Doberman History
How the Doberman came about
The Doberman can be traced back to 1880 thus classifying it as one of the
most modern of the working breeds. The namesake of the Doberman is Herr
Louis Dobermann, a local magistrate from the town of Apolda, the state
of Thuringia, Germany. He is the founder of the initial strain, which classifies
the Doberman Pinscher as a "man-made" breed. Among Herr Dobermanns
duties were tax and rent collection and caring for the local dog pound.
He came upon the idea of breeding the perfect guard dog that would serve
to protect him on these collections rounds of the town. All the while knowing
that this "ideal" guard dog would have to be powerful and remarkable
strong.
What Breeds went in to the making of the Doberman
His initial attempts at inbreeding the local dogs centered on producing
litters of black, large-sized, alert dogs that were neither shy nor overly
aggressive. Obedience was the prime character trait. Herr Doberman
owned and much admired the Rottweiler breed, he bred some of his finest
specimens to the emerging "Doberman's Dog," as they became know.
Other purebred dogs which are assumed to have played a part in the breeding
at that time in Germany are, Great Dane, German Shorthaired Pointers, Weimaraners
(from which the genes for blue coloring are credited), Setters, Dachshunds,
and the Black-and-Tan Terriers, now known as the Manchester Terrier. Many
theories also trace the Doberman ancestry to the Beauceron or "Red Sock",
a French shepherding dog that had marking very similar to those of modern
Dobermans.
Please Note that the White Doberman IS NOT a breed standard. It was not part of the original strain or a by-product of the development. It is also not in the recessive gene of the original breeds that were used to developed the Doberman Breed. Be aware of what you buy! Watch for the Z in the registration on the pedigree.
How the breed got started in the United States
The first exportation to the United States came about in 1908. Among the
first Dobermans to the United States was "Lux v d Blakenburg" one
of the greatest sires of all time in his homeland, also had a very profound
influence on the course of the breed in the U.S.
The modern day Doberman has replaced the coarseness of the early Doberman
Pinscher specimens; through it all the instinctively alert, loyal and watchful
temperament of the breed has held true. The modern day doberman has become
the "aristocrat of the dog world."
References for this brief History of the Doberman come from;
"Doberman Pinschers" by Kerry Donnelly
"Dobermans" by Mark Ladd
To Go Back
Click Here!
Send
e-mail
Webmaster Earl Wolfe
Last updated March 27, 1997
Have a GREAT DOBIE DAY