Story of Doberman Pinscher Dog Breed
The Doberman Pinscher dog breed appeared as a result of the experiments of a single person who, in fact, was not even going to create such popular and famous dogs. He just wanted to have a loyal and reliable protector, as he was a tax collector. And, concurrently – an enthusiast for breeding dogs.
It was in the city of Apold, Thuringia (region of Germany) in the 19th century, around 1870 – it was then that the founder of the breed started experimenting with crossing Rottweilers, German Pinschers, and some terriers. The name of our enthusiast was Louis Doberman. There is no intrigue about the origin of the breed name – everything is obvious.
The Doberman was first shown at a dog show in 1876 and won great favor with dog lovers in Germany. In 1894, Louis Doberman died, and he took the secret of crossing with him – it is still not known exactly which breeds were used to produce early Dobermans (other than those listed above). However, German breeders have been successful in further breeding and improving the breed.
They were very concerned with the development of the useful qualities of the dog and sought to literally create the perfect dog for protection and protection. To do this, they selected the most intelligent, angry, hardy, and strong dogs, and they were less interested in appearance. At the beginning of the 20th century, the fame of Dobermans began to spread – most ordinary people considered these dogs dangerous and aggressive, and were even afraid to start them as a pet.
The situation was positively influenced by the work of Otto Geller – he made Dobermans more harmonious and suitable for family life. The Doberman Pinscher was recognized in Germany as a separate breed in 1900. In 1908, the first Doberman was brought to America to participate in a dog show. There he immediately won the “Best in Show” award, after which the dog was presented at two more shows in the United States, where she also took first place in the “Best in Show”. According to legend, after the award was presented at the 3rd exhibition, the judge began to examine the teeth of the animal.
In 1921, the Doberman Pinscher Club of America was created, and in 1922 this club adopted the German breed standard. Despite the fact that during the First World War the population of these dogs was greatly reduced, especially in Germany, in the subsequent time due to service in law enforcement and security structures, the popularity of the breed has increased significantly. After the Second World War, almost all breeding programs were transferred to America, as Germany was going through the hardest post-war times.
It is believed that if it were not for the individuals brought to the United States, the breed would have simply died out. At first, the name Doberman Pinscher was widely used, however, in the middle of the 20th century, the word Pinscher was removed from the name of the breed.
Personality of Doberman
Traditionally, the Doberman is considered to be an aggressive and dangerous dog that should be kept as a pet only after serious thought. Especially if you have a family. However, this is not quite true. The thing is that over the past few decades, a lot of dishonest breeders have appeared who do not monitor the quality of their population. In addition, there is widespread free interbreeding and improper education.
However, if you buy a dog from a trusted kennel, it has a good pedigree, you were responsible for choosing a puppy and raising it correctly, and it will be a great friend for the whole family. A Doberman dog breed within his family is distinguished by great friendliness, openness, and trust in the owners.
They are strongly attached to loved ones and often see themselves as the main protector of each family member by default. And – even without special training. Dobermans are good learners, they are obedient and usually not stubborn. Many underestimate the intelligence of these animals, but in vain – this is a really smart dog, especially if the owner understands this and contributes to the development of the intelligence of his pet.
This breed has a lot of energy, and needs physical activity, training, and walks. They love to play various games, including those that develop their mind. Playfulness and childish character traits persist up to 3-4 years. Other pets are perceived normally, but it is better to introduce them to cats from an early age. They treat children well. They need early socialization. Perfectly suited as a guard dog, they can perform security functions.
Education of Doberman
The Doberman dog breed loves to learn and perceives the learning process as an obligatory part of its life. That is, by default, they are set to develop, become stronger and perform their functions as well as possible, pleasing the owner.
These dogs definitely need to be taught simple commands, in addition, you can teach your dog more complex commands, and even make him a professional guard. Doberman is just well suited for such purposes – breeders took care of this even at the very early stages of the formation of the breed. So it’s in their blood.
You need to be a consistent and wise owner, you should not resort to excessive violence, especially if there are no objective reasons for this. The love of learning, on the one hand, is good, but on the other hand, Dobermans are demanding in this regard. You need to try to make classes varied. For example, you might focus on physical training one day and focus more on following commands the other day.
Care
The Doberman has a short, smooth coat that needs to be brushed once a week. Nails are trimmed every 10 days. Eyes are usually cleaned daily, ears two to three times a week. Bathe the dog once or twice a week.
Common diseases in Doberman
Like most dogs, this breed is prone to certain diseases, including hereditary ones. Namely:
- von Willebrand’s disease – a hereditary blood disease;
- hip dysplasia – a hereditary disease;
- progressive retinal atrophy;
- Wobbler syndrome – a hereditary disease;
- cardiomyopathy;
- albinism is a genetic condition;
- color mutant alopecia;
- narcolepsy – a neurological disorder;
- gastric dilated volvulus also called bloating or “volvulus”.
1. Dobermans, whose names were Bosco and Cesi, were the first to be recorded in German stud books as founding dogs, which were bred in 1893 and 1894.
2. The Doberman was an officially recognized breed in 1900.
3. Champion Rancho Dobe’s Storm, a Doberman, won consecutive “Best in Show” Dog Shows at the Westminster Kennel Club in 1952 and 1953. He also became Best of Breed in 25 consecutive show competitions. He then produced over 300 puppies and joined the Hall of Fame at the Museum of Dogs in St. Louis.
4. Doberman named Cappie saved 250 lives as a fighting dog in the US Marine Corps during World War II. Despite being fatally wounded by a grenade, Cappie alerted his compatriots to the presence of a group of Japanese soldiers on Guam.
5. Dobermans are very intelligent and therefore have always been used by police and military forces around the world.
