Profile of the doberman pinsher dog

The Doberman Pinscher, which originated in Germany, is known by these other names:  Thuringer Pinscher, Pliezeilich Soldatenhund, and Doberman. They were registered by the AKC in 1908, in the Working Group.  They live approximately 13 years.  The males range in size from 26 to 28 inches and the females are slightly smaller at 24to 26 inches.  They both can weigh between 55 to 90 pounds.  Their litters usually are made up of 3 to 8 puppies.  The colors most desired in Doberman Pinschers are solid black, brown, blue, and fawn, with rust markings on their head, body and legs.
The Doberman Pinscher is compact, muscular, powerful and fast. They carry themselves almost regally. During World War I their devotion to the German soldiers, earned them acceptance as a universally know guardian dog.
They are most often quite healthy.  However, there are a couple of very serious maladies of the breed: Wobblers Syndrome, which is a disease of the spinal column of the neck, and lethal heart disorder.
Doberman Pinschers need daily exercise, which must include running. They should be groomed a couple of times a week with a soft cloth or brush. Suburban or rural best living environments are the best for this breed. A fence yard is extremely important for exercising.   They are excellent guard and watch dogs.  They are suspicious of strangers, so they are on constant alert.  They are good with children, but may be best suited to older children.  They tend to get upset if a young child becomes unruly.
Doberman Pinschers have extremely high levels of learning and obedience.  This makes it very important to get them into training early on. Puppies need firm handling and knowledgeable training and need to interact with a number of people to increase socialization and decrease the risk of shyness that often occurs in Dobermans.

The Doberman Pinscher is always alert and is a great companion. They are loyal, protective, and adventurous. Dobermans like to please their owners, so they learn quickly and obey. They are aware of what their owner needs or wants from them. Without proper training, they can become dominant in relationships.  Doberman Pinschers are great as obedience and show dogs or for family pets. They would be well matched with an owner who was very athletic and liked to take the Dobie on runs with them.  They do need to be watched when with older owners.  The Doberman can easily become dominant in that situation, but can be worked with.  Doberman Pinschers are excellent guard dogs, perhaps, in part, because their appearance is capable of scaring away unwanted guests.