The Doberman Pinscher: Brains and Beauty

By Rod Humphries and Joanna Walker

The Doberman Pinscher: Brains and Beauty gives potential owners, new converts and veteran Doberman lovers all they need to know about this strong but sensitive companion. There are chapters on the Doberman's history, buying a dog, grooming, temperament, understanding the breed standard, breeding, health concerns and more. Dog shows, obedience competitions and all the activities Dobermans can participate in are discussed. Five appendices include useful resources and top dogs in the breed.
Howell Best of Breed Library

• Language: English
• Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
• Release date: Aug 20, 2007
• ISBN: 9780470252840

Rod Humphries

Rhondda-born Rod Humphries, a lifelong lover of books, has finally got round to writing one. Having taught in the south Wales valleys for many years Rod has now retired to St Ives in Cornwall, which, he avers, is very much like the Rhondda, only with a beach.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Is the Doberman Right for You?

One of the time-worn statements you’ll find when you read almost any literature on the Doberman Pinscher is The Doberman is not for everyone. We planned to avoid the phrase here, just because it is so well-used, but it is the quickest way to bring into focus the fact that the Doberman is not a generic dog that just happens to have a different look—albeit a pretty appealing one.

Doberman fanciers love to describe the overall appearance of the breed as The Look of Eagles. This elegance is a major reason for the visual appeal of the Doberman in the show ring, in the obedience ring, or in any of the sports that Dobermans and other canines love to play. There is no such thing as an ugly Doberman Pinscher—some are just more beautiful than others.

The square, chiseled appearance, with athleticism oozing from every well-defined muscle, gives the impression that the Doberman might be the Michael Jordan of any canine league. In fact, people who are sports nuts invariably fall in love with the Doberman because physically and aesthetically it is the canine equivalent of the athletes they see on the small screen any night of the week.

And if your momma wouldn’t let you grow up to be a cowboy and have a horse, then maybe you see the Doberman as the nearest canine to the equine. Many do, and it is quite amazing the number of people who can’t get a horse for whatever reason, but end up owning a Doberman. It’s also quite common for people with horses to have Dobermans.

Doberman fanciers call that elegant appearance The Look of Eagles. This is Ch. Wingates Leading Edge, CDX, CGC, TDI, ROM. (Ellice)

But while this magnificently muscled animal with a majestic gallop and a statuesque appearance may be overwhelmingly appealing, especially because it is a wash and wear kind of dog with that easy coat, the question is: Are you ready to live with a Doberman Pinscher?

DEVOTED AND DEMANDING

This animal is not an ornament. It is as complex a being as any on this planet with, we might add, an inherent ability to guard and protect. It is demanding—oh how it can be demanding! It is so devoted that it wants to be with you at all times: in the car, on the couch and in the bed. It wants to back up and sit on the couch next to you, or just on your lap. The head will always be pushing into your hand for a pat, invariably when you are about to sip a steaming cup of coffee. The dog just wants to be with you and be touched by you. For some this is a blessing in a pet; for others, it could well be a nuisance.

This can be an extremely energetic breed, quite rambunctious, especially when with a playmate. These dogs know how to play rough. They jump and twirl in a circle and hit with their rump. Their reckless abandon in the open field, and quite often in the house, illustrates a fearless attitude toward injury. And a mighty disregard for the table lamp. When a Doberman runs at you in fun, turn backwards to protect your knees, making sure that your legs bend the right way. Then, if the dog runs into you, or believes that you are as indestructible as the dog thinks itself to be, at least you won’t be in the hospital with a seriously hyperextended knee—or worse.

Dobermans just want to be with you. Gregory and Bonnie both love to nap under the desk. (Joanna Walker)

INTELLIGENCE TO SPARE AND ENERGY TO BURN

The Doberman needs exercise to burn energy. It is not sufficient to lock your dog in a small yard and expect it to run on its own. An energetic Doberman deprived of an outlet for that energy and left to its own devices can be a very destructive animal, indeed—sometimes to its own detriment. Bored Dobermans have a penchant for eating things that are not good for them: blankets, balls, sticks and many other objects that can cause obstructions. One could write a book on the foreign objects swallowed and surgically removed from within the Doberman; they are legendary.

Otto Goeller, the first authority on the breed, promoted the Doberman as the dog with the human brain. We wouldn’t go that far, as we’d like to think that we have an edge when it comes to gray matter over our pet dogs. But if, as the scientists say, a dog has the intelligence level of a five-or six-year-old child, then the Doberman is magna cum laude in the canine kindergarten class. This breed is mentally quick, just as capable of learning obedience exercises at a record pace as it is of opening the kennel door, or any other door if it is humanly, or caninely, possible.

