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Doberman Love

June 20th, 2008

I realized I haven’t spent nearly enough time in my life appreciating the beautiful Doberman!  I was just watching a PBS special on dogs, and they briefly mentioned the history of the breed.  I had always been intrigued (and maybe a little intimidated) by the Doberman’s strength and beauty so I decided to do a little bit of research.  As it turns out, the beginning of the Doberman is a pretty interesting story.

The Doberman was first realized in Germany by the breeding of a tax collector named Louis Dobermann.  Louis often traveled with money and wanted a dog for self protection.  He was also in charge of the local dog pound, so he began to try to breed his dream dog, a dog with a short smooth coat, average build, incredible stamina, intelligence, alertness, and if necessary, even aggression.  He meticulously chose the dogs whose genes would go into the making of the Doberman.  Unfortunately, he kept no record of his choices.

I’d love to see the different dogs that came between the intention and the animal.  Many sites speculate that the German Pinscher was the foundation breed that Louis Dobermann began with.  Other possible ancestors include the Rottweiler, the Manchester Terrier, and the Beauceron.

Herr Dobermann passed away in the late 1800’s, but the Doberman “patent” and dog were left in the care of Otto Goeller, who may have added the Greyhound to the mix.

In 1990, The German Kennel Club officially recognized the Doberman as a legitimate new breed.

Posted in K9 Science | 4 Comments »

4 Responses to “Doberman Love”

1. saintlover says:

   June 21, 2008 at 12:52 am

   hmmm I didn’t realize there were so many dogs used to make this breed. I have to admit that I am afraid of them. I was attacked as a young child by my aunt and uncles dobe. I get very nervous (extremely irrational i know) when ever we get up close and personal. Its very embarrassing and I try really hard.
2. jan says:

   June 21, 2008 at 12:53 am

   I can remember when Dobermans were really vicious dogs used as factory watchdogs. Today they have been bred for temperament and they are a sweet gentle dog for the most part. Unfortunately some people still want the breed banned. I did a post a while back of a Poodle disguise for a Dobie so the owners wouldn’t get in trouble.
3. admin says:

   June 21, 2008 at 10:54 pm

   haha jan i ran into that picture while researching the dobie seemed less than pleased
4. Dobermans says:

   July 28, 2008 at 3:28 pm

   Dobermans are the bestest breed ever! they just look tough