The Dobermann is intelligent, alert and tenaciously loyal; it is kept as aguard dog or as acompanion animal.[3] In Canada and the United States it is known as theDoberman Pinscher.
Dobermanns were first bred in the 1880s byKarl Friedrich Louis Dobermann, a tax collector who ran a dog pound inApolda in present-dayThuringia in central Germany. With access to dogs of many breeds, he got the idea to create a breed that would be ideal for protecting him. He set out to breed a new type of dog that would exhibit impressive stamina, strength, and intelligence. Five years after Dobermann's death, Otto Goeller, one of the earliest breeders, created the National Doberman Pinscher Club and is considered to have perfected the breed, breeding and refining them in the 1890s.[4][5]
Dobermann Pinscher, 1915
The breed is believed to have been created from several different breeds of dogs that had the characteristics that Dobermann was looking for. The exact ratios of mixing, and even the exact breeds that were used, remain uncertain, although many experts believe that the Dobermann is a combination of several breeds including theBeauceron,German Pinscher,Rottweiler andWeimaraner.[6] The single exception is the documented crossing with theGreyhound andManchester Terrier. It is also widely believed that the old German Shepherd was the single largest contributor to the Dobermann breed. Philip Greunig'sThe Dobermann Pinscher (1939) describes the breed's early development by Otto Goeller, who helped to establish the breed.[citation needed] TheAmerican Kennel Club believes the breeds utilized to develop the Dobermann Pinscher may have included the old shorthaired shepherd, Rottweiler, Black and Tan Terrier and the German Pinscher.[2]
After Dobermann's death in 1894, the Germans named the breed Dobermann-pinscher in his honor, but a half century later dropped the word 'pinscher' on the grounds that this German word for 'terrier' was no longer appropriate. The British did the same a few years later; now the US and Canada are the only countries who continue to use Pinscher and have dropped an "n" from Dobermann's surname.[6]
In 2013 a list of breeds by annual number of registrations, based on a survey of member clubs of theFédération Cynologique Internationale, placed the Dobermann 26th, with20941 new registrations per year.[7] Statistics compiled by the AKC for 2009 placed the Doberman Pinscher 15th, with10233 registrations in that year.[8] In the fifteen years from 2009 to 2023 the average number of puppies whelped per year in Germany was approximately535, representing just over1% of the average total number of births for all breeds, recorded at slightly more than77000 per year.[9]
The Dobermann is a medium-large dog ofpinscher type.[10] Dogs stand some68–72 cm at thewithers, with a weight usually in the range40–45 kg; bitches are considerably smaller, with height and weight ranges of63–68 cm and32–35 kg respectively.[1][11] It is aworking dog, and registration is subject to completion of aworking trial.[10]
It was originally intended as a guard dog,[12][13] so males typically have a muscular and intimidating appearance.[12][13]
Fawn Dobermann Pinscher with cropped earsBlue Dobermann
Two different color genes exist in the Dobermann: one forblack (B) and one forcolor dilution (D). There are nine possible combinations of thesealleles, which can result in four different colorphenotypes: black, blue, red, andfawn (Isabella).[14] The traditional and most common color occurs when both the color and dilution genes have at least onedominant allele (i.e., BBDD, BBDd, BbDD or BbDd) and is commonly referred to asblack,black and rust, orblack and tan. Thered,red rust, orbrown coloration occurs when the black gene has tworecessive alleles but the dilution gene has at least one dominant allele (i.e., bbDD, bbDd). Theblue Dobermann has the color gene with at least one dominant allele and the dilution gene with both recessive alleles (i.e., BBdd or Bbdd). Thefawn coloration is the least common, occurring only when both the color and dilution genes have two recessive alleles (i.e., bbdd). Thus, the blue color is a diluted black, and the fawn color is a diluted red.[citation needed]
Expression of the color dilution gene is a disorder calledcolor dilution alopecia, a kind of canine follicular dysplasia. Although not life-threatening, these dogs can develop skin problems.[15]
White Doberman are cream in color with blue eyes and pink noses, paw pads, and eye rims. The first white Doberman was born in 1976.[16][better source needed] White Doberman were identified as albino, and the condition is caused by a partial deletion in theSLC45A2 gene.[17] Although albino Doberman are prone to suffer long term issues including photosensitivity/photophobia, skin lesions/tumors, and solar skin damage, there is no evidence suggesting this mutation causes deafness.[18]
Dobermann with full tailBlue Dobermann with docked tail
The Dobermann's natural tail is fairly long, but individual dogs often have a short tail as a result of docking, a procedure in which the majority of the tail is surgically removed shortly after birth.[citation needed]
