 |
Great Dobermans are produced by responsible breeders and developed by dedicated owners Doberman Puppies for sale Click Here! Adult Trained Dobermans for sale Click Here! Online training for your Doberman puppy or adult Doberman! Doberman Forum Here Keep up to date with FamilyDobes News and Events here Live Doberman Puppy Cam |
 Steve in Apolda Germany, birthplace of the Dobermans Breed |
Many people have given a very thorough and accurate history of the Doberman
Pinscher and their opinions as to it's origins. I have always hesitated to write
my own History of the Doberman because I have to rely on so many other peoples
opinions about the origin Doberman. After all I wasn't there. I have my own
strongly held opinions about their history and purpose as well. There are a few
things we all agree on, namely that the Doberman Pinscher gets it's name from
Herr Louis Doberman in Apolda Germany. We also agree that many Americans
mistakenly call them Doberman Pinchers. Her Doberman was a tax collector and it
was his intent to create a dog that could accompany him on his rounds at that
time. You can imagine what this might be like if you think of the IRS coming to
your home to ask for your wages instead of employers withholding them
automatically :) Therefore Herr Doberman was creating the only breed
specifically for personal protection. He did not intend the dog to be Giant, it
was to be a medium sized dog, yet scrappy and powerful. It was to be loyal and
dependable. It also needed to look intimidating, to prevent problems from
happening. I do not believe it was Herr Doberman's goal to have his dog running
in and biting everyone, I think he like I wanted to deter problems with the
presence of a capable protection dog, that could handle problems if they
insisted on coming. Luckily the dog bite laws were much different then as well.
Herr Doberman also was what we would call the local dog catcher, yet not bound
by all the same rules we are today. He had access to and was able to breed from
a wide variety of dogs both purebred and otherwise. He was after a type of dog,
not a beauty pageant winner. Character and ability were most important. It is
also a mistake to believe he used only those collected dogs in his breeding
program while creating the dog we know as the Doberman Pinscher. It is possible
to trace some of my dogs lineage clear back to 1896 so once Herr Doberman had
the ball rolling, there were good records being kept. This points out that
either he wanted his selection of dogs to be kept secret, or didn't consider it
worth keeping records of all the matings until he had Dobermans he felt were
breeding true. There are many sources pointing out many of the crosses that were
known, but the whole process is still a mystery. Many believe the Rottweiler to
have had influence, and I think they make this assumption on color and markings
as well as the fact that Rottweilers were available in that region at that time.
I however don't believe the Rottweiler was used as I don't see that type of
structure or character in any of the Dobermans I have come across. Not the
American type of Doberman or the European type. I believe the German shorthair
pointer was used as it precedes the Doberman Pinscher by 100 years, and we often
see white spots pop up from time to time in Dobermans. They are of course a
fault but they do pop up. There is also a lot of similarity in coat type and
length, body structure and especially head structure. The Doberman is also an
amazing hunting dog, though I have never had one that pointed I find them to be
very natural hunters. It is clear there were some herding dogs influencing the
Doberman as they can still herd livestock today with good skill and drive. I
have worked horses and Goats with my dogs, and I know many people who have
worked other livestock as well. Certainly there were many herding type dogs
available in the region and Herr Doberman would have had access to many types.
What specifically he used I can't say. Many believe the Beauceron was used, and
though the body type of the early Doberman somewhat matched the Beauceron The
coat type is much different even 100 years ago, and Beaucerons are required to
have two dew claws each leg including the back as well and Doberman Pinschers
have always had clean back legs and single claws on the fronts. It is possible
they were used but the coat and dew claws would have been hard to get rid of. I
have trained very few Beaucerons to date, but have not found them similar at all
in temperament, instinct or character to Dobermans. Many believe the old
style German shepherd was also used, but again the coat length and type is too
different. I think it would have been very hard to breed away the coat and color
of the shepherd while creating the Doberman. Also most dogs we recognize as
herding dogs in the last hundred years have naturally erect ears, where the
Doberman has always had a pendulous ear. We have cropped them since the breeds
inception as well as the tails which I think also give away some of the origins.
