Doberman Pinscher

The beloved family companion and a suitable K-9 military dog.

Doberman pinscher also is known as the Doberman is a natural protecting dog with outstanding guarding history.

Many are mistaken it with the Miniature pinscher who is a similar-looking smaller version of the dog.

Blue, white and red Doberman pinschers are among the most adored dogs across the globe.

You must be thinking of questions like “Are Dobermans dangerous?”

But rejoice your choice over this breed that it is one of the kindest and gentlest dogs. 

Its muscular size with a docked tail makes it stand unique in the crowd. 

Quick Facts

Avg. Weight: 75-100 pounds (male) and 60-70 pounds (female)

Avg. Height: 26-28 inches (male) and 24-26 inches (female)

Life Expectancy: 10-12 years

Dog Group: Working dog group

Colors: black, red, blue, fawn

Other Names: Doberman, Dobie, Dober

Dog Rank: 17/193 (United States of America)

At A Glance

• Size (4/5)

Doberman pinschers are medium-sized guard dogs.

They might be categorized as medium-sized dogs but they are tall enough to surpass normal human height when made to stand on the behind legs alone.

• Affection Level (3/5)

A Doberman pinscher is a highly affectionate dog breed.

They would love being in the family they are raised in.

The affection is more with the person who brings the dog in the family.

The breed is a lovely pet to own. 

• Apartment-Friendly (3/5)

You must think twice before getting a Doberman if you live in an apartment.

The dogs are tall and require a lot of exercises.

A bungalow with a fenced backyard will be best suited for them.

• Cold Weather Tolerability (1/5)

Doberman pinschers are sensitive to cold weather.

Bitter cold can make them sick and there is a tendency that they might stop eating.

• Hot Weather Tolerability (4/5)

The breed is tolerant to hot weather climate.

They prefer being raised in moderate climatic conditions.

The body of the dog breed is well suited to keep its body cool in summers.

Read our article on how to keep your dog cool in summer to know more about this.

• Barking Tendencies (1/5)

The breed is generally judged for being large aggressive dogs.

On the contrary, they are observed to have a lesser barking tendency.

Making it a friendly dog to own.

• Cat-Friendly (1/5)

Dobermans may be excellent in the house but not outside the house.

They can be cat-friendly only if raised together or trained to do so.

Otherwise, it’s advisable to keep cats away from the Dobie.

• Dog-Friendly (1/5)

The breed is friendly with dogs when raised together right from puppyhood.

Dobermans dogs that are trained with other dogs show excellent teamwork abilities in police and military departments.

• Exercise Needs (3/5)

This is one dog breed that requires a lot of exercises.

If left unexercised the dog will turn into a boring pet with unsuitable health conditions.

This feature of the breed has been beneficial for defense departments.

• Grooming Needs (5/5)

This canine breed is blessed with a single coat that sticks to the body.

However short the body hair appears to be, it does shed.

As a Doberman pinscher owner, you must brush, bathe, nail trim and dental brush your dog regularly.

• Playfulness (5/5)                                                                          

A Dobie is extremely playful and the happiest in doing this with its owner.

Their playful needs are quite high it physical or mental.

Playing with the ball being one of the most favorite games.

• Trainability (5/5)

You will be pleased to know that your Doberman pinscher has received this honorary title of being among the most trainable dogs of all time.

Their training abilities along with breeds like the Rottweiler and the German shepherd have ranked them high in the list of top 10 police dogs.

• Intelligence (5/5)

The rank itself talks about the breed’s intelligence.

This highly intelligent breed makes them a perfect dog to have.

They are all you need in the form of smart, active and loving companion dogs.

• Mouthiness (2/5)

Dobies aren’t the dogs who would lick you or drool around the place.

However, some loving gestures can make your face the lick targets.

You can buy your dog some tasty treats and chews to avoid it from mouthy activities.

• Price Group (3/5)

On average the breed will cost you about 1,500-2,000 dollars.

But the price brings you extreme loyalty and guarding watchdogs.

