The history of dobermans dates back to Germany in the 19th century. Herr Louis Doberman, a German police officer and tax collector, needed a strong guard dog with a keen sense of smell and strong jaws. Doberman cross-bred several species of dogs until he created what is now known as a doberman. Originally the dog was known as a doberman pinscher, but the latter name was dropped to avoid confusion; the term "pinscher" is German for "terrier," which is a completely different dog breed. Many of Doberman's friends named his dogs after him after he passed away in 1894.
A dobermans is a big, powerful dog with short black hair on most of its body. The dog has rust-colored fur by its mouth, muzzle, throat, chest and above the eyes. A doberman's strong muscles are visible since the dog has short hair; the dog's hair is thick. Male dobermans are over two feet tall at shoulder height, while a female's shoulder is approximately two feet. As adults, dobermans weigh approximately 60 to 85 pounds. A doberman's eyes are almond-shaped, and usually the pupils are dark. These dogs have naturally pointy ears that shoot straight up.
Although dobermans were bred as fierce guard dogs, the temperate of most dobermans has eased since its creation in the 19th century. A dobermans is traditionally kind and loyal to its family members. However, these dogs still have innate guarding instincts and will bark loudly if a stranger approaches the household. These dogs are domineering and do not like it if another dog is in the house. As a result, many families with dobermans are usually a one-dog family. Dobermans are social creatures and must have constant companionship with their owners. While dobermans like the outdoors, they are sensitive to cold weather due to their short layer of hair.
Nearly all domestic dogs are susceptible to one or more diseases. For dobermans, von Willebrand's disease is the most common enemy. This disease is a hereditary autosomal recessive bleeding disorder, similar to hemophilia. Von Willebrand's is genetic in nature, so the only way to get rid of the disease for dobermans is by selective breeding. No cure for the disease is available as of summer 2011. Most von Willebrand's diseases are Type I, which is a mild case where bleeding does not usually clot. The worst von Willebrand's disease is Type III, but this is rare among dobermans.