The Dobermann was developed in Germany in the late nineteenth century by Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann, a tax collector who wanted a capable guard dog to accompany him. The breed was built from several existing types and refined into the dog recognised today.

Appearance and build

Medium to large, square in outline, muscular and lean, with a short smooth coat. Usually black or brown with rust markings; blue and fawn also occur.

Ear cropping and tail docking have historically been associated with the breed. Both are cosmetic procedures with no health benefit, and both are prohibited or restricted in many countries. We do not perform them.

Temperament

Intelligent, alert, quick to learn and strongly attached to their people. Well bred and well socialised Dobermanns are stable, affectionate family dogs.

They are also sensitive. This is the part most often missed. Dobermanns respond poorly to harsh handling and correction based training, and they are prone to anxiety when handled that way. They train exceptionally well with reward based methods.

They dislike being left alone and are prone to separation anxiety. This is a breed that wants to be with its household.

What the breed needs

Substantial daily exercise, and more importantly daily mental work: training, scent games, problem solving
Thorough socialisation in the first months, since a poorly socialised Dobermann is a large, powerful, worried dog
Reward based training, consistently applied by everyone in the household
Company. Not a breed for a house that is empty all day.

Health

Two conditions matter more than any others in this breed.

Dilated cardiomyopathy. The heart muscle thins and the chambers enlarge, so the heart pumps less effectively. Dobermanns have among the highest rates of any breed. It can progress silently for a long time and then present as sudden collapse, or as heart failure.

This is why screening matters. Regular echocardiography and Holter monitoring, from middle age onward, detect the disease before signs appear, and treatment started in that phase extends life meaningfully.

Von Willebrand’s disease. An inherited clotting disorder, common in the breed. Affected dogs bleed excessively from injuries and surgery. A genetic test exists, and knowing the status before any operation, including neutering, is important. Tell us if your dog has been tested.

Also relevant: hip dysplasia, hypothyroidism, cervical spondylomyelopathy affecting the neck, and gastric torsion, to which deep chested breeds are prone.

Gastric torsion

A deep chested dog with a swollen tight abdomen, restlessness and repeated retching that produces nothing is a surgical emergency measured in hours. Learn the signs before you need them.

Routine care

Annual health checks and twice yearly from middle age. Heart screening as advised for the breed. Current vaccination and parasite control. A lean body weight, which protects the joints and the heart. Dental care. And a discussion with us about the right age to neuter, which in large breeds is later than in small ones.