Written by: PetMD Editorial. Published: October 16, Physical Characteristics The Doberman's powerful, muscular, compact, and square-proportioned build gives it speed, elegance, strength, and endurance. Personality and Temperament This adventurous and loyal companion is a talented and obedient pupil, always ready for a mental challenge. Care The Doberman requires mental and physical exertion daily or it may become destructive or frustrated.
Health The Doberman Pinscher has a lifespan of 10 to 12 years. History and Background Louis Dobermann, a German tax collector, is credited for the creation of the Doberman Pinscher. Help us make PetMD better Was this article helpful? Yes No. Share this article. What did you find helpful? What was not helpful? No one knows for certain, but Dobermann is thought to have crossed many breeds to get the Doberman pinscher.
Some of the breeds thought to be involved include the rottweiler, German pinscher, Great Dane, German shepherd dog, Manchester terrier, and English greyhound shorthaired shepherd. Although initially bred and still used worldwide as guard dogs, Doberman pinschers also have been police and military dogs, rescue dogs and therapy dogs. Select Your Region. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram Youtube.
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About our Ads. Cookie Consent Tool. Belgium - Belgique. Brazil - Brasil. Canada English. Costa Rica. Croatia - Hrvatska. Denmark - Danmark. Finland - Suomi. France - France. Germany - Deutschland. Greater China - Taiwan. Italy - Italia. This disease causes toxic levels of copper to build up in the liver, eventually leading to liver failure if not treated. Affected dogs usually show symptoms of jaundice yellow eyes, gums, and skin by about two to four years of age. Your pet should have liver testing early in life to screen for any abnormalities.
Diabetes Diabetes mellitus is a fairly common disease in dogs. Eye Problems Not many things have as dramatic an impact on your dog's quality of life as the proper functioning of his eyes.
Kidney Disease Glomerulonephropathy is an inherited disease that slowly damages your Doberman Pinscher's kidneys, causing them to fail, often at an early age.
Bone and Joint Problems A number of different musculoskeletal problems have been reported in Doberman Pinschers. The disease is caused when the jelly-like cushion between one or more vertebrae slips or ruptures, causing the disc to press on the spinal cord.
If your dog is suddenly unable or unwilling to jump or go up stairs, is reluctant to move around, has a hunched back, cries out, or refuses to eat or go potty, he is likely in severe pain. He may even experience sudden paralysis—he may drag his back feet or be unable to get up or use his back legs. Call us or an emergency clinic immediately! For less severe cases, rest and medication may resolve the problem. And as with so many other diseases, weight control helps reduce the risk of IVDD.
You should also provide ramps or steps for your pet from puppyhood on to prevent your dog from stressing his back by jumping on and off of the furniture. Growing Dobermans can suffer from a painful inflammation of the long bones in the legs called eosinophilic panosteitis, or pano or eo-pan for short. It usually starts around six to ten months of age and shifts from leg to leg. Panosteitis usually causes no permanent damage, but requires pain medication.
If your dog has this condition and develops an abnormal gait to compensate for the sore leg s , rehabilitation exercises may be required. Many older dogs have arthritis, and bigger dogs tend to have more pain and disability than smaller ones. Dobermans are particularly prone to developing arthritis, but various treatments are available. The earlier we begin treatment, the better the results. Good nutrition and proper exercise are also very important to help reduce bone and joint problems as your pet gets older.
Cancer Cancer is a leading cause of death in older dogs. Multiple Skin Problems Your Dobie is susceptible to various kinds of skin infections and diseases. Demodex is a microscopic mite that lives in the hair follicles of all dogs.
In mild cases, pet owners may notice a few dry, irritated, hairless lesions. These often occur on the face or feet and may or may not be itchy. Secondary skin infections may also occur. Prompt veterinary care is important to keep the disease from getting out of hand. Many pets seem to outgrow the problem, while others require lifelong management. Pemphigus foliaceus is a superficial skin disease that is more common in Doberman Pinschers. It often starts around four years of age and causes crusts and hair loss, usually on top of the nose and inside the ear flaps.
Some dogs get it on their footpads and toenails as well. Bacteria easily invade the damaged areas, so secondary skin infections are common. Skin crusts typically wax and wane; there is no cure, but there are a variety of effective treatments.
Sunlight makes it worse, so applying zinc-free sunscreen to sensitive parts before heading outdoors can help. Most dogs lick their legs or body from time to time for routine grooming or to care for minor wounds or skin lesions, but some Dobies may obsessively lick the same area of the body over and over.
This recurring licking can cause a deep skin callous called a lick granuloma to develop at the affected area. These sores usually occur on the legs or feet, but may also be on the flank. As soon as you notice a granuloma starting, bring your pet in for treatment. A lick granuloma can be extremely difficult to cure once the repetitive behavior is established, so early diagnosis and treatment are essential.
Taking Care of Your Doberman Pinscher at Home Much of what you can do to keep your dog happy and healthy is common sense, just like it is for people. Routine Care, Diet, and Exercise Build her routine care into your schedule to help your Dobie live longer, stay healthier, and be happier during her lifetime.
Supervise your pet as you would a toddler. Keep doors closed, pick up after yourself, and block off rooms as necessary. And don't underestimate that intelligence: the Doberman is among the smartest of all dog breeds, and one whose owners need to pay attention lest they find themselves outsmarted.