Don’t compromise on that!

About Doberman Pinschers

Puppy:

Doberman pinscher puppies are born as tiny little miniatures weighing about 0.6-1.5 pounds.

Mostly born in a litter of 10 or more Doberman pinscher puppies, the dogs are loving black/blue/red newborns fortunate to see the world.

Generally, Doberman puppy owners are suggested to keep the pups at home most of the time to avoid allergies and other diseases.

The beloved family companion is all set to take the amazing journey of being protective dogs.

Adult:

Aristocrat with the surreal noble look, an adult Doberman is someone who will force you to stand still and move your eyes while it walks on the road.

Doberman pinschers have the royal watchdog look that makes it unique from others.

An adult Doberman pinscher temperament is that of calm, intelligent watchdogs that are highly trainable.

They are blessed with a heavy but sleek body that comes in black, blue, red and fawn Doberman pinscher colors.

Where Doberman Pinschers Came From

Let’s go back in the history that brought us to this wonderful breed officially named Doberman pinscher and just Doberman in some European countries.

Just like its fellow military dog German shepherd, the Dobermans too belong to originate from Germany.

The story goes back to the 1880s when a tax collector named Louis Doberman who was also a breed catcher bred a lot of dogs together including the German Pinscher, Rottweiler, black tan terrier and the largest contributor the German shepherd to have this one aristocrat dog breed.

The dog was used as a guard dog because the tax collector’s dog was dangerous enough to be attacked by the locals.

After the death of the man, the dog breed was named after him and the pinscher was added to it which means terrier in the German language.

Since then, the breed is recognized for its protecting and guarding abilities be it for the family or the nation (read their brave war story on protecting its people in the last section of the article).

Size

Doberman pinscher grows to a full-size height of 28 inches to the shoulder level.

Female Dobes are smaller and thinner.

The size of these dogs is generally larger to other medium-sized dogs like the Bulldogs and Akitas.

Male Doberman pinscher can touch the mark of 100 pounds easily.

While females would settle for 60-70 pounds.

Trainability

Training a dog is like educating a human.

Certain training like obedience training, potty training, etc is necessary for you and your dog to live an organized and comfortable life.

The dog is one of the most trainable dogs joining breeds like a Border collie, Poodle, Golden retriever, German shepherd, Rottweiler, etc. 

Housetraining can be difficult as the breed is known for its strong and intelligent nature.

Efficiently trained dogs prove to be assets to the military and search and rescue operations.

Grooming

One of your best memories with the dog would be the times you sat with your Dober, giving it a nice brush comb, bathing and splashing water around the tub, etc.

Grooming a Doberman is an important process in the healthy growth of the dog.

The dogs shed and brushing is a necessary process.

Along with brushing, dental cleanliness and trimming of nails are equally important.

This should be done regularly.

Common Diseases

This dog breed’s large size comes with many diseases that can cause a serious threat to it.

Most of them are related to the bones.

The following are a list of diseases that a Doberman pinscher is likely to have in accordance with the organ it targets.

Doberman pinscher health issues are as follows:

TARGETING THE HEART

• Congestive Heart Failure

A heart suffering from congestive heart failure loses its ability to pump sufficient blood from the body to the heart.

Adequate treatment can bring your Doberman pinscher back to normality.

TARGETING THE BONES

• Hip Dysplasia:

Hip dysplasia is a genetic disease in Doberman pinschers.

 Before welcoming home a Doberman puppy, one must do a thorough check of any history of hip dysplasia as it is obtained genetically. 

Hip dysplasia can cause severe pain to the dog in one or both the hips.

This would restrict their walking and jumping activities.

Although it is a genetic disease, the right care from the early weeks of the Dobie puppy can help prevent it.

If not, it can lead to dangerous conditions of arthritis. 

• Wobblers’ Syndrome:

Mostly seen in giant-breeds, the Doberman pinscher is predisposed to slipping spinal disks.

