About the Doberman

The Doberman was officially recognized in 1900 by the AKC and is an elegant yet muscular, quick and powerful dog. Other adjectives commonly used to describe the breed are intelligent, versatile, easily trained, determined, fearless, assertive and loyal. That’s just about everything you could want in a companion animal. But that adorable puppy will soon become not only a graceful and affectionate companion, it will also become very attached to its owner and family and will mature into the ultimate in personal and home protection. The Doberman is naturally protective and does not need additional “protection training” to be a fine guard dog. Dobies are well known for their desire to please the human they own. And they are very intelligent. Just about the only thing they can’t learn is what you don’t teach them!

A Doberman likes to be physically close to its family members. In fact, it is also often described as a “Velcro” dog. That’s because it will almost always want to be wherever its owner is and usually in physical contact with him or her if it can manage it. There’s something funny about at 75 pound lap dog, don’t you think? Dobermans are definitely great house dogs. They can be yard dogs too, but they prefer to be close to their humans. If you do keep them outside, please have a yard large enough to provide them with plenty of exercise which they desperately need.

Although Dobermans have the "reputation" of being very aggressive, even vicious, this is simply not true in the vast majority of cases. Any animal that is not properly cared for has the potential of becoming unbalanced, and even dangerous. Of course, you can make a Doberman vicious but that is true of any breed. Only cruel, unprincipled and immature owners think making a dog vicious is “neat”. As a rule, and when given a good home and kind treatment, they are very sweet and gentle and are really excellent with the elderly, the infirm and with children. They are merely big, protective babies who are devoted to their human children as well as any other pets in the home. That being said, due to their protective natures, it may not be a good idea to leave your Doberman with unsupervised children. As with many protective breeds, Dobermans will be very good companions for their own human children but they may be over-protective and misread the shouting and rough-house play of other children as a threat to their children. This isn’t very likely but it is something to consider.

Dobermans are active and should be consistently and thoroughly trained to be a good pet. For this reason, they do best with an experienced owner (but even humans can learn!) so, if you are a first time owner, it is best to learn as much about them as you can before you take on the responsibility of owning this canine thoroughbred. Fortunately, there are many good sources available in book form and on the internet. Pet stores and veterinarians are also excellent sources of advice. To help insure that the right human and the right puppy are accurately matched and live happily every after, Spear-Bar Kennels has each of its puppies professionally temperament tested prior to placing them. Selecting the right puppy personality and activity level for each new owner is much more easily accomplished by doing so.

Many make the mistake of wanting to become “backyard” breeders only to learn too late the inordinate amount of time necessary and the rather surprising expense of being a Doberman breeder. In fact, just the expense of owning and caring for a single puppy will convince most owners that becoming a breeder is far from being the “money making hobby” which many uninformed people think that it is. Experts estimate that it costs $6,400 to raise a medium sized dog to 11 years, so, if you’re in it solely for the money, you’re going to have to sell a lot of puppies and "work like a dog" just to break even. In fact, the first two years after Spear-Bar kennels was started, it saw over $25,000 invested before a single puppy was ever born!

The Doberman Pinscher is instinctively alert, loyal, loving, and has a watchful temperament. He is naturally protective of those he loves, and uses his keen intelligence to weigh various situations. Unless neglected and bored, the Doberman is a quiet dog. Usually when there is barking, there is a good reason to check out the source of the dog's concern.

Today's well bred Doberman is not prone to outbursts or temper, although, unstable dogs of poor breeding stock can be found in this as well as other breeds. It is to be stressed that poor temperament is more a sign of careless breeding by unknowledgeable persons than a characteristic of the Doberman. It is vital that potential puppy owners be sure of the quality of the parent stock and have a trusting and communicative relationship with the breeder of their pup.

The Doberman is a healthy and hearty dog with few inherent illnesses. A good breeder will take caution to breed only those dogs that have a clear health history, having passed all health and genetic testing specific to the breed. Most important of these tests are

Whether you are looking for a companion, a dog for agility, AKC conformation showing, tracking, obedience work, or many of the other dog related activities, the Doberman is the dog to look toward.

Males: 26-28 inches tall. Females: 24-26 inches tall.
Males: 70-90 pounds. Females: 60-75 pounds.

10-13 years with 9.6 being the average life span given proper nutrition and care. At one year, the females are usually close to being their adult height and further growth is mostly in mass. Males will continue to grow over the next year and may even add a few inches of height. At 12 months, a puppy has become an adult. A male is considered to be in his “prime” at 3+ years and a female at 2 to 3 years. From 1 to 6 years of age, a Doberman is enjoying life and is a great joy to his owner. Dobermans begin collecting their senior citizen discounts at about 7 years of age. They begin to slow down and may begin experiencing the “aches and pains” of aging. They may require a special diet and trips to the vet become more common. Heart problems and cancer are major concerns as are teeth and joints. Examine your friend for lumps/bumps or anything which looks different. Unusual behavior may indicate a problem which should be attended to by the dog’s vet.

