European dobermann pinschers focus on workability

The Doberman Pinscher was originally produced in Germany as a personal protector for individuals and families, and for police and military work. Across Europe, this continues to be the case. Here the Doberman, or Dobermann as it is written, is viewed as a dog primarily for protective work and is bred with the intention of maintaining the necessary traits in a protective dog, generally referred to as “workability.”

In fact, before a Doberman’s offspring can be registered in Europe, one of its parents must have a Schutzhund title. Schutzhund is the German word for ‘protection dog’ and refers to a system for testing working breed dogs for their workability. It has also become a popular sport in Europe and somewhat in the United States, although the American Kennel Club (AKC) does not allow its affiliates to sanction Schutzhund’s lawsuits.

Under the common European and German philosophy, the Doberman is a compact dog untouchable by anyone other than its owner, handler or family. You must be strictly compliant in all circumstances and are expected to meet threats with total aggression.

It is understood and accepted that the Doberman Pinscher is a real physical danger to anyone who approaches the Doberman’s home or family in a threatening manner. Understand, the European Doberman, like all healthy and properly socialized Dobermans, is not ruthless. A mindless attack dog is not Schutzhund’s target, quite the opposite. A mindless attacker is useless in protection work.

The ideal protection Doberman is clam and friendly, until a threat is revealed. He will then emit loud warning barks and stand between his guide and the threat, without pulling or dropping his guide. Only when the threat attacks, or when ordered, will the ideal protection Doberman attack. This is the goal of preserving working traits and a priority in breeding European and German Doberman Pinschers.

American doberman pinschers focus on pets and display ring

The main difference between the breeding of American and European Dobermans is the human social attitude. In the United States, where dog bite litigation is as rampant as irresponsible dog owners, the common consensus seems to be that only “ferocious” dogs bite.

This was no more apparent than when the United Doberman Club was formed in the US after the AKC’s decision to reject Schutzhund due to the protection phase involved in bite work. The United Doberman Club currently conducts Schutzhund trials under the auspices of the American Working Dog Federation.

Also evident in this misguided social view are breed-specific laws that have been proposed, and many passed, in an effort to reduce dog bites. Proponents of breed-specific legislation ignore the real cause of dog bites, irresponsible people, and blame not just the dog, but specific breeds of dogs. This is unfair, but more importantly, it is ineffective. Breed specific laws will neither fix nor fix the problem.

Regardless of the popular attitude, many Doberman owners and breeders in the United States still work to maintain the working traits in the Doberman and participate in the Schutzhund.

Partly due to popular attitude and partly simply due to Americans’ love of different aspects of the dog, the goals of most Doberman breeders in the United States are the production of companion or companion dogs, and show dogs.

One of the reasons the Doberman is so popular in the US is that it is such a loving, gentle, and devoted companion dog that it fits exceptionally well with the busy American family. Quality breeders who focus on producing the Doberman Pinscher as a companion are more concerned with health and temperament. However, the temperament that most Doberman breeders seek is a confident and friendly general temperament.

In the US, temperament tests are not required to register a Doberman litter; certainly nothing that comes close to the intensity or requires human dedication as in Schutzhund’s essays. This lack of temperamental standardization has allowed irresponsible breeders to register their poorly planned litters, which has contributed to the degradation of the Doberman breed. Irresponsible breeders have further degraded the Doberman breed by placing their puppies with whoever offers them money. This has put the Doberman in the hands of irresponsible owners who have neglected the needs of the Doberman, such as training and socialization, creating problematic and dangerous Dobermans.

This irresponsible branch of Doberman production in the USA is undoubtedly the main cause of the wrong American attitude towards the Doberman. Also contributing are the many movies and video games depicting the Doberman as cruel.

Regardless of temperament standards, quality breeders in the USA maintain exceptional standards for themselves for the temperament of their breeding Dobermans. Quality breeders are very discriminatory when it comes to placing their puppies; They will only place them in homes that have demonstrated their willingness and ability to properly care for a Doberman.

This dedicated type of Doberman breeder, often called a master breeder, is the guardian of the Doberman breed. Their breeding is well planned with the aim of contributing and improving the Doberman breed.

These dedicated master breeders have produced some of the healthiest and most beautiful Dobermans in the world and have developed a strong offshoot of quality Doberman lines in the USA, often including German imports. The Dobermans of this branch, compared to their European counterparts, are gorgeous, the supermodels of the Doberman world. They have a longer life and possess the same distinctive Doberman temperament, but a little sweeter and friendlier; a mild temperament by European standards.

This impressive offshoot of the American Dobermans has taken over the US show ring, they are no longer referred to as guard or protection dogs but as family companions.

They also produce quality American Dobermans, but they contribute less to the Doberman breed, breeders focus on show dogs. The problem with these breeders is just that they are focused on showing confirmation, not health and temperament.

The differences between the European and American Doberman Pinschers have led some to suggest that the breed be divided. However, any guardian of the Doberman breed will fight such a silly idea. Doing so would dramatically reduce the already small quality gene pool and likely further reduce the working traits of the American Doberman.

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