Doberman Pinscher
The Dobermann or Doberman
Pinscher (also, more colloquially, Dobie)
is a breed of domestic dog. Dobermanns are commonly used as
guard  dogs, watch dogs, or police dogs, and have a reputation
as being a dog that is incredibly loyal to its familial duties
and vicious if crossed. Because of the Dobermann's
typical use as a guard dog, and its often stereotyped role
as such in movies, many people are afraid of Dobermanns; most
do not understand that Dobermanns are, in general, a loving
and intelligent breed that rarely attacks people except when
it feels that it or its property or family are in danger.
Appearance
A female Dobermann's shoulder height is about 24 inches (61 cm)
and her weight is about 75 to 80 pounds (34 to 36 kg). The male
stands about 26 or 27 inches (66 to 68 cm) at the shoulder and
weighs around 90 pounds (41 kg).
Color
Most people picture a Dobermann's color as the typical black with
brown markings. However, the existence of two different color genes
in Dobermanns provides four different phenotypes in Dobermann color.
The traditional color, produced when both genes are dominant, is
commonly referred to as black,
while the most common variation, due to one gene's recessive quality,
produces what is called a red Dobermann, primarily
reddish-brown with tan markings.
When the other gene is recessive, while the first one remains
dominant, a blue (grey) Dobermann is produced, whereas
the least likely combination--both genes are recessive--produces fawn,
a light tan color.
Recently, a fifth color of Dobermann, dubbed the white Dobermann,
has been widely bred and marketed to the public. Dobermanns of
this color possess a genetic mutation,
which prevents its pigment proteins from being manufactured, regardless
of the genotypes of
either of the two color genes; that is, it is an albino. Though
many potential Dobermann owners find the color beautiful, albino
Dobermanns, like albinos of other species, face increased risk
of cancer and
other diseases and should avoid sun exposure as much as possible.
The popularity of the white Dobermann has died down dramatically
as the risks have become known, with many people even calling for
an end to the breeding and marketing of the white Dobermann, because
they perceive it as cruelty to the animal. Some countries have
made the purposeful breeding of the white Dobermann illegal, though,
as happens with human beings, random genetic mutation still leads
to Dobermann albinism on a completely arbitrary, but very rare,
basis.
Tails
What may come as a surprise to people who are used to seeing Dobermann
tails that are just a couple of inches long, is that the Dobermann
is actually born with a tail that is longer than that of most breeds
of dog. Typically, a Doberman Pinscher undergoes docking, a procedure in which the majority of its
tail is cut off within days after its birth. The rationale for
this is that it is the "look" that the dog is supposed to have,
since it was the way Louis Dobermann originally envisioned the
dog. It also gives the dog an appearance of ferocity and toughness.
Aside from these more vain reasons of putting the animals through
a procedure that many view as inhumane, one practical reason for
docking the tail is that it removes what would be a convenient "handle" for
a criminal or attacker to grab when the Dobermann is performing
its guard or police work. Another reason is that dogs with the
type of tails that the dobermans has (long with little hair or
flesh over the tail bones) have a very high occurrence of 'broken
tail.' Broken tail may range from the actual tail bones being
broken to the more common skin injuries that are very difficult
to heal because of the difficulty of bandaging or protecting the
tail.
Regardless of people's beliefs on this matter, few Dobermann purchasers
have a choice on the length of their Dobermann's tail; docking
must be done soon after the dog's birth, which means that the breeder
nearly always makes the decision, before their dogs are even put
on the market.
Ears
The same is not true, however, of Dobermann ear cropping, which
should be done between 7 and 9 weeks after birth--though it can
done up to six months or a year afterwards--and is therefore usually
left up to the discretion of the dog owner. Cropping done after
12 weeks has a high rate of failure in getting the ears to stand.
In larger and larger numbers, Dobermann owners are opting not to
have their pet's ears cropped, in a procedure that is believed
to be extremely painful for the animal. The process invloves cutting
off part of the animal's ears and then propping them up with posts
or cups and tape bandages, which allows the cartilage to develop
into an upright position as the puppy grows. The puppy will still
have the ability to lay the ears back or down. The process can
take a few weeks or may take months. Because taping too tightly
can cause blood flow problems, taping must be done by a veterinatian
or experienced breeder.
While there have been no studies that involved cropped
vs. non-cropped dobermans, it is believed that cropping dramatically
reduces the occurrence of ear infections and hemotomas (blood
blisters caused by damage to the ear tips, usually from
hard shaking of the head).
Although the acts of ear cropping and tail shortening seem inhumane
to some, the traditional Dobermann has always been the one that
has had both procedures. In some countries, docking and cropping
are now illegal, but in some breed shows, particularly in the
United States, Dobermanns are allowed to compete only if they have
the traditional look.
Next: Dobermann Health |
