Fun Facts About Dobermans: Doberman Pinscher Dog Breed Information

Dobermans look serious. Lean, muscular, and always watching. The Doberman Pinscher Club of America (DPCA) lists the ideal temperament as energetic, watchful, determined, alert, fearless, loyal, and obedient. These Doberman facts cover where the breed came from, how big it gets, which coat colors are real, what Dobermans did in World War II, and what veterinary research says about their health. The Sources list at the end links the page behind each fact.

The Dog Breed Made By A Tax Collector

In the late 19th century, a German tax collector and dog breeder named Louis Dobermann in the town of Apolda set out to make a dog to protect him. The American Kennel Club (AKC) says he "hoped to breed an imposing but dependable protector to accompany him on his rounds."

The standard from the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI), the world federation of kennel clubs, gives more detail. It says Friedrich Louis Dobermann (1834 to 1894) "was believed to be a tax collector, offal abattoir manager (knacker) and a part time dog catcher." That last job let him legally catch stray dogs, and he bred from the sharpest of them. The FCI says the "butcher's dogs," an early type of Rottweiler, were mixed with a Thuringian shepherd type that was black with rust-red markings, and that he bred this mixture in the 1870s.

The sources do not agree on one recipe. The AKC lists the Black and Tan Terrier (forerunner of the Manchester Terrier), the German Pinscher, the Rottweiler, and smooth-coated herding dogs. The DPCA history adds that crosses to the Manchester Terrier and the black English Greyhound are documented around the turn of the century, made to improve the breed's appearance.

The DPCA's breed history says the AKC first registered the breed in 1908, and the DPCA was founded in 1921. In the FCI's account, the breed's police work was so common that it earned the nickname "Gendarme dog," and the Dobermann was officially recognized as a police dog by the start of the 20th century.

Characteristics And Temperament Of The Doberman

When it comes to a Doberman, the first words people use are loyal, protective, and watchful. The DPCA says the ideal dog is stable, confident, and fearless, and the breed standard tells judges to dismiss any dog that is shy or vicious.

Build and Color

Dobermans are a medium-sized breed with an athletic frame and graceful gait. These noble dogs have short, sleek coats with colors ranging from black and rust to blue and silver. They have long legs, strong jaws, and furry ears that frame a regal face. The Doberman is a true powerhouse; sleek, muscular, and ready for action!

Size has numbers behind it. The AKC lists a height of 24 to 28 inches and a weight of 60 to 100 pounds. The FCI standard gives 68 to 72 cm (about 27 to 28 inches) and about 40 to 45 kg for males, and 63 to 68 cm and about 32 to 35 kg for females.

The AKC accepts four coat colors: black, red, blue, and fawn, each with rust markings. The DPCA says only these four are allowed. The FCI standard is narrower and names two: black, and brown, both with rust-red markings.

The DPCA explains how blue and fawn happen. A puppy needs a dilution gene from both parents to be blue (the diluted form of black) or fawn (the diluted form of red). The club also says blues and fawns have a higher incidence of coat and skin problems.

Temperament

The DPCA calls the breed "energetic" and says that trait is not an exaggeration: the Doberman is on the go, makes itself a central part of the family and its activities, and needs intense and close contact with the family. The club also warns that this energy means bursts of speed that can be dangerous without a securely fenced yard, because a dog running flat out can miss a "come" command.

If you want to channel the energy, our guide to dogs that excel at running with their owners lists the Doberman Pinscher as number 16 of 21.

Doberman Drill Teams

The Doberman is often called a working dog, and the drill team is a good example. According to the DPCA's breed history, in the 1950s a breeder named Tess Henseler watched a performance by the Lipizzaner horses of Vienna and started a Doberman drill team. Its performances included Madison Square Garden in New York City at the Westminster Kennel Club show.

The idea lasted. In the 1970s, Mrs. Alvarez's Doberman drill team toured the United States and Canada for nearly 30 years, giving demonstrations at hospitals and public events.

Show success is part of the record too. The DPCA's breed history says a Doberman named Ch. Rancho Dobe's Storm won Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club show in 1952 and again in 1953.

Doberman Pinschers And The War

Dobermans are best known as war dogs from World War II. The University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine says Dobermans were used as war dogs in that war, and that "approximately 75% of dogs used during combat were Doberman pinschers, with 25% German Shepherds." It also says scout dogs were trained not to bark.

The DPCA's breed history says 25 Marine war dogs gave their lives in the battle for Guam in 1944. Dr. William Putney, a veterinarian, commanded the 3rd War Dog Platoon there. The university's biography of him says he earned the Silver Star and that the platoon conducted over 450 patrols on Guam.

