Doberman Pinscher Club of America

Posts Tagged ‘breeding’

How do you, as a prospective Doberman owner, go about finding a “perfect breeder”?   The best answer is to  TAKE  YOUR  TIME & CAREFULLY SCRUTINIZE  EACH  BREEDER!

A  “BREEDER” is an ethical, intelligent& caring individual, whose involvement in the Doberman Breed is one of  LOVE for the Breed—they want to PROTECT & ONLY DO WHAT’S RIGHT for the Breed.   They have invested years of their time and dedicated large sums of money to exhibit their Dobermans to the highest levels of achievement in the various venues that allow them to select only the”BEST & SUPERIOR” Dobermans to continue the propagation of the Breed.
A “BREEDER”  cares about the QUALITY of the Dobermans they breed.   They research pedigrees and search for the “right” BLOODLINES to combine together.   They are looking only for the very BEST that the Doberman Breed has to offer—because only in this way will the Doberman Breed continue to improve and the problems that are innately there be corrected.

A “BREEDER” should be familiar with the Dobermans in the pedigrees that they are combining and using to enhance their breeding “plan”.   Because they are concerned about HEALTH PROBLEMS in the Doberman Breed, they test and screen and expect the other BREEDERS that they associate with and have business dealings with, also care and do the same.

REPUTABLE BREEDERS want what’s best for the Doberman Breed, and so they associate themselves with Organizations that seek to “promote, protect and improve” the Doberman such as the DOBERMAN PINSCHER CLUB OF AMERICA and other CHAPTER CLUBS that are associated with the DPCA.  Many REPUTABLE BREEDERS are also associated with ALL BREED KENNEL CLUBS in their area.   This shows that the Breeder is concerned about the over-all Dog Community, also.

TALK TO THE BREEDER at length. Ask about their AFFILIATION with the DOBERMAN PINSCHER CLUB OF AMERICA. It would be a good starting point that the Breeder you buy a puppy from belongs to the DPCA.   The DPCA has a CODE OF ETHICS that it’s membership abides by concerning breeding, puppy sales and other matters related to the moral and ethical responsibility they have as BREEDERS who bring puppies into the world that they feel personally responsible for.  Many DPCA members also belong to local Doberman Chapter Clubs—ASK THE BREEDER IF THEY BELONG TO THE DPCA OR A CHAPTER CLUB.   If in doubt, contact the DPCA to inquire and check their MEMBERSHIP.  This doesn’t GUARANTEE that every member is an exceptional BREEDER—but it does say that they care enough to pay their dues every year and take the oath to follow the CODE OF ETHICS in their dealings with their Dobermans and the PUBLIC as well as fellow members.

Ask about their LENGTH OF TIME in the Breed.   Ask about their SUCCESS in the CONFORMATION,  OBEDIENCE OR AGILITY VENUES.   Ask how many CHAMPIONS they have bred and if the SIRE (father)  and  DAM (mother) of the puppies are CHAMPIONS.   Ask to SEE the REGISTRATION CERTIFICATES of the DAM and the PUPPY REGISTRATION PAPERS (first step in permanent registration) for the puppies.   If the REGISTRATION PAPERS are not available make sure you have the FULL name and REGISTRATION NUMBERS FOR BOTH SIRE AND DAM.    WITHOUT THESE, YOU CANNOT  “TRACK” THE REGISTRATION PROCESS AND CHECK ON YOUR PUPPY’S REGISTRATION.  A reputable Breeder will have all these papers in order for you to see and examine.   Make sure you also have a copy of the puppy’s “PEDIGREE”.   The PEDIGREE is NOT the REGISTRATION of the puppy.   It only tells  you the lineage of the puppy—it’s parents (Sire & Dam), it’s grand parents, it’s great grand parents, and on back.   Most breeders will give you a 4 or 5 generation PEDIGREE for your records.

