Dog breed

Doberman

The Doberman is a large, sleek guard dog from Germany, developed in the late 19th century as an alert protector. Today it's just as often a family dog, a sports dog or a police dog. It combines high intelligence with a strong protective instinct, so it needs consistent training and daily exercise.

FCI Group II · Molossers, pinschers and schnauzers · standard no. 143

Weight: 32–45 kg
Height: 63–72 cm
Lifespan: 10–12 years
Origin: Germany

How much food for this breed?Compare with another breed

Photo: Thaypan at Italian Wikipedia, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

Temperament

A well-raised Doberman is calm in the house, alert outdoors and very closely bonded to its family; many follow their owner from room to room. The AKC gives it top marks for affection, patience with children, energy, trainability and protective instinct. The FCI standard describes a friendly, calm dog devoted to its family, with moderate temperament and moderate sharpness. In practice, the dog will notice every intruder and respond, but it shouldn't attack without reason. It is usually polite with strangers if it met plenty of people as a puppy. With other dogs, especially of the same sex, it varies. It's sensitive to tone of voice and doesn't cope well with harsh methods. Long hours alone with nothing to do quickly lead to frustration.

Energy: calmvery energetic
Affection: independentvelcro pet
With children: not idealgreat
With other pets: difficultgreat
Trainability: stubborneager to learn
For first-time owners: for experienced ownersyes
With strangers: waryoutgoing
Playfulness: dignifiedeternal puppy
Shedding: minimalheavy
Grooming: easydemanding
Being left alone: strugglescopes well
Apartment living: needs a house and yardgreat in a flat
Barking: quietvocal
With other dogs: difficultgreat
Protectiveness: lowhigh
Drooling: hardly anya lot
Cold tolerance: feels the coldexcellent
Heat tolerance: strugglescopes well

Scores of 1–5 compare the breed with other breeds of the same species, based on the sources at the bottom of the page. Every animal is different. How we score traits

Who is the Doberman for?

The Doberman is for people who have time for daily training and enjoy working with a dog, whether in obedience classes or protection sports. It can do well in an active family with children, as long as the adults handle it consistently. Choose another breed if you want a dog for a few short walks, don't enjoy training, or plan to keep the dog in an outdoor kennel run.

Pros

very smart and eager to work
deeply bonded to its family
a naturally alert watchdog
minimal coat care

Challenges

high risk of heart disease
big exercise and training needs
gets cold in winter
doesn't handle being alone well

Size and looks

Size and looks: Doberman
Height at the withers	males 68–72 cm, females 63–68 cm
Weight	males 40–45 kg, females 32–35 kg
Lifespan	10–12 years
Coat	short
Colors	black and tan, brown and tan
Country of origin	Germany
Classification	Group II: Pinscher and Schnauzer, Molossoid and Swiss Mountain and Cattledogs
Also known as	Dobermann, Doberman Pinscher, Dobie

Care and exercise

120–150minof exercise a day

1/5grooming needs

4/5shedding

The Royal Kennel Club recommends more than two hours of exercise a day for a Doberman. Ideally, combine walks with work: obedience, tracking, protection sports or retrieving. The short coat with no undercoat only needs a wipe with a grooming mitt once a week, but it offers little protection from the cold, so a jacket helps on freezing days, and indoors the dog needs a soft bed away from drafts. Training should start on day one, with a focus on self-control and calmly passing people and dogs. Feed an adult dog two smaller meals a day and let it rest after eating to reduce the risk of bloat. In Poland, ear cropping and tail docking are banned, and the current FCI standard calls for natural ears anyway.

How much should the Doberman eat?The calculator starts from this breed’s typical weight: calories and grams a day.

Health and breed-related conditions

The biggest concern in the breed is dilated cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle that stays silent for a long time and can cause sudden death. That's why responsible breeders give their dogs a heart echo and Holter monitoring every year. The AKC also lists hip dysplasia, von Willebrand disease, progressive retinal atrophy and hypothyroidism, while VCA adds wobbler syndrome, intervertebral disc disease and familial kidney disease. The Royal Kennel Club treats a DNA test for vWD1 as the minimum before breeding. The AKC and VCA give a life expectancy of 10–12 years.

dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)The breed's most serious problem; the disease stays silent for a long time, so breeders screen their dogs' hearts regularly.
von Willebrand disease (vWD1)An inherited blood clotting disorder; a DNA test determines carrier status.
wobbler syndromeInstability of the neck vertebrae that compresses the spinal cord, showing up as a wobbly gait.
bloat (GDV)A sudden, life-threatening emergency typical of large, deep-chested dogs.
hip dysplasiaSeen in the breed; assessed by X-ray.
hypothyroidismCommon in adult Dobermans and usually well controlled with medication.

Health tests to ask the breeder about

heart echo and Holter ECG
vWD1 DNA test
hip X-rays (HD)
eye exam (ECVO)
thyroid testing

This is general breed information, not a diagnosis. If something worries you, talk to your veterinarian.

Breed history

The breed is named after Friedrich Louis Dobermann (1834–1894) of Apolda in Thuringia, who according to the FCI standard was a tax collector, ran a knacker's yard and worked as a dog catcher. In the 1870s he crossed the sharpest of those dogs with so-called butcher's dogs, an early type of Rottweiler, and with black and tan Thuringian shepherd dogs. The result was an alert guard dog that quickly found its way into police work and even earned the nickname "gendarme dog." In the early 20th century it was officially recognized as a police dog. According to the AKC, Dobermans also became famous for serving with the U.S. Marine Corps in World War II.

Fun facts

It's the only German breed named after its first breeder.
In the early 20th century, the Doberman was officially recognized as a police dog.
A Doberman named Storm won Best in Show at Westminster in 1952 and 1953.
The FCI standard allows only two colors: black and brown, both with rust-red markings.

Frequently asked questions

Are Dobermans aggressive?

Not by nature. The FCI standard describes a dog that is friendly with its family and moderately sharp. Its strong protective instinct does call for socialization and training, because a poorly handled dog can become overly suspicious. The Doberman is not on Poland's list of breeds considered aggressive.

How long do Dobermans live?

Usually 10–12 years. Heart health has a major effect on lifespan, so look for a puppy whose parents have an up-to-date heart echo and Holter test.

Do Dobermans shed?

Yes. Despite the short coat, they shed year-round. Grooming is easy: going over the coat with a rubber mitt once a week removes most of the loose hair.

Can a Doberman live in an apartment?

It can, if it gets more than two hours of exercise and work a day and isn't left alone all day. Dobermans are usually calm indoors, but you'll need to teach yours to stay relaxed about noises in the hallway.

How much does a Doberman weigh?

Adult dogs of this breed usually weigh: males 40–45 kg, females 32–35 kg. Height at the withers: 63–72 cm. That range is for healthy adults in good condition.