Our first encounter of the Dobermann kind was in 1982. It was love at first sight and Portia, Studbriar the Firefly, arrived in our life six months later.
Our current two Dobermann, Breeze and Topaz are numbers six and seven and you would think that with 23 years of Dobermann experience we would consider ourselves quite knowledgeable on the breed — we don't, they've all been different.
Breeze is like Portia in that we could take her anywhere and feel secure. Topaz doesn't like the dark and will not go outside without a light on. The main characteristics that have been common in all of them is their unquestioning love and loyalty to their family and friends. All have preferred human company to canine and all have had a sense of humour.
Floyd, our one and only boy dog, had a habit of pinching napkins off the laps of dinner guests. He would hold them to ransom only releasing them in exchange for a biscuit. To this day we still have napkins with Floyd holes, the ones where someone thought that they could win the game. Now and again we try to throw them out then find that we can't.
It is rare to see Dobermann used by the police, despite the initial purpose of the breed. Louis Dobermann was said to have developed the dog named after him for self protection and to be intimidating to intruders or robbers. A dog with a short, smooth coat would be easy to care for, with a minimum of grooming. The dog would also have to have great stamina, be intelligent, and display alertness and even aggression.
We heard a story which, to us, sums up the intelligence of the Dobermann. Amongst a new batch of police dog recruits was a Dobermann. He had progressed through training school without a hitch until man training day when he was sixth in the line to run. Heavily padded and armed at the far end of the training field was the 'robber'. One by one the dog handlers sent their dogs forward to bring down the criminal and hold him until they arrived to make the 'arrest'. The Dobermann sat by his handler and watched and waited for his turn. Eventually he was given his instructions, was let off his lead and off he went. Much to his handler's dismay the dog veered to the right and disappeared behind the training school office. The 'robber' at the end of the field saw what had happened, started to jump up and down, firing his gun and chanting comments about the dog. Suddenly the man was thrown to the ground. The Dobermann, unseen, had emerged from behind the building and disarmed the robber with one swift move. When you think of it, which dog was the most intelligent, the one that ran directly towards the gun wielding man or the one that took a less direct route?
Dobermann love to learn but get bored easily. Throw a ball and they'll retrieve perfectly nine out of ten times. When they've had enough of one activity they'll just walk away until you change the game. They are capable of agility but prefer to take their own route rather than yours. They love comfort and will bag the best armchair — if you get to it first, they'll sit on you. They like to watch TV but not all day, they like variety but most of all they like walks.
The breed is not without its problems and we would strongly recommend dealing with a reputable breeder when buying a puppy. Not only is it important to meet the parents, it is important to ensure that they have been screened for the two major health issues: dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and von Willebrand's disease (vWD). DCM is a condition affecting the heart muscle and the first you are aware of the problem is usually when your dog suffers a heart attack. In the case of our beloved Jade we managed to bring her through four attacks but were unable to revive her after the fifth, she was only seven years old. We weren't as lucky with Pagan. We lost her after she collapsed after a walk, she was only five.
Breeze with puppy Topaz
Pagan, Jade & Floyd with Gretchen the Miniature Schnauzer, all wearing their new wax jackets.
Pagan was also diagnosed with vWD, an inherited disorder that affects the blood's ability to clot properly. We were first alerted to the problem when, at nine months old, she tired easily and would rest. If she had been a child we would have said she was anaemic and that was exactly what she was. Several tests later she was diagnosed as vWD. It is often called the hidden killer as it is only determined following surgery and then it can be too late, the patient may have bled to death. A simple DNA test is now available and we would recommend anyone considering surgery or breeding from their dog to arrange one.
Dobermann are wonderful house dogs, they don't smell and they hardly shed hair. What hair they do loose can be passed off as an eyelash if it ends up on a plate!
Asked recently did we still have a Dobermann, we were heard to reply,
'Is there any other breed?'
