Doberman Pinscher Information & Dog Breed Facts

Doberman Pinscher Origin

The Doberman Pinscher is a relatively modern breed, having been developed in Germany in the 1890s. A man called Karl Friedrich Louis Doberman worked in a number of high-risk jobs, including tax collection and night policing. It was normal practice at the time for members of these professions to have protection dogs with them to scare attackers or defend themselves if required. For some unknown reasons, Doberman was dissatisfied with the breeds and mixed that was already in use for this purpose, so he chose to make his own breed. The exact date when Doberman began to create his own dog is known, but it is generally accepted that he probably initiated casual breeding efforts in the 1870s or 80s and that the real birth year of the Doberman Pinscher occurred in 1890 when he purchased a house in Apolda with the intention of becoming a serious breeder. He was seeking the ideal personal protection dog, one that was intelligent, loyal, and fearless, as well as possessing a natural protective instinct and a trustworthy personality. However, Mr. Dobermann did not keep detailed records of the dogs he used, and in many cases the breeds of the dogs he used to make his personal security dogs were unknown.

Debates concerning the basis for the breed

The main point of contention among modern fanciers is which breed was used to create the Doberman. Some say it was a German Pinscher, which was one of the most popular German breeds at the time and looked very similar to a Doberman Pinscher. Others argue that it was the Old German Shepherd, the ancestor of the modern German Shepherd dog. Others have speculated that it was the Beauceron, a French dog that was transported to Germany by Napoleon’s army and is strikingly similar to the Doberman Pinscher in many ways. The truth is that Mr. Doberman employed so many breeds that no single one predominates, and the majority of early Doberman lines were most likely mixed and stray dogs. In addition to the German Pinscher, Old German Shepherd, Beauceron, and mixed breeds, the Rottweiler, Bullenbeiser, and Weimaraner were almost certainly used as well. Other possibilities which have been suggested by experts include the Boxer, the English Bulldog, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and various types of German scent hound.

The breed’s job

Whatever breeds went into the ancestry of the Doberman Pinscher, the breed standardized very quickly. By the time of Mr. Doberman’s death in 1894, the breed was largely stabilized. Since their inception, these dogs have served as guard dogs, police dogs, and military dogs, and they were also major actors in World War II, functioning as sentries, couriers, and even scouts. Dobermans were involved indirectly supporting the military in the battle of Okinawa in 1945, and a memorial statue of a Doberman stands in Guam to commemorate the 25 marine war dogs that gave their lives to free it. However, these brave dogs have a gentler side, they can make loving and affectionate companions, as well as true and loyal friends to those they care about.

Doberman Pinscher Recognition

Although it is not quite clear when the first Doberman arrived in the United States, among the first of which we have records were imported in 1907. In 1908, the American Kennel Club granted full recognition to the Doberman Pinscher as a member of the Working Group. By 1921, interest in the breed has increased to the point that George Earle III founded the Doberman Pinscher Club of America to promote and protect the breed in the country. Throughout the 1920s, interest further increased in the breed, likely the result of the World War I veterans wanting a guard dog to protect their newly brought properties. Moreover, beginning in the 1940s, the United Kennel Club also granted full recognition to the breed.