This is an inherited genetic disease where the diagnosed dog will suffer from spinal cord compression caused by cervical vertebra instability.

The malformation will compress the spinal cord from both ends.

If untreated, the severity can cause the dog’s neck to pain and paralysis. 

TARGETING THE SKIN

• Albinism:

Albinism is a genetic skin disease that is generally seen in dog breeds with blue eyes.

It’s similar to how it affects humans. 

The dog with albinism develops an itchy pink skin and the same colored eyes.

The unfortunate dog is prone to numerous eye problems and cancer.

Dogs with Albinism SHOULD NOT be bred.

• Colour Dilution Alopecia:

Colour diluted alopecia is a skin disease that can cause complete and permanent hair loss in a Doberman pinscher dog. 

The disease is inherited and is commonly a result of crossbreeding dogs for diluted coat color.

In Dobermans, it is seen in dogs with a blue and red coat where the hair gets brittle and skin gets patchy.  

TARGETING THE HORMONES

• Hypothyroidism:

Hypothyroidism in Dobermans is caused by a deficiency of thyroid hormone.

The severity of this disease can cause infertility, mental dullness, and obesity in the dog.

TARGETING THE EYES

• Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA):

PRA is a genetic disease that causes bilateral degeneration of the retina.

It causes loss of vision and sadly there is no treatment to it.

If your Dob pup shows any symptoms of PRA, one should consult a veterinarian immediately. 

TARGETING THE NERVOUS SYSTEM

• Narcolepsy:

Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder in adult Doberman pinschers.

The diagnosed dogs may show sudden sleepiness and fall asleep. 

• Canine Compulsive Disorder:

What obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is to humans, the canine compulsive disorder is to dogs.

The disorder could show symptoms like running around behind the tail, fly biting, starring at a space, etc.

It happens when a Doberman pinscher is in stress or is frustrated.

With time, this disorder can get worse. 

Seek your veterinarian’s help in the following case.

TARGETING THE BLOOD VESSELS

• Von Willebrand disease:

Von Willebrand is a very common disease in dogs which is a result of inheritance.

This genetic disease will force the body to produce lesser proteins that are specifically required for blood clotting.

Unable to heal blood vessels with platelets, the dog’s body shall bleed excessively whenever injured.

TARGETING THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

• Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus: 

The most common disease in this dog bread, gastric dilatation-volvulus is a disease occurring to large dogs with deep chests.

GDV is also known as bloat or torsion is a gastric problem in dogs.

This is a result of overfeeding or the rapid speed at which the dog consumes its meal.

The blood pressure can potentially drop and the dog can have a shock. 

TARGETING THE PROSTATE GLAND

• Prostatic Disease:

The Doberman is more likely to suffer from prostatic diseases than any other breed.

Dobermans face prostatic diseases that enlarge the prostate glands.

This disease makes urination difficult as urethra passes across the gland that is compressed with the disease. 

Through medication the treatment of the disease is possible.

FEEDING

Feeding a Doberman pinscher must have a high value of proteins and lover value of fats in their diet.

Higher the meat protein over grain protein, higher the digestive ease to the dog.

The daily supplements should include 3-4 cups of dry food depending upon the size of the Doberman pinscher.

The following are a number of food items that should and should not be included in the dog breed’s diet.

TO INCLUDE

Yogurt	Fish
Green leafy vegetable	Beef
Carrots	Lamb
Chicken protein	Salmon
Broccoli	Flaxseed oil
Peanut butter	Tuna
Turkey	Pumpkin

NOT TO INCLUDE

Garlic	Grapes and raisins
Caffeine	Alcohol
Avocado	Chocolates
Whey or wheat	Onion
Sugar	Raw meat
Salt	Soy
Corn products	Shallots
Fish with bone	Gravy

Suggested: Senior Dog Food

Vaccination And Care

Your dog vaccination schedule needs attention and should be done on time.

The following is a list of vaccinations mandatory for a Doberman pinscher.

Note: DHPP stands for distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza, and parvovirus respectively.