The best-known dog from that battle is Kurt. The National Park Service says Kurt, a Doberman, warned his platoon of Marines on the second day of the battle about a large Japanese force hidden in the jungle ahead. A Japanese soldier threw hand grenades at him, and he died that night despite medical care. The NPS calls Kurt the first war dog to die during the Battle of Guam and says his bravery likely saved the lives of 250 Marines.

Kurt is the dog shown on the "Always Faithful" bronze memorial, which stands at the war dog cemetery on Guam. The United Doberman Club first commissioned it, and the University of Tennessee says the first War Dog Memorial, a bronze Doberman, is on Guam.

Search And Rescue Dobermans

The DPCA breed history records that in 2001, search and rescue Dobermans assisted at Ground Zero after the World Trade Center attack. Dobermans have also worked as police dogs since the early 1900s, according to the FCI standard.

Why People Choose A Doberman

Alertness

The FCI says Dobermann's breeding produced dogs that were "not only alert, but highly protective working and housedogs." The DPCA lists watchful and alert among the ideal traits.

Trainability

In Stanley Coren's 1994 book The Intelligence of Dogs, American and Canadian obedience judges ranked breeds for working and obedience intelligence. The book puts the Doberman Pinscher 5th, in the top group, described as understanding new commands in fewer than 5 repetitions and obeying the first command 95% of the time or better. That is a ranking of obedience-trial performance, as judged by people who watch dogs in the ring. It does not measure every kind of intelligence.

Loyalty

The DPCA lists loyal and obedient among the ideal traits and says the dog needs close contact with its family.

Training A Doberman Pinscher

Training a Doberman works like training any other dog, with one big point: clear rules and consistent training help most. The AKC article behind that link explains why dogs learn faster when every person in the house asks for the same behavior in the same way.

Here are practical steps for training a Doberman:

1. Start early. A puppy that learns house rules and basic commands early has fewer habits to unlearn later.

2. Use rewards. Treats, praise, and play all work as rewards for behavior you want to see again.

3. Be consistent. Use the same word and the same hand signal every time, so your dog can work out the rule quickly.

4. Keep goals small. Short, achievable steps give you and your dog time to adjust. If problems come up, our guide to behavior issues covers common causes and fixes.

5. Use more than one sense. Clicker training, hand signals, scent games, and agility classes all give a Doberman something to think about.

6. Keep sessions fun. A dog that enjoys training will remember more of it.

Doberman Health and Lifespan

The AKC lists a life expectancy of 10 to 12 years. The AKC and the DPCA name the conditions below, and the DPCA health page says several are suspected to be inherited.

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)

DCM is a heart muscle disease. A European taskforce of veterinary cardiologists (the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology) says it "is inherited in Doberman Pinschers with a high prevalence (58%)." A study of 412 Dobermans in Germany that included 775 heart examinations found DCM in 3.3% of dogs aged 1 to under 2 years, 9.9% at 2 to under 4 years, 12.5% at 4 to under 6 years, 43.6% at 6 to under 8 years, and 44.1% over 8 years. The overall figure was 58.2%.

The two sources differ on when to start screening. The cardiology guidelines say screening "should start at three years of age and use both Holter monitoring and echocardiography," then repeat yearly. The German study recommends yearly Holter and echocardiography screening starting at 2 years of age. Ask your veterinarian which schedule fits your dog.

Von Willebrand disease, hips, thyroid, and eyes

Von Willebrand disease is a blood clotting disorder. The DPCA says carrier status is quite common in Dobermans and that a DNA test is available. The AKC lists hip dysplasia, dilated cardiomyopathy, von Willebrand's disease, progressive retinal atrophy, albinism, and hypothyroidism as genetic conditions in the breed. For health testing, the AKC lists a hip evaluation, a cardiac exam, an ophthalmologist evaluation, a thyroid evaluation, and the von Willebrand disease DNA test.

Wobbler syndrome and bloat

The DPCA describes Wobbler's as a condition suspected to be inherited, in which instability of the neck vertebrae compresses the spinal cord. The AKC also lists bloat as life-threatening in the breed, so ask your veterinarian what the signs are before you ever need to know them.

Ask any breeder for the results of the AKC-recommended tests on both parents.

Common Doberman Myths (Debunked)

Dobermans collect a lot of rumors. Here are three with a clear answer from a source.

The Warlock Doberman. Some sellers advertise "Warlock" Dobermans as rare, giant, or more valuable. The DPCA says "there is no such thing as a Warlock Doberman" and calls the term a gimmick used to sell puppies. It says the name goes back to a famous 1960s sire, Ch. Borong the Warlock, and that some so-called Warlocks were crosses with other breeds. The club also says a bigger Doberman gives up the maneuverability and quickness a guard dog needs.

