Origins / History of the Dobermann Breed

BLITZKRIEGER KENNEL
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Dobermann from Germany's finest working (Schutzhund/Police) lines

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A Photo History of the Doberman Breed
Thanks to:
"The Dobermann Pinscher"- "History and development of the Dobermann Breed"
By Philipp Gruenig - a founding breeder and judge of doberman.
First published: 1932 Germany, 1939 USA
Also thanks to other Sources: Magazines & A history of the Dobermann, JM.Zwan

1870 Herr Dobermann, (left) with Schnuppe (seated)

Below: 1894 Dobermann


Thueringin Shepherd	Butcher Dog


Beuceron	German Pinscher

Herr Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann (1834-1891) was a tax collector & dogcatcher /skinner for the state of Thuringia, Germany and had a second job as night watchman. As a dogcatcher, he could choose the best dogs for his purpose. He was concerned with character rather than conformation. His requirement was to create a watchful, sharp, brave and intelligent dog. He wanted a guard dog with a strong mouth, a good nose, courage, hardness nd a highly developed protective instinct. We know he succeeded. From the beginning, his dogs were known regionally as "Dobermann's Hunde". They gained a solid reputation for harsh strength of character and an ability to hunt, bite and kill vermin. Herr Dobermann crossed several types of dogs but did not keep records (there were no pure bred dogs at that time) and there is little agreement on the origins of the dobermann.
Herr Dobermann's son tells us his father had a clever and fearless dog named "Schnupp" who he later mated with a very keen protection bitch named Bismark (later called Bisart). Bisart's puppy's were black with rust markings. One named "Pinko" had a natural bob tail and produced some blue puppies. Otto Goeller ,a later breeder (photo below) who knew Herr Dobermann, claimed the foundation was a mongrel named "Schnuppe" (a grey smooth coated dog seated in the photo left) mated to a Butchers dog. Goeller later claimed the German Shepherd dog, short haired gun dog, the Dane and the German Pinscher played a role.

A German dog magazine article dated 1898 states "At the end of the 1860's, the owner of a gravel pit at Apolda called Dietsch had a blue-grey bitch, a sort of Pinscher which he mated with a black butcher's dog. The sire already had the characteristic tan markings and was a cross between a sheep dog and a butcher's dog. Herr Dobermann, a skinner who unfortunately died too early, crossed the issue of these two dogs, which became good guard dogs, with German Pinschers. That is the origin of today's Dobermann"
In 1901, Richard Strebel (German authority on canine matters) wrote "It is doubtful if the Dobermann Pinscher is a true Pinscher, it should probably be classified more as a sheep dog".    In 1933 the German Dobermann club investigated the origins of the breed and decided the main ancestor was the German Pinscher. But in 1947 Herr Gruenig wrote the Dobermann probably descended more from the Beauceron because the German Pinscher is not similar body structure or behaviour and it would not be possible to raise the average shoulder height from 40 to 70cm in only thirty years.
However "dobermann like" dogs (referred to as the "Thueringen breed") were around Apolda before Herr Dobermann began breeding and these were created by crossing German Pinchers and Sheepdogs. Beaucerons are known to be in Apolda in those days and it is also possible they were ancestors of the Butchers dogs. The Butchers dogs were not purebred    Some early Dobermann closely resembled Butchers dogs and some resembled Rottweilers (see photo below right).
Max Kuensler wrote in 1925 that the sheep dog, the Weimeraner and the German Pinscher were involved but certainly no Rottweillers or Terriers were known in Apolda at that time. Most agree the Thueringin Shepherd (sheepdog), Butchers Dog, German Pincher & Beauceron were available and some experts include the black and tan terrier.   Interestingly, the best authorities on the Rottweiler confirm that so called Butchers dogs were their common ancestor.
Initially the guarding qualities and keeness on game posed some hindrance to the breed's popularity but, in 1863 (when he was 29 years old) Herr Dobermann presented his "Dobermann Pinschers" on the first dog market in Apolda Germany with great success. This event became so important that it is officially recorded in the history of the city of Apolda.
It is known that, after Herr Dobermann died, both the Manchester Terrier and the Greyhound were introduced into the dobermann breed.


