Dobermann

The Dobermann — Doberman Pinscher in North America — is a sleek, athletic German working breed bred for alertness, loyalty and drive.

History

It was developed around 1890 in Thuringia by Louis Dobermann, a tax collector and night watchman who wanted a capable guard at his side, and was refined afterwards into the elegant, powerful dog kept today. It moved quickly into police and military work.

Temperament

The breed is known for being loyal, alert and fearless, intensely bonded to its family and quick to learn. That drive needs an outlet and early socialising; temperament in a working guard breed rests heavily on the individual dog and its raising.

Care and training

It needs substantial daily exercise and mental work and excels at training, which it takes to eagerly. The short coat is easy, but the lean build feels the cold. The traditional cropped ears and docked tail are now illegal in many countries.

Health

Known tendencies weigh toward the heart — dilated cardiomyopathy is notably common and serious in the breed — along with an inherited bleeding disorder and a neck-spine condition. These are patterns for the breed rather than a verdict on one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.