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The Doberman Pinscher

A big dog, athletic, and possessing excellent endurance, the Doberman Pinscher has a very noble look about it. Here is some more information about this dog breed.
Claudia Miclaus

History

The Doberman Pinscher, also known as Dobermann or Doberman, was developed in 1890 by Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann. He was a tax collector and this sent him to a lot of places that were full of thieves; because of this, he needed protection so he set out to make the dog that would be capable of great ferocity and intense loyalty at the same time.
This breed is very intelligent, alert, loyal, and makes a good companion. It was registered with the AKC in 1908.
Throughout history, it is found that this dog has been used majorly for guarding. It was used as a companion dog, watch dog, and even a police dog for many years, something the German shepherd has now taken over. In recent years, this breed has been bred extensively to rid it of its aggression. This has made it more suitable for being a family dog.

Nature

This is one of the fastest learning dog breeds that excels greatly at obedience or any other type of training. Although it has a nice, even temperament, it does not tolerate being teased.
As a result of its high intelligence, it is described as strong-willed and stubborn, which is actually a direct result of it being intelligent enough to think for itself. Behavioral problems tend to pop up when this dog gets bored, so lots of exercise and plenty of mental stimulation are needed to keep it happy.
This breed loves children if it has been raised with them. However, it is important to know that this is a large dog for small children, and again, does not take kindly to teasing. As it prefers being the alpha dog, you should be careful if you have other pets in the house.
Early socialization is needed with cats and other small animals because this breed has a very high prey drive. It does not back down when provoked to fight, and does not stop unless trained to do so. These traits make it a perfect guard dog.
This breed is often assumed and categorized as aggressive and ferocious. However, it was originally bred to be a guard dog who was fearless and could take up a fight. However, nowadays, due to the modern breeding methods, its aggression has been greatly reduced. It is now much more even-tempered, loyal, highly-trainable, and makes a good family dog.
Also, it ranks very low in displaying aggression towards owners. It is ranked 5th in Stanley Coren's The Intelligence of Dogs due to its high intelligence in obedience training.

Appearance

This breed is medium-large in size, and has a compact, athletic, and square build. It has tight, close coats that are smooth to the touch. Its ears naturally flop downwards, but are cropped many times to make them stand upright. Along with this, at times, the tail is also docked.
There are two color genes present in this breed, black (B) and color dilution (D). There are nine possible combinations of these genes, which result in 4 coat colors, black, blue, red, and fawn (which is also called Isabella).
The correct height for male dogs is between 26 to 28 inches, with 27.5 being ideal. That for females is between 24 to 26 inches, with 25.5 being ideal. In terms of weight, males should weigh between 75 to 90 lbs, and females between 60 to 80 lbs. Females are slightly smaller in build than males, but should not be too thin and spindly.

Health

The average life expectancy of this breed is 10 to 11 years. Some common health concerns are dilated cardiomyopathy, cervical vertebral instability, hypothyroidism, hip dysplasia, and prostatic diseases. It is also commonly prone to canine compulsive disorder, in which a particular action or a group of actions is repeated too many times (OCD).
This dog is often misunderstood to be ferocious when it is not. However, while buying a puppy, prefer a reputed breeder who has raised the pups with love and care. Ill-bred pups like those from puppy mills have higher chances of having an unstable personality. Also, it further fuels this immoral trade.