1897 Alarich v.Thueringen	Gerhilde & Graf Belling v.Groenland*	1898 Reg.#1 Graf Belling v.Groenland, (also v. Thueringen) *	Prinz Strick & Prinzessin Schlippche Registration # 11 & 12

Otto Goeller (1852-1922)

Goswin Tischler (1859-1939)

In 1890 the Standard for the breed was written and approved by the German Kennel Club and remains basically the same - although judges today are accepting much larger dobermann than the standard calls for.
Around the time of Herr Dobermann's death in 1891, came the Breeders: Goswin Tischler & Otto Goeller (photos left), who were very influential in the development of the Dobermann breed.
Otto Goeller founded the National Dobermann Pinscher Club in 1899.
1893-1894 The oldest dobermann to be entered in German stud books, as parent stock, are Bosco and Caesi whelped in 1893 and 1894 respectively. They were the parents of the Sieger Prinz Matzi v. Groenland, born in 1895, registration #DZ7 but, after 3 years, there is no record of Matzi's progeny.
1896 fortunately brought the rise of the dobermann from Thueringen and these were the germ cell of the breed today. These were called Lux, Schnupp, Landgraf & Rambo. The bitches were Tilly1(later v.Groenland &Reg.#17), Helmtrude, Hertha & Elly.
1897 Out of Rambo & Elly came Junker Slenz v.Thueringen owned by the Frankfort Dobermann club and sire to many excellent dogs. Another great producer in this year was Alarich v.Thueringen, (no registration number ) known for his incredible sharpness.
1898 Goswin Tischler bred Lux & Tilly1 under the Groenland Kennel name, to produce a very famous "5 Star" litter of outstanding quality. These were Greif, Tilly11, Krone, Lottchen & *Graf Belling v.Thueringen (also called Graff Belling v. Groenland (photo above) the first dobermann registered in the NZ stud book.
1899 brought Lady v.Ilm-Athen who had the blood of an English (Manchester) Terrier in her.
1900 This year was marked by the stud book entry requirement of every breeding animal.
1901 Through her son, Prinz v.Ilm-Athen , Lady v.Ilm-Athen advanced the cause of the dobermann. Prinz was one of the greatest breeding dogs of all time with outstanding hereditary powers to produce dark markings.. and sharpness. He can be found in the 5 generation pedigrees of the greatest breeding and show dogs into the 1930's. Five main (blood) lines descended from him. Lady v.Calenberg (not registered) was another bitch of part or full blooded Manchester Terrier and her entire progeny were known for admirable smooth, short hair and sharpness towards everything preditorily inclined. Her immense influence over the breed was through her son, Tell v.Kirchweyhe and his sons, Hans & Fedor v.Arpath. This year brought many good dogs including *Veronica v.Thueringen (photo below),best known for her descendants and *Graf Wedigo v.Thueringen (photo below)


1901 Reg.#NZ74 Graf Wedigo v.Thueringen	1901 Reg#NZ65 Veronika v.Thueringen	1903 Reg. #NZ133 Weddo v.Thueringen	1904 Reg.#NZ219 Hellegraf v.Thueringen	1905 Reg.#NZ313 Primus v.Thueringen	1906 Reg.#DZ244 Fedor v.Aprath

NOTE REGISTRATION ENTRIES:
"DZ" referred to registration with The Dobermannpinscher Club of Hamburg, The Dobermannpinscher Verein and The Dobermannpinscher Verband.
"NZ" refers to the National Dobermannpinscher Stud Book - published by the oldest German Dobermann organization - the National Dobermannpinscher Verein.
No prescribed rules or methods of procedure for correct breeding existed in the early days of the breed so pedigrees were not verified.
1903 brought 5 excellent bitches and 6 new stud dogs including the brown Hans v.Thueringen from South Germany, the intensly black *Weddo v.Thueringin (photo above) (grandsire to Lord v.Ried-1907) and Tell v.Kirchweyhe (not registered son of Manchester Terrier blooded Lady v. Calenberg) from North Germany.
1904 Of the many good dogs that year, Gruenig says through *Helligraf v.Thueringen(photo above) the entire breed took on a new face and stature. As a stud dog, he combined and tranmitted his own qualities with the best ancestral background. He was a brown male with genuine "Adel", beauty, perfection and power. Ten main dobermann lines radiate from him.
1905 brought the excellent black bitches Cordula v.Thueringen (Helligraf daughter) & Jenny v.Deutz (blue) and the black male, Primus v.Thueringen (photo above)
1906 marked the beginning of a trend to more refinement of form, darker, richer markings, stabilized size and somewhat less fearsome sharpness.
Of six males valued for their beauty, two had the power to transmit: Sturmfried v. Ilm-Athen (allegedly from Manchester Terrier grandmother) and *Fedor v. Aprath(brown male (photo above right)) was sharp character and transmitted outstanding head type. Fedor's sire was not registered & his dam was Lady v. Calenberg, also of terrier blood.
1907 Lord v.Ried had "Adel", elegance and imposing size, appearance and great heretidary value. He was a German Sieger. A dozen main (blood) lines descended from him and he could also be found in the greatest breeding and show dogs into the 1930's.


