Obedience/Training Articles
All dogs need training, especially Dobermans. Learn more about training here.
Clicker Training
Crate Training
Dog Crates – Next To You They're Your Dog's Best Friend
Helpful Hints For The New Puppy Owner
House Breaking The Easy Way
House Training
I Said Wait
Interpreting The WAE
Leash Training
Obedience Competition Prospect: What To Look For
Obedience Trials: How They Work
Out Means No!
Puppy Do's
Puppy Don'ts
Working Dog Sport/schutzhund
Miscellaneous Articles
7 Year Glitch
Anatomy Of Breed Specific Legislation
Animal Control Comes Knocking: What To Do
Animal Rights Or Animal Welfare?
Anonymous Tribute
Are You A Responsible Dog Owner?
Bathing A Dog
Buying A Doberman Pinscher
Calculating The Aging Process
Changing The Estimates
Considerations When Buying A Doberman
Feeding Young Puppies
Future Of Dogs
Help Me Old Friend, I've Lost My Dignity
How To Buy A Doberman Puppy
Is A Doberman The Right Breed For You?
My Name Is Max
Nail Trimming Chart
Puppy Miller's Excuses
Puppy Safety
The Old Doberman
Tips On Buying A Puppy
Titles And Their Meanings
What Questions Do I Ask When I Go Buy A Dog?
History Articles
The history of the Doberman is rich and vast. Learn more about it here.
Albinism Science
Albino Doberman History
Evolution of the Standard
Evolution of the Standard: Forequarters
Evolution of the Standard: Forequarters & Hindquarters Together
Evolution of the Standard: Gait
Evolution of the Standard: General Appearance
Evolution of the Standard: Head
Evolution of the Standard: Hindquarters
Evolution of the Standard: Neck,Topline,Body,Tail
Evolution of the Standard: Temperament
History of the Doberman 1897-2005
Illena & The Seven Sires
Masterminds
Tale Of Tails & Ears
The Great Colonel Jet
Health Articles
A healthy Doberman is a happy Doberman. Find answers to health related questions here.
A Look Down The Bottle's Neck
Acral Lick Dermatitis
Aromatherapy
Blue Doberman Alopecia Treatment
Blue Doberman Coat Rescue
Cancer Treatment
Canine Skin Problems
Caring For Your Dog's Teeth
Chronic Active Hepatitis #1
Chronic Active Hepatitis #2
Colloidal Silver Rediscovered
Color Dilution Alopecia
Controversy Of Canine Nutrition
Dcm At Univ Of Guelph
Diarrhea-causes & Remedies
Diet And Your Pet
Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Dog Food Dilemma
Dog Food Recall
Duralactin-Treating Arthritis
Genetics 101
Gold Bead Implants
Head Bobbing Syndrome
Heimlich Maneuver For Choking Canines
Holter Monitor Q&A
Homeopathic Medicine
Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy (HOD)
Hypothyroidism
Inducing Vomiting
Intervertebral Disk Disease
Lawn Chemicals, Pets & Cancer
Liver Disease
Mode Of Inheritance For DCM
OFA – A Genetic Lottery
Osteosarcoma In Dogs
Panosteitis
Peripheral Neuropathy-Dancing Doberman
Poisonous Houseplants
Prostate Disease In Dogs
Rawhide And Your Dog's Health
Recycled Restaurant Grease
Shock & Wound Care
Toxicity & Your Dog
Urinary Incontinence
Vaccinations: AVMA Principles
Vaccinations: Changing Protocols
Vaccinations: New Protocol
Ventricular Arrhythmias
Vitamin C & Stress Management
Vitamins C & E
Von Willebrand's Disease
Warning-adverse Reaction To Proheart 6
Warning-Adverse Reactions To Sulfa Drugs
Whip Worms
Wobblers Syndrome
Zinc Responsive Dermatoses
Ear Care/Taping Articles
A Doberman’s ears are cropped by a veterinarian. Learn about ear care and taping here.
Cleaning The Ears
Easy Tape Removal
Protecting The Cups
Taping: Advanced For Older Dogs
Taping: Advanced For Puppies
Taping: Aftercare & Taping
Taping: Backer Rod
Taping: Caulking Rod
Taping: Dry Cleaner Cardboard
Taping: Foam Core Caulking
Taping: Foam Crown
Taping: Folding The Ears
Taping: Popsicle Sticks/tongue Depressors
Taping: Tampons
Taping: Tape Reactions
Taping: Telfa Pads
Tipping Problems
Contract Articles
You can read some sample contracts here.
Legalities Of Contracts
Conformation Articles
A Blueprint Into The Mysterious 15 Point Championship
A Judges Perspective
Avoiding The Heavy Head
Conformation Q&A
Conformation Training Tips
Doberman On The Move
Dry Shampoo
Educate Yourself
Form Follows Function
How The Standard Works
Importance Of Structure
Judging The Doberman
Judging The Doberman Head
Judging the Doberman Letter
Lesson #1-Be Prepared
Lesson #2-Stacking
Lesson #3-Moving The Dog
Lesson #4-Courtesy In The Ring
Lesson #5-Improve Your Timing
Mentoring: Its Value
Owner Handler-force Or Farce
Politics Is Simply An Excuse
Preparing For Your 1st Show
Present Your Dog Properly
Road Working Your Doberman
Satin Balls For Weight Gain
Sound Of Body Vs Sound Of Joints
Standard Size: The Whys
Teaching Tail & Ears Up
Ten Tips To Prepare A Show Puppy For Show
Things That Aren't Taught Anymore
Type Vs Typey
Type, Hype, Or Personal Preference
Typical Movement
What Is A Champion
Breeding/Genetic Articles
Breeding Dobermans is both an art and a science. Learn more here.
63 Day Perpetual Whelping Chart
A Gathering Storm
Another Look At The 49th Day
Are You A Breeder Or Do You Just Breed Dogs?
Becoming A Breeder: The Six Stages
Birthing Process
Bitches/Whelping
Brackett's Formula
Breeders – Good And Bad
Breeders Do Sell Their Best
C-section Aftercare
Canine Reproduction For Breeders
Care Of The Newborn
Changes In The Bitch And Developing Foetus
Choices In Breeding-Drive Or Liveability
Choosing Studs
Color Inheritance Chart
Congenital Umbilical Hernias
Cost Of A Litter
Cost of a Litter Calculator
Cost Of Breeding A Doberman Litter
Critical Events During Embryonic Development
Designer Dog Facts
Designer Genes: Genetic Management or Misery
Developing High Achievers
Dobermans In Detail
Dobermans In Detail: 1-Size
Dobermans In Detail: 2-Head
Dobermans In Detail: 3-Neck, Topline, & Body
Dobermans In Detail: 4-Forequarters
Dobermans In Detail: 5-Hindquarters
Dobermans In Detail: 6-Coat
Dobermans In Detail: 7-Gait
Dobermans In Detail: 8-Temperament
Dobermans In Detail: 9-Conclusion
Dr. Hutchison's Reproductive Seminar
Early Neurological Stimulation
Early Spay/neuter
Educate Infant Puppies
Events In The Estrus Cycle
Fading Puppies
Fading Puppy Syndrome
Feeding A Pregnant Or Lactating Bitch
Founder's Effect
Genetic Health Afflictions
Genetics & Successful Dog Breeding
Giving Pups A Head Start
Grading Puppies
How To Raise A Happy, Healthy, Confident Puppy
In Favor Of Better Dogs
Infectious Agents That Affect Fertility/pregnancy
Killed By Kindness
Learn To Breed Dogs
Long-Term Health Risks and Benefits Associated with Spay / Neuter in Dogs
Managing Your Stud Dog
Medications During Pregnancy
Methods Of Pregnancy Diagnosis
OH NO!!! Just one?!
Ostrich Syndrome
Oxytocin-A Necessary Evil?
Pedigree Analysis
Planned Breeding
Popular Sires
Popular Sires And Popular Genetics
Pregnancy Timeline
Puppy Advice
Puppy Package
Raising A Puppy
Red Rapsberry Leaves – Friend Or Foe?
Reproducing Puppies vs Breeding Better Dobermans
Reproduction Methods And Success Rates
Reproductive Health Of The Bitch
Reproductive Health Of The Male
Rule Of 7's
Selecting A Stud
Selecting Conformation Puppies
Should I Breed My Female Or Spay Her?
Should I Breed My Male Or Neuter Him?
So You Want To Be A Breeder
So You Want To Breed Your Bitch
Spaying And Castration – Pros, Cons, Myths
Tail Banding
Tail Male Line
Tails & Dewclaws
Temperament & Behavior: Breeder's Tools
What Is A Breeder?
What Is A Good Breeder?
What To Look For In A Breeder
What We Can Do For The Doberman
Whelping Box
Whelping Box Construction
Whelping Kit
Behavior Articles
Thoroughly understanding the most common dog behavior problems is the first step to solving and preventing them. There are many articles here that can help.
A Social Faux Pas: Kids, Puppies And Dominance
Altering Digging Behavior
Bite Incident In Your Community-How To Respond
Biting Dogs
Breed Suitability Test – ZTP
Canine Behavior
Critical Behavior Periods
Dealing With Aggression
Definition Of Drives
Developing Play Skills
Doberman Temperament – A Brief Introduction
Dog Behavior Reading List
Flank Sucking
How Your Dog Sees The World
Judging & Defining Temperament
Motion Sickness
Nail Trimming Tips & Tricks
Nip Nipping In The Bud
Pack Structure
Problem Owners
Q & A For New Doberman Owners
Speaking Doggish
Super Dogs Are Made, Not Born
Suspicion In A Doberman – Good Or Bad?
Temperament
Temperament Evaluation For Potential Rescue Dogs
Temperament Testing Puppies & Adults
Temperament-Nature Or Nurture
Understanding Motivation
What It's Like Living With A Doberman
Breeder/Exhibitor Education Articles
This site has many wonderful articles for your benefit. The opinions expressed in the materials are strictly the opinion of the writer and do not represent the opinion of, nor are they endorsed by, the Doberman Pinscher Club of America. Please take the time to learn from them as much as you can.
A Judges Perspective
(Learning is a process, not an event. An effective teaching experience combines the written and the interactive, refined by live observation.
As chairman of the DPCA Judges Education Committee I have a responsibility to inform the fancy of, in lay terms, how a judge interprets the Standard to select a winning Dobe.
I think it is important each fancier take the time to read the official Standard for the Doberman Pinscher. The Standard is available on the AKC and DPCA web sites.)
The judge’s first impression is the overall dog. Our Doberman handlers are some of the best in the world. They can make almost any dog look perfect in a stack, even to an experienced judge. The judge has only two and a half minutes to look at each dog so the well-presented dog has the advantage. Look for a square dog of medium size that is balanced. Does he have as much leg as depth of body? Is he deep to the elbows? Do his front angles match his rear angles? Is the length of the neck in proportion to the body and the head? Does his head look long but is it in proportion to the rest of the dog? Does he have heavy bone? Determine if the dog is powerful, elegant, alert, determined, muscular, and noble and is he compactly built. Many dogs have longer underlines than toplines. This can be caused by a straight upper arm which may cause a dog to look longer in length (more rectangular) than he actually is.
Having finished the initial observation, move the dogs in a group. Is anyone limping? Search for a fluid, powerful efficient gait that is balanced. Balance is very important and means that the gait generated by the rear drive is compatible with an equally angulated front to produce enough reach so the rear foot lands in the same spot as the front foot of the opposite side. Is the topline straight and smooth and does it hold while gaiting. Does the dog appear square or is it long in back or short in leg? Does it lack body? Check the tail carriage, it should be only slightly above the horizontal. Is the gaiting carriage proud?
Next is the individual examination where condition, attitude and show training come into play. Now is the time to reconfirm your initial side view impression with the overall dog. Approach the front; look at the head, breadth and depth of chest, and size and color of markings. Are the legs muscular and sinewy with heavy bone? Are the feet cat like? Place the head between your hands and look at expression. Is he stable, alert and confident? Feel the underjaw. Is the line from the skull to the muzzle unbroken and is it wedge shaped? Note the eyes for correct placement, shape, color and size. Are the ears set high? Is the skull too wide or too narrow, or just right? Looking from the side, view parallel planes and check for a slight stop, and depth of muzzle. Is the muzzle strong? Common deviations are snippy, pointy muzzles lacking underjaw, narrow heads that are not wedge shaped and round and/or light eyes.
The hands on examination is next. Check for muscle tone, placement and width of shoulders, snugness of elbows to body, and coat texture. Then, look at the rear, checking turn of stifle, equal length of upper and lower thigh, slightly rounded muscular croup, perpendicular hocks, and tailset. Look for a muscular rear, both on the inside and the outside of the legs, with parallel hocks set wide enough, where the front feet are seen just inside the rear feet. Is the rear cow hocked or bowed? Is the width of the hips equal to the width of the rib cage and shoulders? Is the dog slab sided (lack of rib spring) or barrel ribbed (too wide)? Are pasterns firm and almost perpendicular to the ground? Common deviations would be: shoulders that are set too far forward, straight shoulders, short upper arms, straight upper arms, lack of angulation – front or rear, long lower thigh, flat croup, high tail set, long loin, and lack of muscle in the upper thigh either on the inside or outside, as well as lack of muscle on the lower thigh.
The handler shows the mouth, or, if necessary, the judge opens the mouth. Count the teeth in groups, noting 42 correctly placed, strongly developed, white, teeth. The first group is the six incisors, the next group is the four canines (2 on each side, 1 upper, 1 lower) followed by the four premolars on the bottom and top of each side and the final group is the two top molars and three molars on the bottom of each side. Four or more missing teeth are a disqualification. The bite is checked. It should be a true scissors bite. Check to see if the bite is level, over or undershot. Overshot more than 3/16 inch and undershot more than 1/8 inch are disqualifications. Deviations are level bites, extra premolars, missing incisors, premolars and/or back molars, and poor occlusion.
Ask the handler to move the dog down and back on a loose lead, at a moderate pace. Watch the dog going around assessing side movement. Coming and going check for legs moving in a straight line. In the sound mover, the front legs are an extension of the shoulder and gradually converge towards the center as speed increases. Common deviations are moving too wide in front, too close in rear, side-winding, paddling, high stepping, loose elbows, flipping pasterns, and other inefficient gaits that prevent the dog from tireless, ground covering movement. Many times dogs do not move as well as they could because they are not in condition or are poorly trained. It is also difficult to evaluate a dog that is looking up at his handler or sniffing the ground. The well-conditioned and trained dog moves in a straight line down and back, with drive and determination. Many handlers cause their dogs to move inefficiently by using a tight lead. The dog on a loose lead moves best.
At the end of the down and back ask the handler to show the dog in a free stacked. Here is where the temperament and attitude meet with the judge’s toughest evaluation. In the free stack look for a dog who stands his ground confidently. As the judge moves around him he may flick an ear or turn his head to see who is there, but he remains calm and composed. The dog should be aware of the judge moving around him and not just fixed on the liver. At this point, you can see where he naturally puts his feet. The true topline, tailset, head and neck carriage are apparent. Put a lot of stock in dogs that exude energy, are alert and show fearlessness.
Upon completion of individual examinations, the final group is determined. If the class is eight or more, place the dogs in their tentative order. Then you move the class once or twice around and watch them stop. At this point, you can do another down and back with the top contenders, watching carefully how they stop. Then place the class. Many times exhibitors ask why the last down and back didn’t result in a change of placement. The reason is, in the final analysis, he moves well enough to confirm his win.
This is what a judge does in two and a half minutes in front of a partisan audience. No one ever said it was easy. Common sense indicates all judges have a specialty breed. All knowledge of other breeds is acquired knowledge, sometimes in the face of angry exhibitors.
What does this say about exhibiting purebred dogs? There is no perfect dog. The one picked at a particular show is the dog closest to the standard the judge has pictured in his mind of the ideal Doberman. A judge can only judge what is presented to him. The exhibitor must be patient. If he has a good dog, his time will come.