Kenny a Doberman Pinscher suffered a traumatic injury that left him paralyzed in all four legs, completely unable to move. After many setbacks and a lot of work by many caring and skilled people, he was able to not only walk but to run again.
What’s black and white and faun all over? If you guessed Doberman Pinscher, you’d be right!
These big, sleek, and surprisingly friendly dogs have a reputation of being bad boys, but we’re not fooled! Dobermans are easily some of the kindest (and most misunderstood) pups in the whole entire world! They may not look it, but these doggies have big ol’ hearts of gold. There are so many Dobermans just waiting to be adopted, especially since a lot of first-time buyers aren’t prepared to give them the love, attention, and running space they need. We know that our Doberman buddies are great companions in almost any circumstances. We want you to love on them as much as they will love on you!
But instead of just believing us — see for yourself! Here are 23 of the most pawsitively adorable Doberman Pinscher facts that you just won’t want to miss!
1. Hey, guess what? Doberman Pinschers are not a super old breed at all. Actually, we got our start in the 19th century (think 1880s) as guard dogs for Germany. Sprechen Sie Englisch?
2. Do you know why so many people think we look like royalty? It’s probably because of all the awesome dogs that were used to make us! Breeds like the Rottweiler, the Black and Tan Terrier, and the German Pinscher each gave us a little part of their genetic makeup (and cuteness). Thank you, guys!
3. Even though we are pretty big dogs, we have a super long life span! On average, you can expect to keep us as your loyal companion for about 13 years. With a weight about 80 pounds and a height at 28 inches, we’ve got a lot of mileage to go!
4. Dobies are extremely active dogs, and like to be stimulated with lots of exercise, movement, and metal work! Yup, we’re a couple of bona-fide puppies geniuses! Some human researchers have suggested that we are the 5th most intelligent dog breed in the whole wide world. How’s that for an ego boost?
5. Just look me in the eye and say I’m an aggressive monster! A lot of people think that we Dobies are mean, lean, biting machines, but that’s not necessarily true! We definitely love our families, and would do anything to protect them! But we don’t do all the things that movies and TV programs show us doing. Besides, I’d rather take a nice long nap than be mean!
6. Guess what! Our ears and tail look like this at birth! We aren’t just magically born with docked tails and pointy ears, although we would probably look even cuter if we were! There’s a reason why humans help us get our ears and tails. Pointy ears are better for locating sounds, while tail docking gives us a streamlining effect. Even without our cool modifications, we will still be just as cute!
7. Feed me, feed me! Just not too much. Doberman Pinschers can suffer from something known as hypothyroidism, which in doggie language just a bunch of fancy speak for ‘hard to lose weight.’ You can take us to the vet to get all sorts of food and treatment recommendations. Just make sure to keep a close eye on us while growing up!
8. Wanna know where I got my name from? Why, Herr Karl Louis Dobermann, of course! As a tax collector, Mr. Dobermann felt uncomfortable traveling through cities and towns on his own. To make himself feel better, he bred a breed of dog that would be perfect for intimidating scary people and bad guys. That’s how we got made! Mr. Dobermann liked his Dobies so much that he wanted to share them with the world. So here I am!
9. Everybody loves me, even my boss! Dobies like me have been used for all sorts of jobs, like police work, tracking people with scents, hunting, dock diving (it’s a cool sport, look it up!), search and rescue, puppy therapy, and even guide dogs. Now how’s that for a resume?
10. We don’t just love serving our owners, but our country, too! Doberman Pinschers like me used to serve in World War II, especially on the Island of Guam during 1944. In fact, there’s even a United States Marine Corps War Dog Cemetery that you can visit even today. Over 25 brave Dobies are honored for their bravery and sacrifice. I’m so proud to be a part of the line!
11. If you’re going to take us out in the cold, make sure you help us get some coats on first! Doberman Pinschers don’t actually have an undercoat of fur like other dogs. We’re perfectly adapted for warm weather and the occasional spring frost, but cold winters are too much for us! Help us stay cozy by buying some shoes, sweaters, and maybe even some cute holiday coats!
12. Americans love us even more than they used to! Today, the Doberman Pinscher is the 14th most popular puppy in the United States, which is a number projected to grow for the long term. If you think that people are too afraid to bring us home, think again!
13. Monkey see, monkey. . . say? We might not be able to speak your language, but we sure know what it means! People have discovered that Doberman Pinschers can learn as many as 50 words without breaking a sweat. This is one of the reasons why so many people love working with us on various projects. Yeah, we’re just cool like that.
14. When we grow up, we’re going to be famous movie stars! Lots of Dobies have made it into the big leagues before, and have been the main attraction in all kinds of movies (Up, anyone?). But did you know that there’s a movie entirely dedicated to Doberman Pinschers? Yup! It’s called “The Doberman Gang,” and it’s about a group of Doberman Pinschers that use their skills and adorable looks to rob banks across the country. All of the pets have super cute names too, most of them based on famous bank robbers of old. Whenever the series gets rebooted, we’re going to be ready to act!
15. Guess who may favorite role model is? Ch. Borong the Warlock, the most famous dog in Doberman shows! Not only has be won 230 Best of Breed awards, but he also snagged 66 awards in Working Groups, 30 awards from Best in Specialty, and 6 ribbons in All-breed Best in Shows. He’s my hero!
16. Make way, everyone! I’m an official American Kennel Club purebred! Wanna know why? Because there are four officially recognized colors for dogs like me: rust, fawn and rust, blue and rust, and red and rust. There are other colors, like the all-white albino coat developed in 1976, but it’s not really recognized by pros. Any dog that falls outside of those four other color patterns can’t compete in shows. It’s a dog-eat-dog world out in showbiz!
17. Celebrities just love puppies like me! Lots of famous people own Dobies of their very own, like Mariah Carey, Nicolas Cage, John F. Kennedy, and William Shatner. In fact, Mr. Shatner has owned over 11 different Doberman Pinschers in his lifetime!
18. I can’t wait to be old enough to work in Schutzhund! This popular German sport is reserved for only the most athletic dogs, including Doberman Pinschers!
19. Did you know that we are being bred to be more kid-friendly? That’s right! We’re great with families and young kids! With some love and plenty of pats, we can be an integrated member of any family.
20. If you want to tail dock and ear clip us, make sure you know more about the laws in your country! Places like U.K. and Australia have very strict laws regarding this.
21. If you want to love me, you’ll need to take me to the vet — a lot! We are prone to some scary health issues that could make us very uncomfortable, like hip problems.
22. I can’t keep any body fat on! Did you know that this is a genetic trait specific to Dobermans?
23. You can’t afford me, honey! Purebred Doberman Pinschers are over $2,500 from reputable breeders!
