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History of the Doberman


 

Louis Dobermann, a German tax collector, created the Doberman Pinscher breed in 1870. It is believed the breed originated from the mix of cattle and shepherd dogs. In 1895, the dog was mixed with Manchester terrier and at the beginning of the 20th century, Greyhound bloodline was introduced. The Doberman at that time was not as finely chiseled and sleek as it is today. Today’s Doberman Pinscher is sleek, elegant dog, with a long head, flat skull and a long muzzle. The eyes are brown and almond shaped. The natural ear is set high and folds down. The cropped ear stands erect. The short, smooth coat is colored black/tan, red/tan, fawn or blue. Males stand at shoulder height between 26-28″ and weigh between 70-90 lbs. Females should stand at a height of 24-26″ and are between 50-70 lbs.

Dobermans have come a long way from the fierce dog created by Louis Dobermann. Today’s Doberman is an affectionate, loving family dog. They are not for people who want a dog to look at from a distance. Dobie’s are intensely loyal to their families and demand attention. A Dobie’s priority in life is to be with you, love you and guard you 24 hours a day.

 

Wherever you are, there he is. Some people have affectionately named them ‘velcro’ dogs. You will usually find a Dobie attached to you somehow – head on your knee, sitting on your foot, leaning up against you or lying beside you. They are affectionate, but in an elegant way…no sloppy kisses; in fact, you’ll be lucky to ever get a kiss at all, just adoring looks with big brown eyes.

Don’t expect to keep a Dobie penned up in a small apartment. Dobies are energetic and need to exercise to release pent up energy. Training is a must with this breed. They can be stubborn and willful and need to know that you are the ‘alpha dog’ in the family.

Dobermans are very versatile dogs. They possess the attributes of superior intelligence, strength, learning ability, agility and have a strong capacity to focus without being distracted that has resulted in them being used successfully as working dogs for many years.

They served as war dogs in the North Pacific, saving soldiers’ lives as protection dogs, police dogs, seeing eye dogs and even search and rescue dogs.

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