People who are “BACKYARD BREEDERS”  OR  “BYBs”  don’t care about all the showing and expense of truly promoting the Breed.   They just basically want to make some money without have to invest their own time and  “BLOOD,  SWEAT  &  TEARS”  into properly breeding and raising a litter of Dobermans.   Most  BYBs DON’T CROP  the puppies ears.   They usually sell them right after they are weaned and after their first shots  so they don’t have the added expense and worry and work of cropping and taping a litter of puppies.   EXAMINE the PEDIGREE closely and the REGISTRATION PAPERS closely. If the Sire and Dam and the Dobermans in the PEDIGREE are  “CHAMPIONS” each name will have a  CH.  in front of the Registered name.  An example would be:  Ch. Red Boy’s Pretty Girl.
If the Dobermans in the Pedigree and on the Registration Papers have other working degrees, they will come after the name of the Doberman, such as: Ch. Red Boy’s Pretty Girl, CD, NA, TT

If the Pedigree and the Registration Papers don’t have the  “CH.”  or working titles such as  “CD,  CDX,  NA”  the Doberman is NOT a Champion and does NOT have working titles.   LACK OF these titles is a  “RED FLAG” and it may mean that the Breeder is simply not concerned with improving the Doberman Breed and is mainly concerned with making a  “QUICK BUCK”.  Not all Quality Dobermans necessarily have a title either in Conformation or in the Working venues.  Some have the CH. and no working titles.  Some have a working title but no CH. title.  But when you see the pedigree  FULL of dogs that have obviously been taken out and campaigned for their titles it says the breeder cares about these venues that enhance the testing of the dog’s abilities.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that some of the “Registry” letters in front of a Dobermans  REGISTERED NAME is a “TITLE” of some kind.   Unscrupulous breeders often put these in FRONT of the name of the Doberman because they are trying to fool the buyer into thinking it is the same as a CHAMPION bestowed by the AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB  or  the CANADIAN KENNEL CLUB!!”BEWARE”!!   It will look like this:    CKC, FCI  Mr. I’m Lookin Good. The letters SEEM like they mean something impressive and good, but the breeder is just trying to make it appear that the dog is more than it is—which is probably just a pet from another  “BYB”!!!     SO,  BE CAREFUL!!   ASK QUESTIONS!!   A successful Breeder should have MANY PHOTO’S of their Dobermans from the SHOW OR WORKING VENUES.   If there are just a bunch of cute photos of “Susie” laying in the grass, or sleeping on the sofa—-”RED FLAG”.    Breeding GOOD DOBERMANS is difficult, at best.

Contracts are encouraged by the DPCA CODE of ETHICS, because they spell out the terms of the sale of the puppy.   It is clearly stated what each party is expected to abide by and there are no assumptions by either the buyer or seller.   When you talk to a Breeder and they say they have a contract for the sale of their puppies, this is a good thing, as it is protection for both parties.   Many “BYB” don’t worry or care what happens after the puppy is sold.   They’ve got their “money” and  “BUYER BEWARE” !

submitted by
Theresa Mullen
DPCA Public Education Committee

Definition of terms – *puppy farmer: person who breeds dogs as commercial livestock without effort applied to improving the breed *dog broker: person who acts as a middleman in the transaction of dog to buyer. He may buy the dog and resell it at a profit or may receive a commission *puppy mills: commercial dog breeding operations which may or may not keep dogs in humane conditions but who are focused on producing as many dogs as possible at as high a profit margin as possible without concerted effort toward turning out a quality product US puppy mill activity and importing by brokers reveals that*dog auction: run exactly like livestock auctions where high bidder takes the animal home An ongoing investigation of dog brokering, dog auctions,  US puppy mill activity and importing by brokers reveals that we are facing a new challenge in our breed. There is increased activity in puppy farmers’ including all purebred dogs in their inventories of brood animals. We are seeing an increase also in smaller (one dog owners) using bitches who were sold with limited registrations as unsuitable breeding stock, using these bitches for breeding and selling the pups as unregistered.

Responsible breeders will provide a copy of an AKC registration certificate for the sire and dam of any pup offered for sale.

