Breed Information
A BRIEF HISTORY
The Dobermann originated in Germany. In the middle of the nineteenth century a man named Louis Dobermann lived in the city of Apolda (East Germany) in the principality of Thüringen. He served as town dog catcher, night-patrolman and city rates collector among other duties. There apparently was a demand for sharp fearless watchdogs and Herr Dobermann started selectively breeding the best of the locally available dogs for this purpose. Nobody knows exactly which breeds were used in this early breeding, but the Great Dane, the old German Shepherd does (not the German Shepherd as we know it today), the Weimaraner, the Manchester Terrier and other breeds have all been mentioned. Over a lifetime of sixty years of interbreeding, Herr Dobermann achieved great success in breeding the required character, and created a breed of dog which showed to a considerable extent similar exterior characteristics Ä in other words "bred true".
Another breeder, Otto Göller, was attracted to these dogs and through his efforts the breed was recognised as the Doberman Pinscher in 1899. Otto Göller, and later Philip Grünig, played a tremendous role in refining and developing the breed to its present form. Since the beginning of the present century, the Dobermann has spread rapidly over Europe and America. Strangely enough, it was not until after World War II that the breed was introduced into England on any scale. The Dobermann was introduced into Australia in 1952, and there have been numerous dogs imported from all over the world by devoted breeders.
The Dobermann was known as the "Devil Dog" by the American Marines and is their mascot. He earned his name during World War II in the Pacific where he used to go ashore with the marines and flush out the enemy. This name, together with his reputation as a guard and protector, has stuck in the minds of the public throughout the world. So today, a small sign on the front gate stating "Dobermann lives here" is usually sufficient to deter intruders. Certainly, a Dobermann by one's side gives a person a supreme feeling of security.
DOBERMANN CHARACTER
It is in the Dobermann's nature to be a trustworthy and loyal companion, usually gentle but as robust and tough as you care to make him. A great playmate for the children of "his" family, he'll quite happily join the family at the table and sleep in your bed if you are foolish enough to encourage him. In fact, he will become very "human" if you forget to remind him that he is a dog! Though affectionate and obedient to his own, the Dobermann can be quite standoffish to those he does not know. However, he should not be nervous or aggressive in normal circumstances. A dog like this is unreliable and will react badly in times of stress.
For more in-depth information on the breed, please download the Club handbook,
which is in Acrobat format, or choose from one of the following links below.
