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History: | The Doberman Pinscher,known in Europe simply as the Dobermann, is named after the breed's creator,Louis Dobermann,a tax collector in Apolda,a town in Thuringia Germany. Dobermann was a dog lover and, as it transpired, a skilled breeder. What he wanted was an alert, aggressive companion dog to protect him while making his rounds. Because Dobermann was also the keeper of the local animal shelter he had a continuing supply of breeding stock to use in his creation. He began his project in the 1880s and although he kept no breeding records, educated guesses have it that the Dobe was built around the German Pinscher,the Rottweiler,the Manchester Terrier, and the Greyhound.By 1899 Dobermann's creation was complete. A specialty club was organized for the breed's promotion and improvement and the Dobe was introduced to the public at a dog show. The reception was less than enthusiastic. Early specimans were considered coarse, rough and ill-tempered. Nevertheless, the breed did attract those interested in an alert, medium-sized security dog. Dobermann was joined in his efforts by a fellow breeder, Herr Goeller, who worked towards improving elegance and refinement. It was Goeller who draughted the first breed standard and obtained official recognition of the Dobermann from the German Kennel Club in 1900.First specimans came to the United States in 1908 and it is American breeders who are credited with developing the handsome,elegant,tractable present-day Dobe. Two world wars dealt harshly with the breed. Many of the dogs were conscripted for war service. Many were put to sleep or starved to death. But after 1945 there was sufficient breeding stock still available on the continent to give new impetus to the breed. More imports came to America, and in 1947 the first Dobes were brought to Britain. There the breed has overcome much prejudice to become one of the country's most popular working breeds. On this side of the Atlantic the Dobe has gone from strength to strength. Renowned as an intelligent security dog, the breed has also earned the reputation as a reliable,affectionate family pet. The breed's most influential stud is said to have been Ch. Dictator von Glenhugel who passed on his outstanding temperament and, far down as the tenth generation, a cowlick on the nape of his neck that has come to be known as the "mark of Dictator". The Doberman Pinscher was first registered in Canada in 1912. General Appearance: The appearance is that of a dog of good middle size, with a body that is square: the height measured vertically from the ground to the highest point of the withers equalling the length, measured horizontally from the forechest to the rear projection of the upper thigh. The Doberman should be elegant in appearance, with proud carriage, reflecting great nobility, and should be compactly built, muscular and powerful for great endurance and speed. Temperament: Energetic,watchful,determined,alert,fearless,loyal and obedient. Size: Height at withers-males, ideal 271/2 in.(70cm);females, ideal 251/5 in. (65cm).Males, decidedly masculine, without coarseness. Females decidely feminine, without over refinement. Deviation from the ideal height to be penalized in proportion to the amount of deviation.Coat and Colour:Smooth haired,short,hard, thick and close lying. Invisable grey undercoat on neck permissible.Colour:Allowed colours:black,red,blue,fawn. In each colour the more strongly pigmented coat is the more desireable.Markings: rust red, sharply defined, and appearing above each eye, and on muzzle,throat, and forechest, and on all legs and feet, and below tail.White on chest not exceeding one-half square inch permissible. Head:Long and dry, resembling a blunt wedge, both frontal and profile views. When seen from the front, the head widens gradullay towards the base of the ears in a practically unbroken line. Top of skull flat, turning with a slight stop to bridge of muzzle, with muzzle line extending parallel to the topline os the skull.Length of muzzle equal to length of skull. Cheeks flat and muscular. Lips lying close to the jaws, and not drooping.Teeth strongly developed.Lower inscisors upright and touching inside of upper inscisors- a true scissors bite.Forty-two teeth (22 lower and 20 upper) correctly placed. Jaws full and powerful, well filled in under the eyes. Nose solid black in black dogs,dark brown in reds,dark grey in blues,dark tan in fawns.Eyes almond shaped, not round, moderately deep set, not prominent, with vigorous,energetic