There’s also an increase in activity in importation by brokers. The imported dogs are sold without their owners having contact with the dogs’ breeders nor information on the dog’s familial background.. Registration of puppies by foreign parents may or may not be possible. Assurance of purebred status is questionable until the foreign pedigree of an import has undergone the scrutiny of the American Kennel Club. Make sure you’re getting a purebred dog by requiring proof that the parents of the dog are registered with the AKC on full privilege registrations or that the dog, itself, if imported, is registered with the AKC before you pay for it. If an imported dog is to be
registered with the AKC, this must be done by the importer. Dobermans are being offered at public auctions, events whose patrons are puppy farmers. These puppy farmers set up future suppliers for brokerages and auctions. Puppy farmers sell other puppy farmers who in turn sell to brokers who sell to pet stores who sell to buyers who have no contact with the producer of the pup and not knowledge of familial history of health.. Such producers do not know where their pups wind up and subsequently cannot follow up on the progeny of their programs. Their breeding decisions are based on factors unrelated to familial genetics because they cannot know the genetics without tracking the progeny of their programs. Responsible
breeders do not sell dogs to brokers or through agents or brokers to persons
unknown to the breeder of the dog. The public is discouraged from buying
dogs through brokers in such cases where they will have no contact with their pup’s breeder.

The puppymill industry has set up several registries to combat the challenges the AKC placed before them by instituting the frequently used sires program. Included are these undesirable registries:
FIC (federation of international canines)
CKC (continental kennel club) )
These acronyms are remarkably similar to the legitimate registries, FCI (Federation Cynologique Internationale) and CKC (Canadian Kennel Club). It is possible that imported puppies will be touted to be registered with the FIC. PLEASE pass word along to the public to beware of these puppymill registries.

We need to get the word out RESPONSIBLE BREEDERS PROVIDE COPIES OF American Kennel Club or Canadian Kennel Club REGISTRATION CERTIFICATES FOR ALL SIRES AND DAMS of pups offered for sale. This is to assure that the parents were registered with the AKC as breeding potential animals and that they are purebred.

To be registered with the AKC, ALL imported dogs MUST be registered by the importer. Do NOT be victimized by exploitive importers. REQUIRE AKC registration BEFORE spending money on any imported dog. The dog may not be purebred if it is not registered with the AKC.

Want more info?

Red Flags

The point of this piece is that there are two issues here to be explained. The first topic of “REPRODUCTION” involves the mating or coming together of a male and a female to create new life—in the context of our article—puppies.   There is no qualifications or standards imposed on this “act”, as ANY male and female Doberman CAN be mated/bred to have a litter of puppies. The “bigger” question is *WHY*??

PRODUCING MORE PUPPIES in this critical time, the 21st CENTURY, where there are thousands of Dobermans in Shelters, Humane Societies and Rescues all over the Country seems a most inhumane and cruel thing to do. Having a litter of puppies should NEVER be to—-MAKE SOME SPENDING MONEY—LET THE “KIDS SEE HOW THE “BIRDS & BEES” OPERATE—-BECAUSE PUPPIES ARE SO CUTE—-BECAUSE ALL MY FRIENDS WANT ONE—because the result is that there are tiny, cute, innocent  Doberman puppies being put to sleep EVERY DAY in this Country.   This is not to mention the young adults, adults and seniors that are DUMPED.   Some end up in POUNDS and on the STREETS to suffer, get maimed or abused.

**EVERY DOBERMAN PET PUPPY**  SHOULD BE **SPAYED  OR  NEUTERED**—-WITHOUT EXCEPTION!

BREEDING BETTER DOBERMANS is the “goal” of   *reputable, conscientious  and careful*   breeders that seek to breed for the “IDEAL” Doberman as described in the DOBERMAN STANDARD as approved by the DPCA and the American Kennel Club.   Below is the site to access the “THE DOBERMAN STANDARD”.

The Doberman standard

The “Standard” describes HOW the Doberman should look physically, and it describes HOW the Doberman should act, temperament wise.   Reputable breeders pay attention to HEALTH PROBLEMS and TEST for them.   Hip Dysplasia, vWD, Thyroid, Cardiac Abnormalities and other concerns are *tested for* and screened for their appearance.
ONLY THE **VERY SUPERIOR SPECIMENS** of the Breed should be allowed to reproduce.  We have many venues to *test* for PHYSICAL AND MENTAL QUALITIES. The prospective breeding stock can compete in the CONFORMATION venue for adherence to the “STANDARD” and be awarded CHAMPIONSHIP points, leading to an eventual CHAMPION title if good enough.