Natural tails on Dobermans are not heavy sweeping tails like herding breeds
typically have, they are narrow, long and often curl up and over the back. Most
people Agree Greyhounds were used in the founding of the Doberman, which I agree
as it could also be the source of white spots occurring from time to time, a
source of the dilution gene which is sometimes manifest, and certainly the body
type is similar. Dobermans are fast running deep chested dogs with high prey
drive. Great Danes are supposed to have been used which I can accept as well
since they were available. They are not a Danish breed at all, in fact in German
they are called Deutsche Dogge, which means German Dog. and originated in
Germany. This again could be source of color for the Doberman, influence
the block style head and size as well as tail type. Though many claim Danes to
have come from Mastiffs, I don't see how the heavy tail of a mastiff could have
so swiftly disappeared in the Dane. Weimaraner's are thought to have contributed
to the Doberman as well which I accept as it provides again hunting instinct,
correct coat type and length, color, and body type. Also I have trained a few
Weimaraners and find them to be excellent protection dogs. They have sharp
character and I do see similar tendencies in their instinct and character. Many
believe the German Pinscher to have contributed as well which I am unsure on.
Certainly their size, coat, color, and type was similar to the early Dobermans,
but what in their character would Herr Doberman have been after in the creating
of his Dog, or was it style alone? There are some extinct varieties of the
Pinscher that again could explain some color and dilution in the Doberman
Pinscher, but who knows? The early Pinschers were herding and guarding type
breeds, and certainly available to Herr Doberman so I think it is likely, but I
have not been around enough of them to say if I see similar character.
Interesting to note, Standard schnauzers and German pinschers originated from
the same litters and Schnauzer temperament is not like Dobermans in my opinion.
Many folks claim the Manchester terrier as contributory to the Doberman Pinscher
as well but again, other than color and markings I don't see any reason to use
the terrier. Perhaps the feisty nature, and I do know many Dobermans who love to
mouse hunt, but that can also be the high prey drive and hunting instinct. The
Terrier though is quite small in size but as part of crosses to dogs as big as
the Dane, perhaps it was used. Pinscher is however the German name for Terrier,
and that part of the name is nearly as old as Herr Doberman himself so I believe
it may be reasonable. Many people look to the bite style of the Doberman as it
shakes the sleeve or tug or what have you as terrier in nature, so whether it
was the Manchester terrier I don't know, but there are terrier type traits in a
Doberman. At any rate, the bottom line remains, 100 years ago, if all of these
breeds were to have been used that would have created quite a diverse genetic
makeup in the early Doberman. That being said, you would expect to find more
diversity still today I would hope, but with generations in dogs being
biologically possible as short as 7 months, in theory there have been many
generations of selected linebreeding to do away with diversity. Herr
Doberman died before his "breed" was realized as a true breed, and credit is
given to Otto Goeller and Philip Gruening for continuing the breeding and
keeping records. The breed continued forward beginning to be widely recognized
and shown. They earned a practical place as a working dog even after Herr
Dobermans death as they have been used extensively in Military and police work,
and have always been considered for Personal protection. They do many jobs for
us today, but it is easy for me to see the vision of what Herr Doberman was
going for, a loyal loving companion to help him in his work and in his life.
These were true companions that could be counted on to work, not working dogs
that you could house and tolerate. That very concept is for me the difference
between Doberman Pinschers and other "working breeds" That fundamental reason is
why they have such a big part of my heart and life and always have. Whatever the
ancestry of the Doberman Pincher, Herr Doberman was after the kind of dog I have
today. He had a different look in his dogs, but the character of what they were
to be is what I have lying at my feet even as I type this. Loyal loving velcro
type dogs that intimidate bad guys, handle business if they need to, and are
happy to babysit my kids and put up with all manner of craziness to be a member
of the family. A full member that earns it's keep by contributing what it
has to offer. Regardless of what all went in to bringing them to my feet today,
I am grateful that they are here and count myself truly blessed to share my life
with these Wonderful Doberman Pinscher
Wonderful
little girl and her mother I met in Apolda while I was taking pictures.
The little girl was climbing all over the statues and playing with them
as if they were real. It reminded me so much of my children and the way
they play with our dogs, I just had to take a picture.
The
only live Doberman I saw while in Apolda
