Doberman Pinscher Characteristics and Health Problems Information

Doberman Pinschers get a bad rap in the movies. They are often depicted as evil, aggressive animals that run after the bad guy (or good guys!) as the humans run for their lives. In real life, Doberman Pinschers are family dogs with a lot of love and affection.

History and Appearance - A member of the Working Group in the AKC, Doberman Pinschers were originally developed to be police and law enforcement dogs. They were often used in the German military and can immediately fill a person with dread upon sight. After all, they are big and dangerous-looking creatures, and extremely powerful as well.

The Doberman Pinscher has a large, square head with a powerful chest and bullet-shaped head. Weighing 55 to 90 pounds, and standing 24 to 28 inches tall, the Doberman Pinscher's coat is black, red, blue or fawn with tan markings. They will sometimes have white spots on their chest and almond-shaped eyes. While it sounds painful and cruel, the Doberman Pinscher's tail is usually docked. This action is taken in order to prevent future painful accidents. They are apt to break an undocked tail and the pain associated with this is immense.

Characteristics - Doberman Pinschers do not have a lot of energy, but they have a lot of endurance. These dogs do need exercise in order to stay in shape and are not happy in small, apartment settings. They enjoy fenced-in yards in order to run around and explore. They also love long walks with their owners even if they have a yard to run around in.

Doberman Pinschers get along great with other children and other pets, despite how they are frequently depicted. It is all about the training. They are devoted family pets and love to please their owners. If you train your dog to love the family, it will definitely do so. Puppies can accidentally knock over children before they realize their strength and are very energetic at that age, but this is a very easy problem to fix.

Begin training your Doberman Pinscher at a very early age and socialize them as much as possible to avoid any problems. They are very intelligent and can get into a lot of trouble whenever they become bored with too much energy. Dobermans are big, muscular dogs and can require a lot of food. In particular, they need to be fed with the large dog formula to ensure they are getting all the nutrition that they need.

Health Problems and Grooming - Doberman Pinschers can suffer from hypothyroidism and a certain hereditary disease called "Von Willebrand's disease." You will have to ask your vet to give you more information on these diseases to be sure your pet does not suffer from these ailments. They can also develop heart problems. You will need to also make sure that your dog does not become overweight as you will have to deal with problems related to weight gain.

Grooming a Doberman Pinscher is easy. They require just one weekly brushing and you will have to make sure their nails are short, but that is the extent of their grooming. They may look like tough animals, but Doberman Pinschers are actually overgrown lap dogs with their families and love to protect you and their homes.

Moses Wright is a dog lover and loves to help fellow dog owners with their dog problems. He started a dog lovers community site where dog owners can get access to free dog health and training resources.