Rod Humphries had a female Doberman shipped to him for breeding several years ago. To keep her quiet and away from the other animals, he placed her in a Great Dane-size crate in a cottage on his property. She would be safe there, he thought. Later that day, however, Rod noticed that his stud dog had been missing for a short while. He found that the male dog had opened the cottage door with his teeth, somehow flicked or mouthed open the very sophisticated lock on his lady’s crate, and was sheepishly grinning ear to ear while breeding with her in the crate! Love, and Dobermans, will always find a way.

This breed requires exercise for body and brain. Oh yes, some can be turned into couch potatoes, but don’t count on it; the couch might just become a big chew toy. Dobermans demand to be doing something, especially with their owners. Training classes, dog shows, field trials, long walks in the neighborhood or runs in the field or forest are just some of the things an owner needs to do to have a healthy and happy Doberman.

Your Doberman’s energy can be channeled in all kinds of creative ways. Roeckle’s Black Jake knows how to make himself useful. (Kevin Roeckle)

The Doberman just wants to be doing something with you, even if it is sitting in the car on a trip to the supermarket. If you work or have children who need to be taxied to Little League or soccer games, leaving you no time to spend with the canine member of the family, then the Doberman is not for you. Staying locked in the yard, or an area of the house or lying in a crate all day is not good for any breed, especially not a Doberman.

THE DOBERMAN DISPOSITION

And what of the Doberman disposition? The bond between Doberman and family is incredibly strong, and the dog’s willingness to protect that family is legendary. But as an owner, are you ready for a natural guard dog that will protect its family, barking at windows and doors, sometimes when you think it’s unnecessary?

As we’ll explain in more detail in the next chapter, American breeders have purposely toned down the original temperament of the breed, but good breeders still want to retain boldness as a prime characteristic in their dogs. Boldness means being fearless, outgoing, and up for anything, anytime, anywhere. There are Dobermans that are not bold; dogs that are shy and use avoidance maneuvers when faced with unfamiliar circumstances. Conversely, there are dogs that are over-aggressive. These dogs are in the minority, however, and should be avoided at all costs.

The American Doberman is not the untouchable, one-man dog of the past, but there are still strong protection drives that most breeders in this country are happy to maintain—up to a point. Many will argue that there is no fathomable reason to get into bite training with their dogs, nor to breed dogs generation after generation that will do hard protection work. After years of trying to make the Doberman a general-purpose family dog, they think it is counterproductive, and that dogs with generations of animals behind them who are selected for sharpness, prey drives, hardness and fighting spirit could lead to problems.

We are of the opinion that most Dobermans from American lines still have an inherent suspicion of things that are not right, of strangers who may be acting inconsistently or threats to family or property. Dogs from good American breeding programs will act positively, they will patrol perimeter fences and bark and threaten when necessary.

The Germans and their disciples say this is not enough, however, and that a Doberman must prove it can protect and be able to back it up with a bite, if necessary. The American breeders, on the other hand, say all dogs know how to bite because it is part of their hereditary disposition. The question is whether a breeding program should be based on dogs that are trained for generations to do so with gusto. There is absolutely no doubt that in America, where public suspicion of the Doberman is still deep-seated, the mere presence of a Doberman is sufficient in 99 percent of cases to deter any problem.

There have been a number of times when our dogs stepped between us and danger in life-threatening situations. Joanna Walker well remembers the time her dog, Ch. Marks-Tey Shawn, CD, handled two intruders who entered her Illinois home. Rod Humphries also recalls an intruder entering his home in Australia, forcing his way through a back door that led to a room where one of his Dobermans was sleeping. The dog flew at him and grabbed the would-be thief on the rear as he was scrambling over the fence. She had a piece of his pants in her mouth as evidence of a job well done. Neither of these dogs was trained in protection or bite work—they were just Dobermans from a sound American breeding program. (Humphries’ dog happened to be an all-breed Best-in-Show winner who had trotted quietly around the conformation ring earlier in the day.)

The instinct to protect home and family comes naturally to Dobermans. (Joanna Walker)

In a nonthreatening episode at his home in Texas, three friends unwittingly entered Rod’s property late one night and were intercepted by three Dobermans. The dogs froze them with growling and barking until Rod extricated them. The dogs had met these people before, but these were unusual circumstances and the dogs were not taking anything for granted. Conversely, regular workers who come and go on the property are checked and then greeted heartily by the dogs, making a rub behind the ear or a stroke down the back a necessary entry toll. Rarely today do American Dobermans hit first and ask questions later—a very welcome trait indeed.

Dobermans on the whole have strong prey instincts, which means they are stimulated to chase and bring prey to ground. No one should be shocked at such a statement; most breeds have strong natural prey instincts. They are dogs, after all. The difference, though, is that many dogs do not run at such high speed and have as much single-minded determination as the Doberman. Dogs that chase tennis balls and sticks and fly through the air to pull down Frisbees are, for the most part, exhibiting their prey instincts. That said, Dobermans and cats do get along, especially if the dog is raised from a pup to accept a cat. Joanna Walker’s family has always had cats, particularly Siamese, who have lived in peaceful coexistence with their Dobermans.

