Doberman Pinscher
The Doberman Pinscher (also known as Dobermann) is a medium breed of dog which was bred by Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann. It was bred in the town of Apolda in Germany. The Doberman was bred to help Mr Dobermann collect taxes as he was a tax collector. Mr Doberman was looking for a dog which would protect him during collection, especially as his job took him through many dangerous areas. After the initial breed of Mr Dobermann Otto Goellar and Philip Gruening continued to improve the breed. This dog is believed to be a mixture of many breeds, including the German Pinscher, the Rottweiler etc. to This is a popular breed of dog. This dog has fulfilled the role of a police dog and guard dog. Unfortunately or fortunately this breed is very well known as they media has focused on the dogs potential to be an aggressive dog, couple this will the strength of this breed and it is not surprising that this dog has an aggressive reputation. Breeders are actively working to remove the most aggressive traits from this dog.
Appearance
The Doberman Pinscher has a square build and the coat is not long. They are built for speed and stamina, so are ideal for a long chase. The dog is typically between 66 to 72 cm to the withers and their weight is between 34 kg and 45 kg.
Temperament
These are intelligent, loyal and very alert dogs. Unfortunately they have been tarred with the stereotype of being ferocious and aggressive. This is not surprising though as the Doberman was bred for specifically these traits, to defend its owner. Unfortunately the traits which make this a good police dog, war dog and personal defense dog also make it a dog which is not an ideal companion. With good training and a firm hand this dog can make a good pet. They do make excellent guard dogs, this is only helped by the popular opinion that they can be vicious dogs which the films and TV promote. The Doberman is among one of the most intelligent breeds. When looking specifically at where this breed tend to be aggressive it is mostly against strangers. After a recent study it was shown that the Doberman is one of the dogs which is most likely to bite someone, and for example children are 5 times more likely to be bitten by a Doberman than a Labrador Retriever. It is important to note though that there are other breeds which actually resulted in more fatalities, namely pit bull dogs, German Shepard dogs, Rottweilers, Husky dogs, Wolf dog hybrids and finally Alaskan Malamutes.
Grooming and care
These dogs are very active dogs, so they need plenty of space. They can be left unattended as they do not need constant companionship. The short coat they have is low maintenance. They should be kept leashed when out and about as they can shown aggression to other people and dogs if they feel they are threatened.
Health
The average life expectancy for this breed is 12 years. They most serious health concerns this breed has is dilated cardio myopathy, prostatic disease, Cervical Vertebral Instability and Von Willebrand's Disease. Dilated Cardio Myopathy is a disease which mostly affects the Doberman. A Doberman with this myopathy can be expected to die suddenly, unfortunately once this is diagnosed in the dog, the life expectancy is cut down to two months.