expression. Iris of uniform colour, ranging from medium to darkest brown in black dogs, the darker shade being more desirable. In reds,blues,fawns the colour of the iris shouls blend with that of the markings, but not be of a lighter hue than that of the markings.Ears either cropped or uncropped. The upper attachment of the ear, when alert, should be on a level with the top of the skull. If cropped, the ears should be well trimmed and carried erect. If uncropped, they should be small and neat, and set high on the head. Neck: Carried proudly, well muscled and dry. Well arched, and with nape of neck widening gradually toward the body. Length of neck proportioned to body and head. Head may be carried slightly lowered when moving, for greater reach of the forequarters. Forequarters:Shoulder blade sloping forward and downward at a 45 degree angle to the ground, and meeting the upper arm at an angle of 90 degrees. Shoulder to be as close to 45 degrees as possible and well set back.Relative length of shoulder and upper arm should be as one to one, excess length of shoulder blade is more a fault than excess length of upper arm.Height from elbow to withers approximately equals height from ground to elbow.Legs seen from the front and side perfectly staright and parallel to each other from elbow to pastern; muscled and sinewy, with round,heavy bone. In a Normal position, and when gaiting, the elbow should lie close to the brisket.Pasterns firm, with an almost perpendicular position to the ground.Feet well arched,compact and cat like,turning neither in nor out.Slight toeing out much less undesireable than toeing in.Dewclaws may be removed. Body: Back short, firm, of sufficient width, and muscular at the loin extending in a straight line fron the withers to the slightly rounded croup. Withers pronounced and forming the highest point of the body.Brisket full and broad, reaching deep to the elbow.Chest broad, and forechest well defined.Ribs well sprung from the spine, but flattened at lower end to provide elbow clearance.Belly well tucked up, extending in a curved line from chest.Loins well muscled. Hips broad in proportion to body,breath of hips being approximately equal to breath of body at rib spring. Hindquarters:In balance with forequarters. Upper shanks long,wide and well muscled on both sides of thigh, with clearly defined stifles. Hocks while the dog is at rest: hocks to heel should be perpendicualar to the ground.Upper shanks,lower shanks and hocks parallel to each other, and wide enough apart to fit the properly built body. The hip bone should fall away from the spinal column at an angle of about 30 degrees. Upper shank and lower shank are equal in length. The upper shank should be at right angles to the hip bone. Croup well filled out. Cat feet, as on any front legs,turning neither in nor out.Dewclaws, if any,may be removed. Tail: Tail docked at approximately the second joint, should appear to be a continuation of the spine,without material drop. Gait:The gait should be free,balanced, and effortless with good reach in the forequarters and good driving power in the hindquarters.When trotting there should be a strong rear action drive. Hocks should fully extend.Each rear leg should move in line with the foreleg on the same side. Rear and front legs should thrown neither in nor out. Back should remain strong,firm and level.When moving at a fast trot the properly built dog will single track. Faults:Feminine dogs,masculine bitches.Light tan or muddied markings. Overly large markings. Head out of balance in proportion to both Ram's,dish faced, cheeky or snipey head.Any deviation from the correct number or placement of the teeth to be penalized in direct proportion to the amount of deviation.Slit eyes,glassy eys,round eyes.Weak or knuckled over pasterns.Hare feet,splay feet.Overly rounded or flat croup. Major Faults:Coarseness, fine Greyhound build.Loose shoulder,straight shoulder.Sway or roach back.Straight stifles,cowhocks,spread hocks,sickle hocks. Disqualifications:Shyness,visiousness.Overshot more than 3/16 in (.5cm),undershot more than 1/8 in.(.3cm).Four or more missing teeth. Shyness:A dog shall be judged fundamentally shy if, refusing to stand for examination,it shrinks away from the judge,if it fears an approach from the rear; if it shies at sudden and unusual noises to a marked degree. Visciousness: A dog that attacks, or attempts to attack either the judge or its handler, is definitely viscious. An aggressive or belligerent attitude towards other dogs shall not be deemed viscious. |