Cats and dogs? Why not! They get along especially well if they are raised together. (Joanna Walker)

Rod Humphries had a dog of American breeding in Australia who illustrated both protection and prey instincts in one memorable incident. A deadly poisonous snake, ready to strike, confronted Rod and his dogs in the Australian bush. His male Doberman immediately took charge, grabbing the snake and smashing it incessantly on a rock until he had crushed the head. The dog’s instinct to keep the fangs away from his body during a five-minute bashing was quite extraordinary.

But the Doberman can also have a soft side. The Walkers’ Ch. Mesmerol Bari of Marks-Tey, CD, ROM, rescued a baby squirrel that had fallen out of a nest and took it to his owners. The squirrel became his good buddy, living with the Walkers until he was 11 years old.

This is Ch. Mesmerol Bari of Marks-Tey, CD, ROM, with his pal Charlie, whom he rescued as a baby. They stayed friends for 11 years. (Joanna Walker)

Boss von Donautal, owned by Julianne and Rick Ferado, was a qualified wilderness search-and-rescue dog—he had an outstanding record and many titles.

We mention the prey instincts of the Doberman because the dog loves to chase, and sometimes it might be the neighbor’s kid who runs screaming to mommy that the dog was trying to eat him. Most of the time this is in fun, a harmless escapade, but some highly stimulated dogs will nip or bite when they finally reach the person they have been chasing. And although the dog may have meant no harm, the neighbor doesn’t want to know about prey instincts.

Some Dobermans, like many breeds of dog, will stalk a person in play. This can also be misinterpreted by protective parents. Dogs and kids are trainable, but a prospective owner must know from the start that the prey instincts of Dobermans and countless other breeds have severely jolted unwitting owners. Too many people who buy a dog, including a Doberman, expect it to act and behave with human logic and instincts. Dogs most definitely do not. And prospective dog owners, no matter the breed, have to accept the fact that they are dealing with animals that are descended from the wolf and are just a few genes removed from the wild.

The Doberman is a dog that requires intelligent handling. It is a very proud animal that is likely to react negatively to any person who does not show it reasonable respect. Rough handling will be met with stubbornness or confrontation. This is a super-intelligent and loving protector, an athlete extraordinaire who needs training and an outlet for its physical energy. This is a super dog, a super breed, but, as we said in the beginning, it is not for everyone.

CHAPTER 2

Herr Dobermann Builds a Breed

Der Dobermannpinscher was a product of the New Age of Purebred Dogs in the 19th century, particularly in the last quarter of the 1800s when there was a tremendous interest in and focus on officially formalizing an incredibly large number of breeds. Those were the pioneering days of the international canine cult, which today produces a staggering number of dog shows and all kinds of trials and exhibitions every week across the planet.

If one studies the history of dog breeds, it is amazing how many of them were formalized in this period of relative social peace and prosperity in the last quarter of the 19th century Many breeds had been around for centuries, yet it was only then that formalization suddenly became popular. Explorers and military conquerors had long ago discovered and taken home exotic dog breeds from faraway countries. Now, in this fast-shrinking world, the breeds were quickly becoming internationally known. The aristocrats and the wealthy had long been enamored with purebred dogs. Now, apparently, that interest was percolating down to the growing middle class.

There was a social status that came with owning purebreds and, of course, money to be gained from breeding and selling the slew of newly formalized purebred dogs. The advent of dog shows also brought bragging rights to the owners of different breeds. In the late 1800s, breed after breed began to crystallize with the formation of breed clubs and the beginning of regional and then national stud books. Many of the breeds had been around for centuries, but it wasn’t until the late 1800s that breed enthusiasts joined together in clubs and began writing official standards.

There was a whole new awareness of purebred dogs, no doubt spurred by dog shows and the magazines and pamphlets that featured dogs. There was consolidation of breeds that had been around for centuries and tinkering with others. In fact, many hybrid dogs were bred to become purebred strains, including the Doberman.

Germany, fresh from unification and a new prosperity, was a pioneer with Britain in this amazing international canine surge. Germany gave the world some of its most popular breeds, including the Rottweiler; the Deutche Dogge (known elsewhere as the Great Dane); the German Shepherd Dog; the Standard, Giant and Miniature Schnauzers; the Dachshund; the Boxer; the Weimaraner; the German Shorthaired Pointer; the German Wirehaired Pointer; the Miniature Pinscher; the Affenpinscher; the German Pinscher and, of course, the Dobermannpinscher. All were formalized in the later part of the 1800s.