Dobermans only come in black and rust. Black and rust is the best-known coat, but the AKC accepts four colors: black, red, blue, and fawn, each with rust markings.

Dobermans are naturally pointy-eared. The ears in the AKC standard are cropped, which is a surgical change. The FCI standard asks for natural ears. The next section sets out each position.

Every Doberman behaves the way the breed's reputation says. For more on how breed reputations compare with real dogs, see our guide to dog breed stereotypes.

Doberman Ears And Tails

Many people assume the Doberman's pointed ears are natural. Practice and rules differ by country.

• The AKC breed standard says "Ears normally cropped and carried erect" and "Tail docked at approximately second joint."

• The FCI standard says the ears "are left natural" and the tail "is left natural."

• The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) says it "opposes ear cropping and tail docking of dogs when done for cosmetic or nontherapeutic purposes" and "encourages the elimination of ear cropping and tail docking from breed standards."

• In England and Wales, section 5 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 makes it an offence to carry out "a procedure which involves interference with the sensitive tissues or bone structure of the animal, otherwise than for the purpose of its medical treatment." The same section says "Nothing in this section applies to the removal of the whole or any part of a dog's tail." The section does not name ears. Tail docking is covered separately by section 6 of the same Act, which makes removing the whole or any part of a dog's tail an offence unless it is for medical treatment or the dog is a certified working dog not more than 5 days old.

The DPCA ears page describes cropping and docking as functional in origin. The first photo on this page shows a Doberman with natural ears. The photo above shows cropped ears.

More Interesting Facts

Here are a few more Doberman facts you can check in the sources below.

• Dobermans are the only German breed that carries the name of its original breeder, according to the FCI standard.

• The AKC accepts four colors, black, red, blue, and fawn, with rust markings.

• Dobermans have done search and rescue work, including at Ground Zero in 2001, according to the DPCA.

• The Merck Veterinary Manual says the tapetum lucidum, a layer in the eye, enhances vision in dim light. Dogs are carnivores, and the Manual names the carnivore type as the tapetum cellulosum.

• A Doberman named Storm won Westminster Best in Show in 1952 and 1953, according to the DPCA.

FAQs

What type of commands should I teach my Doberman?

Start with the basics: sit, stay, come, down, and leave it. Add heel for structured walks and place, which sends your dog to a mat or bed. The DPCA says a dog that is running flat out can miss a "come" command, so practice recall in a fenced area first.

Are Dobermans easy to train?

Judges in Coren's survey ranked the Doberman 5th for working and obedience intelligence, in a group described as learning a new command in fewer than 5 repetitions. Results with any one dog depend on early start, steady rules, and rewards. Keep sessions short and end on a success.

How often should I train my Doberman?

Short daily sessions that fit into normal routines, like a sit before meals or a down-stay while you cook, keep the rules fresh without turning training into a chore.

Are Dobermans aggressive?

The DPCA describes the ideal Doberman as stable, confident, and fearless, and the breed standard tells judges to dismiss any dog that is shy or vicious. Individual dogs vary with breeding, training, and socialization, so meet the parents and ask about temperament before you bring a puppy home.

On this note, make sure to use our bite prevention tips if you plan on letting kids play with your Doberman.

Can Dobermans see in the dark?

The Merck Veterinary Manual says the tapetum lucidum, a layer in the eye, enhances vision in dim light, and names the tapetum cellulosum as the type in carnivores, the group that includes dogs. Dim light is not complete darkness, and the Manual does not say any dog sees in total dark.

Sources

• American Kennel Club. "Doberman Pinscher" breed page and breed standard. akc.org.
• Doberman Pinscher Club of America. History, breed history, four colors, Warlock myth, ears, health, and temperament pages. dpca.org.
• Fédération Cynologique Internationale. Standard No. 143, Dobermann, 17 December 2015. fci.be.
• University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. War Dog Memorial background and biographies. vetmed.tennessee.edu.
• National Park Service. "War Dogs in the Battle of Guam." nps.gov.
• Susan Bahary. "Always Faithful" memorial page. baharystudios.com.
• American Veterinary Medical Association. "Ear cropping and tail docking of dogs" policy. avma.org.
• Animal Welfare Act 2006 (England and Wales), section 5 and section 6. legislation.gov.uk.
• European Society of Veterinary Cardiology taskforce guidelines on canine dilated cardiomyopathy. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
• Wess, G. et al. "Prevalence of dilated cardiomyopathy in Doberman Pinschers in various age groups." Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 2010. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
• Merck Veterinary Manual. The ocular fundus in animals. merckvetmanual.com.
• Coren, Stanley. The Intelligence of Dogs (Free Press, 1994).