Difference between European and American Doberman Pinchers ...

The Doberman pinscher has quite a reputation for being an excellent guard dog and a loyal pet. If you have come to a decision to bring a Doberman into your home, it is best to get a puppy. The question is, which breed line of Dobermans should you choose from.

Once you start talking to Doberman owners, you start to hear about European vis-à-vis American breeds. This might confuse you, so to help you figure it out, here are the basic differences between the two breeds.

The European Doberman

History shows that Dobermans are originally from Europe, more specifically, Germany. They were produced as military and police dogs, but quickly became a personal favorite among private families and individuals. They were brought up to be work dogs, not family pets. In fact, each Doberman puppy could only be registered if one of its parents had a Schutzhund title. This is a certification that the dog passed a test as a working breed. It is still an ongoing test used in Europe, and by some organizations in the United States.

As a guard dog, the Doberman is taught as a puppy not to be touched by anyone other than its owner or handler. This is why in many movies, you see Dobermann dogs being used as the ultimate protection for homes of both VIPs and gangsters alike. They can be very fierce and threatening, not to mention physically dangerous. However, a distinction must be made that the Dobermann dogs are taught to attack with intelligence. These are not dogs that randomly run after just anyone aggressively. They can stand in attention even in the presence of a stranger, but pounce at moment's notice once a command is given by its owner. You could not have made a better choice if you are looking for protection.

The American Doberman

Doberman puppies born and bred in the United States are segregated into security dogs or for show. However, what stands out even more than this is the social aspect of raising these dogs which is almost like night and day. In the US, the dogs raised to protect carry an even bigger threat of litigation from dog bites. Civil suits filed against owners of dogs, any breed, that threaten or bite have increased exponentially over the years, lending too much stress on the kind of training given to Dobermann dogs.

This could have led to the current trend to have Doberman dogs trained as pets or show dogs. If you notice, the usual colors of this breed is black/rust but there are albino, blue, fawn, or tan colors. Don't believe breeders or sellers who tell you that these unique colors distinguish the puppies as those from European lines.



Other Myths About The Doberman American and European Breeds

Surprisingly, it's easy to get fooled about a lot of things, and Doberman puppy buyers can quickly fall into this category because of limited information. Here are the usual lines sellers use to get you to buy their puppies.

' European Dobermann dogs are healthier - This is not a continental feature, but should be based on care and maintenance. You can ask for the history of the puppy so you can trace its genetic make-up and find out if the puppy will have a good survival rate
' North American Doberman dogs are likely to suffer from heart conditions - Not a valid statistic since it happens across the board
' European are high strung and too aggressive - As a matter of fact, because of its training, it does not attack without a command, and children can come up close to them without parents worrying about it. The Doberman puppies tend to be overly excited, but these are growing pains and so the necessary precautions should be taken

With these in mind, deciding the origin of your soon-to-be Dobermann puppy should not be a difficult decision to make. It would be far more important to know the bloodline of the puppy, shots, genetic frame, and what kind of training, if any, has been started.

Owning a Doberman puppy is going to be a decision you most likely will not regret. However, you have to establish the purpose of your puppy even before you buy it, so that you can plan the training process better.