Q: from Duane Wyland
Date:             28 Dec 2002
Time:             21:45:39

Comments: Blood lines

Are there any current books or articles that state which are the preferred Doberman blood lines?  I have heard that Franckenhorst is one of the best.  How do I find out more information on the best Doberman lines?

A: from Judy Doniere, Toledobes, USA

I'm sorry to tell you there are no preferred lines. Each breeder has to stand on his or her own merits.  Look for the past top breeders and what they stand for:

1. Have they consistently produced top dogs generation after generation? 

2. Are they reputable with their peers? 

3. Have they produced some top sires and dams?

4. Are they still actively breeding or are they one-shot, lucky people who happened to breed one good dog or one good litter? 

5. Do they research their prospective buyers? 

6. Do they health test all breeding stock? 

7. Are they members of a Chapter Club or Parent Club?

It's kind of like asking which car is the best.  Its probably the one you bought that you were satisfied with.

Q: from July
Date:             28 Dec 2002
Time:             19:16:05

Comments: Doberman Health

They were about 7 and one was about 5 years. The lumps were seeming to grow out of the skin (not under, like I said before), kind of like black moles, they were very soft and one particular lump was kind of cauliflower-ish.

A: from Judy Doniere, Toledobes, USA

I would certainly have a Vet check them.  They could be a form of skin cancer or some kind of warts.  Only a Vet would know for sure.

Q: from July
Date:             28 Dec 2002
Time:             15:29:08

Comments: Doberman Health

Recently at a friends house I found that most of her dogs had bumps and lumps under the skin and some under the eyelid. Is this a common problem to Dobermans or only to specific lines?

A: from Judy Doniere, Toledobes, USA

You didn't mention the ages of her dogs.  Most time when Dobermans are 7 years of age and older, they, as well as all other breeds, will develop benign lumps.  Some of these lumps may turn cancerous or even be cancerous but most times they are soft, movable lumps that don't hurt the dogs unless they interfere with walking, seeing or eating.  These benign lumps can easily be removed but if they are not causing any problems, almost always are left alone.  They will usually grow in size however and require removal.

Q: from Gerry
Date:             26 Dec 2002
Time:             03:00:20

Comments: Doberman Health

I just noticed some sores in my 11 month old Kane's mouth on the gums and inner lips.  They look like human canker sores, could they be just that?  My wife has a pretty bad cold/flu right now, could this just be a sign that he got it too?  Should I take him to the Vet or just keep an eye on it for a while first? 
 

A: from Judy Bohnert, Equinox, Canada

Gerry I would take him to the vet...as far as I know they normally cannot catch most things that we get. I think they can only catch most from other dogs. I could be wrong but for safeties sake please take him to your vet.

A: from Judy Doniere, Toledobes, USA

I'd take your dog to the Vet immediately.  It could be nothing but then why take the chance and wait until things get worse?

Q: from Stevie
Date:             26 Dec 2002
Time:             20:19:30

Comments: calcium and ear crop

I worked as a vet tech and in the 70's and 80's the vet I worked with would always place the Doberman pup on calcium tabs 2 weeks prior to ear crop and then continue it there after. I have recently read that some vets feel that calcium or supplements actually can cause certain problems especially CVI. I have a 5 month old Doberman whom I have had on calcium since 12 weeks and it has helped his ears somewhat. I have also read where now it seems that calcium isn't needed for cartilage like once thought. I am caught in the middle with my thoughts on this could you give me some insight on the subject? thanks. Am I hurting the health of my pup by keeping him on calcium?

A: from Judy Bohnert, Equinox, Canada

There is no longer a need for added calcium, particularly for cartilage/ear problems and in fact, added calcium can and does cause other problems.

You haven't hurt your pup for the two months that he has been on the calcium but if I were you I would quit supplementing now so that you don't end up harming him.

Q: from Kim Paterson
Date:             22 Dec 2002
Time:             06:59:39

Comments: Breeders of Dobermans

There are two breeders I have read a lot about on the Internet and I am thinking about making contact with. One is Wittrock Dobermans and the other is LeGard Dobermans. Any information, positive or negative, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a lot for your help.