Developed as a guard dog, the Doberman has an innate ability not only to protect his family but also to anticipate danger and threats. Because he's so smart, he's not often wrong, but if the Doberman isn't socialized and trained to behave appropriately around strangers, he may show excessive suspicion of guests in your home — suspicion that can turn into aggression. Many people want a Doberman for purposes of protection, but almost no one really needs a trained protection dog — most people or families simply need a watchdog and a deterrent.
The Doberman's reputation, intelligence, instinctive ability to evaluate threats, and his loyalty to and innate protectiveness of his human family are all that's needed to accomplish those goals, so don't get a "trained protection dog" that you don't need and probably can't handle.
A well-bred, well-trained, properly socialized Doberman who lives with his family will protect them as part of his nature. One of the key phrases there is "lives with his family.
If your Doberman is a family pet, he needs to live indoors with your family. Otherwise, he'll be lonely, bored and destructive — and less, rather than more, likely to protect you. If you do share your home with a Doberman, you'll find him to be a fairly easy dog to care for. Just keep his nails trimmed, his body lean and exercised, and brush him weekly to keep shedding to a minimum. An alert watchdog, the Doberman can be a barker, so help yours develop appropriate barking behavior when young so it doesn't become a nuisance later on.
While most people are familiar only with the black Doberman with rust markings, Dobermans actually come in a number of colors: black with rust-colored markings; blue actually gray with rust markings; various shades of red-brown with rust markings; and a light tan color called "Isabella," which also has rust markings.
Be aware that white or cream Dobermans are a genetic mutation that is associated with severe health problems ; they are not the prized and expensive rarity some people will try to market them as. There is no test for the albino gene, but good breeders do everything they can to avoid producing albino Dobermans. Avoid these dogs and the breeders who produce and sell them. Tax collector Louis Dobermann needed a guard dog to keep the monies he carried safe from thieves.
To create the intelligent, reliable guard dog that he had in mind, he crossed shorthaired shepherd dogs with Rottweilers , black and tan terriers, and German Pinschers. The first Doberman Pinschers, as they became known, were seen at a dog show in Erfurt, Germany, in Three years later the breed received official recognition as a German breed.
Throughout their history, Dobermans have made a name for themselves as police and military dogs. While liberating Guam, 25 Marine war dogs died. Dobermans are seen in archival footage of the battle on Okinawa, one of the bloodiest conflicts in American history. In a bronze memorial statue of a Doberman commissioned by the United Doberman Club was erected in Guam. The memorial is called "Always Faithful. The ideal Doberman is energetic, watchful, determined, alert and obedient, never shy or vicious.
That temperament and relationship with people only occurs when the Doberman lives closely with his family so that he can build that bond of loyalty for which he is famous. A Doberman who is left out in the backyard alone will never become a loving protector but instead a fearful dog who is aggressive toward everyone, including his own family.
Never do that to a dog. When the Doberman is loved, socialized and trained, there is no more wonderful companion. Any dog, no matter how nice, can develop obnoxious levels of barking, digging, countersurfing and other undesirable behaviors if he is bored, untrained or unsupervised.
And any dog can be a trial to live with during adolescence. Start training your puppy the day you bring him home. Even at eight weeks old, he is capable of soaking up everything you can teach him. If possible, get him into puppy kindergarten class by the time he is 10 to 12 weeks old, and socialize, socialize, socialize.
However, be aware that many puppy training classes require certain vaccines like kennel cough to be up to date, and many veterinarians recommend limited exposure to other dogs and public places until puppy vaccines including rabies, distemper and parvovirus have been completed.
In lieu of formal training, you can begin training your puppy at home and socializing him among family and friends until puppy vaccines are completed. Breeders see the puppies daily and can make uncannily accurate recommendations once they know something about your lifestyle and personality.
Whatever you want from a Doberman, look for one whose parents have nice personalities and who has been well socialized from early puppyhood. All dogs have the potential to develop genetic health problems, just as all people have the potential to inherit a particular disease. A reputable breeder will be honest and open about health problems in the breed and the incidence with which they occur in her lines.
One of the most serious breed-related health problems in the Doberman is cardiomyopathy, which causes an enlarged heart. An annual heart exam is critical in catching this condition early, and no dog with cardiomyopathy should ever be bred. Nor should any Doberman be bred without a comprehensive heart examination by a board-certified veterinary cardiologist and OFA certification within the past year.
The sad reality, however, is that a dog who tests fine one day can develop heart disease the next, and the puppy of two parents without heart disease can still develop it.
Another breed-related condition affecting the Doberman is cervical vertebral instability CVI , commonly called Wobbler's syndrome. It's caused by a malformation of the vertebrae within the neck that results in pressure on the spinal cord and leads to weakness and lack of coordination in the hindquarters and sometimes to complete paralysis. Symptoms can be managed to a certain extent in dogs that are not severely affected, and some dogs experience some relief from surgery, but the outcome is far from certain.
While CVI is thought to be genetic, there is no screening test for the condition. Dobermans are also prone to the bleeding disorder known as von Willebrand disease, as well as hypoadrenocorticism, or Addison's disease. Not all of these conditions are detectable in a growing puppy, and it is impossible to predict whether an animal will be free of these maladies, which is why you must find a reputable breeder who is committed to breeding the healthiest animals possible.
They should be able to produce independent certification that the parents of the dog and grandparents, etc.
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