Doberman
History
Louis
Dobermann of Apolda, Thuringia, was a tax collector cum
dog-pound keeper who had to travel through dangerous
areas. He needed assistants tough enough to protect him
from bandits and to convince reluctant tax payers to
cough up. In the late 1860s, he determined to create
his own personal guardian. Along with his two friends,
Herr Rebel and Herr Stegmann, Herr Dobermann produce
within a few generations dogs that quickly became renowned
as a fearless protection dog. These dogs could also be
used as a gun-dog, for eradicating vermin, and for herding
sheep. They were said to be very intelligent, to have
great stamina, and were highly trainable.
Although
the exact genesis of the Doberman is not known, it is
suggested that Dobermann utilized the old German Shepherd
(now extinct) for hardiness, intelligence and soundness,
with German Pinscher blood for quick reaction and terrier
fire. The Weimar Pointer donated hunting abilities and
fine nose, as well as the dilute colors. Strength, guarding
instinct and courage was added by way of the Rottweiler,
which the early Doberman strongly resembled, and to which
the breed owes so much of its substance, bravery and
reliable guarding ability. The Manchester was used to
improve the coat, head type, eye color, and rust markings.
The
first official records of the Doberman appear in the
stud books of the Dobermannpinscher Verein stud book
of 1890 in Germany. Half century later the Germans dropped
the pinscher on the grounds that this German word for
terrier was no longer appropriate. The British did the
same thing a few years later. The Miniature Pinscher
is not a miniature Doberman and the two breeds are not
related.
Otto
Goeller, who became very interested in the breed and
used the kennel name of Thuringen, is credited with further
refining and stabilizing the breed. In 1889, Herr Goeller
established the first "Dobermann Pinscher Club." Herr
Goeller, along with a fellow townsman Herr Gorswin who
bred Dobermanns bearing the kennel name of Groenland,
produced several of the most important Dobermanns in
the breed's history. These dogs can be found in the ancestry
of the modern Dobermann.
In
the early years of the breed, the Doberman in Germany
was a dog used by men as a guard dog, a dog that was
alert, fearless, aggressive, intelligent, and trainable.
The dogs were described as being "sharp" and
willing to attack "even the devil himself." An
early owner, Gottfried Liechti, recorded ". . .
it required a good deal of courage to own one." This
type of temperament may have been accepted and desired
in the rural settings of the past, but certainly not
a temperament or dog that could survive in the urban
society of today. During the past 100 years the committed
Doberman breeder has been able to produce a much milder
disposition than the earlier dogs exhibited.
Doberman
was tailored for use in police and military work and
has the distinction of being named the Marine War Dog,
aka the "Devildog". In the 1940's these war
dogs were a new breed to most people in the United States.
Wherever the Marine Devildogs went, they attracted the
curious attention of people who had heard about the sleek
and powerful breed but never had seen them. On Guam,
the people who lived through the Japanese occupation
remember the Devildogs as "The Dobermans" or "Ah,
The Dobermans" because they remember how valuable
they were in the liberation of their island home.
In
the 1970's, Doberman Pinschers began to experience a
phenomenal increase in popularity. It was a period when
people living in the suburbs began to discover that they
were not safe from crime. The Doberman, according to
the AKC, became the "watch dog of the moment".
The "moment" lasted for years. The breed that
traditionally ranked around 20th in annual AKC registrations
moved up to 2nd in registrations by the early 1980s.
Because
of his history, the Doberman has an unearned reputation
as a "vicious" dog, but the breed has been
mellowed and today's Doberman is a handsome, light-footed
aristocrat which prefers being with its owners to all
other things. Socialization and authoritative discipline
are highly recommended, along with a heritage of sound
temperament. If you are willing to give and receive a
great deal of love and devotion, are prepared to be a
kind but firm master, and will enjoy the attention of
a "Velcro" dog, the Doberman is the ideal dog
for you. |