The practice of docking has been around for centuries and is older than the Dobermann as a breed.[19] The historical reason for docking is to ensure that the tail does not get in the way of the dog's work.[19] Docking and cropping (see below) have been written out of the Breed Standard by FCI and the International Dobermann Club (IDC), and dogs born after 2016 will not be allowed to participate in FCI or IDC shows without a full tail and natural ears.[citation needed] In the UK, dogs with docked tails have been banned from show for a number of years[citation needed] and the practice is now illegal for native born dogs.[20] Docking is illegal in all European Union states,[21] as well as Australia.[22] The AKC standard for Doberman Pinschers includes a tail docked near the 2ndvertebra.[12]
Traditional black and tan Dobermann with ears cropped
Some owners crop Dobermann's ears.[23] The Doberman Pinscher Club of America requires that ears be "normally cropped and carried erect" for conformation.[24] Like tail docking, ear cropping is illegal in many countries[25] and has never been legal in some Commonwealth countries.[citation needed]
Canine intelligence is an umbrella term that encompasses the faculties involved in a wide range of mental tasks, such as learning, problem-solving, and communication. The Doberman Pinscher has been ranked amongst the most intelligent dog breeds in experimental studies and expert evaluations. PsychologistStanley Coren ranks the Dobermann as the 5th most intelligent dog in the category ofobedience command training, based on the selective surveys answered by experienced trainers (as documented in his bookThe Intelligence of Dogs). Additionally, in two studies, Hart and Hart (1985) ranked the Doberman Pinscher first in the same category,[26] and Tortora (1980) gave the Dobermann the highest rank in general trainability.[27]
Although they are considered to be working dogs, Dobermanns are often stereotyped as being ferocious and aggressive.[28]
Doberman Pinscher puppies
There is some evidence that Doberman Pinschers in North America have a calmer and more even temperament than their European counterparts because of the breeding strategies employed by American breeders.[29] Despite this, the American breed standard states that, for purposes of determining of conformation fault, aggression and belligerence by a Doberman toward other dogs is not counted as viciousness.[30]
There is a great deal of scientific evidence that Doberman Pinschers have a number of stable psychological traits, such as certain personality factors and intelligence. As early as 1965, studies have shown that there are several broad behavioral traits that significantly predict behavior and are genetically determined.[31] Subsequently, there have been numerous scientific attempts to quantify caninepersonality or temperament by usingstatistical techniques for assessing personality traits in humans. These studies often vary in terms of the personality factors they focus on and in terms of ranking breeds differently along these dimensions. One such study found that Doberman Pinschers, compared to other breeds, rank high in playfulness, average in curiosity/fearlessness, low on aggressiveness, and low on sociability.[32] Another such study ranked Doberman Pinschers low on reactivity/surgence and high on aggression/disagreeableness and openness/trainability.[33]
In addition to the studies of canine personality, there has been some research to determine whether there are breed differences in aggression. In a study published in 2008, aggression was divided into four categories: aggression directed at strangers, owner, strange dogs, and rivalry with other household dogs.[34] This study found that the Doberman Pinscher ranked relatively high on stranger-directed aggression, but extremely low on owner-directed aggression. The Doberman Pinscher ranked as average on dog-directed aggression and dog rivalry. Looking only at bites and attempted bites, Doberman Pinschers rank as far less aggressive towards humans and show less aggression than many breeds without a reputation (e.g.,Cocker Spaniel,Dalmatian, andGreat Dane). This study concluded that aggression has a genetic basis, that the Dobermann shows a distinctive pattern of aggression depending on the situation and that contemporary Doberman Pinschers are not an aggressive breed overall.[34]
A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 11.2 years for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 forcrossbreeds.[38] A 2024 Italian study found a life expectancy of 8 years for the breed compared to 10 years overall.[39] A 2005 Swedish study of insurance data found 68% of Dobermann died by the age of 10, higher than the overall rate of 35% of dogs dying by the age of 10.[40]
