Last Updated on October 25, 2022 by Pets Feed
Only owners who have been fortunate enough to enjoy the company of a Doberman know what it is to be probably one of the best dog breeds in the world.
It is an exemplary breed very attached to his family, a great friend of adults and children, in addition to being an excellent guard dog. With children, we have to be somewhat careful because it is a very energetic dog and inadvertently it could harm them. His strong image and even, for some, fierce, circulated against him many prejudices.
At the sight of such an unusual dog as a Doberman, a double sensation instantly appears. On the one hand, this excellent and stately dog delights with its grace and power.
On the other hand, many are beginning to fear being near such a formidable animal. In fact, the Doberman is one of the best canine representatives in the search for traces and all kinds of substances (such as drugs or explosives), and he is one of the best guards of his master. This breed of dogs includes all the best qualities – devotion, reaction, showiness, mental development, endurance.
| Breed name | Doberman |
| Country of origin | Germany |
| Weight | 40 – 45 kg |
| Height (at the withers) | 68 – 72 cm |
| Life expectancy | 12 years |
| Size | Big |
Doberman photos
Physical characteristics of the Doberman Pinscher
Doberman is a medium-sized dog with a strong and muscular body, harmoniously combining nobility of posture with clarity and grace of lines. A set of power, enormous internal energy with external grace and even a certain refinement – this is the general first impression of this breed.
- The height at the withers of the male is 68 to 72 cm; females – 63-68 cm.
- The weight of an adult male varies from 40 to 45 kg, the female weighs from 32 to 35 kg.
Distinctive features
- Head: It has the shape of a blunt wedge. The stop is smooth, noticeable. The cheeks are close to the skeleton. The crown has a small tubercle. The length of the muzzle is equal to the length of the skull. The nose is massive. Nostrils open.
- Jaws: Powerful, scissor-like. Adheres to lips and cheeks.
- Ears: Suspended at birth, in the last century they were stopped, today in Europe it is forbidden.
- Eyes: Oval, small. Dark, less often light (in brown individuals).
- Torso: Muscular, lean. With pronounced hock muscles, deep chest. The back is strictly straight, the lower back is below the shoulder blades.
- Legs: Massive, obmuscular. With wide pads and a pronounced 5th finger, the rest of the fingers are arched, gathered into a ball.
- Coat: Short with dense undercoat. Black with tan on the muzzle, paws, chest or chocolate, beige-brown. Blue individuals are no longer recognized by standards due to poor genetics and disease.
Behavior and character
Exceptional intelligence and extreme devotion to the owner are the main characteristics that determine the behavior of the Doberman. Therefore, the following positive characteristics are:
- Alert.
- The ability to make the right decisions independently.
- Innate desire to protect property and family.
- Courage in the face of danger.
The Doberman Pinscher is one of the smartest dogs in the world. Basically, friendly and peaceful, he is a very family dependent dog, so spending most of the day outside or not providing care for this amazing breed is not appropriate.
Although he is a friendly dog with his family, the Doberman is a little wary of strangers, so it is advisable to socialize him carefully as a puppy. This distrust does not make him a dangerous dog, but it helps him to be a good guard.
The Doberman is a perfect pet, which gets along very well with children, although it is not recommended for very young children, since with its size and strength it can harm them unintentionally.
Health
The Doberman is a robust and strong dog, but even he has a hereditary predisposition to certain diseases:
- The allergies. Dogs can be allergic to mold, pollen and dust.
- Heart disease. The Doberman can be affected by coronary artery disease, tachycardia, heart failure, arrhythmia, etc. Health problems can be recognized by noisy and long breaths, difficulty breathing, loss of balance, tremors.
- Joint dysplasia (especially the hip) is a typical joint disease in large breed dogs.
- Narcolepsy is a disease of the central nervous system in which the dog is disturbed in sleep and muscle tone. The Doberman becomes motionless, his eyes like glass. This condition may last several moments or several minutes.
- Inversion of the stomach. This disease can be hereditary and develop as a result of malnutrition.
- Hypothyroidism is possible, but not often. If this occurs, it is accompanied by hair loss, weight gain, or weight loss.
- Sometimes the Doberman has congenital deafness or develops arachnoid cysts, cataracts, cancer, pathologies of the cervical vertebrae, chronic hepatitis.
In order to avoid serious health problems for the dog, it must be presented to a veterinarian with the slightest alarming symptoms. Periodic preventive examinations also do not interfere.
Basic care
The Doberman has a short, smooth coat that should be brushed once a week. The nails are cut every 10 days. The eyes are usually cleaned daily, the ears two to three times a week. Bathe the dog once or twice a month.
Exercise
Until the dog reaches 12 months of age, the exercise should consist of short and frequent sessions. Excessive exercise can cause joint problems. It is an active dog breed that will enjoy swimming, accompanying a cyclist or running without a leash.
More than two hours of daily exercise are recommended for a healthy adult Doberman.
Doberman Fun Facts
- In 1976, an albino Doberman was born in a litter, an extremely rare specimen which crossed with its own puppies to maintain the genes and to obtain that their descendants are also albino. Right now, all white Doberman will come from these crosses, so they have associated significant health issues such as eye problems, skin problems, etc.
- Although they are beautiful and rare to see, it is highly inadvisable to look for an albino Doberman, as their health will always be weakened. There is a myth associated with Doberman in popular culture, namely that its brain keeps growing in a too small skull, which makes the dog crazy and develops a lot of aggressiveness over time.
- However, this idea has no basis, and that is, if it did, the dog would die from brain pressure as it grew. On the contrary, the Doberman Pinscher is in fifth place in the classification of breeds according to his intelligence. If you want to share your life with a copy of a Doberman Pinscher, the best thing you can do is to go to an experienced and reputable breeder of the breed.
- Only in this way will you be able to get the best information about the breed, especially with regard to its education, and also get a puppy with all the health guarantees you may need. The Doberman is a unique breed, with very specific needs that you must understand and satisfy so that your dog is a happy and balanced animal, and so that together you can enjoy the best possible relationship.
Origin
Herr Karl Louis Doberman was a man with many jobs: He was a tax collector, who would sometimes work as a police officer, night guard, and dog catcher. Because of his career, Doberman often found himself traveling with bags of money through dangerous parts of town at late hours; it left him feeling uneasy.
Herr Louis Doberman combined several breeds looking for the ideal protective dog to accompany him in his rounds. Thus, he created the breed at the end of the 19th century. It is said that he used rottweilers and great Danes for his size and strength, greyhounds for his speed and Manchester terriers for his smooth fur and elegant silhouette, as well as for the tenacity of the terrier.
It is also possible that it included other breeds, such as schnauzers, German pinschers, German shepherds, German short-haired bracos and Weimar bracos. He spent 60 years searching for the perfect dog for personal protection. The first Doberman was registered in the German genealogical register in 1893.
