in the state of Thuringen, in the southern part of Germany lived Louis Dobermann (1823 - 1894). Louis Dobermann was employed as a tax collector, a "dog catcher", a night watchman, and as a supervisor for local slaughter houses. As a night watchman, Herr Dobermann found his need for a suitable dog to accompany him on his rounds. It is also not beyond imagining a protection dog would be desirable while working as a tax collector carrying large amounts of money

NOTE: Old records tell of a "dog market" that had been held in Thuringen since 1863. Its purpose was to improve the strains and to educate owners as to the advantages of pure breed dogs. The dogs were divided into various classes (perhaps one of the first dogs shows), and we are told "all of the twelve guard-dogs were rubbish except a Pinscher."

Herr Dobermann also had a great interest in breeding dogs and was certainly exposed, through his various occupations and by attending the "dog market," to a variety of dogs. That enabled him, along with his two friends, Herr Rebel and Herr Stegmann, to produce within a few generations dogs that quickly became renowned as a fearless protection dog. These dogs could also be used as a gun-dog, for eradicating vermin, and for herding sheep. They were said to be very intelligent, to have great stamina, and were highly trainable

The exact genesis of the Doberman is not known, but listed below are suggestions that appear to make up the ancestry of the Doberman: Rottweiler - The early Doberman was coarse, heavy headed, short-legged - steady and self-reliant.

The Old German Pinscher (now extinct) -

Black and tan, smooth coat, and energetic.

The Older Black and Tan German Shepherd -

Giving the early Doberman a heavy grey undercoat.

Sporting Dogs -

Used to lengthen the head - attentive, loving, 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 -

Authenticated crosses in 1890's. The Manchester was used to improve the coat, head type, eye color, and rust markings. This cross was used again six years later.

English Greyhound -

A black English Greyhound with white chest markings was used sometime between 1900 - 1908. Speed and refinement.

The first official records of the Doberman appear in the stud books of the Dobermannpinscher Verein stud book of 1890 in Germany.

The Dobermann is one of the few breeds that has been named after a person. There is also record of an heirloom photograph of Herr Dobermann, given for a prize at one of the dog shows, which indicates that Herr Dobermann was acknowledged as a respected breeder and his dogs were held in high regard.

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 Dobermanns 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.

 
General Appearance:
The appearance is that of a dog of medium size, with a body that is square. Compactly built, muscular and powerful, for great endurance and speed. Elegant in appearance, of proud carriage, reflecting great nobility and temperament. Energetic, watchful, determined, alert, fearless, loyal and obedient.
Size, Proportion, Substance:
Height at the withers: Dogs 26 to 28 inches, ideal about 27 1/2 inches. Bitches 24 to 26 inches, ideal about 25 1/2 inches. The height measured vertically form the group to the highest point of the withers, equaling the length measure horizontally from the forechest to the rear projection of the upper thigh. Length of head, neck and legs in proportion to length and depth of body

 

Head:
Long and dry, resembling a blunt wedge in both frontal and profile views.
Eyes:
Almond shaped, moderately deep set, with vigorous energetic expression.
Ears:
Normally cropped and carried erect, is on a level with the top of the skull.
Teeth:
42 correctly place teeth. Strongly developed and white.

 

  

 
Neck, Topline, Body:
Proudly carried will muscled and dry. Withers pronounced and forming the highest point of the body. Back short, firm, of sufficient width, and muscular at the loins, extending in a straight line from withers to the slightly rounded croup.
Chest:
Broad with forechest will defined. Brisket reaching deep to the elbow. Belly well tucked up extending in a curved line from the brisket.
Tail:
Docked at approximately the second joint and carried only slightly above the horizontal with the dog is alert.

 

 

 
Forequarters:
Shoulder Blade sloping forward and downward at a 45-degree angle to the ground, meets the upper arm at an angle of 90 degrees. Legs seen from front and side, perfectly straight and parallel to each other from elbow to pastern: muscled and sinewy, with heavy bone. Feet well arched, compact, and catlike, turning neither in nor out.
Hindquarters:
The angulation of the hindquarters balances that of the forequarters. Hip Bone falls away form spinal column at an angle of about 30 degrees producing a slightly rounded, will filled out croup.
Coat:
Smooth-haired, short, hard, thick and close lying

 

 

 
Color and Markings:
Allowed colors: Black, red, blue, fawn (Isabella). Markings: Rust, sharply defined, appearing about each eye and on muzzle, throat and forechest, on all legs and feet and below the tail.
Gait:
Fee, balanced, and vigorous, with good reach in the forequarters and good driving power in the hindquarters.
Temperament:
Energetic, watchful, determines, alert, fearless, loyal, and obedient.

 

 

 
The breed can trace its history back to the Dobermannpinshcerherverein stud book of 1890. In 1899 only one color was recognized, the black and rust. In 1901 two other colors were allowed, these additional colors were; the brown and rust, and blue and rust. With the fawn (Isabella) being recognized in 1969, this brought the total to four allowed colors for the Doberman in the USA.

 

 
The fawn (Isabella) Doberman is a known recessive gene (dilution) of the reds; while the blue Doberman is a known recessive gene (dilution) of the black. This is a simple autosomal (either sex) recessive gene. Both parents have to "carry" this gene in order to produce the dilution, or depending on which genotype, all four colors a "rainbow" litter

 

The blue and fawn Doberman ARE NOT rare (meaning they should NOT demand a higher price than a red or black); as you can readily see the mode of inheritance for the blue and fawn is a VERY well known simple genetic fact. Many within the Doberman community do a considerable amount of research when planning a breeding and breed accordingly, often times this will eliminate producing blues and fawns

 

 

 

 
Combining the four allowed colors (phenotype) with the 9 possible genotypes will result in 81 possible combinations of breedings. In order for the serious Doberman breeder to understand the probability of the puppy phenotype, a color chart has been devised and each of the four colors (including their varied genotype expressions) have been assigned a number from 1 - 9.

 

 
NOTE: Below is a SMALL example of what is included in the color chart. This is NOT a complete listing of the 9 assigned numbers. B is the "black" factor, dominant over red. b is the "red" factor, recessive to black. D is the dominant "non-dilution" factor. d is the recessive "dilution" factor. A number 1 BBDD (black phenotype) will produce ONLY black. A number 2 BBDd (black phenotype) will produce only black and blue puppies unless bread to a #1 BBDD black, a #3 BbDD black or a #7 bbDD red. A number 3 BbDD (black phenotype) will produce red and blacks except when bred to a #1 BBDD black, a #2 BBDd black, or a #5 BBdd (blue phenotype) in which case only blacks will be produced. A number 4 BbDd (black phenotype) can produce all four colors when bred to another #4, a #8 bbDd (red phenotype), a 9 bbdd (fawn phenotype), or a #6 Bbdd (blue phenotype).


  

 

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