- black or brown with rust red, clearly defined and clear markings (tan markings).
- Tan markings are 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 inner side of the hind thigh
- on the forearms and under the tail
About the Dobermann
Origin: Germany
- Typical life span
- 10-12 years
- Size
- Large — from its typical weight
- Weight
- Male
- 34-45 kg
- Female
- 27-41 kg
- Height
- Male
- 66-71 cm
- Female
- 61-66 cm
- FCI status
- Recognised by FCI
- FCI groupFCI divides this breed into varieties, and our sources don’t record which one a breeder works. Ask them which variety their line is.
- Pinscher and Schnauzer - Molossoid and Swiss Mountain and Cattledogs
- Origin
- Germany
- Known hereditary risks
- 5 documented conditions, with the test for each
About
What is a Dobermann?
Medium-large, sleek, athletic and powerful dog known for exceptional loyalty and intelligence. This elegant working breed combines strength with agility and has a confident, alert demeanor.
Dobermann history and origins
Created in late 19th century by Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann using breeds such as the Rottweiler, German Pinscher, and others for protection and companionship
Dobermann appearance and size
Males typically weigh 34-45 kg and stand 66-71 cm at the shoulder; females 27-41 kg and 61-66 cm.
What the breed standard says
- Bred for
- Companion, protection and working dog
- Behaviour and temperament
“The disposition of the Dobermann is friendly and calm; very devoted to the family. 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 required, and also adaptability and attention to fit the social environment”
Quoted from FCI standard n°143. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed reference from The Dog API.
Characteristics
- Size
- Large
- Exercise needs
- —
- Easy to train
- —
- Amount of shedding
- 1 of 5
- Grooming needs
- 2 of 5
- Good with children
- —
- Cost to keep
- —
- Tolerates being alone
- —
- Intelligence
- —
- Health of breed
- 5 conditions documented
Pros & cons
Pros & cons for the Dobermann
What you get with the Dobermann
- Purpose stated in the standard: “Companion, protection and working dog”
- The standard describes the breed as: “The disposition of the Dobermann is friendly and calm”
- Low grooming needs, fitting for a busy owner — the coat is “The hair is short, hard and dense”
What you are taking on
- 3 serious inherited conditions are documented, mainly in heart & circulation and bones & joints. The health guide tab has the test to ask for on each.
Drawn from sources rather than written as an opinion — cited health research, the registry’s own standard, and peer-reviewed longevity. FCI breed standard; European Society of Veterinary Cardiology screening guidelines for DCM in Doberman Pinschers (PubMed). One breeder’s animals can differ from any of it, and an empty column means we hold nothing for that side rather than that there is nothing to say.
Characteristics
FCI standard · Dobermann
Coat and colour
As the FCI standard sets it out. Every line below is the standard’s own wording.
Coat
The hair is short, hard and dense.
It lies tight and smooth and is equally distributed over the whole surface.
Undercoat is not allowed
Colour
- Preferred
- Permissible
- Undesirable
- Disqualifying
Preferred, permissible, undesirable and disqualifying are FCI’s own words about the breed. They describe what the standard asks for — not an assessment of any individual dog, and not ours.
Shortened from FCI standard n°143 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
What the breed standard says
- Size
- “Height at the withers: Males: 68 – 72 cm. Females: 63 – 68 cm. Medium size desirable. Weight: Males: about 40 – 45 kg. Females: about 32 – 35 kg”
- FCI distinguishes an ideal from what is permitted.
Quoted from FCI standard n°143. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
What the standard penalises
What a judge marks the Dobermann down for, and what puts one out of the ring, in the registry’s own words. This describes the breed standard — it is not a checklist for the animal in front of you, and a pet with a disqualifying fault is an unshowable dog rather than an unhealthy one.
Disqualifying faults
Puts an animal out of the ring altogether.
- Yellow eyes (bird of prey eye); different coloured eyes.
- Overshot; level bite; undershot; missing teeth according to the formula.
- White spots. Visible undercoat.
- Dogs which deviate more than 2 cm over or under the standard
FCI varieties
FCI divides the Dobermann into these varieties, listed in the registry's own words. Depending on the breed they separate colour, coat, size or line — they are not a full list of colours, which no registry we hold publishes. Ask a breeder which variety their line is.