Cardiomyopathies are a common problem for the breed.[41] and cardiac issues are a common cause of death in the breed with 15% of deaths being cardiac related according to a UK survey.[42] Data from the University of Purdue Medical Veterinary Database found the breed to be predisposed todilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) with 5.8% of Dobermanns having the condition.[43] Another study in America found a prevalence of 7.32% for the condition.[44] An English study of 369 cases found the Dobermann make up 16% of those.[45] This disease impacts Dobermanns more severely than other breeds with an average survival time of 52 days compared to 240 days for other breeds.[46] This is possibly due to the type of DCM that affects the Dobermann differing.[47] Research has shown that the breed is affected by an attenuated wavy fiber type of DCM that affects many other breeds,[48] as well as an additional fatty infiltration-degenerative type that appears to be specific to Dobermann Pinscher andBoxer breeds.[48]This serious disease is likely to be fatal in most Dobermanns affected.[48]
Roughly a quarter of Dobermann Pinschers who develop cardiomyopathy die suddenly from seemingly unknown causes,[48][49][50] and an additional fifty percent die ofcongestive heart failure.[50] Among female Dobermanns, the sudden death manifestation of the disease is more common, whereas males tend to develop congestive heart failure.[51] In addition to being more prevalent in Dobermanns, this disease is also more serious in the breed. Following a diagnosis, the average non-Dobermann has an expected survival time of 8 months; for Dobermann Pinschers, however, the expected survival time is less than two months.[46] Although the causes for the disease are largely unknown, there is evidence that it is a familial disease inherited as anautosomal dominant trait.[52]
Other conditions that the breed is predisposed to include:von Willebrand's disease,[54] andprostatic disease.[55] Caninecompulsive disorder was found to be prevalent in 28% of Dobermanns in one study.[56] The breed is predisposed tohypothyroidism[53][41] with one US study finding 6.3% of Dobermanns to have the condition compared to 1.54% for mixed-breeds.[44] The Dobermann is also predisposed togastric dilatation volvulus.[57] A study of 295 cases in America found 6.1% of cases to belong to the Dobermann.[58] Another American study of 1,934 cases found an odds ratio of 5.5 for the Dobermann.[59]
A North American study reviewing over a million dogs examined at veterinary teaching hospitals found the Dobermann to have a noticeably lower prevalence ofhip dysplasia with 1.34% of Dobermanns having hip dysplasia compared to 3.52% overall.[60] Another North American study of over 1,000,000 and 250,000 hip and elbow scans found the Dobermann to be among the 15 breeds least likely to have both hip andelbow dysplasia. 5.7% of Dobermanns over the age of 2 years had hip dysplasia and 0.8% had elbow dysplasia.[61]
A US study of the records of over 90,000 dogs found the Dobermann to be predisposed tointervertebral disc disease [d] (IVDD), with 12.7% of Dobermanns having the condition compared to 4.43% formixed-breeds.[44]
^abGudas, Raymond; Sikora Siino, Betsy (2005).Doberman Pinschers: Everything about purchase, care, nutrition, training and behavior. Barron's Educational Series.
^"Ear cropping and tail docking". The Canadian Federation of Humane Societies/Fédération des sociétés canadiennes d'assistance aux animaux (CFHS/FSCAA). Archived fromthe original on 9 September 2011. Retrieved29 October 2016.
^Hart, B.L.; Hart, L.A. (1985). "Selecting pet dogs on the basis of cluster analysis of breed behavior profiles and gender".J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc.186 (11):1181–1185.doi:10.2460/javma.1985.186.11.1181.PMID4008297.
^Tortora, D.F. (1980). "Animal behavior therapy: the behavioral diagnosis and treatment of dominance-motivated aggression in canines. 1 [Dogs]".Canine Practice.7.ISSN0094-4904.
^Sacks, Jeffrey J.; Sinclair, Leslie; Gilchrist, Julie; Golab, Gail C.; Lockwood, Randall. "Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998".JAVMA.217.
^abScott-Moncrieff, J. Catherine (2015). "Hypothyroidism". In Feldman, Edward C.; Nelson, Richard W.; Reusch, Claudia; Scott-Moncrieff, J. Catharine (eds.).Canine and feline endocrinology (Fourth ed.). St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier Saunders. p. 91.ISBN978-1-4557-4456-5.
^Adams, V. J.; Evans, K. M.; Sampson, J.; Wood, J. L. N. (1 October 2010). "Methods and mortality results of a health survey of purebred dogs in the UK".Journal of Small Animal Practice.51 (10):512–524.doi:10.1111/j.1748-5827.2010.00974.x.PMID21029096.
^Sisson D, O'Grady MR, Calvert CA. Myocardial diseases of dogs. In: Fox PR, Sisson D,Moise NS, editors. Textbook of canine and feline cardiology: principles and clinicalpractice. 2nd edition. Philadelphia: WB Saunders; 1999. p. 581–619
^abcBellumori, Thomas P.; Famula, Thomas R.; Bannasch, Danika L.; Belanger, Janelle M.; Oberbauer, Anita M. (1 June 2013). "Prevalence of inherited disorders among mixed-breed and purebred dogs: 27,254 cases (1995–2010)".Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.242 (11). American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA):1549–1555.doi:10.2460/javma.242.11.1549.ISSN0003-1488.PMID23683021.
