A word about color
Let me share with you some facts about the four recognized Doberman colors.
Blue is a dilution of black, and fawn is a dilution of red. All four colors are
recognized and can compete in all AKC sanctioned events and shows. Some have
done very well. They also can compete in other sports such as Schutzhund etc.
Some people believe the dilute Dobermans i.e. blues and fawns to be inferior genetically
and state they should not be bred, owned etc. They will tell you they will
automatically have all kinds of health problems and die early. Those are
ridiculous statements unfounded by research and fact. Here is an example to help
illustrate the point. I have brown hair, I am balding, and at high risk for
diabetes. Arguments against dilute Dobermans are the same as saying my brown hair caused
my baldness and diabetes. The three are completely unrelated. It is the same
with Dobermans. The genes that cause the change in hair color are not the same
genes that cause other problems. Here is where those statements come from
though. There are some very poor quality blue dobermans out there and some
poor fawn colored Dobermans as well though blues seem to be the ones most picked on. Many of them have thyroid
problems, skin problems etc. Thyroid problems are the result of poor breeding
selection, not blue coats. It is possible to get good dilute colored Dobermans, we have proved it
with a successful breeding program that included using a very healthy and
balanced fawn Doberman stud. If you buy good Dobermans, they are never the wrong color. Buy
Dobermans that come from healthy parents and you will have healthy Dobermans. Buy an
inbred inferior dilute colored Doberman from an uninformed or unprofessional breeder and you will
have one of the Dobermans that anti-dilute proponents hold up to the world and say
"See they are bad!" It is not the color that made the Doberman bad, it was poor
breeding selection. My fawn Doberman had a thicker fuller coat than any Doberman I
had owned,
he produced full coated Doberman puppies, free of the problems people say dilution causes.
Look at it all in perspective, there are also really poor quality black and
red Dobermans out there, but people don't go around claiming that their coat color was
the reason. The exception to this rule is the white Doberman, which is not a dilution gene,
it is the absence of a color gene. The white itself is not the problem, it is
how the eyes and skin are affected that causes the problems. We have since
retired our fawn stud when we went back to the foundation European Doberman lines. These
lines are only carriers of Black dominantly, and red occasionally. We will have
black Dobermans available always and red Dobermans from time to time.
Approved colors: Click for full size image
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Rainbow Litter, thanks Sasha
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Fawn "Apollo"
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Red "Graf Gras"
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Black "Fiji" and the famous Slobodan
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Blue "Anakin"
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WHITE DOBERMANS
In 1980's the white Doberman made it's appearance and it has been found that
the white gene is a separate gene, and is located at a different genetic site
(locus) than the color (B) and dilution (D) that is the basis of the four
allowed colors for the Doberman. The white gene does not interfere with these
four known colors of the Doberman and does not need to be included in the color
chart.
The white Doberman is considered an incomplete or partial albino. The dogs
have blue eyes and are cream colored with light tan markings. The dogs suffer
from photo phobia (photosensitive). This means the dogs cannot tolerate light,
often closing their eyes and bumping into objects when put in unfamiliar
surroundings. Their temperaments range from being very shy to fear biters. These
are not the attributes a responsible breeder or one that is familiar with the
criteria of a working dog wish to produce or perpetuate.
WARNING: The white Doberman is NOT considered to be of great value (charging
more/more expensive) by Responsible Breeders. Responsible Breeders DO NOT
include the white Doberman in their breeding stock/programs.
The WHITE color is a DISQUALIFICATION and these dogs CANNOT
COMPETE in the conformation ring.