1908 Reg. #DZ637 Marko v.Luetzellinden (later v.Jaegerhof) *	1909 Reg.#NZ885 Prinz Modern v. Ilm-Athen	1909 Reg.#DZ705 Sybille * (later v.Langen-Silberberg)	1910 #DZ1377 * Adelfried v.d. Wedenburg	1911 Reg#DZ1606 Heidi v.Silberberg*	1912 Reg.#DZ3106 Prinz Bodo v. Hoernsheim

1908*Marco v.Jaegerhof (photo above) was the embodiment of elegance but transmitted his worse traits (incomprehensible cowardice) along with his best.
1909 According to Gruenig, this year was the most fruitful to date for the breed. *Prinz Modern v.Ilm-Athen (photo above)was a popular stud dog due to his conformation but unfortunately also transmitted his lack of courage. Part of his success was due to residing in Dusseldorf, then the center of the breed's growth and activity. At least a dozen main blood lines radiate from him and survived to this day. The black male, Moritz v.Burgwall projected 5 main blood lines into the future. One of many valuable bitches, born that year, was Edle v. Ilm-Athen who combined beauty and heretidary worth. *Sybille-later v.Langen-Silberberg (photo above)was a black bitch with typical greyhound expression and little temperament. Her dam "Stella" was the daughter of a black greyhound sire!
1910 According to Gruenig, this year brought many average quality but good dogs. *Adelfried v.d.Wedenburg (photo above) had an excellent character (as did his sire, Max v.d. Burgwal/Klosterburg) and was trained as a police dog. He also had excellent conformation. He was the product of a red male and a blue bitch.
1911 brought the rise of black Ilm-Athen blood vs. brown dobermann. Sybille's daughter, *Heidi v. Silberberg (photo above), was influential in transmitting greyhound attributes into the Dobermann breed. Heidi had a narrow front, too much tuck up and a doubtful character. Heidi and her brother, Bayard v.Silberberg were mated together to produce Sybille v.Silberberg, who is granddam to Claus v.d.Spree (see 1921).
1912 *Prinz Bodo v. Hoernsheim (photo above) was known for his sharpness and was an unusually good , handsome dog. Unfortunately he refused to mate many bitches.


1913 Reg.#DZ4691 Edelblut v. Jaegerhof	1913 Reg. Holland Fernando v. Mersenburg	1915 Reg.#DZ6328 Burschel v. Simmenau	1918 Reg.#DZ40748 Lotte v. Simmenau	1918 Reg.#DZ6560 Lux v.d. Blankenburg	1919 Reg #DZ9853 Prinz Carlo v.d.Koningstad

1913 *Edelblut v.Jaegerhof(photo above) was a beautiful and very influential stud dog who possessed unusual sharpness and perhaps some lack of hardness and courage (perhaps due to his sire Prinz Modern v.Ilm-Athen & maternal grandsire- Marko v.Jaegerhof ?). He died in Holland at age 13. It is said that his blood is found in every Dobermann pedigree on earth.
1914-1918 The dobermann breed suffered the misery and horrors inflicted by WW1 and it's aftermath.
1915 *Burschel v. Simmenau (photo above at undeveloped age of 10 months)survived the horrors of WW1 and was largely responsible for restarting the dobermann breed in Germany. Grueneg says his temperament was sharp and Burschel was sold often - at least once due to his incurable viciousness. According to Gruenig, Burschel's Ilm-Athen anscestory assured him great hereditary powers of transmission and his descendants proved that an individual dog of Burschel's stature, can be the redeemer of an entire breed.
1918 *Lotte v. Simmenau (photo above) had a very nice body and excellent character. She was trained as a police dog. *Lux v.d.Blankenburg (photo above) was a famous stud and show dog and, according to Mr. Grunig, was overbred in Germay so that his numerous progeny ranged from miserable to excellent. Of his best were Alto & Ari v.Sigalsburg(1923 & photo below). Fortunately Lux transmitted his virtues more than his faults. Lux had self confidence and sharpness but was also called "rowdy and vicious". After winning many prizes, including Sieger title, he was exported to the USA.
1919 *Prinz Carlo v.d.Koningstad (photo above) was from Dutch breeding. All the great sires of the early beginnings were found in his pedigree. A judge wrote he had faultless type with outstanding character. He had great hereditary power but was exported at an early age to become Stud/Champion in the USA.