In the OBEDIENCE venue, the Doberman will be exhibited to show its ability to work closely with the owner/trainer to follow commands they have been trained to recognize, and be awarded titles that reward  the various levels of achievement in the Dobermans trainability and mental intellect, such as COMPANION DOG, COMPANION DOG EXCELLENT AND HIGHER.

In the AGILITY venue, where Dobermans are taught to use their inborn talents of quickness, working ability and trainability to maneuver a designed course of obstacles to test their prowess,  the Doberman is awarded titles that show the various levels of achievement such as NOVICE AGILITY AND MASTER AGILITY and higher.   And many others that showcase the Dobermans skills, appearance and working abilities.

ONLY THE VERY SUPERIOR SPECIMENS OF DOBERMANS SHOULD BE BRED! ALL **PETS** SHOULD BE SPAYED OR NEUTERED FOR THEIR HEALTH AND THE BREEDS.

For more information on breeding and reproduction, visit the DPCA Breeders Education Committee

DPCA Breeders Education Committee

submitted by
Theresa Mullen
DPCA Public Education Committee

“WARLOCK” Dobermans!!   What  IS  a  “Warlock” anyway???

Well, what I’ve been able to find out about this “Urban Legend”  is that they are the “huge, giant form of the Doberman”.   Apparently, some years back there was a big demand, and there still is, by the way, for oversized Dobermans.   People were wanting the extra big Doberman because they apparently wanted them larger, more like Great Danes.

Unfortunately for these people, the Doberman is a “MEDIUM” sized breed. The Doberman should NOT be oversized because the larger the Doberman becomes and goes beyond the ideal height of 27 1/2 inches at the shoulder for males, and 25 1/2 inches at the shoulder for females—they lose the agility and speed and the ability to turn and maneuver quickly.
These are all traits and qualities that are necessary for a guard dog that needs to be able to maneuver to protect and pursue, if necessary.   The bigger the Doberman, the less maneuverability and quickness.   Also, many of these so called “Warlock” Dobermans were actually offspring of Dobermans bred to Great Danes or Dobermans bred to Rottweilers—and not purebred Dobermans at all.

There was a Doberman male in the 1960′s named Ch. Borong the Warlock.  He was a very famous Doberman and many breeders bred their females to him.   He had many offspring.  Some reputable breeders that had this male in the pedigree of their good Dobermans advertised as having “Warlock” bloodlines.   The “BYB” or BACKYARD  BREEDERS, which are the ones that don’t care about anything except making a quick “dollar” off of a litter of popular breed puppies,  realized that this was a selling point for the good Dobermans that reputable breeders were producing and started using the phrase “Warlock” Dobermans to be synonymous with good Dobermans.   The “term” became something that backyard breeders used to advertise their puppies.   They used “Warlock” to mean better bloodlines, better Dobermans, bigger & better watchdogs—and so the term has been used for the last 20 years to basically mean a huge or giant sized Doberman—a rare and expensive kind of Doberman.

There are breeders today that continue to advertise to the public about having “Warlock” Dobermans.   People think they are RARE, SPECIAL, MORE VALUABLE AND  PAY LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY for these Dobermans.   Please be advised—there is no such thing as a Warlock Doberman—other than what an exploiter or backyard breeder makes up.

The “WARLOCK” is a GIMMICK used to sell puppies.   NO REPUTABLE BREEDER WOULD EVER ADVERTISE THEIR PUPPIES OR ADULTS AS   “WARLOCKS”.     It is a MYTH and GIMMICK  to sell Dobermans to the unsuspecting “PUBLIC”.   BEWARE of any breeder, advertisement or kennel that advertises  “WARLOCK” Dobermans.

submitted by
Theresa Mullen
DPCA Public Education Committee