Doberman History
The Doberman pinscher has come a very long way in what seems to be a relatively short duration. The breed went to the height of popularity both within the dog show world and the general public.
You can trace the breed back only to the 1880’s so it is actually one of the most modern of the working breeds of dog.
The name Doberman is derived from a Herr Louis Dobermann, he was a magistrate from Germany. He is credited for founding the initial strain which actually classifies the breed as a ‘man-made’ breed.
Herr had many duties to perform and among them were tax and rent collection and also caring for the local dog shelter. He decided to use the stock that he had available to him and breed the perfect guard dog that would protect him on his collection rounds.
He knew that the ideal guard dog would have to be strong and powerfully built. He decided what he would need by way of character traits, he wished the dog to be black in colour, large, alert and neither shy or aggressive.
Common in the area that Herr lived at that time was the German Pinscher a dog that was unmatched in fearlessness and ferocity. Herr began breeding the Pinscher with Setters, Pointers, Rottweilers and Great Danes.
He always kept in mind his ‘ideal’ guard dog. He wished for it to be sleek and possess unending amounts of stamina, strength and intelligence. Eventually the Doberman pinscher emerged and the breed became fixed.
During the early 1900’s the breeders concentrated on refining the breeds coarse, thick bodies and heads that were being produced, these were traits that went back to the Rottweiler influence. They made steady progress until the start of World War 1 and sadly the famine of 1916.
The Doberman pinscher was greatly affected by this but luckily some of the breed had been exported to the USA in 1908 and they were flourishing in their new home. Breeders heard this news and opted to export their dogs to the USA to maintain their safety.
Since then the Doberman pinscher has grown and grown in popularity as both a remarkable guard dog and a loyal, family pet.