- BLACK WITH RUST RED CLEARLY DEFINED AND CLEAN MARKINGS
- BROWN WITH RUST RED CLEARLY DEFINED AND CLEAN MARKINGS
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Dobermann in general; any individual animal can differ.
Health guide
Health & screening guide for the Dobermann
Known hereditary risks for the Dobermann breed, and the specific documentation to request from any breeder before paying a deposit. A responsible breeder will have these readily available; deflection is a red flag.
5 conditions documentedThis is breed-level literature, not veterinary advice about an individual animal — your vet knows the animal.
Health checklist (PDF)Heart & circulation
Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)
Serious
The leading cause of death in the breed: the heart muscle weakens and enlarges, eventually causing heart failure or a sudden fatal arrhythmia. Onset is typically in mid-to-late adulthood, and the early, symptomless phase can only be caught by active screening — not by looking at the dog.
What to ask for
An echocardiogram (Simpson's method of discs) plus a 24-hour Holter ECG, repeated annually from age 3, read by a veterinary cardiologist, on both parents — the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology's published Dobermann protocol. Two commercial DNA markers (DCM1/PDK4, DCM2/TTN) are sold as risk tests, but their predictive value is disputed: US research found dogs carrying both variants develop DCM at a higher rate but with incomplete penetrance, while a 2024 UK study found no association between these markers and DCM in European-bred Dobermanns. A DNA panel is not a substitute for the echocardiogram and Holter.
Immune system
Autoimmune (lymphocytic) thyroiditis / hypothyroidism
Monitor
The immune system attacks the thyroid gland, gradually leaving the dog unable to produce enough thyroid hormone. It is progressive and will not resolve on its own, but is usually well managed for life with a daily tablet once diagnosed.
What to ask for
An OFA thyroid panel (T4, TSH and thyroglobulin autoantibodies) from an approved laboratory, repeated annually, on both parents.
Bones & joints
Cervical spondylomyelopathy (Wobbler syndrome)
Serious
Compression of the spinal cord in the neck, causing an unsteady, wobbling gait that can progress to weakness or paralysis in middle-aged dogs. The parent club describes it as suspected to be inherited, but no mode of inheritance is established.
What to ask for
No genetic test or breeding screen exists. A diagnosis in a symptomatic dog is made by MRI or myelography of the cervical spine, read by a veterinary specialist — ask the breeder whether the condition has occurred in the dog's close relatives.
Hip dysplasia
Monitor
Malformation of the hip joint that can progress to arthritis, pain and lameness. The parent club lists it among the breed's inherited orthopaedic conditions and requires it to be screened before breeding.
What to ask for
A hip evaluation via OFA or the BVA/KC hip scheme, on both parents.
Blood
Von Willebrand disease Type I
Serious
An inherited bleeding disorder caused by low von Willebrand factor, which can turn routine surgery, whelping or an injury into a serious or fatal haemorrhage. Carrier status is unusually common in this breed.
What to ask for
A DNA test for von Willebrand disease Type I (vWD1), on both parents, from a laboratory such as UC Davis VGL, Laboklin or Embark. This has replaced the older ELISA antigen blood test, which the parent club notes is unreliable around illness, vaccination, heat or stress.
How long the Dobermann lives, in the records
Median survival 11,2 years
95% confidence interval 11,0–11,5 years, from 1623 recorded deaths among 3531 dogs
Mortality hazard 1.14 (1.08, 1.2) relative to crossbred dogs, whose median is 12,0 years.
Measured in the United Kingdom from 584.734 dogs. Median survival is not a prediction for an individual dog.
McMillan, K.M., Bielby, J., Williams, C.L., Upjohn, M.M., Casey, R.A. & Christley, R.M. (2024) Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death. Scientific Reports 14, 531.
Gallery
No photographs yet
This is where Dobermann owners’ own photographs will go, from the pet profiles they keep here. Nobody has added one to a public page yet.
A photograph in a pet profile stays private to its owner. We will not put one here unless they ask us to.
Puppies
No puppies listed right now
That is not the same as none existing. Publishing a litter is part of a breeder's subscription here, so a Dobermann breeder can have a litter and no listing — ask them directly.
See Dobermann breeders