The following is a list of vaccines that can be given in combination.

Canine distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza, leptospirosis, bordetella and Lyme disease.

1. 5 weeks: Parvovirus
2. 6-9 weeks: Combination vaccine
3. 12-14 weeks: rabies vaccination
4. 12-16 weeks: Combination vaccine plus coronavirus
5. 16 weeks and ahead: rabies vaccination plus combination vaccine plus coronavirus

Suggested: Guide To Dog Vaccination

Monthly Expense Estimation

• Initial Cost:

The initial cost for a well-bred Doberman pinscher puppy can range up from 1,500 to 2,000 US dollars.

• Veterinarian And Vaccination:

Apart from any major surgery or treatment regular veterinarian checkups and vaccination charges can cost you about 250 dollars.

• Feeding:

Dobies have a high appetite in correspondence to their size.

A monthly estimate of 70-90 dollars needs to be spent on its food expenses.

• Snacks:

Here you must take into consideration the treats your dog would love to enjoy against training and heavy physical exercises.

This would only cost you 20 dollars per month.

• Toys:

As the breed loves to play and have fun, toys are a regular expense to own this breed.

Take into consideration about 40-50 dollars to have it for your beloved dog.

• Grooming:

The single-coated dog breed just requires 20-40 dollars of your money on grooming.

They do not shed much like other breeds of their size. 

Behaviour With

Children:

Who best would not how lovely a Doberman pinscher is at home if not children?

The breed would lay its life over to protect the children and other members of the family.

They make excellent companions to young kids.

However, no breed should be left alone with dogs.

Dogs:

Dobermans and other dogs make a remarkable team if trained boldly.

But generally, the Dobies would envy other breeds coming it’s way.

Cats:

Doberman pinscher is not a breed that is open to all.

They are guard dogs who prefer staying away from other animals including cats but would get along only if raised together.

Overview

These German sailors are among the most loving and loyal breed you will ever come across.

Doberman pinscher temperament is that of a curious and playful dog.

They are widely accepted by the police and the army as military dogs.

They have also excelled at various canine sports across the world.

But the negativity that has evolved by judging its size and color has brought normal people to the conclusion that the Doberman is an aggressive and vicious dog breed.

This is not the truth.

In fact, the dog is usually gentle, watchful and loving.

One must spend a day with this breed to believe it.

A Dobie owner must take the position of a strong leader otherwise the dog will rule to be the alpha.

This natural protector is a royal looking aristocrat.

But what you will fall for is its inner beauty, which is equivalent to the greatest power that exists in the world.  

Something Fun About

The Breed With Cropped Ears And Docked Tails

Have you observed a Doberman pinscher closely?

Did you see the no tail body with cropped ears?

You would like to know that it is not what they were born with.

It is an old North-American tradition where breeders crop the ears and dock the tail of pups to increase their ability to locate sounds.

However, this practice is banned in a few countries.

Kurt: The Warrior Dog

In a liberating war of Guam, a brave Doberman named Kurt laid his life protecting 250 United States Marines in the year 1944.

The brave dog was on the forefront fighting and alerting the troops to stay back. 

Unfortunately, Kurt was injured by the rivalry Japanese army that was among the first to be buried in a war dog cemetery.

Along with Kurt, 24 other Doberman dogs lost their lives as well.

In a truly inspiring story of the popularly known as “devil dogs”, we salute to all military K-9 dogs who have kept the humans ahead of themselves.

On the memory of this brave incident, a statue of the breed is engraved in the Guam city of United States of America.

Dog Owner’s Corner

The stories crying loud about this surreal breed are never-ending.

Do not miss on a chance to have this loyal and loving breed as your pet if you stand a chance.

It will make your life of what I should call delightful.

Own a Doberman today.

Always think of adopting one before shopping from a breeder.

Make a homeless dog yours!

This was from our side and we would love to hear from you.

If you have any experience with the breed you would like to share with us,

Please write down in the comment section below.

Happy petting to you!