27/02/2017
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 "P***o" 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.