Doberman Pinscher is agile, elegant and powerful

The Doberman Pinscher is agile, elegantly bodied, and powerful. The breed has a short back, well-proportioned chest, and a sinewy, muscular neck. Their legs are straight and parallel. They have well-developed teeth that close in a scissors bite and dark eyes with an intelligent expression. Ears of this breed are usually cropped, and they are often taped for several weeks to prompt them to stand erect. In recent history, many Doberman Pinschers have been left natural- without docking or cropping of the tail and/or ears. The short-haired coat of the Doberman Pinscher is close-fitting, hard, and thick. Coat colors for this breed include black, blue-gray, black & tan, red, fawn, and white. White markings may or may not be present.

Temperament:

The Doberman Pinscher is a highly capable guard dog with an energetic personality and intelligent disposition. The breed possesses incredible strength and stamina, and they are adaptable and easy to train. They are courageous and assertive, yet they are not vicious or aggressive. Like any other breed, subtleties in temperament will vary according to the dog. They are regal, loyal, and very affectionate towards members of their family. They are a people-oriented breed, and they require an owner that is capable of disciplining the dog confidently. If allowed his or her own way too much, the Doberman Pinscher can be pushy. This breed is naturally protective, and they don’t need specialized training to be an outstanding guard dog. They should be trained and socialized properly from an early age to prevent over-protective behavior. If raised with children from an early age, they make wonderful family pets. This breed generally isn’t suitable for first-time dog owners.

Health :

The Doberman Pinscher is a comparatively healthy breed. Some lines are susceptible to cervical spindylitis (wobbler syndrome) because of a fusion of the neck vertebrae and compression of the spinal cord. Another concern is Von Willebrands disease, a possibly inherited blood disorder. The Doberman Pinscher is prone to obesity and bloat in its adult years. Hip dysplasia and congenital heart disorders are seen occasionally. It’s highly recommended that a veterinary check be given prior to purchasing a Doberman Pinscher puppy. This breed typically lives for up to 13 years.

Origin :

The Doberman Pinscher was developed in Germany throughout the 1860’s. It is highly likely that the breed was created by crossing German Pinschers with the Beauceron, the Rottweiler, the English Greyhound, and a variety of Greyhound and Pinscher breeds. The founder of this breed was a German tax collector by the name of Louis Dobermann. Mr. Dobermann’s goal was to create a watchdog that was capable of handling and adapting to a variety of unexpected situations. The Doberman Pinscher became instantly popular after its first showing in 1876.

Within the past 10/15 years, some within the Doberman fancy have turned their attention to the Dobermann in Germany, Holland, and other European countries. This interest has resulted in many fine imports. Imported dogs bearing their European breed championships linked with their working titles, these Dobermanns have been successfully combined with some of the outstanding American Dobermans. The resulting combinations can be found in the conformation ring, obedience trials, and in organizations devoted to the working dog. It can be very confusing to try and sort all of the various titles found in the pedigrees of these Dobermanns, so we are listing them for you below.

---Conformation Titles---

Hol Ch

Holland Ch.

Spa Ch

Spanish Ch.

Ger Ch

German Ch. (also listed as D Ch. for "Deutsche" Ch.)

Int. Ch

International Ch.

VDH Ch

Verein Deutscher Hunde, the German National Kennel Club (equivalent to AKC)

N Ch.

Norwegian Ch.

S Ch.

Swedish Ch.

D Ch.

possibly Dutch Ch. or German Ch. Dutch is usually N Ch. or S Ch.

Sieger

Sieger means "victor" and there are 5 Sieger shows a year. The main winner in dogs is a Sieger and the main winner in Bitches is a Siegerin.

Bdsg

(Bundessieger) German Sieger. Bundes"leistungs"sieger refers to a working National Champion.

Weltsg

World Sieger

DV Sg

Dobermann Verein Sieger (Dobermann Verein is the German Dobe Club).

IDC Sg

Winner of the International Dobe Club Show.

---Working Titles---

SchH I

1st level Schutzhund Title.

SchH II

2nd level Schutzhund Title.

SchH III

3rd level Schutzhund Title.

FH

(Fahrtenhund) Advanced Tracking Title.

ADPr

Endurance test. Dog must go 20 kilometers and pass a temperament test.

AD

US equivalent. Dog must go 12 miles in 2 1/2 hours and pass a temperament test.

IPO I, IPO II, IPO III

Internationale Prufungs-Ordnung. Titles are similar to Schutzhund titles but testing under international rules.

ZtP

(Zuchttauglichkeitsprufung) Fit for breeding test. Requires temperament testing, conformation evaluation, as well as a protection test similar to SchH I. Dogs must be X-rayed clear hip-dysplasia to obtain the certificate for breeding.

ZtP V1A

"V1" is the highest conformation rating and "A" is the highest temperament rating.

Angek

(Angekoert) extensive temperament test and conformation evaluation. A step above the ZtP!

Kk, KL1, KKL 1, or KKL 1a

(Korung) hard core temperament test and conformation evaluation above the Angekoert title.

HD-I & HD-II

Hip displasia ratings similar to OFA's Excellent and Good. HD-I is the highest rating.