The Doberman comes in a variety of colors, black and rust, black and tan, red and rust, blue, and fawn (known as an “Isabella“). The "blacks" usually will have the thickest coats while "reds" have less hair per square inch than a black. "Fawns" and "blues" are also referred to as dilutes. They have a much thinner coat than even most reds. We do not highly recommend breeding the dilutes because they have a high incidence of thyroid insufficiency and coat loss and there have been other adverse health factors associated with them. Therefore unless a buyer specifically requests one, we usually try to avoid producing the fawns and blues and concentrate on producing the healthier "blacks" and "reds" with rich colors and stable coats.

Whites are also possible but are considered to be a genetic abberation and are very prone to disease, a wide variety of illnesses, temperament problems, congenital defects and early deaths. In addition, they are not recognized by the AKC. Reputable breeders are making a conscientious effort to breed away from the production of whites, will not sell a white and you should never pay extra for one. An unscrupulous seller will point out how rare they are…. And thankfully so because they will have many, many problems, their lives will be miserable and they will be the cause of eventual, if not immediate, heartache and expense for their owners.

On the standard Doberman, rust markings should appear on the muzzle, the throat, above the eyes, the front of the chest, beneath the tail and on all legs and feet. A small white patch less than one-half inch square is permissible on the chest. Of course, if you don’t plan to “show” your dog in competition, who cares? They’re all lovable.

Puppies are born with long “hound-dog” ears and tails. Tails are customarily docked (either “Rotweiller style at the first joint or Doberman style at the second joint depending upon the breeder’s preference) and dewclaws are removed by a vet at the age of 3 days. Ears are cropped at 8-12 weeks of age. The ears are sutured after cropping and taped over the head by the vet and then covered with gauze or glued to a piece of Styrofoam between them. The ears heal and, after about 10 days, the sutures are removed and the ear can be taped to begin the process of keeping them upright.

Of course, some owners prefer not to crop the ears but most prefer to do so. If for some reason, you must sell the dog later, its resale price is usually much higher if the ears are cropped and the tail is docked. Once cropped, they must be “taped” for a couple of months to make them stand. If they are cropped too late, the chances are very good that either one or both ears will fail to stand. In fact, many vets will refuse to crop after 12 weeks of age. The usual fee for cropping is in the neighborhood of $250.

Important tip: If When you take the puppy to the vet for ear cropping, be sure to tell your vet EXACTLY what ear shape you want because vets have their preferences too and those preferences may not match yours. If possible, show them a picture of the ear shape you want and stress it several times or you may be dissatisfied with the result.

Teething:

At about 12 weeks of age, the Doberman starts the teething phase which continues for about 3 months. Baby teeth fall out and the permanent teeth come in. Often the puppy simply swallows the baby teeth (which is normal) but sometimes you will find them on the floor. During this time gums can become swollen and bleed and the puppy chews on EVERYTHING it can get its mouth around since chewing helps the new teeth come through the gums. You need to provide soft, chewable toys and treats during this period or you will soon begin to think that termites would be a blessing compared to your little angel. Supervise your puppy CLOSELY during this phase. They not only chew but they also often swallow what they are chewing and this can result in blockages, illness and even a very painful death. Permanent teeth should all be present at about 6 months.

Weekly grooming should be a ritual in any Doberman's life. Grooming is quite simple. Dobermans have semi-coarse overcoat fur and a soft undercoat fur. They need to be combed to remove the soft fine hair or it will quickly mat and shed. Taking a few minutes to comb and brush your Doberman on a weekly basis is an excellent control for shedding. The shedding blade draws out all the already dead but not shed hair. This makes it possible to dispose of them just once instead of having them all over the house, furniture and your clothing all the time. You have to wait for the new coat to come in while the old one sheds off. During this time, you may actually see an INCREASE in shedding but it will be obvious to you that the new coat is softer, shinier and a lot healthier. A bath every 3 to 4 weeks is helpful in controlling parasites and shedding. It also helps to maintain a healthy skin condition.

Healthy Dobermans have little to no "Doggy" odor. An occasional bath with a mild moisturizing dog shampoo will keep them looking their best. There are products on the market to use for cleaning the ears. They should be used after the bath and should contain a drying agent. This will help to dry up any excess water that may of slipped past the cotton and made it's way into the dogs ears during the bath. Water left in the ears frequently does cause problems. Don't forget to trim the toenails as they grow quickly.

Dobermans will do okay in an apartment if sufficiently exercised but do best in a medium to large-sized yard. The Doberman is a “working class” dog and may therefore display nervousness, destructiveness, excessive barking and other undesirable behaviors if it is deprived of exercise and training.

Dobermans are very temperature sensitive. In general, if you are uncomfortable with the temperature, your Dobie will be as well. Dobermans are definitely not cold weather dogs. Insulate their dog houses in the winter. If possible, also provide a safe winter heat source in the dog house if they are to be kept outside for any length of time. Provide them with lots of shade and fresh water in the summer. DO NOT EVER lock you dog in a car on a hot summer day even with the windows slightly opened or even for “just a short time". It is a terrible way to die.