^Martin, M. W. S.; Stafford Johnson, M. J.; Celona, B. (2009). "Canine dilated cardiomyopathy: a retrospective study of signalment, presentation and clinical findings in 369 cases".Journal of Small Animal Practice.50 (1):23–29.doi:10.1111/j.1748-5827.2008.00659.x.ISSN0022-4510.PMID19037887.
^abDomanjko-Petrič, Aleksandra; Stabej, Polona; Žemva, A. (2002). "Dilated cardiomyopathy in the Dobermann dog: survival, causes of death and a pedigree review in a related line".Journal of Veterinary Cardiology.4 (1):17–24.doi:10.1016/S1760-2734(06)70019-4.PMID19081342.
^O'Grady, Michael R.; O'Sullivan, M.Lynne (2004). "Dilated cardiomyopathy: an update".Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice.34 (5):1187–1207.doi:10.1016/j.cvsm.2004.05.009.PMID15325477.
^Calvert CA; Hall G; Jacobs G; Pickus C. (1997). "Clinical and pathologic findings in Dobermanns with occult cardiomyopathy that died suddenly or developed congestive heart failure: 54 cases (1984–1991)".J Am Vet Med Assoc.210.doi:10.2460/javma.1997.210.04.505.
^Meurs KM; Fox PR; Norgard M; Spier AW; Lamb A; Koplitz SL; Baumwart RD. (2007). "A prospective genetic evaluation of familial dilated cardiomyopathy in the Doberman pinscher".J Vet Intern Med.21 (5):1016–1020.doi:10.1111/j.1939-1676.2007.tb03058.x.PMID17939558.
^abHnilica, Keith A.; Patterson, Adam P. (19 September 2016).Small Animal Dermatology. St. Louis (Miss.): Saunders.ISBN978-0-323-37651-8.
^Ogata, Niwako; Gillis, Timothy E.; Liu, Xiaoxu; Cunningham, Suzanne M.; Lowen, Steven B.; Adams, Bonnie L.; Sutherland-Smith, James; Mintzopoulos, Dionyssios; Janes, Amy C.; Dodman, Nicholas H.; Kaufman, Marc J. (2013). "Brain structural abnormalities in Dobermann Pinschers with canine compulsive disorder".Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry.45:1–6.doi:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2013.04.002.PMID23590875.S2CID4107434.CCD is highly prevalent among Dobermans, with an estimated incidence of about 28% in a database including over 2300 dogs (personal communication, Andrew Borgman, Statistical Analyst, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI)
^Bell, Jerold S. (2014). "Inherited and Predisposing Factors in the Development of Gastric Dilatation Volvulus in Dogs".Topics in Companion Animal Medicine.29 (3):60–63.doi:10.1053/j.tcam.2014.09.002.PMID25496921.
^Brockman, Daniel J.; Washabau, Robert J.; Drobatz, Kenneth J. (15 August 1995). "Canine gastric dilatation/volvulus syndrome in a veterinary critical care unit: 295 cases (1986–1992)".Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.207 (4):460–464.doi:10.2460/javma.1995.207.04.0460.ISSN0003-1488.PMID7591946.
^Glickman, Lawrence T.; Glickman, Nita W.; Pérez, Cynthia M.; Schellenberg, Diana B.; Lantz, Gary C. (1 May 1994). "Analysis of risk factors for gastric dilatation and dilatation-volvulus in dogs".Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.204 (9). American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA):1465–1471.doi:10.2460/javma.1994.204.09.1465.ISSN0003-1488.PMID8050972.
^Witsberger, Tige H.; Villamil, J. Armando; Schultz, Loren G.; Hahn, Allen W.; Cook, James L. (15 June 2008). "Prevalence of and risk factors for hip dysplasia and cranial cruciate ligament deficiency in dogs".Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.232 (12). American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA):1818–1824.doi:10.2460/javma.232.12.1818.ISSN0003-1488.PMID18598150.
Gruenig, Philipp (1939).The Dobermann Pinscher: History and Breed Development. Translated by Von Hoegen, Maximilian. New York: Orange Judd & Company.OCLC12437476.
Walker, Joanna; Humphries, Rod (1999).The Doberman Pinscher: Brains and Beauty. New York: Howell Book House.ISBN0-87605-216-2.OCLC41580391.