A: from Judy Doniere, Toledobes, USA

Sorry Kim, but this site is not set up to deal with referrals.  I'd suggest you go to the DPCA site and contact either the Membership secretary or the Chapter Club secretary who will give you referrals to people in the area you might contact for information on breeders.

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A: from Marj Brooks, Manorie Dobermans, USA

You should ask any breeders you talk to for references just like the breeder should ask for the same from you. Have a list of questions handy. Ask about health testing of the parents and give them your list. If the parents are not tested and x-rayed, consider that a red flag. Ask about anything that concerns you and tell them what you will expect from them as a breeder. Those are a few of the things that I advise.

The main thing is to interview the breeder and ask for references from them and have questions ready for the breeder's references that you may contact too.

Unfortunately we are not a referral service (you can go to www.DPCA.org for that) and we don't give positive or negative feedback on anyone.

Q: from Johnna
Date:             20 Dec 2002
Time:             03:25:46

Comments: Taping Ears

How long after having a Dobie's ears cropped do they need to be posted?  Is there a certain length of time or a rule to follow? 

A:  from Marj Brooks, Manorie Dobermans, USA

You will need to post and tape the ears until they are standing perfectly straight up with out pockets and etc. This normally takes about 6 months or can be even longer. They stand earlier sometimes but for the perfect standing ear you will have to plan on some time to be spent taping and taping. Please refer to the ear taping article that is on the this site. You can print the article to have on hand if you like.

Maybe we can refer you to someone that lives nearby that can guide you through this process. I can also refer you to a booklet by Bonnie Wittrock titled Ear Crop Aftercare. You may call Bonnie at 503-472-6688 or e-mail her at bwittrock@macnet.com. She also has a section in her booklet about problem solving. She covers the whole process in depth.

Q: from Polly DeRoy
Date:             14 Dec 2002
Time:             13:12:55

Comments: Doberman Health

Over the years I have been fortunate enough to have been given some of the most wonderful Dobermans in need of a good home. I have had all 4 colors. so I know of the skin problems in the fawns and blues.

My most recent dog is a two year old blue male. He has the worst ears that I have ever seen. First the crop was botched (they are way to short and look like a pit bull's ears) and second they were pegged poorly. As a result one ear flops on top of his head and the other flops down. Do you know of anyway this can be fixed at his age? Can I just try to re-peg them? He is a wonderful dog and I feel I owe it to him to try to fix his problem.

Thank you for any information you can give me.

A: from Marj Brooks, Manorie Dobermans, USA

I think that problem will be hard to correct but it is worth a try. What have you got to lose?

Here is a method that Dr. Tully told me of years ago and it did work. You tape the ear down to the side of his head to stretch the pockets out and leave it on for at least 3 weeks. You will probably have to change the wrapping and because of his age you may have to tape it down longer.

When you do take it down the ear should just hang there like the other problem ear. You then tape the ear correctly, as if you were training it stand upright all over again. To use your words re-peg them once you have both ears hanging. When you re-peg them, pull the ear out to about the 10 o'clock and/or 2 o'clock position and put tape around the base of the ear, all the while stretching it up and out. You should see the pocket pop out when you do this. When you do this make sure that the tampon or whatever you use doesn't ride up the ear hole. Keep it pushed down tight.

On the ear that is flopped down just re-peg and hope for the best. I have a feeling that taping it may not work on that ear. You may be able to fix that ear surgically but in that case you will need to find a veterinarian (an experienced ear cropper) to take a look at it and to guide you. Depending on where you live, maybe we can recommend one near you.

Q: from BK
Date:             09 Dec 2002
Time:             20:11:55

Comments: Very Dry Skin

Our 7-month-old red female has very dry flaky skin; otherwise, she appears to be generally healthy.  We recently changed her food from Nutro to Pro Plan (large breed) and have been (at the suggestion of our Vet) giving her Linatone for the past month.  Since we have not seen any noticeable improvement should we be concerned?  She does not seem to be bothered by it (i.e. - she does not scratch) – it looks like a bad case of dandruff.

Someone told me to get her thyroid levels checked? Any other suggestions/comments/recommendations?

