GRANDSLAM DOBERMANNS

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The Dobermann, as we know the breed today, is of comparatively modern origin. It is also one of the few breeds of dog, which have taken their name after the man who first originated the breed, Mr. Friedrich Louis Dobermann. The breed however, did not receive this name until five years after Mr. Dobermann died in 1894. This was done by Mr. Otto Göller who is considered today as the main architect and sponsor of the breed. He founded the "Dobermann Pinscher Club Apolda" in 1899; it later became the "National Dobermann Pinscher Club of Germany".

Unfortunately there are only few biographical and written details about Friedrich Dobermann and his breeding programs (if he had any). Many things are written about him, but little is based on fact, and some of it quite contradictory. Friedrich Dobermann was a real countryman who was extremely fond of dogs, and he was particularly interested in breeding. He was born on the 2nd January 1834 in a small town called Apolda, which is situated in the southern central part of Germany. 

In those early days communications were bad, and the local inhabitants of the area made their own hobbies and pleasures. One of the interests of these country people was dogs and dog breeding, and Friedrich Dobermann was undoubtedly the leading light. Friedrich Dobermann held a number of jobs, which included being the municipal skinner, the local dogcatcher, and the official tax collector. He was also the administrator of the "Chamber of Accounts", and at night he seems to have been police officer and possibly at one time a night watchman. Many of these jobs were extremely suitable for his pastime of dog breeding. As a skinner in the local slaughterhouse he could obtain cheap food for his dogs, and as the local dogcatcher he could probably acquire dogs that were suitable for his breeding purposes. For his night watchman and police work he obviously required a good dog with courage, hardness and a highly developed protective instinct to accompany him on his rounds. The first female dogs that Friedrich Dobermann used for breeding was called "Bissart" (black with tan markings, grey undercoat) and "Schnuppe" (grey), meaning "'Snuffler", a common name for many dogs in the area. You can see the name "Schnuppe" many times in the bloodlines of the first Dobermann pedigree's from Germany. In the picture below you can see a mongrel male of unknown background, at the feet of Friedrich Dobermann on the left. He never bred from this dog, as he had him castrated before he was a year old. Probably to make him easier to handle!

For some years it was impossible for Friedrich Dobermann to breed dogs himself, as until 1874 he lived in a small apartment. In 1880 be was able to move to a larger apartment in "Faulbornstrasse", but there was still not sufficient room for dog breeding other than perhaps an odd litter. Finally Friedrich Dobermann was able to buy himself a house and it was here that he eventually started his serious dog breeding. The people of Apolda were obviously dog lovers and many of the inhabitants were keen dog breeders, and since the year 1860 it was a regular dog market there, which was held annually. The object of this dog market, besides the buying and selling of dogs, was also to promote dog breeding. In this yearly show the dogs were all classified. There were hounds, butcher's dogs, guard dogs and little luxury dogs, and many others. The market was so big that there were generally at least one hundred dogs exhibited. Friedrich Dobermann was a regular visitor to this dog market, as it was here that be could view all the types of local dogs. He was thus able to choose the dogs with the physique and character, which particularly interested him. Friedrich Dobermann therefore had the opportunity, not only as the local dogcatcher, to buy in suitable dogs to form the type of dog that be particularly wanted. This was apparently a large terrier type dog, which would be utterly fearless, highly intelligent, and a first class guard dog.

Luckily for Friedrich Dobermann, he bad in the same town two enthusiastic friends who helped and co-operated with the breeding of his dogs. One was the gravedigger and the other was the church bell-ringer. One of his helpers, Mr. Rebel, was also a night watchman and he seems to have collaborated with the local shepherd, Mr. Stegmann, who owned some particularly large, strong and useful dogs, which he used for herding his cattle, and which he also took with him on his frequent visits to Switzerland, where he went to buy in new cattle. The route by which be traveled was by small, narrow roads and these were frequently dangerous not only from the elements but also from robbers. To make quite certain that his money was safe Mr. Stegmann used to tie it to the collars of his dogs, because the robbers were less likely to attack the dogs than him. After a period of years the three men became renowned, with Friedrich Dobermann as their leader, for the fierce guard dogs, which they bred. These dogs were in great demand and were sold as fast as they could breed them, fetching for those days a very good price, and their litters were large.

By the end of the nineteenth century, some years after Friedrich Dobermann and his two friends were dead, Mr. Otto Göller, also of Apolda, started to take a keen interest in the breed, which was by then already established, and it is really he who took over the rough breed and commenced to improve it enormously. Otto Göller was quick to realize the use of the excellent brain and exceptional intelligence of the breed, its alertness and its excellent qualities as a guard dog. But he realized at the same time that the dog, as it was, was too fierce and vicious, and he therefore set about taming the breed, in order to make it generally more amenable and useful. He was clever enough to be able to retain its superb guard dog characteristics. Below you can see the two first pedigrees Dobermann's, "Graf Belling Von Grönland & Gerhilde Von Thüringen", Born in 1898 and owned by Otto Göller.

Otto Göller bred Dobermann's under the Kennel name "Von Thüringen". The most famous Dobermann from him is "Hellegraf Von Thüringen", born in 1904. Another Dobermann breeder who was there from the start was Goswin Tischler, the owner of the well known "Von Grönland" kennel. His famous litter of 1898 and their bloodlines can be found throughout the world, even in America. Otto Göller was convinced that the "German Shepherd", the "Shorthaired Gun Dog", the "Great Dane", and the "German Pinscher" played the most important part in the formation of the breed. Other old breeders and specialists are suggesting that the following dogs also has played a role in the making of the Dobermann: "Butcher's Dog", "Sheep Dog", "Rottweiler", "Weimaraner", "Beauceron", "Manchester Terrier", and the "Greyhound". 

The Dobermann have survived two World Wars and different government politics over the last 100 years, and are still subject to all sorts of restrictions, rules and laws all over the world. The breed has changed popularity dramatically in many countries in the last decade. The main reason is of course the ban of cropping and docking and the lost possibility to show and obtaining work certificates for "imports" in almost every country in Europe. I personally hope to see the Dobermann survive forever, but I would rather see the breed "stopped" than have a sad and mild lapdog in a Dobermann coat with bloodhound ears and a pig's tail! It is true that ears and tails don't alter the Dobermann's abilities or temperament, but because of the restrictions on "imports", it is not possible to breed top quality dogs, and the results are already showing in several countries: Very poor confirmation, much smaller, some 10-20 cm's under the standard, light eyes in black dogs, no fighting spirit or willingness to work. The German government has also banned the cropping and docking (they call it amputation!!!). I hope for the German breeders that they can keep up the quality in the country where all our beloved dogs come from. More