submitted by Theresa Mullen, DPCA Public Education Committee
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 are 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, when 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 done in order to:
- Make some spending money
- Let the kids see how the ‘bird and the 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; those that seek to breed for the IDEAL Doberman as described in the Doberman Breed Standard, as approved by the DPCA and the American Kennel Club. Below is the site to access the ‘Doberman Breed 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 Breed Standard and be awarded Championship points, leading to an eventual Champion title if the dog is 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 CD (Companion Dog), CDX (Companion Dog Excellent) and even 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 NA (Novice Agility) and MA (Master Agility) and higher. Many other feats 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 BETTERMENT OF THE BREED**.
For more information on breeding and reproduction, visit the DPCA Public Education Committee via the link on the top menu bar.