Thanks

A: from Marj Brooks, Manorie Dobermans, USA

When you make a change in diet you need to give the diet some time to get into the system and take over before you notice any results. I would add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and fresh raw hamburger to the kibble too. I use a product called Missing Link which is a pretty good additive for skin and coat too and well worth a try. I do think that there are better products out there than Linatone and Missing Link is one of them. I feed Missing Link, Flax Seed Oil and Olive Oil.

If you have been feeding your other diet for a month or more it is most
likely not working for the dog. You should see a change with the above suggestion in about 10 days to 2 weeks.

You can also mix baby oil with water or use rosewater topically to help with the flaking. Brush her every day too. She probably has a lot of dead hair.

I suggest (is reasonable price wise) buying a 20 tooth hack saw blade and making the baby oil/water mixture (50-50). Put the oil on her and use the blade using short, firm (not hard - just enough to where you see hair coming out) strokes starting at the base of the ears ( you can do the head too) and all over the body and legs. You will be amazed at the amount of hair that comes out. Use the blade and your hands with the baby oil still on them.

This is hard to explain in writing so I am hoping you understand. After you do this take a soft wet towel and wipe her down in the direction of hair growth. Her hair coat will absorb the baby oil.  Do this daily until you get all of the dead hair out and then you can do it weekly (or whenever you decide) as a regular routine (such as when you do the toenails and any other grooming).

Dobermans, like other breeds, need regular grooming. This will almost stop the hair shedding all over everything that she lays on in the house.

When you bathe her, soak her down really good and use a diluted shampoo. Massage it into her coat gently with the growth of the hair, not against the growth of the hair. Use a dog shampoo too.  Rinse well. Try this and I think that you will be happy with the results.

In the summertime you can use a sunscreen on her too to prevent sunburn that is often associated with the reds who love to lay out in the sun.

Feel free to ask me more questions if you need to clarify anything written above.

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A: from Judy Doniere, Toledobes, USA

Is it possible your puppy might have a staff infection?  Are you brushing her?  Many times brushing on a short coated dogs just causes the skin to flake. Is she laying by a heat register?  Is this something fairly recent?  Is she clear of parasites? 

The food you have her on is not bad, but as to the large breed type, I wouldn't go that way.  Too much protein.  Regular Pro Plan would be a better choice.  I'd add an egg yolk to her food once or twice a week and some canned meat or cottage cheese but it doesn't sound like it's the dog food causing the problem. 

It's dry skin unless it's a staph infection. The Linatone should help too.

Q: from Mistie Mayo
Date:             08 Dec 2002
Time:             22:59:23

Comments: Breeding the Doberman

My boyfriend and I have a four year old male Doberman named Amadaeus.  We would like to find a female to breed with, but we are unsure of the best way to go about doing it.  We thought to put out a flyer but what information would need to be on it?  We would appreciate any advice possible.  Thank you for your time and consideration.   Sincerely, M. M. Mayo

A: from Judy Doniere, Toledobes, USA

Dear Mistie,

You haven't mentioned the health testing done on your male.  You will need to have his hips and elbows x-rayed and sent to OFA (your Vet will tell you how this is done). He will need his Thyroid tested and the result should be normal. He must have an x-ray of his heart and cardiac tests such as EKG and Ultra-sound echo done as well.  He should have a DNA test from Vetgen to determine if he is a vWD affected (a bleeding disorder) dog or not.

Once all of the above is done you should get a professional to tell you if your Doberman meets the Breed Standard.  It is very important that he have 42 correctly placed teeth and a scissors bite.  The Doberman Standard has a Disqualification on teeth in so please make sure he has no Disqualification.

From there, my advice is to enter him in a local dog show.  If he is a big winner, people will flock to him in order to use him.  If he loses, no one will want to use him. 

He must finish his Championship before being bred however.  Male Dobermans are a dime a dozen therefore only the best that meet the standard for the breed and have a beautiful pedigree of top quality champions will get the best bitches.

If you put out flyers, you will get only lower quality bitches and needless to say the puppies won't look very good and will not be very easy to sell.

So, good luck. I'm sure you will do well in your upcoming shows.