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The Doberman Pinscher,
known in Britain and on the continent simply as the Doberman,
is named after the breedÕs creator, Louis Dobermann, a tax
collector in Apolda, a town in Thuringia, Germany. Dobermann
was a dog lover and, as it has transpired, a skilled breeder.
What he wanted was an alert, aggressive companion dog to
protect him while making his rounds. Because Dobermann was
also the keeper of the local animal shelter he had a continuing
supply of breeding stock to use in his creation. He began
his project in the 1880s and although he kept no breeding
records, educated guessed have it that the Dobe was built
around the German Pinscher, the Rottweiler, the Manchester
Terrier, and the Greyhound.
By 1899 Dobermann's creation was complete. A specialty club
was organized for the breed's promotion and improvement
and the Dobe was introduced to the public at a dog show.
The reception was less than enthusiastic. Early specimens
were considered coarse, rough, and ill-tempered. Nevertheless,
the breed did attract those interested in an alert, medium-sized
security dog.
Dobermann was joined in his efforts by a fellow breeder,
Herr Goeller, who worked towards improving elegance and
refinement. It was Goeller who draughted the first breed
from the German kennel Club in 1900.
First specimens came to the United States in 1908 and it
is American breeders who are credited with developing the
handsome, elegant, tractable present-day Dobe.
Two world wars dealt harshly with the breed. Many of the
dogs were conscripted for war service. Many were put to
sleep or starved to death. But after 1945 there was sufficient
breeding stock still available on the continent to give
new impetus to the breed. More imports came to America,
and in 1947 the first Dobes were brought to Britain. There
the breed has overcome much prejudice to become one of the
country's most popular working breeds. On this side of the
Atlantic the Dobe has gone from strength to strength. Renowned
as an intelligent security dog, the breed has also earned
the reputation as a reliable, affectionate family pet.
The breed's most influential stud is said to have been Ch.
Dictator of Glenhugel who passed on his outstanding temperament
and, as far down as the tenth generation, a cowlick on the
nape of the neck that has come to be known as the mark of
dictator.
The Doberman pinscher was first registered in Canada in
1912.
Official Breed Standard
for the Doberman Pinscher
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Origin and Purpose:
The Doberman Pinscher originated in Germany around 1890,
and takes its name from Louis Dobermann. Originally it was
used almost exclusively as a guard dog. In todayÕs society,
the properly bred and trained specimen makes a loving and
obedient family companion.
General Appearance:
The appearance is that of a dog of good middle size, with
a body that is square: the height measured vertically from
the ground to the highest point of the withers equalling
the length, measured horizontally from the forechest to
the rear projection of the upper thigh. The Doberman should
be elegant in appearance, with proud carriage, reflecting
great nobility, and should be compactly built, muscular
and powerful for great endurance and speed.
Temperament:
Energetic, watchful, determined, alert, fearless, loyal,
and obedient.
Size:
Height at withersÑmales, ideal 271Ú2 in. (70 cm); females,
ideal 251Ú2 in. (65 cm). Males, decidedly masculine, without
coarseness. Females, decidedly feminine, without over refinement.
Deviation from ideal height to be penalized in proportion
to the amount of deviation.
Coat and Colour:
Smooth haired, short, hard, thick and close lying. Invisible
grey undercoat on neck permissible. Allowed colours: black,
red, blue, and fawn. In each colour the more strongly pigmented
coat is the more desirable.
Markings:
Rust red, sharply defined, and appearing above each eye,
and on muzzle, throat, and forechest, and on all legs and
feet, and below tail. White on chest not exceeding one-halt
square inch permissible.
Head:
Long and dry, resembling a blunt wedge, both frontal and
profile views. When seen from the front, the head widens
gradually towards the base of the ears in a practically
unbroken line. Top of skull flat, turning with slight stop
to bridge of muzzle, with muzzle line extending parallel
to the topline of the skull. Length of muzzle equal to length
of skull. Cheeks flat and muscular. Lips lying close to
the jaws, and not drooping. Jaws full and powerful, well
filled under the eyes. Nose solid black in black dogs, dark
brown in reds, dark grey in blues, and dark tan in fawns.
