Louis Dobermann | |
|---|---|
 Statue located in Apolda, Germany | |
| Born | (1834-01-02)2 January 1834 |
| Died | 9 June 1894(1894-06-09) (aged 60) |
Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann (/ˈdoʊbərmən/;German pronunciation:[ˈdoːbɐman]; 2 January 1834 – 9 June 1894) was the firstbreeder of theDobermann. He started the creation of thisdog breed in the town ofApolda, in theGrand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach around 1890, following theFranco-Prussian War.[1]
Dobermann served in the dangerous role of localtax collector, and ran the Apolda dog pound.[2] With access to dogs of many breeds, he aimed to create a breed that would be ideal for protecting him during his collections, which took him through many dangerous, bandit-infested areas.[3] He set out to breed a new type of dog that, in his opinion, would be the perfect combination of strength, loyalty,intelligence, and ferocity. Later,Otto Goeller andPhilip Gruening continued to develop the breed to become the dog that is seen today.[4]
After Dobermann's death in 1894, the Germans named the breed Dobermann-pinscher in his honor, but a half century later dropped the "pinscher" on the grounds that this German word forterrier was no longer appropriate. The British did the same a few years later.