Doberman Pinscher | Dog Breed Detailed Information & Facts

Doberman info Featured image
The Doberman pinscher, one of the most common and popular dog breeds has been used as a guard dog since a long time. This is a domestic breed, medium in size and has been developed from various other distinguished breeds, namely the Greyhound, the Rottweiler, the Great Dane, the German Pointer, the Tan and black Terrier and some others. The dog is impressive in its build as it is quite athletic looking, has a sleek coat, docked tail and characteristic cropped ears. Completely aristocratic looking, this dog is also known for its intelligence, though, because of its amazing build, it is mainly used by police and military purposes. Many proud pet owners train their pet for participating in various canine sports. Moreover, it is a perfect family guardian who is going to be alert and attentive for the safety of its family at all times.

Amazing Characteristics of a Doberman Pinscher

Doberman Pinscher is identified with its unique and peculiar characteristics. It not only looks regal, it is also quite obedient. Many times, people are misleaded by its look, but in reality it is a very sweet-natured dog. Pre-dominantly used as a companion dog, it has some distinct spots or marks on various parts of its body like eyes, paws, legs, muzzle, tail, etc. If the dog is albino, these marks may not be decipherable.

Why are Doberman Pinschers considered as the best Companion dog?

Doberman companion dog
These sweet temperament dogs are not only loyal and quite devoted to their owners, they are quite alert and intelligent and as such they are totally suitable as companions or guard dogs. The athletic style of this dog makes them look quite regal in disposition. When spending time with family members, they will be as playful and loving as any other pet dog, but when it comes to guarding their family, they may get fiercer than any other dog breed. With proper training, these dogs can prove to be an important asset for their owners. Although, they are quite determined by nature, they may sometimes quite obstinate. With perseverance and commitment, pet owners can train them well and make them a perfect dog that can adjust well with their family and guard them, if need be.

Doberman Pinscher usually weigh between 60-80 pounds and their life span falls between 10-13 years.

Characteristics of a Doberman Pinscher


Appearance	The Doberman Pinchers are neither too small, nor too huge. Squarely built, they are medium in size and have a short coat. Their compact build and agility allows them to serve their owners in the best manner. The characteristics like obedience, determination, watchful, alert and proud temperament make them a much loved and admired breed. Since they are predominantly used as a guard dog, theyr are quite masular in looks.
Size	Usually, these dogs are no more than 28 inches in height. There is no set standard to measure its ideal weight, but experts believe that it must be in accordance with the task that they are expected to do. If they have to be extra agile and alert when compared with other dogs, they need to have adequate weight. 40-45 kilograms is the ideal weight for male Dobermans while the females can weigh 32-35 kilograms.
Color	Doberman Pinchers have two genes which can combine to result in various color combinations. The genes available are resulting in 4 varied color combinations: red, blue, fawn (Isabella) and black. Although the fawn color is not very common and it occurs only when both the genes and the color have two recessive genes.
Tails	On birth, the Doberman pinscher has a very long tail, but later they undergo docking, a surgical process in which surgical removal of tail is done. The main reason behind this procedure is that the tail should not get into the dog’s work.
Ears	Doberman pinschers also go for ear cropping, another surgical process to fulfil their traditional duty off guard as well as for helpful sound localization. In these dogs, ears should be cropped and erect to enhance their ability to listen and react. The Doberman undergo cropping of ear under the anesthesia between the age of seven to nine weeks after birth. There is little certainty about whether the ear cropping actually minimizes the chances of ear infection risks as contrasted against pendulous ears.
Intelligence	When we talk about canine intelligence, we refer to tasks like communication, identifying and solving various problems and learning various tasks that a dog can perform efficiently. The Doberman has been ranked among the most clever dog breeds in the experimental studies. Doberman also ranks as the fifth most intelligent breed of dogs in the “obedience command training”, a particular type of training where a dog is obedient or not is judged and ensured. No doubt, the evaluation methods differ, but these studies show that Doberman os also one of the dog breeds that can be trained well, besides other easily trained dog breeds like the Standard Poodle, Rottweiler, Golden Retriever, German shepherd and Border collie.
Aggression	There are four types of aggressive behavior exhibited by dogs. It is aggression towards the owner, stranger, enmity with other dogs, and strange dogs. The studies indicated, high ranking of Doberman pinscher on aggression towards the strangers which is expected in any guard dog. Also, it ranks quite low on the aggression towards the owner, again expected as it needs to be loving and devoted towards its owner. Further, the Doberman is averagely ranked on the dog rivalry. Doberman pinschers seem to be very less hostile towards the humans. They display little enemity towards humans than many other breeds. Doberman has a distinctive aggression pattern which depends upon the situation. Overall, the contemporary Dobermans are not very aggressive breeds.
Feeding	The recommended daily food amount is: 2.5 to 4 cups of superior quality dog food which should be divided into 2 meals. If you will feed your Doberman twice in a day, it will remain in good shape and health.
Training	Unlike other dog breeds, Doberman is not eager to please, but with proper training and perseverance, they tend to learn fast. In order to ensure their agility and alertness, it is necessary that they get a lot of physical exercise daily. There is an immense need for early training and socialization in Doberman. Just like other dogs, if they are not socialized when they are young, they shall become quarrelsome or timid.

Tips to Groom a Doberman Pinscher

You can keep your beloved Doberman well groomed by following some simple tips-

Since the coat of a Doberman is sleek and smooth, and is quite close cropped, it needs minimal grooming. The color of its coat can be blue, fawn, black or red. On the whole, this dog looks quite clean and neat and does not emit any foul odor. Despite, its coat being very short, it sheds a lot and weekly brushing of its coat will keep it shiny and table free. There is no need to bathe it frequently.
To avoid any tarter building up or bacterial in the oral cavity, it is essential that its teeth are brushed 2-3 times in a week. It will not only avoid any bad breath but also save it from catching any gum disease.
Once in a month, nail trimming is necessary. If not done, it may result in painful tears which will be truly uncomfortable and painful for your dog.
Ears of the dog must also be checked on a regular basis so that if there is any infection in its nascent stage, it can be controlled and treated.
On a regular basis, you must keep an eye on your dog and look if there are any rashes or tenderness in any part of the body.
A regular visit to an experienced veterinarian is a must to spot any potential health troubles.

Health Signals to watch out for!!!

As mentioned above, the life span of a Doberman is between ten to thirteen years of age and while they are quite active and agile dogs, they may suffer from many health problems. It is important to keep a watch on any changes in its energy levels or its behavior and temperament.

The serious and most common health diseases include prostate disease, cervical vertebral instability and cardiomyopathy.
Hip dysplasia and hypothyroidism are less serious and less common health problems in the Doberman. Further, canine compulsive disorders are also common among them.
As per certain studies, the prostate diseases (namely, benign hyperplasia, adenocarcinoma, prostatic cysts, and chronic bacterial prostatitis) in Doberman are more likely to occur when compared with other dog breeds. The risk of prostate diseases can be reduced significantly by neutering.
A Doberman might lose his life because of the dilated cardio myopathy. It is the major reason of death among the dogs of this breed and no other breed is likely to be affected by this disease as Doberman pinscher.

A regular visit to the veterinarian can help spot these health issues early and a suitable treatment can be given to the dog.

About Sugandha Varshney

Sugandha is a devoted pet owner who owns two cats named Kai, Ritter & a Golden Retriever named Bracky. She is an avid dog agility enthusiast, and hopes her new pup will someday be an agility champion!. In an effort to strengthen the bond between people and their pets, she shares her knowledge by writing articles.