THE ROOTS OF THE DOBERMAN

The Doberman had its roots in and around Apolda, a thriving textile and industrial city of some 20,000 people in the province of Thueringia, in eastern Germany. (The photo at the start of this chapter is a picture of Apolda in the 1870s.) There is great irony about the history of the Doberman. Along with the Jack Russell Terrier, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, the Gordon Setter, and, more obliquely, the Saint Bernard and the Keeshond, the Doberman is one of the few breeds named after a single person.

One would expect that when a breed is named after its founder, there would be a detailed recorded history. No such luck! Yes, we know the names of some of his early dogs, and even what they looked like, but the real origins of the breed named after Karl Frederich Louis Dobermann (1834—94) from Apolda have never been uncovered and most certainly passed with him. In fact, it is doubtful that Herr Dobermann ever wrote anything down for posterity because he obviously never had a grand plan—he was haphazard in his breeding, and never could have foreseen what history would do for his dogs. In fact, it wasn’t until after his death that the breed was officially given his name.

Some historians have stated that dogs resembling the early Doberman were around before Herr Dobermann became a dog breeder. This type of dog, which evolved in and around Apolda, was known in areas far beyond as Thueringiapinschers. Locally in Apolda these same dogs were sometimes known as Schnupps or Bellings, or police and soldier dogs. They were later sometimes loosely referred to as Dobermann’s pinschers.

For much of his life, Herr Dobermann was an employee of the city of Apolda, being something of a jack-of-all-trades. He spent time working as a skinner at the municipal slaughterhouse, where it has been said that he helped slaughter and skin stray dogs and other animals. There appears little doubt that some of the stray dogs were used in experimental breedings. Herr Dobermann also was employed at one time as an official of the tax office, which required him to perform the thankless task of personally collecting taxes. And he spent some time as a night police officer, accompanied by very ferocious dogs.

Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann (left), circa 1870, with Herr Rable and Herr Bottger, believed to be fellow watchmen. All three were said to be passionate about both dogs and beer.

Herr Dobermann bought a home in Apolda in 1880—a move that allowed him room to increase his breeding activities. He befriended two other watchmen, Herr Rable and Herr Bottger, who were also interested in dog breeding. Theodore F. Jager, the first significant Doberman importer and breeder in the United States, wrote in his 1910 book The Police Dog that these three friends loved, next to dogs, good health-giving beer, and the three to invest all their earnings in this ‘liquid bread’ as they considered it, was a rule of their lives which they never broke.

The three men were all regulars at the annual dog market in Apolda, which offered dogs in all shapes and sizes falling into such diverse categories as Luxury Dogs, House Dogs, Butcher Dogs, Pinschers and Hounds. Aggressive and fearless police-soldier dogs in particular appealed to Herr Dobermann and his friends. Apparently, he would see a tough, aggressive black-and-tan dog on the street and remark to friends, That’s my dog, or more likely, That’s my kind of dog.

Early Dobermans in Germany were trained to be touched only by their master. This is a policeman and his Doberman in the early 1900s.

INTO THE MIX

In historical references one will find any number of combinations of breeds espoused as the origin of the Doberman. They include the German breeds of the Rottweiler, the Great Dane (Deutsche Dogge), the old bob-tailed German Shepherd (not the modern breed), the original black-and-tan German Pinscher, the Weimeraner and the German Shorthaired pointer, plus the French herding and guard dog, the Beauceron and two English breeds, the Greyhound and the Manchester Terrier.

In 1933, the German Dobermann Club tried to put the issue to rest by interviewing old-timers like Goswin Tischer, a contemporary of Herr Dobermann, and Dobermann’s youngest son, Robert. The club concluded that the old German Pinscher had been the main ingredient in the Doberman mix.

But before the decade was over, Philipp Gruenig, a breeder-judge who was the greatest historian on early Dobermans, wrote in his definitive book The Dobermann Pinscher: In the blood synthesis which became the Dobermann Breed the German Pinscher contributed exceedingly little more than his name… Gruenig said he would only hint that in his (the Dobermann’s) veins flowed the blood of the Rottweiler, Shepherd, Pinscher and Beauceron. Gruenig recorded crosses to the Manchester Terrier and English Greyhound shortly before and after the turn of the century.

If one looks at the history of the region with the Roman occupation for two centuries—which entrenched the mastiff herding and guard dogs, the forebear of the Rottweiler—and Napoleon’s occupying forces in the early 1800’s which entrenched the Beauceron of neighboring France, it is highly likely that these two breeds, both with black-and-rust markings like the Doberman, were indeed the major players. It is certainly conceivable that they could have been intermixed to produce the butcher dogs of Germany in the 19th century.

Research by Rod Humphries provides compelling evidence that the Beauceron, or Berger de Beauce, whose recorded history dates to 1578, could be the major player. Unlike the black Rottweiler, the Beauceron originally came in multiple colors (with identical rust markings) which are close to the modern American Doberman: