The DOG Magazine-ISSUE 08/2015 Dobermann

THE DOG MAGAZINE

CONTENT 06

DOBERMANN ON THE MOVE BREEDING

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FINDING BREED TYPE IN THE DOBERMAN BREEDING

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JUDGING THE DOBERMAN HEAD BREEDING

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JUDGING DOBERMANNS JUDGING

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CRISTINA LINARES GARCÍA HANDLER

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06 BREED, STANDARD BREEDING

SUPETA DOBERMANNS BREEDERS

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CHARLESTON DOBERMANS BREEDERS

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MY JOURNEY

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TRAINING DOBERMANNS

SPORT

TRAINING

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PHOTO BY GIOTA DOG PHOTOGRAPHY

JUDGES AROUND THE GLOBE PART 1 INFO

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86 TRAINING DOBERMANNS TRAINING

EDITORIAL

HI,

Foto Giota

Our goal with this magazine is to promote responsible breeding and dog ownership and to encourage ethical conduct and responsible breeding of purebred dogs.

Our vision is to help promote responsible pet ownership and improve the quality of life of every dog show dog or pet. We make it our goal to provide the most up to date and honest information every dog

owner should know.

THE DOG MAGAZINE NO. 8

August 2015 路 EDITOR | GRAPHIC DESIGN Ewa Larsson, Natasja Rutters, Sne啪ka Kuralt

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THE TEAM EWALARSSON My name is Ewa Larsson, Britisher Show Bulldogs we are situated in Canterbury, England. My kennel was established in 1992.

My bulldogs live with me inside my house and are raised in a loving environment as one of the family. I believe this approach is reflected in the behaviour of my dogs. Health, a correct temperament and dogs of the highest quality are my goal. Since Spring 2006, I am on the Bulldog Club Inc committee. The Bulldog Club Inc is the oldest Bulldog club in the world, and holds the prestigious Bulldog of the Year Show.

I am a Bulldog Breed Specialist Judge currently on “ B” list.

I am member of : The Bulldog Club Incorporated, The London Bulldog Society, The South of England Bulldog Society, The Junior Bulldog Club.

My affix “ Britisher” is derived from a noun Brit·ish·er which stands for: “An Englishman- a subject or inhabitant of Great Britain”.

Please feel free to visit our website. www.britisher.co.uk

NATASJARUTTERS “A little story about who I am and what I do” We live in a small town in southern Netherlands near the Belgium border.

I always loved dogs and in particular the Bulldog. And when I got my own place … there was my first English bulldog. For many years I was surrounded by the love of these beautiful dogs.

At the moment I share my house with 2 French Bulldogs, who also have a wonderful character only in a smaller body With my male Ch. Carte Truffé Kangaroo Kiss ‘Sydney’ (import Finland) I regularly take part of dog shows in the Netherlands and abroad.

I am a member of the Hollandse Bulldog Club and the English Bulldog Club Netherlands.

Beside designing and spending time with my dogs I love to be creative, like painting and photography.

For more information about my dogs www.mybulldogs.nl and work www.mdgraphics.nl

I first started to be seriously involved in Cynology, when I bought my first Rhodesian ridgeback (Cubo) from breeder Mr. Andrej Fister – Kyala kennel.

Since I had had a ridgeback, I wanted to spent some time and communicate with people who own the same breed. So I became involved and was one of the founding members of Club of Rhodesian ridgeback Slovenia. I was chief of organization of our first special show for Rhodesian ridgebacks in Slovenia. The show entered more than 50 dogs, which was a very nice number for such a small country. We even got Mr. Hans Mueller as a judge, for our first club show, even though the show was not CAC awarded.

Soon after, I began my apprenticeship for a Cynology judge, and in January 2011 I acquired a license to judge Rhodesian ridgebacks.

I was born and raised in Southern Slovenia, in a small town called Senovo. By education I am a graphic designer and landscape architect.

Currently I am employed in Landscape and GIS Company, where I am a head of marketing and education department.

I currently own two Rhodesian ridgebacks Cubo and Cana. Cubo, his pedigree name is Myollnir Kyala, is one of the most successful show ridgebacks in Slovenia and has always makes me proud. He is 8 years old now and he is calm and mostly a gentleman. Cana (Dikeledi Ayaba) is our female ridgeback, five years old; she brings joy to my life with her silly stunts and happy nature. Cana was imported from Croatia, from Ayaba kennel.

I always felt a great love toward animals, especially dogs. Dogs and cats were always around when I was little and I guess it was meant that that part of my love in life stays with me even in my adulthood.

In my free time I make small products for dog owners, mostly for Rhodesian ridgeback lovers and do different graphic designs for all breeds.

SNEŽKAKURALT

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DOBERMANN ON THE MOVE Robert L. Vandiver

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Robert L. Vandiver is a former Chairman of the DPCA’s Judge’s Education committee and is presently one of the five members on that committee. He has exhibited Dobermans since 1969. He and his wife, Nancy, have done limited but successful breeding under the Mistel prefix. Bob was approved to judge Dobermans in 1995 and is now approved to judge all working, sporting, herding, Best-In-Show, and all breed Junior Handling.

The Doberman was originally bred for protection and accompaniment during Herr Doberman’s rounds as tax collector. Through the history, the Doberman has been used for many tasks including delivering messages during war, patrolling military objectives, police work, search and rescue, guide dogs for disabled, and in ring sports including conformation, obedience, agility, tracking, and schutzhund. These varied tasks require that the Doberman use many gaits, depending on the task at hand.

Some breeds have natural gaits that are specific to them. Examples include the hackney gait of the Minpin, the flying trot of the German Shepherd, or the amble of the Old English Sheepdog. These gaits are characteristic of the breed.

The Doberman has been said to be a galloping breed, and it is most comfortable at that gait. However, upon observation of many Dobermans in a natural environment, you will find that the breed is comfortable in several gaits, including the walk, trot, canter, and double suspended gallop. The breed uses any and all of these gaits depending on the need.

For practical purposes, the Doberman is evaluated at the trot in the show ring (as are most other breeds). For this reason, this discussion will be limited to that gait.

Overview The most efficient working dogs are those that can work the longest at their appointed duties with the least amount of effort. The efficiently moving dog

travels in a straight line with the minimum amount of energy. It requires that there be no bouncing, rolling, or yaw (twisting on the vertical axis).

Length of stride of the dog is an important consideration. For a given dog, the fewer steps required to cover a given distance, the less energy is required.

In most dogs, the rear provides the major propulsive force for moving.

The back and loin provide the rigidity to transmit the force from the rear to the front. The front carries about 60% of the weight and provides some additional propulsion.

The Doberman Standard describes the gait as “Free, balanced and vigorous with good reach in the forequarters and good driving power in the hindquarters. When trotting, there is strong rear action drive. Each rear leg moves in line with the foreleg on the same side. Rear and front legs are thrown neither in nor out. Back remains strong and firm. When moving at the fast trot, a properly built dog will single track.”

Evaluating the side gait Pictured below is a side view of the Doberman at a trot. The graphic was taken from The Doberman Pinscher Illustrated 1987 a booklet prepared by the Doberman Pinscher Club of America (DPCA).

We will begin the discussion with the first line of the movement description “Free, balanced and vigorous with good reach in the forequarters and good driving power in the hindquarters.” Note the front reach and the rear extension in Figure 1 (next page): T H ED O G M AG A Z I N E · I SSU E 8 / 2 0 1 5

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A r t i c l e | Dobermann on the move

anced movement and illustrates correct Doberman side gait.

When evaluating gait, it is important to consider the elevation of the feet. If a dog lifts front or rear feet excessively above the ground, he is wasting energy. The closer the feet remain to the ground, the less energy is required.

There is an old dog term called “daisy cutting” that describes an efficiently moving dog as one whose feet are raised just enough to cover the rough ground, just cutting the tops of the daisies as he moves.

Figure 1

Using the same graphic we can draw a triangle over the dog as seen in Figure 2 below to visualize proper leg position.

Figure 2

The front reach of the dog should result in a front extension approximately below the nose. The rear extension should balance the front with an equal kickback. As you can see, the triangle’s apex is just above the point at which the front foot and rear foot exchange positions (about the center of the dog’s topline). The angle that forms the front reach is about equal to the angle that forms the rear extension. This is bal8 | THEDOGM AGAZI NE

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To study the side gait, follow the footsteps as the dog moves.

At the trot, the dog is continuously moving over the legs. The front foot strikes the ground slightly behind the nose and immediately moves rearward. As it moves it passes under the front assembly to the point at which it lifts from the ground to move forward again. The leg in the rear on the opposite side is simultaneously following the reverse path. It is leaving its extended position and moving forward under the rear assembly, and extending to about the midpoint of the dog’s body.

Just under the center of the topline, the front foot lifts to move forward for the next step. The rear foot steps into nearly the same track that the front foot vacates. There is a very slight forward motion of the entire dog’s body when both front and rear feet are off the ground simultaneously. This allows the rear foot to assume the same position as the vacating front foot. (Otherwise the rear foot would interfere with the front foot.) This slight forward motion is what Rachel Page Elliot2 describes as the “spring” in the gait. It contributes to the look of “free and balanced” motion as described in the standard.

Some characterize it as gliding or float-

A r t i c l e | Dobermann on the move

ing. This slight time “in flight” is not visible to the naked eye, but it has been demonstrated in Elliot’s scientific studies2 and it can be seen in the smoothness of the gait.

Since the rear provides for most of the propelling motion, it is important to note its action. The rear leg motion can be thought of as a 3-phase action. In the first phase the leg reaches under the dog to strike the ground at about the same point that the front foot is vacating. The upper leg and hip muscles are doing most of the work. In the second phase, the leg swings backward under the dog’s hip assembly and uses mostly the upper leg assembly for its power. In the third phase, the rear leg continues from under the hip assembly rearward. A combination of the upper leg and the extension of the rear pastern provide the propelling force. Near the end of this phase, the rear pastern kicks back to provide most of the final propulsion.

The end of the last phase tells us why the rear pastern (a seemingly small part of the leg) is so important in the overall movement of the dog. Comparing a dog’s anatomy to a human’s is hardly exact, but the human’s upper and lower thigh is analogous to the dog’s upper and lower thigh. The ankle is analogous to the dog’s hock, and the human foot is used similarly to the dog’s rear pastern. Toward the end of the step, the human pushes off with the foot. The same is true for the dog with the rear pastern. You can imagine how you would move if your feet were confined by tape such that you could not flex your foot. You couldn’t provide that final push for your forward propulsion. The same is true of the dog. This illustrates the importance of the rear pastern power at a trot … human or

canine.

The standard states “Back remains strong and firm.” This simply requires that the dog’s back be reasonably rigid and strong, and not bounce due to looseness, length, or incorrect proportions or angulation.

The topline of the Doberman should remain level and straight.

A Doberman that bounces over the withers has a serious handicap. Let’s try to quantify the affects of a bouncing front due to a combination of structural deviations.

If a male Doberman has a stride of 28 inches at the trot (2263 steps per mile), and the withers move up and down 1/2 inch with each step, then the dog’s front will expend the energy equivalent of lifting it 94 feet while traveling that mile. Since the dog’s front is about 60 % of the dog’s total weight, then the dog would have expended 60 % of the energy to raise his entire body the 94 feet. In other words, after trotting for a mile, the dog will have also expended the energy equivalent to climbing a 6-story building (60% of the 94 feet).

The extra work expended in an hour of trotting (typically at 5 miles per hour) would be the equivalent of climbing 30 stories. After a days work, this dog will be far more exhausted than one that moves without bounce over the withers.

Moving on with side gait, the head carriage should be extended somewhat above the horizontal as shown in figure 1. This is a natural head carriage for the Doberman at the trot. The Doberman should not move with its head extended straight ahead as if it were a draft animal or with the head up and back as is typical in a Poodle.

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A r t i c l e | Dobermann on the move

Evaluating the down-and-back gait The down-and-back gait is described in the standard as “Each rear leg moves in line with the foreleg on the same side. Rear and front legs are thrown neither in nor out. … When moving at the fast trot, a properly built dog will single track.”

Figure 3 below shows the correct movement down and back for a Doberman. Figure 4 has lines added to emphasize that the leg forms a straightline column and moves in the same plane as the opposite leg on the same side and converge toward a centerline under the dog.

approaching, because the front legs are moving in line with the rear and covering them. Similarly, when viewed from the rear, the rear legs cover the front legs.

The importance of moving with straight legs can be appreciated if we compare the dog’s legs with human legs. It is truly a rare human endurance athlete that does not have very straight legs.

Knock-knees or bowed legs do not allow the forces to travel directly though the joints. Rather, they cause a lateral force in the joints that will damage the joints over a period of time, and cause the athlete to move inefficiently. The same reasoning applies to dogs that do not maintain straight legs throughout the travel.

The standard calls for the dog to single track at a fast trot. The purpose of the single track is for balance and conservation of energy. Consider a dog that doesn’t single track at the trot. Such a dog would have a tendency to have a body roll. This can be illustrated by Figure 5 below:

Figure 3

Figure 4

The legs should be straight throughout their travel, not just at the beginning and end of the step. The standard calls for the legs to “ not be thrown in or out.” This precludes certain deviations of structure that are discussed in the next section.

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Figure 5

The legs are on the corners of the dog.

If the dog moves without converging, there will be a tendency to have a body roll. This occurs because only one leg of a pair (front or rear) is on the ground at the same time. When one rear foot

A r t i c l e | Dobermann on the move

is on the ground, the other rear foot is moving for the next step. The same is true of the front pair. When only the left leg is supporting the dog, there will be a tendency for the dog’s rear to roll to the right. When only the right leg is supporting the dog, there will be a tendency to roll to the left. The dog’s front and rear legs move opposite of each other. This would cause a rolling of one direction in the front and a rolling in the other direction in the rear. This rolling gait is well illustrated on wide set dogs, such as the Bulldog.

Although some Dobermans fail to converge properly, they do not have an exaggerated rolling or twisting of the body that is seen on the wide set dogs.

However, the tendency is still there for the dog to move similarly to the Bulldog. It is not an efficient gait for a working dog. When judging the Doberman, convergence is an important point.

The dog must also move in a straight line with a straight body to be an efficient mover. Some structural faults will cause a dog to move with a yaw or in a “side-winding” or “crabbing” gait. This takes away from our desire to have the dog move in a straight line, with minimum bounce, roll, or yaw. Although the dog will appear to move in a straight line, it will not move with its body (spine) in line with the direction of motion.

match how the dog really moves.

The structure and the musculature of the dog control the movement of the dog. If the dog is in proper physical condition (weight, muscle tone, and ligament and tendon strength), then its musculature is not a consideration.

The dog will then move as well as the structure will allow.

However, lack of proper musculature and conditioning can make an otherwise correctly structured dog move poorly. This is particularly noticeable in front movement. The shoulders are not connected to the rest of the structure through joints, but rather they are connected through soft tissue (muscles, tendons, etc.). It is entirely possible for a dog to move incorrectly through lack of conditioning rather than through fault of structure.

Most judges agree that observing the movement of the dog is ultimately the best way to determine if the static evaluation is correct.

To move correctly the dog must be structured correctly. The correct Doberman structure taken from The Doberman Pinscher Illustrated is illustrated in Figure 6 below:

How structure affects movement At a show, the judge does a static evaluation to consider head, color, coat, condition, temperament, structure, etc.. The structural considerations in this evaluation can often predict how a dog will move, but there are reasons why the conclusions reached from the static structural evaluation do not

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A r t i c l e | Dobermann on the move

This structure exhibits the proportions and angles that define a correct Doberman Pinscher. Deviations from this structure will cause deviations from the ideal movement.

The following highlights how certain structural deviations affect movement of the Doberman.

The first structural issue is the very important requisite that the Doberman be square. Two variations can occur. The dog is too long in body, or the dog is too short in body.

Unlike breeds whose bodies are longer than tall, a square dog must really be built to the correct proportions and angles if it is to move correctly. There is simply no extra room to accommodate any interference between front and rear legs on a square dog.

Consider a square dog with an over-angulated rear relative to the front. The excess rear angulation causes an overreach in the rear so that his rear feet interfere with the front feet. A square dog must find a way to compensate for the imbalance so that his legs do not interfere under his body. He can compensate by moving with his rear feet to one side of the front feet, or he can move wide in the rear so his rear feet don’t strike the front feet.

A longer bodied dog offers more room under his body, so his feet will not interfere. The extra room forgives faults that would be readily apparent in a square dog. The longer bodied unbalanced dog may appear to move correctly, but he has two faults, imbalance from front to rear and too long in body.

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because the long legs “overstep” what his body length can accommodate. His back feet strike the front feet before the front foot can get out of the way. His compensation is similar to the dog that is overangulated in rear relative to front.

Typical movement for both of these deviations in structure is a dog that “sidewinds” or “crabs” when he moves. He moves with his rear to one side of his front, so that his rear feet strike the ground to one side of his front feet. This gives him the appearance of moving sideways or moving like a crab.

Another means to compensate for this structural deviation is the dog that moves wider in the rear than in the front.

This occurs in Dobermans occasionally, but the breed is much more likely to side-wind than to move wide in rear.

Continuing with the subject of front structural deviations, consider shoulder angulation. The standard calls for the shoulder to be at 45 degrees from the vertical. There is an old adage that says that a dog “can’t reach past his shoulders”. This means that when the dog extends his leg for the step forward, the angle of the leg will be controlled by the angle of the shoulder.

A dog with a steeper shoulder than in Figure 6, say 35 degrees from the vertical rather than 45 degrees, cannot reach as far forward. One result is a dog that takes shorter steps both front and rear. Think about a person whose normal stride is shortened by 10%. That person suddenly has to take 10% more steps to cover the same distance … an uncomfortable gait. The same applies to the dog. For a given dog, the longer the natural stride, the more efficient the gait.

Although the front and rear move at the same speed with the same number

A r t i c l e | Dobermann on the move

of steps, it’s possible that the stride lengths are not equal. This can happen if the dog is unbalanced with more rear angulation than front angulation (a common occurrence in Dobermans).

In this case his front stride is shorter than his rear stride. To compensate, he must lift his front higher than normal to keep it in the air longer, while his rear takes longer strides. The front is taking shorter strides, but is airborne for a short time. This structure causes the dog’s front to bounce up and down and is a very inefficient gait as was quantified earlier.

The correct Doberman front as viewed from the front is shown in Figure 7.

Figure 8

In the correct front, the legs are in a straight line from the shoulder through the elbow, pastern and feet. They are parallel to each other and stand under the dog’s shoulder.

We will not speak to each one of these faults individually, because they all share a common trait. Plainly, none of these front structures will allow the dog to move with the legs in a straight column simply because the legs are not structured in a columnar manner in the standing position. The forces of movement will transmit through the joints, but because the legs are not straight, the joints will flex laterally and absorb some of the energy. This stresses the joints and tires the dog.

Typical deviations of front are shown in Figure 8 and include, elbow out, pinched front, toeing-out, and toeing-in.

In addition, the pinched-front deviation will cause the dog to throw the front legs from side-to-side, wasting even more energy. The dog that elbows out

Figure 7

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A r t i c l e | Dobermann on the move

will typically throw the front legs outwards as he moves … another inefficient gait.

Before leaving the front, it is important to consider the feet and pasterns. The standard describes them as “Pasterns firm and almost perpendicular to the ground. Dewclaws may be removed.

Feet well arched, compact, and catlike, turning neither in nor out.”

movement because the legs are joined to the rest of the structure through joints, not through soft tissue alone.

Rear movement is more influenced by structure, and not as greatly influenced by conditioning. Also the movement of the rear is less complex than that of the front, because the shoulder moves up and down and rotates through its normal movement. The rear does not have this complexity.

The standard describes the rear as follows:

Figure 9

Figure 10

“The angulation of the hindquarters balances that of the forequarters. Hip Bone- falls away from spinal column at an angle of about 30 degrees, producing a slightly rounded, well filled-out croup. Upper Shanks- at right angles to the hip bones, are long, wide, and well muscled on both sides of thigh, with clearly defined stifles. Upper and lower shanks are of equal length. While the dog is at rest, hock to heel is perpendicular to the ground.”

Figure 9 illustrates the correct pastern and foot. The slight slope in the pastern provides a spring in the front to absorb shock, while the tight feet provide a firm base to support the dog.

Figure 10 shows a weak pastern and a foot that is not “cat-like”. The weak pastern flexes excessively each time the foot strikes the ground, absorbing energy that should be used to propel the dog. Similarly, the weak foot absorbs too much energy and it is an area prone to injury. Both of these can lead to inefficient movement and early injury.

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Figure 11

A r t i c l e | Dobermann on the move

The standard describes the rear structure well when viewed with the illustration in figure 11. The only aspect needing clarity is the hock (rear pastern) length, since it is so vital to the correct movement of the dog.

The illustrated standard establishes the correct length of hock, even though the standard does not describe it in words.

Since the Doberman is described in the standard under General Characteristics as “Compactly built, muscular and powerful, for great endurance and speed.” one would expect to see a hock that is moderate in length to achieve the desired balance of endurance and speed. A long rear pastern is normally associated with sprint type animals such as rabbits or antelopes … good for short bursts of high speed, but not endurance. A short rear pastern is normally associated with a draft animal … slow but powerful and enduring, but not capable of great speed.

Since the Doberman is neither of these we must reach a balance, so a moderate length of hock-to-foot is desired.

One good way to understand correct rear structure is to study typical deviations. Some deviations are shown in Figure 12 and represent from left to right an overangulated rear, a straight rear with a flat croup, and an overangulated rear with sickle hocks and a steep croup.

The overangulated rear seldom matches an overangulated front. Therefore, most dogs with this fault are also unbalanced. The over-angulation causes the rear to over reach the front as explained previously. The dog typically compensates by moving wide in the rear or moving the rear to one side of the front (crabbing).

The upper right graphic is straight in

Figure 12

rear with a flat croup. The expected result is a restricted rear motion. The dog can’t reach under far enough. His straight stifle and flat croup won’t allow the rear to extend (similar to a straight front not allowing correct reach). The straight hock joint doesn’t provide enough power to follow through for the rear pastern “push-off” The overangulated rear and sickle hocks Is particularly troubling. The same problems occur as the overangulated dog above, but with the sickle hocks the rear pastern can’t straighten. A dog with these faults will normally move with his rear under him, never T H ED O G M A G AZ I N E · I SSU E 8 / 2 0 1 5

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A r t i c l e | Dobermann on the move

extending with power. The steep croup will also limit rear extension.

A combination of faults that are seen from time to time in Dobermans is an overangulated rear with a flat croup.

This dog will appear to move correctly because the flat croup compensates for the overangulated rear and allows it to reach back. It appears to be correct, when in fact there are two deviations in the dog, rather than none.

The other typical deviations are shown in Figure 14 below and have the same common problem that we saw in the front deviations. These legs are not straight as required even when standing in the normal position (the left being cow-hocked and the right being open hocked).

The standard also states “Viewed from the rear, the legs are straight, parallel to each other, and wide enough apart to fit in with a properly built body. Dewclaws, if any, are generally removed.

Cat feet- as on front legs, turning neither in nor out.”

Again, the standard and the Illustrated Standard graphics do an excellent job of describing the desired structure of the rear when viewed from behind.

Figure 14

When the dog moves the forces of movement will cause the joints to flex laterally, absorbing energy and causing undue stress on the joints. This will wear the joints and tire the dog.

Summary In the beginning, this article explained the correct side gait and the correct out-and-back movement for the Doberman Pinscher. The intent was to instill a vision of the correct movement of the Doberman in the reader’s mind.

Later, the article describes the mechanics of gait and discussed how certain structural traits affect it. Structural faults were used to describe incorrect movement. Using faults helps

Figure 13

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A r t i c l e | Dobermann on the move

to understand how the dog should not move.

Although it is important to understand faults and how they affect gait, the reader must be careful not to fall into “fault judging” as the primary means of evaluating movement. Good judges first recognize merits, and then evaluate the dog’s movement based on balancing the virtues against faults.

To emphasize the importance of positive judging, below you will find a repeat of the illustrations of correct movement along with a repeat of a description of correct gait as described in the standard. Hopefully the reader will focus on these as the most important element of this paper.

From the Doberman Pinscher Standard Approved February 6, 1982 Reformatted November 6, 1990 “Free, balanced, and vigorous, with good reach in the forequarters and good driving power in the hindquarters. When trotting, there is strong rear-action drive. Each rear leg moves in line with the foreleg on the same side. Rear and front legs are thrown neither in nor out. Back remains strong and firm. When moving at a fast trot, a properly built dog will single-track.”

FINDING BREED TYPE IN THE DOBERMAN Robert L. Vandiver

Breed type is much more subtle and much more complicated than what can be defined by words alone.

One of my favorite sources on the subject of breed type is a book written by Richard Beauchamp entitled Solving the Mysteries of Breed Type. In his book Mr. Beauchamp examines many breeds and discusses qualities of type that are important for each breed. He gives the reader an appreciation of how diverse the dog species is ... and how difficult it is to describe breed type in words.

After considering these many breeds and identifying their defining qualities, Mr. Beauchamp concludes that there

are five elements that determine breed type. Those elements are: • Silhouette • Head • Gait • Coat • Breed character I believe Mr. Beauchamp is spot-on in defining the components that constitute breed type as it applies to Dobermans as in other breeds.

First let’s look at Silhouette The visual outline of a dog is the major way we identify a breed. You should be able to see a dog at a distance and T H ED O G M A G AZ I N E · I SSU E 8 / 2 0 1 5

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A r t i c l e | Finding Breed Type in the Doberman

be able to identify the breed by outline alone.

The silhouette conveys much about breed type; size, proportion, substance, angulation, topline, underline, tailset, head carriage, along with a myriad of other traits. All of these traits must combine in a unique way to become that breed, and to be unlike any other breed.

You can describe a dog until you exhaust your vocabulary, and still not have a person visualize a breed that he has never seen before. But show a live dog or a photo of a correct Doberman, and that person has an immediate appreciation for how the breed should look.

Since outline or silhouette is decidedly a mark of breed type, it is important to have an image of the breed in mind to determine breed type.

Below are photos of very good male and female Dobermans. These images should be so affixed in your mind that you can very quickly compare a Doberman standing before you to the mental image of the ideal. You can see

Very Good Bitch

from these images the compactness, the correct head proportion, the proper neck that flows smoothly into the 90º front angulation. You will observe the solid slightly sloping topline ending in a 2 o’clock tailset with a moderate underline and with rear angulation that matches the front. With the silhouette, you will see the strong substance, cat tight feet and athleticism.

Once you have the ideal silhouette committed to memory, and after observing many representatives of the breed, you will be armed with the tools to help you identify that element of breed type.

Now let’s look at heads Just as you should be able to identify a breed by profile alone, you should be able to identify the breed of any dog when only the head is visible.

Very Good Dog

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Though the description of our head is similar to other breeds, the Doberman head does not look like any other breed. Many breeds ask for parallel planes, blunt wedge, dark eyes, and high ear set, but they are not even close to resembling a Doberman.

A r t i c l e | Finding Breed Type in the Doberman

wedge is not an exact measurement.

A blunt wedge can vary from very wide (think Rottweiler) to very narrow (think Collie).

A heavy-bodied Doberman will likely have a wider angle to the blunt wedge, whereas a narrower skull may be more appropriate on a dog with lesser substance. Both could be acceptable as long as the head fits the rest of the dog.

You must know the limits of the wedge that are correct for a Doberman. You can do this by having the image of the ideal head stored in your mind’s eye for reference.

Of major importance of the head is a full muzzle with a full complement of teeth. The Doberman was bred as a personal protection dog. To protect against threats, a Doberman needs the strength of head to manage a full sized man that threatens the dog or his owner.

The standard calls for a disqualification for dogs with four or more missing teeth, or overshot more than 3/16ths of an inch, or undershot more than 1/8ths of an inch. The most frequently missing, and easiest to find teeth are the pre-molars. Missing teeth can occur at any part of the mouth, incisors, pre-molars, or molars (usually the rearmost molar). It is imperative to check all teeth for proper dentition.

Pleasing Heads

Dobermans have a dry head with a flat skull, smooth planes on the side of the head, erect ears and a vigorous and energetic expression. The head should give the impression of planes, not curves, and intensity, not softness.

The standard’s wording of a blunt

Extra pre-molars are quite common in the breed. The standard calls for 42 correctly placed teeth. More teeth is not better. More actually represents two faults. First is that there are more than the 42 specified by the standard, and second the teeth cannot be correctly placed if there are too many of them.

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A r t i c l e | Finding Breed Type in the Doberman

this singular fault.

Another consideration in the mouth is the occlusion. Occlusion is best examined with by examining the bite, then lifting the lips to reveal the upper and lower premolars. These premolars should fit such that the they mesh symmetrically between each other as shown here.

man side gait movement are correct reach and drive, interchange of the feet under the dog, and feet close to the ground.

The reach and drive should be balanced with the front foot reaching near the nose and the rear drive extending in a like angle and with the hock joint fully open and the rear pastern fully extended. The exchange under the dog should be with the back foot stepping into or near the exiting front foot.

In addition the dog must maintain a look that is very similar to the dog when he is in a stacked pose including topline, underline, with slightly forward head carriage, and tail carriage as shown below.

Correct Occlusion

A good understanding of the correct head will lead you to become a better Doberman judge or breeder.

The next element of breed type is gait Each breed has distinct gait, but there are many common factors of the gait that are typical of many breeds.

Dobermans tend to have a strong, powerful gait, yet with light footed action. They tend to have wider strides than many breeds. As an example, some herding breeds call for similar structure in their standard with strong reach and drive, but in comparison they have a more moderate gait than a Doberman.

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Correct Side Gait

The figures on next page show the correct movement for the down and back for a Doberman. Notice that the front leg forms a straight-line column and moves in the same plane as the rear leg on the same side. The legs converge toward a centerline under the dog.

A r t i c l e | Finding Breed Type in the Doberman

”Which is more important, the side gait or the down and back?” The answer is “both.” The characteristics that are important in side gait are not observable in the down and back. Conversely, the characteristics of correct movement in the down and back are not observable in the side gait. Even though you can see more characteristics in the side gait, the down and back is equally important. Both must be observed to find a sound dog.

The fourth element of breed type is the coat The dog world is teeming with different types, textures, lengths, and colors of coats. It is clearly one of the most important components in breed type.

This element is the easiest to understand in the Doberman. It has no unusual characteristics, but it’s coat does help define the breed.

The Doberman coat is a short, hard, shiny coat, with little or no undercoat.

If undercoat exists, it will typically be in the neck area. The coat should always be hard. There are coats that are soft, smooth, and shiny. They can be very attractive, but they are not correct.

There are four colors, black, red, fawn, and blue, all with tan or rust markings.

The only allowed white is a small patch on the chest measuring no more than 1/2 inch square. Any other color is a disqualification.

The final element that defines breed type is breed character

Correct Front and Rear Movement

The elements of breed type discussed above deal with the physical appearance of the breed. That’s all that has been described and many people would stop here, but those elements T H ED O G M A G AZ I N E · I SSU E 8 / 2 0 1 5

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A r t i c l e | Finding Breed Type in the Doberman

don’t tell the whole story. The breed must present the proper character for its breed.

The AKC Glossary of Terms defines character as “Expression, individuality, and general appearance and deportment as considered typical of a breed.”

Harold Spiro’s book Canine Terminology limits his definition towards temperament and defines character as “Dogs mentally equipped to perform those functions for which they were originally designed are referred to as being ‘true in character’ for that particular breed.”

The Doberman is a regal breed with the distinctive combination of being elegant while still maintaining strong substance. It should be a compact, athletic, confident dog that presents himself as aware of his surroundings and in total control.

The standard has descriptive phrases (Elegant in appearance, of proud carriage, reflecting great nobility and temperament. Energetic, watchful, determined, alert, fearless, loyal and obedient.) They all are important.

Since the Doberman was bred as a personal protection dog, he should exhibit the traits of a animal that can perform those duties ... quick, powerful, determined, confident, and controllable.

The athleticism, stature, and presence of a confident Doberman draws attention from everyone, irrespective of their breed of choice. Observe a good Doberman returning from moving and hitting that perfect stack with the look of “I’m here, and I’m in command.” Could that be one of the reasons that Dobermans are so successful in group competition? If you have watched a number of strong working groups, you’ve 22 | THEDOGM AGAZ INE

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seen it. When you see it you will know “that’s a Doberman!”

Thoughts about crop and dock A docked tail is clearly defined the standard. There should be no other acceptable tail.

A dog with uncropped ears deviates from the standard in three specific instances.

It is not cropped.

The ears are not carried erect.

The standard states that the Doberman look is “determined, alert, fearless, loyal and obedient.” Natural ears on this breed have a much softer and less daunting look than the erect ears of a cropped Doberman. A soft look is counter to the appearance desired in our breed. This is a third and important deviation.

One should be able to identify a breed solely by its silhouette. The Doberman silhouette cannot be identified as correct breed type if it has natural ears and an undocked tail

Conclusion If you thoroughly learn the first four elements of breed type and have those mental images in your mind, your will be able to choose the physically correct Doberman. The final and arguably the most important factor that you will evaluate is breed character. Choose carefully, breeders and judges. You control the future of the breed.

A r t i c l e | Judging the Doberman Head

Acknowledgements

Artistic drawings courtesy of Jeanne Flora Photos courtesy of Cheri McNealy Outline graphics from the DPCA Illustrated Standard 1993

JUDGING THE DOBERMAN HEAD Robert L. Vandiver

AKC defines “Breed type” as the sum of the qualities that distinguish dogs of one breed from another.

Richard Beauchamp in his book Solving the Mysteries of Breed Type states “There is no characteristic among dog breeds that is more variable than the head, and it therefore imparts individuality to each of the breeds.”

This statement makes the case that the head is one of the most Important elements that identify “breed type.” It applies equally to all breeds, including the Doberman.

Given the importance of the head to identify the Doberman as a Doberman, judges must put head conformation in proper perspective. What does that mean? It means to the Doberman fancy, that the head is important … even essential to breed type … but the Doberman is not a “head breed”.

We all know what a “head breed” is.

It’s a breed that has let the head become the most defining element of breed type. Unfortunately, when a breed concentrates on heads to the exclusion of other qualities, those other qualities suffer.

What results is a breed with a beautiful head, that often times have poor structure, proportions, and movement. As you observe other breeds, it will become obvious which ones are “head breeds”.

Doberman fanciers are inclined to take a middle of the road approach. They expect the head to be considered equally with other type-defining characteristics. The head is not more important than profile, gait, angulation, or proportions, but is certainly equal to each of them.

The judge simply has to decide for himself the level of importance the head has in defining the overall breed.

There are three disqualifications in the mouth of the Doberman. They will not be discussed as one of the defining elements of the Doberman breed, simply because a dog with a disqualification is disallowed from any consideration.

Further evaluation of the head or any other attribute is moot. A discussion of the mouth appears later.

The first things that you should notice about the head are the overall shape and size.

The standard describes the head as “Long and dry, resembling a blunt wedge in both frontal and profile views. When seen from the front, the head widens gradually toward the base of the ears in a practically unbroken line.”

“Long” is not a quantifiable description, but for the Doberman it is generally considered to be about equal to the length of the neck, and about half the length of the topline as measured T H ED O G M A G AZ I N E · I SSU E 8 / 2 0 1 5

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from the withers to the base of the tail.

You can confirm these general guidelines by measuring the drawings in the Doberman Pinscher Club of America Illustrated Standard and by measuring photos of dogs considered as having correct heads.

Of course, “dry” simply means no loose skin, with tight lips and flews.

row “blunt wedge”. Any of these may be suitable for that dog.

Note the standard also calls for “Jaws full and powerful well filled under the eyes.“ If a dog does not have sufficient muzzle and underjaw, then the head won’t form the planes of the blunt wedge. The full muzzle and underjaw are also important to hold the 42 large teeth required by the standard.

It is the judge’s responsibility to see enough Dobermans and to be mentored by enough different people to determine the normal acceptable limits of the “blunt wedge”. The judge can then evaluate within those limits, and reward dogs that fall within the acceptable norm.

Figure 1 – “Blunt wedge”

Figure 1 will help to visualize the look of the blunt wedge. These two graphics show the head as a blunt wedge when viewed from the front or in profile. When facing the Doberman, you should be able to place your flat hands against sides of the muzzle and cheeks and feel the smooth flat planes of the dog’s head. On a correct head, your hands will form the flat planes of the blunt wedge.

The “blunt wedge” is another non-measurable description. A blunt wedge may be fairly wide, somewhat narrow, or in between. There are no concrete measurements to give as guidelines, simply because different head shapes are correct for different body styles. A heavy boned, substantial dog will nearly always have a broader “blunt wedge” than a less substantial one. A refined dog may have a nar24 | THEDOGM AGAZ INE

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The standard continues “Eyes- almond shaped, moderately deep set, with vigorous, energetic expression.

Iris, of uniform color, ranging from medium to darkest brown in black dogs; in reds, blues, and fawns the color of the iris blends with that of the markings, the darkest shade being preferable in every case” This paragraph is self-explanatory. The key words to remember are “almond shaped”, “dark”, and “expression.”

The first two are easily understood.

The term “expression” is not easily described. In the Doberman we expect a look of intensity. The dog’s expression should convey the image that is described in the General Appearance section of the standard “Energetic, watchful, determined, alert, fearless”.

A good way to describe expression is the overall image formed by the head position, facial mood, lips, eyes, ear carriage, muscle intensity, and so forth.

Doberman fanciers often call the typical expression the “look of eagles”.

A r t i c l e | Judging the Doberman Head

Describing correct expression is a lot like defining quality. It has been said of quality “I don’t know how to describe it, but I know it when I see it.” Your mentors will help you understand correct expression by showing you examples. With enough study, you’ll know it when you see it.

In describing the ears the standard says “Ears- normally cropped and carried erect. The upper attachment of the ear, when held erect, is on a level with the top of the skull.”

championships with uncropped ears.

Nonetheless, uncropped ears should be thought as a deviation from the standard. You must make your own decision as to the magnitude of the deviation. Bear in mind that you must also think about the impact that uncropped ears have on expression and the overall look of the dog.

Consider the planes of the head (Figure 3). The standard states: “Top of skull flat, turning with slight stop to bridge of muzzle, with muzzle line extending parallel to top line of skull. Cheeks flat and muscular. Nose -solid black on black dogs, dark brown on red ones, dark gray on blue ones, dark tan on fawns. Lips lying close to jaws.”

Figure 2 Ear set

The standard is clear on the placement of the ear, i.e. level with the top of the skull.

The discussion of ear cropping however is not quite as clear. The statement that the ear is “normally cropped” is sometimes interpreted to mean that it is typically cropped, but not required.

The phrase “and carried erect” clarifies that our breed is a cropped breed and the ears are carried erectly.

Uncropped ears are allowed, and some Dobermans have finished their

Figure 3 head planes

The description of most characteristics of the head as set forth in this part of the standard are clear and need little amplification.

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Club of America insists that the correct Doberman head have a muzzle length that is equal to the back skull length.

This is an issue that has never been contested by members of the Doberman Pinscher Club of America. All knowledgeable members of the fancy (breeders, judges, and handlers) agree that the muzzle and back skull should be of equal length.

The impression one gets upon viewing the Doberman head should be one of angles and planes. The skull and muzzle are straight and flat. The underjaw is straight. The cheeks are flat. The ears are erect with straight edges on the front and back. There is no description in the standard that calls for a curvy, soft-looking head.

ence. They are his defense mechanism, his means to acquire food, and his offensive weapons for his originally intended work. As importantly, the mouth and teeth are the dog’s arms and hands. He must use them for picking up items, transporting them, and placing them where needed. Indeed, so vital are the teeth that they play a critical role in the birthing process of cutting the umbilical cord.

Our standard calls for 42 correctly placed teeth. Let’s first discuss the bite. The correct bite occurs with the outside top edge of the lower incisors meeting the inside inner edge of the upper incisors as shown in Figure 4.

Further, the upper and lower premolars intermesh evenly.

Although some breeds have standards for the head that are very similar, representatives of that breed are often found to have curves and a soft look about them. This is not typical of the Doberman, even though the written word is similar for both breeds. Remember that the Doberman head is one of angles and planes.

Now let’s discuss the teeth and the disqualifications. The standard says “Teeth- strongly developed and white. Lower incisors upright and touching inside of upper incisors a true scissors bite. 42 correctly placed teeth,- 22 in the lower, 20 in the upper jaw. Distemper teeth shall not be penalized. Disqualifying Faults:Overshot more than 3/16 of an inch.

Undershot more than 1/8 of an inch.

Four or more missing teeth.”

The teeth are important because they are integral to just about everything a dog does. They are not there in the Doberman just to grind food to digest.

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Figure 4 Correct bite

Incorrect bites include a level bite (the upper incisors meet the lower incisors at the biting edge) an undershot bite (the lower teeth extend beyond the upper teeth) and an overshot (the upper teeth extend beyond the lower teeth without contact). All are shown in Figure 5:

A r t i c l e | Judging the Doberman Head

Figure 5 Incorrect bites

There should be 42 teeth as shown in Figure 6. This is common to all dog breeds, but for some breeds, teeth are more important than others are.

The Doberman is expected to have a full complement of teeth.

The teeth and the muzzle and the underjaw are all interrelated. Each has an important affect on the other. Missing teeth are considered to be a structural fault because they have the potential to affect these other elements of the head and because of their importance to the functioning of the dog.

Figure 6 Correct teeth placement T H ED O G M A G AZ I N E 路 I SSU E 8 / 2 0 1 5

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A r t i c l e | Judging the Doberman Head

The Doberman judge must take examination of the mouth seriously. With each additional missing tooth the dog more closely approaches disqualification. This is not to say that a dog with a missing tooth or two should not be rewarded for his virtues. Dobermans with missing teeth do become champions. It is the judge’s responsibility to weigh the deviation along with the merits and other deviations of this dog. If a dog with a missing tooth more closely meets the standard than the competing dogs, by all means reward him.

Many judges do not consider a missing tooth as a serious fault. Two missing teeth are generally considered serious, and three are very serious.

Missing teeth can appear in a number of places. Sometimes there will be five incisors that are evenly spaced, and a missing tooth can be difficult to detect.

Missing premolars are the most common. Occasionally the rearmost molar is missing, especially on the lower jaw.

When examining Dobermans, you will sometimes find extra teeth, usually in the forward premolar area. Although there is no disqualification for extra teeth, the standard does call for 42 correctly placed teeth. Extra teeth deviate from this in two ways 1) the extra number of teeth is a deviation and 2) the extra teeth affect the correct placement of the other teeth.

Earlier we mentioned the importance of occlusion as it relates to the standard phrase “42 correctly placed teeth,- 22 in the lower, 20 in the upper jaw” It is important to note the intermeshing of the premolars to determine correct occlusion. Figure 7 and Figure 8 below will show you the correct and incorrect occlusion that you may encounter.

Examining the mouth is not a difficult task, once it has been practiced. The Doberman exhibitors are usually excellent trainers and presenters of their dogs. Dobermans are trained as pups to have their mouths examined, and there is seldom a problem in the ring.

You may ask the exhibitor to show the mouth, or you may examine it yourself.

Both methods are commonly practiced in the Doberman ring. Most exhibitors are prepared for either option.

Be careful when allowing an exhibitor to show the mouth that the exhibitor doesn’t cover gaps (missing teeth) with their fingers.

Figure 7 Correct Occlusion

One or two extra teeth are not uncommon. Three and four extras are seen occasionally.

When extra teeth are found, the premolars are smaller to allow space for the extras. It is easy to visualize judges forgiving extra teeth, until it becomes common to have too many small teeth … piranha-like in appearance. This is not the mouth that the standard requires.

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Figure 8 Incorrect Occlusion

A r t i c l e | Judging the Doberman Head

We have covered the head in detail, but it is important to summarize the essential elements. A correct Doberman head will have these six characteristics: 1. Blunt wedge from the top or in profile 2. Full muzzle and underjaw 3. Equal length and parallel planes (top of muzzle and head) 4. Dark almond eyes 5. High ear set 6. Doberman expression

Find these six characteristics and you have found a head that conforms to the standard.

You will find dogs that meet these characteristics, but are dissimilar in appearance. That is perfectly normal and acceptable, because much of the evaluation of the head is subjective.

Expression, angle of the blunt wedge, balance with the body and other aspects of the head are subject to the preferences of the judge. As long as the head has the general appearance of planes and angles and as long as it meets the six criteria listed above, then the judge is free to select the “best� head based on his own desires.

The photos that follow are considered to be examples of pleasing Doberman heads.

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A r t i c l e | Standard FCI

DOBERMANN 14.02.1994/EN FCI-Standard N° 143 TRANSLATION: Dobermann Council of K.U.S.A. (Kennel Union of Southern Africa).

ORIGIN: Germany UTILIZATION: Companion, protection and working dog.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE OFFICIAL VALID STANDARD: 14.02.1994.

FCI-CLASSIFICATION: Group 2 - Pinscher and Schnauzer type-Molossian type and Swiss Mountain and Cattle Dogs.

Section 1 Pinscher and Schnauzer type.

With working trial.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY: The Dobermann is the only German breed which bears the name of its original breeder, Friedrich Louis Dobermann (02.01.1834 – 09.06.1894).

He was believed to be a tax collector, offal abbatoir manager (knacker) and a part time dog catcher, legally able to catch all stray dogs. He bred with animals from this reservoir that were particularly sharp. The so called “butcher’s dogs” which were already considered a relatively pure breed at that time, played a most important role in the origination of the Dobermann breed. These dogs were an early type of Rottweiler, mixed with a type of shepherd which existed in “Thüringen” as a black dog with rust red markings. Herr Dobermann bred with this mixture of dogs in the Eighteen Seventies. Thus he obtained “his breed” : not only alert, but highly protective working and housedogs. They were often used as guard and police dogs.

Their extensive use in police work led to the nickname “Gendarme dog”. They were used in hunting to control large vermin.

In these circumstances it was a matter of course that the Dobermann was recognized officially as a Police Dog by the beginning of the century.

The Dobermann breed requires a medium sized, powerful, muscular dog. Despite his substance he shall be elegant and noble, which will be evident in his body line. He must be exceptionally suitable as a companion,

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protection and working dog and also as a family dog.

GENERAL APPEARANCE: The Dobermann is of medium size, strong and muscularly built. Through the elegant lines of its body, its proud stature, and its expression of determination, it conforms to the ideal picture of dog.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS: The body of the Dobermann appears to be almost square, particularly in males. The length of the body measured from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttock shall not be more than 5% longer than the height from the withers to the ground in males, and 10% in females.

BEHAVIOUR AND TEMPERAMENT: The disposition of the Dobermann is friendly and calm; very devoted to the family it loves children. Medium temperament and medium sharpness (alertness) is desired. A medium threshold of irritation is required with a good contact to the owner. Easy to train, The Dobermann enjoys working, and shall have good working ability, courage and hardness.

The particular values of self confidence and intrepidness are requied, and also adaptability and attention to fit the social environment.

HEAD CRANIAL REGION: Strong and in proportion to the body. Seen from the top the head is shaped in the form of a blunt wedge. Viewed form the front the crown line shall be almost level and not dropping off to the ears. The muzzle line extends almost straight to the top line of the skull which falls, gently rounded, into the neck line. The superciliary ridge is well developed without protruding.

The forehead furrow is still visible. The occiput shall not be conspicuous. Seen from the front and the top the sides of the head must not bulge. The slight bulge between the rear of the upper jawbone and the cheek bone shall be in harmony with the total length of the head. The head muscles shall be well developed.

Stop: Shall be slight but visibly developed.

FACIAL REGION: Nose: Nostrils well developed, more broad than round, with large openings without overall protrusion. Black – on black dogs; on brown dogs, corresponding lighter shades.

Muzzle: The muzzle must be in the right proportion with the upper head and must be

A r t i c l e | Standard FCI

strongly developed. The muzzle shall have depth. The mouth opening shall be wide, reaching to the molars. A good muzzle width must also be present on the upper and lower incisor area.

visible. In countries where docking is legally not permitted the tail may remain natural.

Flews: They shall be tight and lie close to the jaw which will ensure a tight closure of the mouth. The pigment of the gum to be dark; on brown dogs a corresponding lighter shade.

General appearance: The front legs as seen from all sides are almost straight, vertical to the ground and strongly developed.

Jaws/Teeth: Powerful broad upper and under jaw, scissor bite, 42 teeth correctly placed and normal size.

Eyes: Middle sized, oval and dark in colour.

Lighter shades are permitted for brown dogs.

Close lying eyelids. Eyelids shall be covered with hair. Baldness around the rim of the eye is highly undesirable.

Ears: The ear, which is set high, is carried erect and cropped to a length in proportion to the head. In a country where cropping is not permitted the uncropped ear is equally recognized. (Medium size preferred and with the front edge lying close to the cheeks).

NECK: The neck must have a good length and be in proportion to the body and the head. It is dry and muscular. Its outline rises gradually and is softly curved. Its carriage is upright and shows much nobility.

BODY: Withers: Shall be pronounced in height and length, especially in males and thereby determine the slope of the topline rising from the croup to the withers.

Back: Short and tight, of good width and well muscled.

Loin: Of good width and well muscled. The bitch can be slightly longer in loin because she requires space for suckling.

Croup: It shall fall slightly, hardly perceptible from sacrum to the root of the tail, and appears well rounded, being neither straight nor noticeably sloping, of good width and well muscled.

Chest: Length and depth of chest must be in the right proportion to the body length.

The depth with slightly arched ribs should be approximately 50% the height of the dog at the withers. The chest has got a good width with especially well developed forechest.

Underline and Belly: From the bottom of the breastbone to the pelvis the underline is noticeably tucked up.

TAIL: It is high set and docked short whereby approximately two tail vertebrae remain

LIMBS: FOREQUARTERS:

Shoulders: The shoulder-blade lies close against the chest, and both sides of the shoulder-blade edge are well muscled and reach over the top of the thoracic vertebra, slanting as much as possible and well set back. The angle to the horizontal is approximately 50%.

Upper arm: Good length, well muscled, the angle to the shoulder- blade is approximately 105° to 110°.

Elbow: Close in, not turned out.

Lower arm: Strong and straight. Well muscled. Length in harmony with the whole body.

Carpus (Carpal joint): Strong.

Metacarpus (Pastern): Bones strong.

Straight seen from the front. Seen from the side, only slightly sloping, maximum 10°.

Forefeet: The feet are short and tight. The toes are arched towards the top (cat like).

Nails short and black.

HINDQUARTERS: General appearance: Seen from the back the Dobermann looks, because of his well developed pelvic muscles in hips and croup, wide and rounded off. The muscles running from the pelvic towards the upper and lower thigh result in good width development, as well as in the upper thigh area, in the knee joint area and at the lower thigh. The strong hind legs are straight and stand parallel.

Upper thigh: Good length and width, well muscled. Good angulation to the hip joint.

Angulation to the horizontal approximately between 80° to 85°.

Knee: The knee joint is strong and is formed by the upper and lower thigh as well as the knee cap. The knee angulation is approximately 130°.

Lower thigh: Medium length and in harmony with the total length of the hindquarter.

Hock joint: Medium strength and parallel.

The lower thigh bone is joined to the metatarsal at the hock joint (angle about 140°).

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A r t i c l e | Standard FCI

Metatarsus (Rear pastern) : It is short and stands vertical to the ground.

Hind feet: Like the front feet, the toes of the back feet are short, arched and closed. Nails are short and black.

GAIT/MOVEMENT: The gait is of special importance to both the working ability as well as the exterior appearance. The gait is elastic, elegant, agile, free and ground covering. The front legs reach out as far as possible. The hind quarter gives far reaching and necessary elastic drive. The front leg of one side and back leg of the other side move forward at the same time. There should be good stability of the back, the ligaments and the joints.

SKIN: The skin fits closely all over and is of good pigment.

COAT: Hair: The hair is short, hard and thick. It lies tight and smooth and is equally distributed over the whole surface. Undercoat is not allowed.

Colour: The colour is black or brown, with rust red clearly defined and clean markings.

Markings on the muzzle, as a spot on the cheeks and the top of the eyebrow, on the throat, two spots on the forechest, on the metacarpus, metatarsus and feet, on the inside of the back thigh, on the arms and below the tail.

SIZE AND WEIGHT: Height at withers: Males: 68 – 72 cm.

Bitches: 63 – 68 cm.

Medium size desirable.

Weight: Males: about 40 – 45 kg.

Bitches: about 32 – 35 kg FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

• General Appearance: Reversal of sexual impression; little substance; too light; too heavy; too leggy; weak bones.

• Head: Too heavy, too narrow, too short, too long, too much or too little stop; Roman nose, bad slope of the top line of the skull; weak underjaw; round or slit

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eyes; light eye; cheeks too heavy; loose flews; eyes too open or too deepset; ear set too high or too low; open mouth angle.

• Neck: Slightly short; too short; loose skin around the throat; dewlap; too long (not in harmony); ewe neck.

• Body: Black not tight; sloping croup; sway back; roach back; insufficient or too much spring of rib; insufficient depth or width of chest; back too long overall; too little forechest; tail set too high or too low; too little or too much tuck up.

• Limbs: Too little or too much angulation front or hindquarters; loose elbow; deviations from the standard position and length of bones and joints; feet too close together or too wide apart; cow-hocks, spread hocks, close hocks; open or soft paws, crooked toes; pale nails.

• Coat: Markings too light or not sharply defined; smudged markings; mask too dark; big black spot on the legs; chest markings hardly visible or too large; hair long, soft, curly or dull. Thin coat; bald patches; large tufts of hair particularly on the body; visible undercoat.

• Character: Inadequate self confidence; temperament too high; sharpness too high; too high or too low a threshold of irritation.

• Size: Deviation of size up to two centimetres from the standard should result in a lowering of the quality grading.

• Gait: Wobbly; restricted or stiff gait; pacing.

DISQUALIFYING FAULTS • Aggressive or overly shy dogs.

• Any dog clearly showing physical of behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.

• General: Pronounced reversal of sexual impressions.

• Eyes: Yellow eyes (bird of prey eye); wall eye.

• Dentition: Overshot; level bite; undershot; missing teeth.

• Coat: White spots; pronounced long and wavy hair; pronounced thin coat or large bald patches.

• Size: Dogs which deviate more than two centimetres over or under the standard.

A r t i c l e | Standard FCI

N.B.: • Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding.

• • Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding.

The latest amendments are in bold characters.

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A r t i c l e | Standard AKC

This illustration source http://www.akc.org

OFFICIAL STANDARD OF THE

DOBERMAN PINSCHER General Appearance: The appearance is that of a dog of medium size, with a body that is square. Compactly built, muscular and powerful, for great endurance and speed.

Elegant in appearance, of proud carriage, reflecting great nobility and temperament.

Energetic, watchful, determined, alert, fearless, loyal and obedient.

Size, Proportion, Substance: Height at the withers: Dogs 26 to 28 inches, ideal about 27½ inches; Bitches 24 to 26 inches, ideal about 25½ inches. The height, measured vertically from the ground to the highest point of the withers, equaling the length measured horizontally from the forechest to the rear projection of the upper thigh. Length of head,

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neck and legs in proportion to length and depth of body.

Head: Long and dry, resembling a blunt wedge in both frontal and profile views.

When seen from the front, the head widens gradually toward the base of the ears in a practically unbroken line. Eyes almond shaped, moderately deep set, with vigorous, energetic expression. Iris, of uniform color, ranging from medium to darkest brown in black dogs; in reds, blues, and fawns the color of the iris blends with that of the markings, the darkest shade being preferable in every case. Ears normally cropped and carried erect. The upper attachment of the ear, when held erect, is on a level with the top of the skull. Top of skull flat, turning with slight stop to bridge of muzzle, with muzzle line extending parallel to top line of skull.

Cheeks flat and muscular. Nose solid black

A r t i c l e | Standard AKC

on black dogs, dark brown on red ones, dark gray on blue ones, dark tan on fawns.

Lips lying close to jaws. Jaws full and powerful, well filled under the eyes. Teeth strongly developed and white. Lower incisors upright and touching inside of upper incisors a true scissors bite. 42 correctly placed teeth, 22 in the lower, 20 in the upper jaw.

Distemper teeth shall not be penalized.

Disqualifying Fault - Overshot more than 3/16 of an inch. Undershot more than 1/8 of an inch. Four or more missing teeth.

Neck, Topline, Body: Neck proudly carried, well muscled and dry. Well arched, with nape of neck widening gradually toward body.

Length of neck proportioned to body and head. Withers pronounced and forming the highest point of the body. Back short, firm, of sufficient width, and muscular at the loins, extending in a straight line from withers to the slightly rounded croup.

Chest broad with forechest well defined.

Ribs well sprung from the spine, but flattened in lower end to permit elbow clearance.

Brisket reaching deep to the elbow. Belly well tucked up, extending in a curved line from the brisket. Loins wide and muscled. Hips broad and in proportion to body, breadth of hips being approximately equal to breadth of body at rib cage and shoulders. Tail docked at approximately second joint, appears to be a continuation of the spine, and is carried only slightly above the horizontal when the dog is alert.

Forequarters: Shoulder Blade-sloping forward and downward at a 45-degree angle to the ground meets the upper arm at an angle of 90 degrees. Length of shoulder blade and upper arm are equal. Height from elbow to withers approximately equals height from ground to elbow. Legs seen from front and side, perfectly straight and parallel to each other from elbow to pastern; muscled and sinewy, with heavy bone. In normal pose and when gaiting, the elbows lie close to the brisket. Pasterns firm and almost perpendicular to the ground. Dewclaws may be removed.

Feet well arched, compact, and catlike, turning neither in nor out.

Hindquarters: The angulation of the hindquarters balances that of the forequarters. Hip bone falls away from spinal column at an angle of about 30 degrees, producing a slightly rounded, well filled-out croup. Upper shanks at right angles to the hip bones, are long, wide, and well muscled on both sides of thigh, with clearly defined

stifles. Upper and lower shanks are of equal length. While the dog is at rest, hock to heel is perpendicular to the ground. Viewed from the rear, the legs are straight, parallel to each other, and wide enough apart to fit in with a properly built body. Dewclaws, if any, are generally removed. Cat feet as on front legs, turning neither in nor out.

Coat: Smooth-haired, short, hard, thick and close lying. Invisible gray undercoat on neck permissible.

Color and Markings: Allowed Colors-Black, red, blue, and fawn (Isabella). Markings-Rust, sharply defined, appearing above each eye and on muzzle, throat and forechest, on all legs and feet, and below tail. White patch on chest, not exceeding 陆 square inch, permissible.

Disqualifying Fault - Dogs not of an allowed color.

Gait: Free, balanced, and vigorous, with good reach in the forequarters and good driving power in the hindquarters. When trotting, there is strong rear-action drive. Each rear leg moves in line with the foreleg on the same side. Rear and front legs are thrown neither in nor out. Back remains strong and firm. When moving at a fast trot, a properly built dog will single-track.

Temperament: Energetic, watchful, determined, alert, fearless, loyal and obedient.

The judge shall dismiss from the ring any shy or vicious Doberman. Shyness-A dog shall be judged fundamentally shy if, refusing to stand for examination, it shrinks away from the judge; if it fears an approach from the rear; if it shies at sudden and unusual noises to a marked degree.

Viciousness-A dog that attacks or attempts to attack either the judge or its handler, is definitely vicious. An aggressive or belligerent attitude towards other dogs shall not be deemed viciousness.

Faults: The foregoing description is that of the ideal Doberman Pinscher. Any deviation from the above described dog must be penalized to the extent of the deviation.

Disqualifications: Overshot more than 3/16 of an inch, undershot more than 1/8 of an inch. Four or more missing teeth. Dogs not of an allowed color.

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INFO Lynn Glass - Gaindyke Scotland

JUDGING

JUDGING DOBERMANNS NEVER IMAGINED IN MY WILDEST DREAMS THAT I WOULD JUDGE CRUFTS As children, my cousin and I used to say we wanted to breed dogs when we grew up, my family always had dogs but I saw my first Dobermann when I was 9 years old and vowed then to one day have one of these fabulous animals. This became reality in 1974 when I was 18 years old, a beautiful black male, way too tall for the showring but a wonderful character and super introduction to the breed.

I bought my first showdog in 1981, again a black male and had some reasonable success although he never became a champion. Of course I caught the bug, so, soon two females were introduced to the household and I was regularly attending training classes, shows and seminars to learn as much as possible about the breed.

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A r t i c l e | Judging Dobermanns

ural progression from showing and breeding to becoming a judge, yes your dogs had to achieve certain qualifications but at that time judges’ education was in its infancy, I attended the very first UK Dobermann Breed Council seminar, John McManus, Mike Bradshaw and the late Margaret Woodward being the speakers. Shortly afterwards I was invited to judge my first show, 3 classes of Dobermanns with an entry of 67 !!!

Over the next few years I attended various seminars covering structure/ movement, rules & regulations and I continued to serve my apprenticeship at the open shows throughout the UK, eventually judging my first official Championship show in 1995 at the Scottish Kennel Club in Edinburgh.

Me with my current show dog - Lux Ch Angels Warriors Tiny Forever

Within a few years I qualified to have my affix, I chose Gaindyke which was a place near my home, I was accepted onto the Committee of the Scottish Dobermann Club and became friendly with a Scottish couple, John & Irene McManus (Metexa) who encouraged me to delve deeper into the whys and wherefores of the Dobermann. John was a particular advocate of European bloodlines and would show me photos of winning dogs in mainland Europe in the DV magazines - this was of course prior to the internet - hard to imagine now.

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My original dogs were of ‘old English’ breeding but I was becoming disheartened by continued problems and was nurturing the idea of importing a dog from Europe, so I ventured to the World show in Brussels - instead of finding a new dog I found a new husband and so began a fresh chapter in my life, John Hull was as obsessed with Dobermanns as me, our hopes and ambitions were similar although John was much more involved in the working side of the dogs, I love to see Dobermanns work but I am a softy, no fun out training in the snow or pouring rain !!

I was very involved with the Scottish Dobermann Club and we continued breeding and showing, also importing dogs from Roland Beunekens (van Roveline) & Willy op de Beek (van de Donken) in Belgium. The male Victor van Roveline was top sire in the UK for a number of years, producing many champions. The introduction of the Pet Passport scheme allowed us to exhibit

A r t i c l e | Judging Dobermanns

Sweden, my first overseas appointment, BOB Multi Ch Ulsan van de Donken

out-with the UK and so our kennel began to be known overseas and in turn I received invitations to judge.

I officiated at the Swedish Dobermann Club show in Ydinge, a lakeside venue in the height of summer, super dogs and my first time judging cropped eared exhibits. I was fortunate to return several times to Sweden and was always particularly impressed with the sound construction of dogs there, Jean Dark kennel of Jeanette Lemmeke regularly exhibiting top quality Dobermanns.

By 2004 we had relocated to France and although I did occasionally return to the UK to judge, eg judging females at the Dobermann Club show where my best was Sue & Pete Mycroft’s Ch Supeta’s Witchy Woman, I was now judging more frequently overseas. One

very memorable trip was to South Africa where we met some wonderful people and had an unforgettable visit to Kruger National Park, an experience I still hold dear.

Having been recommended by friends, Thord Bystrom & Lisa Druse I was invited to Indonesia to judge in Jakarta, such a long flight but so worthwhile, super dogs and lovely, lovely people.

The dogs were, on my first trip, mostly of v Frankenhorst decent with wonderful heads. Since that original visit, I have returned several times and can honestly say I have made such special friends that I feel it is my second home.

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Gitana Moravia Heart, owner William (Best in Show) Soedharman, Indonesia

BOB winner from Crufts 2015, UK CH Supeta’s Spells Trouble

gave top honors to a fabulous Fedor del Nasi daughter, Gitana Moravia Heart, owned by a very young enthusiast William Sudharman, earning him the nickname ‘William Best in Show’.

We struck up a friendship with William, later very successfully campaigning a dog for him in Europe and I returned to Jakarta in 2014 to attend his spectacular wedding.

to give in, his judging career was gaining momentum but he seldom accompanied me on judging engagements as we had several dogs at home so on my return we spent many hours debating virtues of various dogs. We both attended ‘The Nationals’ in USA although in different years and our opinions varied considerably, John being staunchly in favour of a stronger more workmanlike European dog, whereas I appreciated some of the refinement and style of the American bitches in particular those with South American influence.

Living in France we became involved in the show-scene there and I am fortunate to now have judged at all levels including the French Kennel Club ‘Championatt’ where my Best of Breed was a daughter of the famous Firam Abif Royal Bell, I am also approved to award confirmation certificates, similar to a fit for breeding assessment.

In 2011 I judged in Moscow, that was a real privilege, such depth of quality and so skillfully handled.

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We were both delighted when my Kennel Club invitation to judge at Crufts 2015 arrived, the UK system necessitating appointments be confirmed several years in advance, sadly John died in December 2012 so wasn’t able to share my big day.

I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would judge Crufts, that was for big important people, not people like

A r t i c l e | Judging Dobermanns

BOB winner from Crufts 2015, UK CH Supeta’s Spells Trouble

me, but as an exhibitor of many years I know the costs involved, the work, the hopes and aspirations, so that day, as every time I judge, I was thorough and fair with each exhibitor. I was delighted with the quality entry of almost 160, each having to qualify to enter, overseas qualification being particularly difficult added to the logistical problems of travel to a crowded NEC in Birmingham with a large dog. My worthy main winners in whom I found that combination of substance, elegance,

balance and soundness I look for in a Dobermann could compete at top level around the world.

Over the years I have judged many dogs and I think I am becoming more difficult to please now. One thing for sure, I have met some genuinely lovely people through Dobermanns and I cannot imagine what my life would have been like without our special breed.

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AUTHOR Cristina Linares García

HANDLING

Handling the dobermann

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Professional handler - breeder Spain Cristina Linares García www.narnoa.com

My name is Cristina Linares and I had my first dobermann 12 years ago.

It was love at first sight when I met the breed and one year later I got my first male Dobermann called Hamfri, out one of the best producers at that moment.

He was probably the most special dog I ever seen, and touched my heart in a very special way.

I started to show my dogs and learned from Dobermann breeders and handlers, of course the only way to show Dobermann was Double handling, and I was very convinced that this was the only and best way to show dogs (of course I couldn’t understand why crazy people showed other breeds so boringly). After a few years I started to work on IPO with my own dogs and did so

many nice things on shows, including the Spanish Championship and BIS in Specialty Club Show with so many important judges. Besides all this, all my dogs passed ZTP and with my special male even IPOIII. A few years later my life changed and I decided to go out and study to work on grooming. Of course, like all groomers I decided to take a grooming dog and for me that was a Bichon Frise. My little Noa had a very strong temper and was the perfect couple with her bodyguard Hamfri. I was complete broken when my best friend Hamfry died few months later, after the second pneumonia. And I still cry whenever I think about my best friend.

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A r t i c l e | Cristina Linares García

bermann, and started again the crazy world of shows with my little Bichon.

I met my boyfriend Joan Asensio, he’s a professional handler and I started to discover a new world, I had never seen before … different breeds, different ways to show dogs without stress, and the most important, I started to learn about structure and movement.

How bones have to be placed and the importance it has on the movement. I remember when I thought that a good movement was when dog was running without jumping…

I started to show and learn about different breeds, French Bulldog, Schnauzer, Poodle… but my eyes always crossed the Dobermann ring. Few years later I had the opportunity to show a Dobermann for a friend, he’s in a wheelchair and always looking for some help. Of course it wasn’t a good image for us 50 | THEDOGM AGAZ INE

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to show dogs, shouting and all crazy things people use on double handling, so we decided to start training a different way. I have to say that all this training was very difficult because this female was very devoted to her owner, and on the first shows she needed to see him no more than 8 meters away.

It was the beginning of a very nice adventure with my favorite breed. Of course all people were shocked when they saw how I was showing a Dobermann, but to my delight I saw that most of the judges appreciated this way of showing and we started to have very nice results.

After this little introduction I want to explain the difference between “double handling” and “showing on english or american way”.

On double handling we try to improve

A r t i c l e | Cristina Linares García

the lines of the dog by the resistance of the leash in the chest. The dog push from the rear and we get straight back, perfect tail set and more angulations on the front and rear, perfect, beautiful dog. Of course, in most cases the result of this is absolutely a fake, because we are changing all the structure of the dog, and when the dogs moves is when we could see the true quality. I need to add that double handling is forbidden.

On english or american showing we show dogs on a natural way, trying to highlight the qualities and hide the faults, but in a very elegant way. We can be placed anywhere and it helps us to show the judge the best part of the dog.

He can look, front, back or side ways.

Dogs are concentrated on the handler and we use to work with food or small toys, and is not necessary to stress dogs.

I can understand some specialist judges want to see dogs on double handling, but for this we have the Specialty Club Shows, IDC… When we go to National or International Show with all breeds its important the Dobermann gets a change to compete in the best way, and its impossible to show by double handling in a main ring. Of course its silly to hear people screaming and running outside the ring while the dog is disoriented, and probably the dog will be unnoticed by the judge.

Dobermann is one of the most stylish breeds and its our job to show them at their best and get the respect that they deserve, it won’t happen if we don’t try to be more professional and elegant in our job.

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we go to show, the dog needs to be in a perfect condition. Dobermann has short hear, but even then we can make a lot of grooming to enhance its beauty and improve the qualities. Just a simply correct nail cut can help to appear a shorter and compact foot/feed, and with some hear cut we can help neck, underline and angulations to be more overstate and project the body.

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Cristina Linares García

have the dog in the best physical condition, good food and daily exercise is the best way to have the great result.

Now its time to have take a look at the handler. Is not necessary to be dressed in a suit, but we need to be elegant and well-dressed, trying to choose the correct colors to don’t cover the profile of our dog. Of course the training suit with the logo or affix name is forbidden and don’t forget we’re in a beauty contest,

A r t i c l e | Cristina Linares García

we’re creating an image with our dog and we have to make it as beautiful as possible.

At the moment of the show, its very important to know exactly what we want to get, and this is easier if we know what we have to do in every moment.

When we are showing a puppy for the first time in the morning we need to be very concentrated on the instructions of the judge, but if we have the chance to see a few dogs before we will know what the judge is asking for and where we have to go, and it gives us a nice advantage and more time to work with our dog. It will help the judge as well, keep in mind that the judge is judging a lot of dogs during the day, and will be pleased if we can make it easy.

When we are showing the dog its very important to know where the judge is looking at that moment. Sometimes we try to make the perfect silhouette when the judge is only looking for the face expression or the front, and we loose the time trying to fix the back legs when it will be better to help the dog to have the best face expression and good looking.

Over time, we will be able to be very fast and make the best look for our dog in a few seconds. Of course we need a hard training and concentration, but if we have a good dog with nice temper it will be very easy. Sometimes its better to have a dog with nice temper for show than the most beautiful but fearful or apathetic, in most of the times I refuse to lose my time in this kind of dogs.

One of the most important things for the Dobermann should be de movement.

This is the way we can see a dog with its true structure and conformation.

We are talking about a working breed, so we need a elastic, elegant and free movement. Some of the dogs are working on IPO, and its a big problem

when the dog is looking at you during the movement because the body goes bending and loose all the powerful and balance, of course the front and back movement will be crossed. So we need to get a free and fast movement with the dog looking straight. Be careful with the amble, this is a typical relaxed movement and can be accepted in some breeds, but unbalanced angulations is not desirable for dobermann.

During my stay in USA, I learned about the importance of a well-balanced dogs and the perfect control of the handlers.

It was easy to see 40 dogs on the ring and all of them where complete relaxed and focussed on the handlers. Of course it was a delight to the eye and I miss it so much.

For the moment we so much enjoy our Dobermann, imported from Argentina.

We need to make a big selection on judges, because of the type, but for the moment we have had some nice results including Jr. Champion, BIS puppy, some BIS junior, BIS 3 from junior class and Best of Winners on the specialty Dobermann in our last trip to America.

So, I think is not a difficult job to make a nice presentation and have the best results. The best example is our Dobermann “Vega”. With a beautiful dog, nice temper and good show we can get so many nice results. including BIS all breeds and winning the #1 all breeds 2014.

I want to recommend all breeders and owners to go and have look at others breeds, maybe not on French Bulldog or Maltese, but is important to learn about dogs and not only Dobermann, and we can find so many similarities on miniature Pinchers, Schnauzers… All this will help us to learn and open our mind about this crazy world of dogs.

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AUTHOR Sue Mycroft

BREEDERS

SUPETA DOBERMANNS

A PASSION FOR THE BREED, THE REALISATION OF A DREAM

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Sue Mycroft Supeta Dobermanns www.supetadobermanns.webeden.co.uk

Supeta Dobermanns were established in the early 1980’s and the affix is owned by myself - Sue and my husband Pete Mycroft. Having always loved and enjoyed competing in the horse world I was immediately drawn to the clean lines of the Dobermann and the wonderful strength of character that they show. To this day I still say that the Dobermann is the ‘Arab of the canine world’.

Our first Dobermann was Adoradobe The Uptown Girl (Kayli). She was a super showgirl with a fantastic outgoing temperament and we had plenty of success with her gaining 1CC and 1RCC. It was because of Kayli that our interest in the dobe developed. Our first champion was the black male Ch Jowendys Kool Choice bred by Wendy Burge of the Jowendys kennel who became my very close friend and mentor.

At this time the Jowendys Kennel had

a bitch called Ch Jowendys Into Jazz and we were so impressed with this bitch that we booked a puppy. We had to wait for well over a year but it was worth it as this is where our foundation bitch came from. She was Ch Jowendys Kia-Ora. Boogie was our first bitch champion. When choosing a stud for her we decided to use her half brother Ch Jowendys Kilowatt and from this mating we got our first homebred champion - Ch/Irish Ch Supeta’s Orangina (8 CC’s, 12 RCC’s). Jazz was and still is the only brown bitch to gain both her English and Irish titles.

Whilst Jazz was a youngster we decided to bring in a male that would hopefully be suitable as a mate for her at a later date and so we decided to purchase Ch Michcar Jumpin’ Jack Flash.

He was a Kilowatt son out of a bitch from primarily Findjans/Dizown lines.

Vinny was a very enthusiastic showman but he is also very capable when it

Ch & Irish Ch Supeta’s Positively Perfect for Cooley

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comes to protection of the family – the total Dobermann. We mated Jumpin’ Jack Flash to Orangina in October 1996 and this produced Ch Supeta’s Caughtya’ Dreamin’ JW. It was around this time that Pete and myself started to travel around the European shows and we were impressed by the overall qualities that they exhibited both physically and mentally. The capabilities of the Dobermann became more and more obvious as you watched these beautiful animals work and our goals changed course to the degree that we wanted to include these qualities in our own breeding programme. It was with this in mind that we decided to use the Dutch Import Nemesis Feo v Koepsel at Sallate (Multi Ch Graaf Quirinus v Neerlands Stam x Multi Ch Kalina v Norden Stamm) to Orangina.

Ch Supeta’s Lyin Eyes for Sizlin

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From this mating we got Ch/Irish Ch Supeta’s Positively Perfect for Cooley (Frasier). Frasier was only used a few times before his death due to a tragic accident but his offspring have proved themselves over and over again in the ring.

At the same time as we had the litter to Nemesis Feo we also obtained a bitch from the Sallate Kennel, namely Sallate Dixie (Nemesis Feo v Koepsel at Sallate x Gravin Winey v Neerlands Stam at Sallate). Mimi was only shown on a few occasions but still managed a RCC and several firsts at Champ Show level but her real qualities shone through in the whelping box. When she was old enough we mated her to the Belgian Import Victor v Roveline (Multi Ch Alfa Adelante del Citone x Ch Quercia v Roveline). This produced a super litter from which two bitches

A r t i c l e | Supeta Dobermanns

Ch & Ir Ch Supeta’s Enuf’s Enuf for Cooley

took their titles namely Ch Supeta’s Witchy Woman JW and Ch Supeta’s Lyin’ Eyes for Sizlin who was also very successful in the obedience ring, a world very much dominated by the border collie. A year later this litter was repeated and produced Supeta’s Soul Sister at Gaindyke, a bitch who had tremendous working abilities and in her owners own words (John Hull) said she was “quite simply the best working dobermann he had ever owned”. Sallate Dixie was then mated to a Victor son - Jowendys Robin The Hood and a further bitch was made up, namely Supeta’s Top Tip for Mavson.

Having already had much success with the breeding lines from Victor we bought in his daughter from Wendy Burge – Jowendy’s Enuf Said for Supeta – litter sister to Jowendy’s Robin The Hood. We mated her to Ch/ Irish Ch Supeta’s Positively Perfect for Cooley which produced two further champions for us in the male Ch/Irish Ch Supeta’s Enuf’s Enuf for Cooley and the female Ch Supeta’s Enuf Alredi JW. We are always looking to improve our lines and so when Dave Gelderd and Lisa Sawyer decided to use Multi Ch Vysan van hof ter Eeckhout on their

Ch Supeta’s Enuf Alredi JW

Ch Sallate Striptease we went along to take a look at the litter and, although we were not really looking for another puppy, a strong, well made male puppy took our eye and Boris (Ch Talacre Vysans Boy at Supeta JW) came home with us. He had a tremendous show career and not only has a total of 26 CC’s but was also BOB and 3rd and 2nd respectively in the working group at Crufts 2004 and 2005 and was also an all breed champ show BIS winner.

We were very impressed with the pups produced by Sallate Dixie and Jowendy’s Robin The Hood so we decided to use him on her daughter Ch Supeta’s Witchy Woman JW. This produced a singleton puppy who went on to become Ch Supeta’s Wicked Wizard at Sonakint JW and when repeated Supeta’s Witchqueen JW ShCM. With the success of the breedings incorporating the Feo and Victor lines we decided to use Ch Supeta’s Wicked Wizard JW on a Frasier daughter and this produced another lovely bitch Ch Supeta’s Feels Like Heaven at Zuffenhausen JW ShCM. By this time our bloodlines were becoming very close so we decided it T H ED O G M A G AZ I N E · I SSU E 8 / 2 0 1 5

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Ch & Irish Ch Talacre Vysan’s Boy at Supeta JW

Ch Supeta’s Witchy Woman JW

Ch Supeta’s Wicked Wizard at Sonakint JW

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Ch Supeta’s Feels Like Heaven at Zuffenhausen JW ShCM

was time for an outcross again so we used the Russian Import Ch Korifey iz Zoosfery on Ch Supeta’s Enuf Alredi JW and this mating produced the famous Ch/Lux Ch Supeta’s Ozzy Osbourne JW (Syd) who is the top winning dobermann in the UK of all time with a massive total of 71 CC’s making him the Breed Record holder in the UK. Not only a fantastic showdog he is a fabulous producer with many champion children and grandchildren.

Syd himself was BOB and Group 3 at Crufts in 2011.

Having made the outcross to Ch Korifey iz Zoosfery we were then able to come back in and so we mated Ch/ Lux Ch Supeta’s Ozzy Osbourne JW to Supeta’s Witchqueen JW ShCM (Jowendy’s Robin The Hood ex Ch Supeta’s Witchy Woman JW). We re-

peated this mating three times. The first mating produced Ch Supeta’s Grace Kelly of Ostertag, the second mating produced Ch Supeta’s Secret Wizard at Dronski JW ShCM (18 CC’s) who was BOB at Crufts 2014 and winner of the Dobermann Classic in the same year. The third and final mating produced our Ch Supeta’s Spells Trouble JW ShCM (Izzy) who at just 2 years of age was BOB at Crufts 2015 under renowned breed specialist Mrs Lynn Glass (Gaindyke). Izzy already has 10 CC’s to her name along with a Group win at Scottish Kennel Club Champ Show in May this year. She is currently leading the Top Dog table in the UK for the breed.

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with the firmness of character to live among children and other animals and to protect them when and where necessary. We feel that we are well on our way to that goal.

Ch & Lux Ch Supeta’s Ozzy Osbourne JW

angina with a little more bone and a stronger head – well now I have her. I have been lucky enough to have many memorable successes over the years but the feeling of pride when Lynn Glass handed us the BOB rosette at Crufts this year was immense.

For the moment I am enjoying showing Izzy but at the same time I am now looking for a future breeding for her.

Her pedigree is quite tight so this will enable us to look further afield if necessary. We believe that there is no country that stands above another when it comes to breeding the best dobermanns but our aim is and always has been to combine the best of English, American and European lines to produce a Dobermann with not only bone, substance and good confirmation but 62 | THEDOGM AGAZ INE

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Ch Supeta’s Grace Kelly of Ostertag

Ch Supeta’s Secret Wizard at Dronski JW ShCM

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Ch Supeta’s Spells Trouble JW ShCM

Ch & Irish Ch Supeta’s Orangina

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AUTHOR Luiz Fernando Ribas Silva

PHOTOS Luiz Fernando Ribas Silva archive

Luiz Fernando at 11 years old with his first Dobermann in 1974

BREEDERS

CHARLESTON DOBERMANS Breeding, Showing and Judging

By Luiz Fernando Ribas Silva

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Luiz Fernando Ribas Silva Charlestondobermans – Brazil www.charlestondobermans.com

Luiz, 15 years old and his first MultiBIS & BISS breeder-owner-handled Dobermann named “Tony”, MultiCh. Anthony Charleston pictured in 1978.

I was born in the city of Curitiba, in the South of Brazil, where I live to this day.

Since my early years, I have had great admiration for dogs and when I was 3 years old, after asking a lot, I got a little pet dog – a Miniature Pinscher – from my parents. By the time I was 8 years old, I started to collect this monthly issue called Enciclopédia Canina from Italian author Fiorenzo Fiorone, and learned about the origins of dogs, breeding and handling and foremost about breeds standards, their functions and the history of all 300 breeds that existed at the time, described on two volumes collected for two years.

And my study of this work made me decide that the breed that I would like to breed would be the Dobermann. So, I started bugging my parents again this time asking for a Dobermann puppy.

Even with the unjustifiably bad fame of Dobermanns at the time, that stated that they were dangerous even to their

owners and family, my parents eventually caved and I got a puppy bitch from a breeder from Curitiba.

In her first show, handled by myself and even without any experience, she won Best Puppy in Show – which was a great incentive to a child in his first dog show. After that, however, the results were not so great and that made me study the breed standard harder in order to fully appreciate her real faults and to assert to myself that she would not be a top show dog. I then bred her and when I was 11 years old, I had my first Dobermann litter under the Charleston Dobermanns suffix. Twelve puppies were born, six males and six females, all black & tan. It was a real challenge to a kid, even with the help of my mother, to raise all the puppies.

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MultiBIS&BISSMultiCh. Ornella Charleston was the number 1 dog of all breeds in Brasil in 1991.

Pictured winning Winners Bitch at the Santa Ana Valley Doberman Pinscher Club Specialty show breeder-owner-handled by Luiz Fernando in Los Angeles, California in 1993. Photo by Cheri McNealy

er became MultiBIS.BISS.FCI Int’l Ch.Braz.GrCh. He won two all breed adult Best in Show breeder-owner-handled from the puppy class. Those wins were big for an early teen breeder, and made me push forward with confidence and strength in the breeding of quality Show Dobes.

I kept my breeding rate at an average of just one litter every two years, and continued to deepen my studies about the dynamics and structure of dogs in general and by 19, I applied for the exams and was approved as a specialized judge for the Dobermann breed by CBKC/FCI. Since the minimal age required by the FCI to apply for the judge exams was 21 years old, I had to be 68 | THEDOGM AGAZ INE

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legally emancipated by my parents to become the youngest dog show judge of South America. Twenty years later, I became all-rounder judge by CBKC/ FCI. In 1987 I married Evelyne, who has always loved dogs and other animals.

Until then, she had never had or bred show dogs. However, with her amazing abilities and perfectionism, she quickly became quintessential on the betterment of the Charleston breeding, which had started thirteen years earlier. Among dozens of Top Dobes MultiBIS/BISS winners bred and owned by us, I highlight MultiBIS&BISS.MultiCh. Ornella Charleston, the first Dobermann bred in South America to win

A r t i c l e | Breeding, Showing and Judging

MultiBIS. BISS. Braz. Am. Ch. Gipsy Storm Charleston “Charlie” pictured winning a 5-point-major at the Winter Florida Circuit 96 under breeder-judge Mrs. Irene Bivin (in memoriam)

Best of Breed and Group placements in the U.S. “Charlie” - MultiBIS.BISS. Am.Braz.Ch. Gipsy Storm Charleston, was the first Dobermann born in Brazil to finish the American Championship title. She became one of the top Dobermann Producer bitches of all times in South America with more than twenty Charleston Champion kids in different countries and continents, including several top Multi BIS & BISS winners, among them MultiBIS.BISS. MultiCh. Charleston Yankee, who was the top breeder-owner-handled Dobermann of all times in Latin America.

Along these more than forty years of breeding, with an average of less than one litter a year, we’ve bred more than 120 champions in 15 different countries, several of them winners of na-

MultiBIS.BISS.MultiCh. Charleston Yankee was the top breeder-owner-handled Dobermann of all times in Latin America with 43 Best in Shows in 3 continents! Pictured finishing his Canadian Championship title in his first 3 shows there winning BOB’s, 2 Group First and an all breed Best in Show from the Bred by Exhibitor class in 1998!

tional rankings in different years, collecting more than 250 Best in Shows in all breed and specialty shows, most of them handled by the breeder-owner. In a period of twenty years (1990 – 2009), Evelyne and I won Breeder’s National rankings in Brazil such as “Dobermann Breeder of the Year” 16 times.

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Luiz judging the Los Angeles Doberman Club Annual Specialty show in 2002

Judging the Annual Specialty show of the Dobermann Club of Natal in Durban, South Africa in 2007

Judging the Champion Bitch class at the Brazilian Dobermann Nationals in Rio 2006

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My Best of Breed at the Sydney Royal Show 2011

tunity to judge several Specialties in all regions of Brazil and Argentina, and also in several other countries such as The Dobermann Festival 2000 in Sydney, Australia, the Los Doberman Pinscher Club Annual Specialty in California, U.S. in 2002, the First Dobermann National Specialty show of Doberman Pinscher Club of India in 2004. In that same year, I judged the First Specialty of The Azteca Dobermann Club in

Mexico. Some months later I went to Australia again to judge The Dobermann Club of Western Australia in Perth and the 40th Anniversary Championship Specialty show of the Dobermann Club of Victoria in Melbourne.

In the following years, I judged the Host National Specialty show in Brazil in 2006, the 2007 Annual Specialty of the Dobermann Club of Natal in Durban, South Africa. In 2008 Evelyne T H ED O G M A G AZ I N E 路 I SSU E 8 / 2 0 1 5

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My Best in Show winner in San Antonio cluster shows in Texas, US - 2013

judged the Dobermann Club of Western Australia Annual Specialty show and I judged the Dobermann breed at the Royal Shows also in Perth and Tasmania and then again the Sydney Royal Show in 2011. In the year after that, it was the Canadian Host National Specialty show hosted by the British Columbia Doberman Pinscher Club in Vancouver.

Evelyne and I have judged several Specialties in Argentina and more recently, in the end of 2013, the Host Nationals of the Dobermann Club Argentina in Buenos Aires. This month, I will be judging again the Canadian Host National Specialty Show by the Dober72 | THEDOGM AGAZ INE

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mann Pinscher Club of Great Montreal.

Besides the Specialties, I’ve judged the Dobermann breed in all breed shows in almost 20 different countries of all continents in the last fifteen years.

Those experiences as a breeder, exhibitor and judge of this wonderful breed are part of my life and it is always a pleasure to share part of those adventures with other Dobermann lovers.

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AUTHOR Amanda Albretsen

PHOTOS K. Highley

MY JOURNEY SPORT

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Amanda Albretsen www.agilitydobermans.com

Miniature Pinscher puppy and named him Indigo. While Indigo was a great little dog that I loved very much, I told my husband I never wanted another dog. Owning a dog was too difficult because of my asthma and allergies.

Fast-forward 15 years – I currently own 3 beautiful Dobermanns and can’t imagine my life without them! I train and compete regularly with my Dobermanns in agility and my life revolves completely around them. I spend hours each week with them training, competing and keeping them physically fit with plenty of off leash hikes.

You may ask, how could I go from never wanting another dog again to completely immersing my life with them?

Well, here is how it all happened...

Several years after we got little Indigo, the Miniature Pinscher, my husband believed Indigo needed a friend. My husband had always wanted a Dobermann and again convinced me to let him get a Dobermann. We found a cute Dobermann puppy and named her Ellie.

My exposure to dogs growing up was pretty nonexistent. My siblings and I always wanted a dog but my parents didn’t like the idea. Several of my family members, including myself, had terrible asthma and allergies caused by dogs which made owning a dog not an option. After I got married, my husband really wanted a Dobermann.

At the time, we were living in a small apartment and a Dobermann was certainly not ideal for apartment living. My husband convinced me to let him get a Miniature Pinscher. We found a cute

Ellie began as my husband’s dog and she was a sweet family pet. She was always a little fearful of things but was a perfect family dog. When Ellie was a year and a half old, we were driving down the road when I saw a sign outside a local horse training facility that said, “Dog Agility Competition.” The sign spiked my curiosity about the event and I went to check it out. That was the day that forever changed my life with my dogs.

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Photo by Janet Shurilla Douglass

Photo by Bridget Maloney-Hulslander

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A r t i c l e | My Journey

an enjoyable experience for me.

running through the obstacle course with their handlers. I was amazed at the attention and focus from the dogs towards their handlers. I was also very surprised at the physical ability of the handler to be able to run with the dog and direct them through the obstacle course. I watched for several hours in amazement. I signed up for agility class that week with my Dobermann Ellie and from that point on, I was hooked on agility.

I did not have a lot of experience with dogs growing up which made training Ellie very challenging for me. Ellie taught me a lot of engagement. She was a difficult dog to handle and was always a little fearful and sensitive to her environment. I found myself constantly bribing her with cookies, as she was too distracted and worried to play with toys in new environments. Sometimes she wouldn’t even eat treats outside the house. I was frequently stressed by her unpredictability in different environments. Needless to say, this was not

I knew that there had to be a better way to train Ellie and I wanted so badly for Ellie and I to be a better team on the agility course. I started to study from many of the best dog agility trainers in the United States as well as in Europe.

It took me several years to train Ellie and become confident in our ability to work together as a team on the agility course. We had a lot of struggles that made me feel like quitting at times, but we stuck with it. Despite our struggles and challenges, I learned a lot from training Ellie and I believe that experience prepared me in many ways to train not only my current and upcoming competition Dobermanns, but my student’s dogs as well.

Currently I am competing in agility with my Dobermann, Mya. While many people don’t view Dobermanns as the ideal breed for agility, Mya proves them wrong. Mya frequently wins first place in agility competitions against many competitive breeds (including those fast Border Collies). For the first quarter of 2015, Mya was ranked #10 of all dogs in all breeds in the United States competing in the 24” jumping class on the Power 60 list (a list ranking dogs by their cumulative speed and performance in agility competitions). When compared to other Dobermanns in the United States competing in agility, Mya frequently posts some of the fastest average course times.

This past year has been full of amazing experiences with Mya, including making the Doberman Pinscher Club of America Agility Top 20 list. This was a very big accomplishment for us that we spent a lot of time working towards! From May 1st through April T H ED O G M A G AZ I N E · I SSU E 8 / 2 0 1 5

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30th of each year, Dobermanns from across the United States compete in agility competitions held by the American Kennel Club. The dogs must run the agility courses correctly. When the course is run correctly, the dog earns speed points for every second the dog is faster than the maximum agility course time. Throughout the year, all the speed points are accumulated.

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into the Agility Top 20 to compete at this national event.

During the qualification period, Mya had a litter of 6 beautiful puppies. I knew Mya and I would have reduced time to achieve the goal of making the Doberman Pinscher Club of America Agility Top 20, especially considering that other Dobermanns had already been competing every weekend while Mya was having puppies. Although I knew it would be challenging, I knew that with Mya’s unmatchable speed and ability to accumulate large amounts of speed points at every competition, we could achieve the goal with our dedication.

With only 5 agility competitions remain-

A r t i c l e | My Journey

ing for the qualifying period in my home state of Utah, Mya and I had the opportunity to travel thousands of miles together all over the western United States attending agility competitions in an effort to achieve our Agility Top 20 goal. In less than half the qualifying time as the other Dobermanns, Mya was able to successfully make her way into the Agility Top 20 by the end of the qualifying period. I couldn’t be happier with our results!

In addition to making the Doberman Pinscher Club of America Agility Top 20, this past year Mya also qualified and competed at both the 2014 United States Dog Agility Nationals and the 2015 American Kennel Club Agility World Team Tryouts. At the 2015 Rocky Mountain Regional, Mya won First Place in both the Dog Agility Masters Team Tournament and Masters Challenge Biathlon Standard class against many of the best handlers and dogs from across the United States.

Mya also qualified for 2015 United States Dog Agility Association Nationals in Tennessee as well the 2016 American Kennel Club Agility Nationals in Oklahoma. I am extremely excited to attend these events with Mya this upcoming year.

Agility is a fun and exciting hobby for Mya and I to enjoy together. Mya is a crowd pleaser to watch on the agility course. She is well known for her running contacts and tight turns around the course. Her enthusiasm for agility is over the top and the crowd always knows when Mya is on course.

From Mya’s litter, I kept one female puppy that I named “Ru.” Ru is becoming a brilliant agility dog. While Ru is not old enough for agility competi-

tion yet, she is already surprising me with her athleticism and ability to fly around the agility course. Her ability to learn new skills is amazing and her work ethic is outstanding. I am very excited to compete with Ru one day in agility. She will have some very big “paws” to fill!

I am grateful to my husband for convincing me to let him get a Dobermann.

It has forever changed my life. Dobermanns are a delight to live with and can be very social and versatile dogs in all types of activities, including agility.

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AUTHOR

TRAINING

TRAINING DOBERMANNS Jay Horgan has owned Dobermanns for over 34 years, and with her husband Martin bred and owned the highest qualified Schutzhund (working) Dobermann in the UK, and bred the UK bitch breed record holder in showing.

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Photo by Will Harris, Snap an Image

Jay Horgan

Jay Horgan Aritaur Dobermanns & German Pinschers Staffordshire Moorlands UK www.aritaur.co.uk

Everything we do is trained through fun and play and the dog doesn’t realise he is being trained. Positive and happy relationships with dogs with sound leadership reduces conflict and anxiety (for both dog and human!) and recall, basic obedience, dog aggression, lead control and general daily behaviour, and we teach through enjoyment how to train your dog as a partnership. We do not fight with dogs, yank dogs off their feet, force down on puppies back ends to make them sit, shout at dogs or use harsh methods. By changing your voice, body language and general motivation you can have a far better influence on your dog rather than your voice saying one thing but your body language saying another. The Dobermann is a dynamic, energetic breed and they need motivational training. Training here is never boring going around in endless circles in a dull class environment. We also teach track laying, introduction to Schutzhund or Working Trials, and ringcraft (show) training, but the overall emphasis is building a partnership with your dog through natural respect and leadership.

There is no ‘one way’ to train a Dobermann as all dogs are as different as their owners are from each other, so you should understand your dog in more depth to enjoy a true partnership with your dog.

Although owners love to blame their dogs problems on him or his breeding, the previous owners, the ‘bad experience’ they had at the park etc etc, in a nutshell most behavioural problems are down to lack of leadership and inadequate socialisation. You may have trained your dog just the same as you trained the last one, but if you didn’t consider his character (www.volhard. com character assessment test) which

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is totally different from your last dog, you may not get the behaviour you expected from him. Character comes from genetics (nature); behaviour from environment (nurture).

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they get off! We don’t have to nag our dogs because they know the rules and consequences. We are neither soft nor hard, but we do give clear boundaries of acceptable behaviour and we do not reward or tolerate undesired behaviour.

Convenient though it may be to blame puppy ‘ASBO’ for his unruly, aggressive, lead pulling, dog aggression and general ADHT, a breeder can place two puppies with identical characters in different homes and their behaviours will be totally different. The one raised with direction, leadership and guidance who is part of a happy family who play games with him and who take him everywhere with them will be able to learn new tasks easily and will be calm and relaxed at home. The other raised with either too much or too little discipline will behave like a hooligan, jump all over people, not listen to instruction, chase your feet, bite your hands, launch at the windows to get 88 | THEDOGM AGAZ INE

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other dogs and will probably later become aggressive to other dogs. If you want a well behaved dog, look at what you do to possibly cause the behaviour and ask if you have done the best you could to give your dog a great upbringing?

There is a modern belief that discipline is a bad word. Discipline in the true sense is structure and rules; we all have to work within rules – get up in the morning, go to work, pay the bills on time etc. A dog should be expected to behave with good manners, doing what you ask nicely, and not behave like a thug. A dog is not a small human.

If you treat a dog like a human and expect it to behave like a human, you are working against nature and you will create problems. Most common problems are: Guards all the time - needs direction and management to tell him when it is a real and appropriate threat, not just a

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cation except maybe one or two puppy classes, and one hours’ exercise a day running around the park whilst you browse Facebook.....why did you get a dog?!

perceived one.

Jumps up biting the lead or chasing feet - high prey drive, needs manners to understand that behaviour is unacceptable.

Ignores recall - you’re more boring than the rabbit Dog aggressive, constant barking or wanting to fight, lack of direction, and/ or lack of socialisation.

Refuses to obey/listen - you bore them, over use their name/commands, nag or shout commands like they’re deaf or you’re giving mixed signals so the dog totally avoids your confusion.

Most dogs are bored and lack any mental stimulation in their lives which is just as bad as not sending a child to school and not bothering to sit and read with them in the evening. If you don’t give a dog any socialisation and leave it at home all the time, no edu-

Years ago the working abilities of the Dobermann were harnessed with good training clubs in most areas, but the majority of dogs are no longer trained correctly (if at all) and are left to mentally fester. Most owners want well behaved, socially acceptable dogs but either don’t consider their dogs’ mental requirements, don’t care or just don’t know what options are available to them. When people enquire about puppies and I ask why they want a Dobe, some reply ‘because they are so intelligent’. I then ask what they are planning to ‘do’ with the dog and the silence says it all. They like the look of the dog but haven’t considered the brain underneath.

Don’t wait until the puppy has had his full course of vaccinations before taking him out. The best time to socialise puppies is between 7-12 weeks so if you wait until after that time you have missed a golden opportunity. Take your puppy to ‘safe’ places where there is a low risk of disease so he can meet friendly dogs and new people. Leave him for a couple of hours at other friends houses preferably if they have a nice kind dog he can pal up with.

Invite friends with their dogs to come to your house. Not least it will give you good contacts for puppy/dog sitting shares. As he’ll be quite heavy even at 10 weeks, use a baby carrier sling to carry him everywhere with you.

Puppies should be allowed plenty of freedom to learn what life is about but without becoming bullies or being bullied. Never ever let your dog play with an older dog who pushes him around.

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You might think it is funny that your puppy is bold and snapping back at a big dog whereas actually the puppy doesn’t have any choice as otherwise he will be pushed around by the other dog. You wouldn’t let your child be pushed around by other children so don’t let it happen with dogs, because sure as anything he’ll remember it and will always hold a grudge. Furthermore he’ll know you did nothing to stop it and that is unforgiveable. Don’t worry if other people think you’re being over-protective. Better that than letting a baby dog be pushed around.

can’t teach your puppy to sit, lie down and walk to heel yourself, at least get on with socialisation. If you live in town take the puppy to the countryside to sit by a field and watch the livestock moving around and to the local stables so he will be sound with horses if he ever meets them on his walks later in life.

If you live in the countryside take your puppy to the local shopping centre, to school arrival and leaving time, to the local market, the local pub. Obviously don’t terrify him by too much too soon but gradually introduce him to the busy life he won’t hear in the country.

Find a good training and socialisation class with your pup/youngster, preferably an outdoor one for the summer if possible as some indoor ones can become a bit claustrophibic and tense for the dogs. However, if they are booked up don’t sit and wait at home until you can get a space. If you really

Dobermanns tend to ‘think too much’ for the average handler which is one reason the police tend not use Dobermanns, preferring the more biddable GSD. Dobes anticipate your next move and figure what they need to do for the situation. Dobes will excel in whatever field you wish to train them in, but

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their success depends on the quality of your training, understanding and empathy with them. Dogs learn behaviour from us. If we push them around, force them to do things or let them get away with things, they will respond accordingly with aggression and defence.

Training should always be achieved through play. If your pup/youngster is expected to sit still like a stuffed dummy for ages and you feel as bored as they do, it will be the trainers’ fault for failing to keep you all occupied. Don’t ever accept being made to feel stupid, being ignored, being told Dobermanns are un-trainable or stupid, and don’t ever stand for any harsh handling at any club. If you feel remotely uncomfortable just get up and leave and find a club you’re happier at. You will be doing yourself and your dog a great favour.

If your dog is becoming even more badly behaved at club than before you went, simply leave the club. It is the wrong environment for you and your dog where frustration is the norm and poor trainers will do more harm than good. Neither humans nor dogs can learn under stress. Remove stress, train in the home, then once the behaviour is embedded, step by step take it outside, then down the road, then in the park.

Don’t use compulsion (force) when training unless you are at a very proficient level of training with an adult who fully understands consequences and correction given calmly. You will build up resistance leading to frustration.

Keep training short and sweet. 2 minute sessions a day is quite sufficient.

Dobes are fast workers, fast learners with high energy. Train quickly and with interest. Train in ‘modules’ then when the desired behaviour is embedded - 4

weeks to embed muscle/brain memory, string (chain) the exercises together.

If you rush things before the exercise is 100% solid, you will break the confidence, introduce avoidance and teach your dog to make errors. The Dobermann is not a robot so don’t train the same exercise more than three times and if the dog succeeds at the second attempt, leave it there on a win for the day. Train the same exercise for very short periods but for at least a month before then training the exercise in the garden, then in the front garden, then in the street etc.

Don’t be unreasonable or unrealistic and ask your dog to sit or lie down etc when there are too many distractions.

If you haven’t trained it 100% solid and your dog ignores you when you’re in training class, go back to basics as above.

If using food reward, tailor the right level of reward - liver is ‘too exciting’ to be used in normal training. Use Edam cheese cut into small dice and ready cooked cocktail sausages keeping food reward in small pieces. Use food to embed the required behaviour in your dog and keep using treats for many months before moving to intermittent reward. It takes 28 days for the muscle memory, and brain memory to ‘fix’ an action to command in the dogs’ mind.

Some months later on the intermittent reward of food reward keeps the dog on his toes wondering how to win the reward rather than you just being a vending machine. Learn about clicker training as an alternative to constant feeding, but feel free to carry on using food rewards – you wouldn’t work for nothing so don’t expect your dog to either. Praise promptly - use a clicker, or cheek/tongue click and reward. Dogs work in the moment. It is imperative T H ED O G M A G AZ I N E · I SSU E 8 / 2 0 1 5

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that you reward instantly. Immediate delivery of food on behaviour is imperative or the dog will have forgotten what you are rewarding him for. Keep your hand closed over the reward until the dog is in the required position.

Delivery must be instantaneous when desired behaviour is achieved. Leave it too long and the dog will move - he’s trying to figure out what he needs to do to get the reward, so doesn’t learn to do what you want.

If using a toy, a couple of old (preferably clean) socks inside other socks is a good cheap toy to hold onto. Move onto a small hessian sack rolled and tied into a manageable size. Toys = higher prey value than food, so you’ll need to be ready to cope with higher drive - faster working, more focus on the object and with you. Dogs love a tug game but don’t make it aggressive and confrontational. It’s not about sharp yanking games with the dog growling (why ever would you want to teach him to fight with you), but it’s just about having a fun game of heave and pull and let him win occasionally. Don’t ask him to give it up to you all the time.

If he always loses it there is no point in working for it. Never leave the best toy lying around as it loses its value if it is too easily obtained.

If your dog doesn’t want to work close to you or is constantly trying to get away, question why? Why are you so unappealing that your dog wants to be away from you?! Maybe you are boring and there is a much more exciting life away from you, or your dog feels he should be protecting you (you may be weak and he’s assumed the role of pack leader), you may be nagging him to death, you may have called him so often when he doesn’t come, that he associates his name with doing exactly 92 | THEDOGM AGAZ INE

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what he wants, or you may be using a threatening posture - leaning towards your dog. If your voice says come here but your body says go away, it’s not surprising the dog the dog avoids you.

Read Dog Training for Dummies - don’t think you’re beyond needing the book because of the title. It will change your views on training and give you a great understanding of dog behaviour and how to manipulate and channel drives.

There is a fine line between hard handling and over soft handling; dogs need to respect their owners but through leadership not suppression. Correction response must be proportionate to the behaviour. If you view undesired behaviour on a scale of 1-10 and your dog is chasing a cat, his prey drive is up at level 9 or 10, so there is no proportionate discipline in you saying gently ‘leave it baby, be a good boy’ - at level 3 correction. Proportionate response is needed to check him out of the undesired behaviour then bring him straight back into ‘pack’ - his focus with you, to divert him from his errant behaviour. A hard voice - no need to shout (unless your dog is deaf!), is as harsh a punishment as a smack, so give a tough verbal correction if needed then immediately praise when he stops the undesired behaviour and focuses on you. This is not inconsistent training; it is switching the dog from prey to pack; rewarding his focus on you, not the cat - who is very grateful. NB If you think it’s okay to wind your dog up to chase cats it won’t be so funny when he chases one over a main road and gets killed by a car.

There is no technical solution from a manual about how to fix things. Owners always ask ‘how can I do x, y or z ?’ The answer is simply that you just get on and do it! If the dog jumps up on

Photo by Aritaur Dobermanns

A r t i c l e | Training Dobermanns

the kitchen sideboard you shout ‘off’ and push him down. If he jumps all over you or other people you push him ‘off’ and look at him as if to say don’t even think about it pal! Often a raised eyebrow is enough but if you lack the parenting skills and common sense to stop bad behaviour in your children and if you have no natural authority in stopping something, you will not succeed with a Dobe. Authority and confidence comes from within. If you carry it out without confidence how do you expect your Dobe to respect you? If you want to be respected and listened to by your dog you must behave like a sound parent.

That said, most unwanted/problem behaviour comes from bored dogs; did you do enough today to train your dog/ teach him a new game/ take him out to a new place/meet new dog friends?

Your dog doesn’t have TV, an iPhone or Facebook. You are his only friend so behave like he is yours.

Don’t just take your dog out for a run around the field to blast off. If the only exercise you do is to let him race around he will become ‘hyper fit’ and will need increasing levels of galloping exercise. Just as someone who works out at the gym needs regular work outs to stop the irritation they feel in their muscles from lack of exercise, that is exactly how your dog will feel and hence why in the evenings when you are tired, he is bouncing up and down driving you crazy for attention. Mix up the exercise routines with good fast road-walking exercise and walk fast.

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out to trot alongside you on the bike.

Just gently at first and build up from a couple of minutes to a few miles. No galloping on the roads – this is about steady evenly paced trotting to satisfy the dogs need to patrol his region.

When you go to the park don’t just be a dummy throwing a ball around; use the time to train under the distraction of other dogs and people at the park.

Work on the basics – stand/stay, sit, distance control, sendaways, and play hide and seek and other games.

Communicate with your dog with visual cues rather than just verbal commands. He will respond to ‘less yap and chatter’ from you than listening to you repeatedly saying “sit” which just becomes ‘white noise’ and goes over his head. Find different things to train rather than just sit, and throw/bring the ball back. Buy books on training tricks and learning new skills. Look at what dogs can do for the disabled, the blind, and the deaf. There is no reason why your dog can’t do all those things and more. Widen your horizons and your dog will love you for it.

The most difficult thing to teach an owner is how to be that natural, calm leader. A leader is simply a good boss, parent, or authority figure such as a great teacher. The only reason dogs ‘become dominant’ is because their owner is incapable of being a good boss. Weak people especially those who get frustrated and lose their temper are useless leaders.

Dogs need pack structure and clear, calm, strong leadership. Dogs learn behaviour just as children do. If your household is run aggressively with shouting, lack of manners, structure and aggression towards the dogs or other family members, your dogs will reflect that and react accordingly.

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That is what you will have taught them and the way they think they should behave as it’s all they know. It goes without saying to never train if the dog isn’t 100% fit or feeling good but the same is true of you. If you are feeling grumpy, tired or impatient don’t even think about doing any training. We all have bad days and as with all training, if your dog ‘forgets’ what you ask him, to back to basics. Never train if you’re in a bad mood. Never train if you are in a rush. Always have a clear goal of what you want to achieve. Every time you become frustrated and lose your cool you lose more respect in your dogs eyes. Ask a professional for help, and if any of them say Dobes are difficult, suggest they look at Dobes on our working page, then figure out if it’s the breed, or the trainers lack of ability which holds them back!

Enjoy training. What is the point of having a dog otherwise if you can’t enjoy each others company? There is never any place for force and trainers who use force or get frustrated don’t have the brains or stable temperament to figure how to get the message to the dog. Keep an approachable, kind face, good eye contact and smile to reward the dog. Mean, unstable, bullying trainers result in miserable dogs who do their tasks like robots and do not enjoy their lives. The Dobermann deserves far more than that.

Lastly stop saying no all the time to your dog. Give him the chance to do things right and never ever forget to tell him ‘YES!’, and that he has done a good job. Praise him with a smile and with pleasure for even the smallest good deed and see his face light up. That’s the whole point of having a dog and the best reason for having a Dobermann.

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DOG PHOTOGRAPHY

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Photo by Giota Athens, Greece www.facebook.com/giota.bouranta.1

During my studies on photography I started experimenting on dogs’ photo shooting, almost exclusively on black and white film. In an effort to show their inner world, I created their portraits using the exact same technique that I used on humans’ portraits. My love for portrait photography, which I think is the ultimate short of photography, was combined with my love for dogs.

A series of black and white portraits of a friend’s Dobermann triggered my professional occupation with dogs’ photos, as their appeal was more than expected. Breeders of different breeds and trainers started calling me to photograph their dogs, and on the same

time I started cooperating with magazines, breed clubs and working clubs covering their events.

I became passionately dedicated to this job, trying to learn as much as possible about dogs. I studied every time on each breed that I would photograph, in order to understand their special characteristics of morphology and character and I talked about it with breeders. I still do the same thing, every time I meet a new breed.

Beyond the photographic technique, creative look and artistic sensitivity, a dogs’ photographer should have specialized knowledge on dogs, which will allow him to get the best result.

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Not all breeds can be photographed in the same way. Different portraits are needed for a brachycephalic dog and different for a dolichocephalic one, if we want to show the special characteristics of their heads. It is the same when it comes to standing photos, when we want to highlight the dog’s morphology. For example, it is different to photograph an English Bulldog than a German Shepherd. I am always very careful on the dog’s special and particular characteristics.

A serious professional photographer should truly love his job, work hard, be dedicated on achieving his goals and prepare on a high level in order to always be able to create the correct circumstances, that will allow him to get the best results. It is good to avoid exaggerations, as photos will not be better nor more attractive, but -most probably- will lose their authenticity. A photo should be the result of a correct photo shooting and not of the editing.

Even though the photo editing is an art in itself, the photographer must know how to create the image at the time of the photo session.

Even if we are in a dog show or a working event, where objective restrictions and obstacles are there, and the light is not always on our side, we should try to find a way to create good photos.

All we need is to have our eyes wide open, understand what we see and have the correct timing to click. And as the great French photographer Henri Cartier Bresson once said in an interview in Washington Post back in 1957: “There is a creative fraction of a second when you are taking a picture.

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click the camera. That is the moment the photographer is creative. Oop! The Moment! Once you miss it, it is gone forever.”

I sometimes go back to where I started, black and white photography, because I am dazzled by its’ innerness and abstraction.

A special part of my photos and my heart belongs to the Dobermann breed. The first and eternal love in the dogs’ world for me. Beautiful as Phidias’ sculptures, with a sensational look, an intensive strong expression and sensitive on the same time. A big part of my work is dedicated with passion to them.

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It is a great pleasure and honor for me to photograph as a member of the authorized photographers’ team 8 times the IDC Sieger Show (the World Championship of Dobermanns) and 7 times the Italian Dobermann Championship, the prestigious Campionato AIAD.

As a closure I would say that dogs’ photography is enthralling, capturing wonderful moments of the relationship between humans and their best friend, highlighting in all its glory the beauty and charm of the dog, reminding its contribution to humanity and how respectfully dogs should be treated.

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JUDGES

AROUND THE GLOBE

PART 1

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Elisabeth Feuz FCI Judge Breeder SWITZERLAND

www.anirella.ch e.feuz@pop.agri.ch Mobil 0041 79 400 89 44

A life with animals is my destiny, some would say. Born in the middle of an animal park which my parents managed, I developed a natural familiarity with the most diverse species which instilled within me, the necessary respect for living creatures. From beginning, dogs too, were a part of that. In the mid-sixties my parents started breeding Schnauzer and Poodles. Over the years many other breeds are established in our family: Hovawart, English Cocker- and Sussex Spaniels, Border- and Boston Terrier. My sisters and I were fascinatedly right from the beginning and we are remained true to the dogs over the years to this day.

I became aware of the breed Miniature Bull Terrier, at the FCI World Dog Show 1985 in Vienna. It was love at first sight.

With much luck, I was able to acquire my first Miniature Bull Terrier bitch, Ch. Zedbees Zallerina from the well-known breeder Mrs. Diane Berry, Zedbees Kennel, from England. „Sally“ was a small, sweet bitch but she unfortunately never got pregnant. In 1989 I imported a further bitch from Mrs Berry, Ch. Zedbees Zindiana.

Switzerland’s first Miniature Bull Terrier litter – under the prefix „Anirella’s“,was born. In recent years I have bred 27 litters. Many Minis from my Kennel have been successful in Shows and won many Champion titles in different countries.

Including FCI World Winners, FCI Junior World Winners, FCI European- and FCI European Junior Winners.

I‘m active in the board of the Miniature Bull Terrier Club of Switzerland, Boston Terrier Club of Switzerland and Swiss Toy Breed Club.

Since 1998, I have been a breed judge for different breeds and group judge for FCI Group 2, 3 and 9. In this time, I started with different breeds in Group 7.

In recent years I have judged in a lot of different countries and continents.

In my profession as a professional photographer I’m always in the quest for beauty and optical perfection and this also applies to my function as a judge. A great importance for me, is on the health and function of the dogs, as well as the virtues of a well balanced example in the breed.

Finally the day arrived in 1991 when

Mr. Robert L. Vandiver Judge Breeder USA

rlvandiver@charter.net Mobil 864-616-7507

Bob Vandiver has bred and handled Dobermans since the early seventies and has had 30 Doberman champions including dogs in the top ten national rankings. He has also earned titles in obedience and Schutzhund events. He was an AKC licensed Doberman handler starting in the late seventies. He was approved by the American Kennel Club to judge in 1995.

Bob has judged many prestigious specialty and all-breed shows in the United States. He has judged the prestigious Westminster 3 times including the working group in 2013. He has judged National Specialties and has judged internationally in China, Japan, India, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, England, Philippines, Brazil, Mexico, and Canada. He has published several articles on judging.

Bob has been active in several dog clubs, including 6 years on the Board of Directors of the Doberman Pinscher Club of America (DPCA).

He has been the DPCA Chairman of Judges Education, and is a member/officer of

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the Carolina Dog Judges Study Group, and Greenville Kennel Club. He was the Cluster Chair/Show Chair for 12 years for the Carolina Foothills Cluster in Greenville, SC (among the largest shows in the eastern US).

He is an engineering graduate of Texas A&M University, and retired as a Project Manager from a very large Engineering and Construction firm, where he had total responsibility for managing major projects, typically in the $100 million range.

Bob and his wife, Nancy, are Doberman breeders using the Mistel prefix. They live with four Dobermans: GCh. Mistel’s Anything You Can Do, CD, (Top Ten and National Award of Merit) Sch BH; GCH. Mistel’s Can Can (a top ten Doberman); Ch. Mistel’s Moxie Merrimac; and Ch. Mistel’s Indelible, Sch. BH, OB-1, and TR-1.

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