1920 Holland & DZ12015 Benno v.d.Roemerhof	1920 Reg.#DZ29878 Prinsessin Elfrieda v.d.Koningstad	1921 Reg.#DZ24744 Prinz Favorit v.d. Koningstad	1922 Ajax v.Oderwald	1923 Ari v.Sigalsburg	1929 Muck v. Brunia

1920 was the most productive year in the history of the breed. At this same time, many of Germany's best Dobermann began to be exported to other countries. *Benno v.d.Roemerhof was bred in Holland. He was a large and powerful dog with good charcter but no famous progeny. He was sold at 5 years to the USA. *Alex v.d.Finohoehe had the best pedigree conceivable and value to transmit but was largely unrecognized by most breeders. Gruenig refers to him as a neglected "living gem" that was sold to Czechoslovakia and stabilized the breed there. Bitches with power to transmit their type were numerous this year and included: Dora v. Wiesengrund, Asta v. Stolzenburg, Blanka Halberstadt &*Prinsessin Elfrieda v.d.Koningstad (photo above) was a small Dutch bitch who was outstanding in the show ring in the USA.
1921 *Prinz Favorit v.Koningstad was a Dutch bred large, well built, brown male. (Prinz Modern v.Ilm-Athen & Marko v.Jaegerhof appear 5 times in his pedigree but at least 4 generations back.) He was a sire of vast and individual potency to the USA gene pool and died at almost 13 years of age. Claus v.d. Spee, rated the best black male, possessed great undauntedness and was very sharp. As a stud he was most successful in the USA.
1922 brought many good quality dogs, among them, German born Horst v. Stresow who became the modern dobermann's pioneer in the Soviet Republic.
Ajax v.Oderwald (photo above) was a nicely built, small, black male with a fiery character. He was sharp and a real fighter but with courage and hardness - qualities sadly missing in most of today's dobermann. Gruenig says Lotte v. Roeneckenstein (sired by Alex v.d.Finohoehe *1920 above) "was the best black bitch heretofore recorded with heretidary worth and value gleaming like a meteor in the night sky". She was dam to Lux11, Lotte11,Modern & Mars v. Simmenau&Ari & Alto v. Sigalsburg.
1923 brought Alto & Ari v.Sigalsburg (photo above)a pair of brothers with elegance & substance and representative of a new style in the breed. Ari was best in form, Alto, who became German Sieger, was heavier with a nicer head. Gruenig criticized only their shoulder position causing a "terrier gait", otherwise rating them faultless "marvels of compactness" with irrepressible courage and spirit.
1926 was a very fruitful year for the dobermann. The best noted as Hamlet v. Herthasee and Lotte11v.Simmenau (daughter of Lotte v.Roeneckenstein).
1927 brought Mars v.Simmenau, a large black male of the best form and quality (but rarely in the show ring). Gruenig says he was faithful to his master but the sharpest male he ever encountered - "A fighter of the greatest heart and courage, he feared no opponent and preferred to go down fighting rather than admit defeat." His progeny received his physical traits and courage.
1929 brought some good dogs including Eike zum Ziel, a black male whose character was as good as his form. Muck v.Brunia (above), (grandson to Alto v. Sigalsburg) became Sieger and later USA Champion (imported to improve character) and became one of the pillars on which the present breed is built. Muck can be found in almost all dobermann pedigrees (including *Bingo v. Ellendonk)
Gruenig's "History and development of the Dobermann Breed" ends around 1930.

The original dobermann were often described as "robust, with no trace of fear - not of the devil himself -and it required a good deal of courage to own one of them." Subsequent selection ( for conformation) has greatly diminished these qualities but hopefully the modern dobermann should combine the fire and lightning reactions of the terrier with the power and intelligence of the guard and herding breeds.
The Doberman was tailored for police and military work, and to be a medium sized protector-companion at home.
Note: After 1949 it was decided that the name "Pinscher"(meaning Terrier) after the word "Dobermann" was not appropriate and the breed was referred to simply as the Dobermann.
*See: BLITZKRIEGER KENNEL BREEDING LINES HISTORY

The Doberman was the official combat dog of the U.S Marine Corps in World War 11. Often called "devil dogs" , they served as sentries, messengers and scouts, facing full battle conditions with their handlers. Left: Statue of "Kurt"A Doberman who saved the lives of 250 U.S. Marines when he alerted them to Japanese soldiers.
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Member:German Shepherd Schutzhund Club of Canada (1988 - 1998)
Lower Mainland German Shepherd (Schutzhund) Club (Surrey,Canada) (1988-1998)
United Doberman Club, USA (1988-1998)
President (1997) Pacific Coast Schutzhund (DVG) Club.
Richmond German Shepherd (Schutzhund) Club (Canada) (1998 - 2000)
Training Director (2002) Pacific Coast Schutzhund (DVG) Club.

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