In
the movies,
the Doberman is portrayed as
an aggressive
dog that lunges at people
with vicious eyes.
In truth,
Dobermans are loyal, intelligent family pets.
The American Kennel Club
places the breed in the working group class
along with dogs such as the
Great Dane
and the
Boxer. They were originally bred
for police work and even used
in the
German military
(which is not surprising since the sight of
these powerful dogs could make
a person anxious.)
Physically, the Doberman
is square with
a strong chest and
a bullet shaped head. It
can weight around 55
to 90 pounds with
a height of 24
to 28 inches. The coat
is black, red or fawn with tan
markings. Some Dobermans
have a
small section of
white fur
on their chest. The eyes are almond shaped and
dark and most owners dock the tail
to prevent painful accidents in the future.
The Doberman is a very energetic
dog. They do
need a lot of exercise so an apartment setting is not suitable.
Even if you do
have a yard, Dobermans
enjoy time with their owners and need
to be walked daily.
This breed is a family dog. They are
eager to please and
can be trained successfully.
If you have a
puppy in the same house as a small
child, you might
want to be a little
more vigilant
because the puppy doesnt know its own strength
yet and
can knock the child down.
Begin
training as soon as you bring the dog home. Dobermans are smart. They can
get into trouble
if left alone. If you have a puppy,
enroll it in puppy obedience class
while still young and easy to control.
Nutritionally speaking, the Doberman pincher needs
plenty of
food and the food must be
specially formulated for large dogs to ensure it gets the desirable nutrients.
As a breed the Doberman are
prone to
becoming overweight
when they get older. Check with the
doctor to ensure
your dog is on the right
track. Other possible afflictions are heart disease, hypothyroidism and a hereditary disease called Von
Willenbrands disease.
It is
relatively easy to groom your dog. All
that is
required is to
brush the it once a week to remove dirt and cut their nails when they get too long.
In truth a Doberman Pincher is a pleasure to have in the family. If you want a dog that can guard the home and
still be loyal and loving then you should definitely consider the Doberman.
George Adams is a staff writer at
http://www.pets-digest.com and is an occasional contributor to several other
websites, including http://www.recreation-digest.com..