Doberman Pinscher

Posted July 17, 2015

DEEP DOWN THE DOBERMAN PINSCHER IS A BIG BABY

The Doberman Pinscher is a wonderful dog. Throughout the years, I have worked on a multitude of “Dobeys” as they are called in English vernacular. The Doberman Pinscher is a large, tall muscular animal with the males appearing bigger than the females. They were quite popular in the ’80’s but not so much now. I have no explanation for that. One of the funny things about Doberman Pinscher dogs is that they are known as the number one “police” dog because of their threatening look. Let us back up. When a Doberman is born, its ears are floppy! I have worked on many a Doberman Pinscher with floppy ears. They look as threatening as a Maltese! When they are about 12 weeks of age, people will get their ears cropped; giving them that mean/hostile look! They are big babies deep down. Years ago, I took care of a Doberman Pinscher named Mark. (Just coincidental, as my first name is Mark. ) This dog was huge, about 100 pounds. Its ears were cropped and it looked like it could tackle a fullback for the NY Giants! I asked the owner and she said, “Oh Mark, he’s scared of his own shadow”! Apparently, the owners had a full length mirror on a door in their home. Mark saw his reflection and ran away scared! I promised the client that I would never tell anyone about Mark; and I never did!

IMPAIRED IMMUNE SYSTEM

Doberman Pinscher dogs are used for police work and are smart animals. They have a typical modus operandi when on guard duty. They knock the person down and head right for the throat! The medical shortcoming of the Doberman Pinscher is its deficient immune system. They have problems fronting an immune response to a lot of infectious agents. Similar to the Rottweiler, they are the number one breed to come down with Parvo Virus Parvovirus is a horrible intestinal viral disease that causes vomiting and bloody diarrhea in unprotected dogs. It is highly contagious and is spread through the oral fecal route. It is deadly and it is an emergency. All animals are treated with intravenous fluids and other medical care. This virus severely weakens the immune system and animals will often present with a secondary bacterial infection. Key to prevention is vaccination. I have treated entire litters of Doberman Pinscher puppies for the disease. They are also diagnosed for several clotting factor deficiencies such as Von Willebrand’s disease. The Doberman Pinscher is gentle and excellent with children. They require a lot of exercise but not as much so as the Bullmastiffs and Akitas. For their size, they often become couch potatos! The Doberman Pinscher is a great dog and I have enjoyed taking care of them over the years. An all around great breed! Learn more about the Doberman Pinscher at Animal Planet’s® Dog Breed Selector.