Doberman Pinscher - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Origin

Dobermans are one of the younger breeds. They were developed in the 1800s by a tax collector Louis Dobermann. He needed a fierce guard dog to accompany on his routes. We dont know for sure, what are the Doberman ancestors. It is believed, that they were developed by crossing early Rottweilers with a type of shepherd dog that existed in “Thüringen” as a black dog with rust red markings. Some other breeds, that might be included in the breeding process are German Pinschers, German Shepherds, Great Danes and Manchester Terriers.

2) Versatility

So the Dobies were bred to be personal protectors, but throughthout their history, they were used for much more purposes. They were, and still are used for tracking, coursing, search and rescue, as service dogs and most importantly as police and military dogs.

3) War Hero

Did you know, that the Doberman named Kurt was a World War II Hero? He went ahead of the troops and warned them of the approaching Japanese soldiers. This happened at the 1944 Battle of Guam and even though Kurt was killed by an enemy grenade, many soldiers were saved thanks to his bravery.

4) Ears and tails

You might agree with or you might be absolutely against it. I am talking about ear and tail docking, which is still very common with Dobermans. But did you know, that it served its purpose? The Dobermans were bred to be personal guards and the tail with the ears were one of the weak spots. But since today Dobermans are mostly kept as family companions, there is no need to cut their tails and crop their ears.

5) Intelligence

Dobermans are one of the smartest dog breeds in the world, i would definitely put them between the TOP 10 most intelligent breeds. But it is not always for the good. Dobermans are known for outsmarting their trainers and they get bored easily, if their mind is not challanged enough. Another thing is, that they have one of the best memories. Because of that, it is hard to unlearn them the bad habits.

6) American vs European

Doberman is a dog from Germany, there is no doubt about it. But there is quite a difference betweeh the American and European version of Doberman. Since the European dogs are still bred to fit the original breed standards and they are still very large, muscular dogs with very strong work ethic, the American breed standard is different. The American Dobies are softer, little bit smaller and they are much more elegant. If you would like to find out more about the differences between American and European Dobermans, i am giving you link to Rocadogs other video in description.

7) Dangerous dogs

Dobermans are agressive, vicious and dangerous dogs to their owners and people around them. Well that is atleast what many people still believe. Of course, that is not true. But they do have the same bad reputation as some other breeds, including Pit Bulls are Rottweilers. They might be agressive towards people, if they are trained for it, but with proper socialization, these dogs are not dangerous at all.

8) Celebrities

Many people all around the world fall in love with the Doberman Pinschers. And the celebrities are not exceptions. The list of famous people who owned a Dobie includes William Shatner, John F. Kennedy, Priscilla Presley, Mariah Carey, Nicolas Cage and Rudolph Valentino.

9) Dog sports

You already know, that dobermans are versatile dogs that are capable of performing almost every job including the hardest ones as police and military dogs. So its no wonder they are great adepts for various dog sports, including Schutzhund, agility, fly ball and obedience.

10) Living with

When you will get the first Dobie, i think there are few important facts you should now. Dobermans are social dogs and they want to spend a lot of time with you. It is recomended to challenge their mind every day, so they are not bored. Bored doberman is not a good doberman and they might become little bit desctructive. Another important thing is, that they do not like winter, and if you are living in a place with cold winters, they will need some form of a warm shelter.