Teeth strongly developed. Lower incisors upright and touching
inside of upper incisorsÑa true scissors bite. Forty-two
teeth (22 in lower jaw and 20 in upper jaw) correctly placed.
Distemper teeth not to be penalized. Eyes almond shaped,
not round, moderately deep set, not prominent, with vigorous,
energetic expression. Iris of uniform colour, ranging from
medium to darkest brown in black dogs, the darker shade
being the more desirable. In reds, blues and fawns, the
colour of the iris should blend with that of the markings,
but not be of a lighter hue than that of the markings. Ears
either cropped or uncropped. The upper attachment of the
ear, when alert, should be on a level with the top of the
skull. If cropped, the ears should be well trimmed and carried
erect. If uncropped, they should be small and neat, and
set high on the head.
Neck:
Carried proudly, well muscled and dry. Well arched, and
with nape of neck widening gradually toward body. Length
of neck proportioned to body and head. Head may be carried
slightly lower when moving, for greater reach of the forequarters.
Forequarters:
Shoulder blade sloping forward and downward at a 45-degree
angle to the ground, and meeting the upper arm at an angle
of 90 degrees. Shoulder to be as close to 45 degrees as
possible and set well back. Relative length of shoulder
and upper arm should be as one to one, excess length of
shoulder blade is more a fault than excess length of upper
arm. Height from elbow to withers approximately equals height
from ground to elbow. Legs seen from the front and side
perfectly straight and parallel to each other from elbow
to pastern; muscled and sinewy, with round, heavy bone.
In a normal position, and when gaiting, the elbow should
lie close to the brisket. Pasterns firm, with an almost
perpendicular position to the ground. Feet well arched,
compact and cat-like, turning neither in nor out. Slight
toeing out much less undesirable than toeing in. Dewclaws
may be removed.
Body:
Back short, firm, of sufficient width, and muscular at the
loin extending in a straight line from withers to the slightly
rounded croup. Withers pronounced and forming the highest
point of the body. Brisket full and broad, reaching deep
to the elbow. Chest broad, and forechest well defined. Ribs
well sprung from the spine, but flattened at lower end to
provide elbow clearance. Belly well tucked up, extending
in a curved line from chest. Loins well muscled. Hips broad
in proportion to body, breadth of hips being approximately
equal to breadth of body at rib spring.
Hindquarters:
In balance with forequarters. Upper shanks long, wide and
well muscled on both sides of thing, with clearly defined
stifles. Hocks while the dog is at rest: hock to heel should
be perpendicular to the ground. Upper shanks, lower shanks
and hocks parallel to each other, and wide enough apart
to fit in with a properly built body. The hip bone should
fall away from the spinal column at an angle of about 30
degrees. Upper shank and lower shank are equal in length.
The upper shank should be at right angles to the hip bone.
Croup well filled out. Cat feet, as on front legs, turning
neither in not out. Dewclaws, if any, may be removed.
Tail:
Tail docked at approximately the second joint, should appear
to be the continuation of the spine, without material drop.
Gait:
The gait should be free, balanced, and effortless with good
reach in the forequarters and good driving power in the
hindquarters. When trotting there should be a strong rear
action drive. Hocks should fully extend. Each rear leg should
move in line with the foreleg on the same side. Rear and
front legs should be thrown neither in nor out. Back should
remain strong, firm and level. When moving at a fast trot
the properly built dog will single track.
Faults:
Feminine dogs, masculine. Light tan or muddied markings.
Overly large markings. Head out of balance in proportion
to both RamÕs, dish-faced, cheeky or snipey head. Any deviation
from the correct number or placement of teeth to be penalized
in direct proportion to the amount of deviation. Slit eyes,
glassy eyes, round eyes. Weak or knuckled-over pasterns.
Hare feet, splay feet. Overly rounded or flat croup.
Major Faults:
Coarseness, fine Greyhound build. Loose shoulder, straight
shoulder. Sway or roach back. Straight stifles, cowhocks,
spread hocks, sickle hocks.
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