Dobie Stories

  When I first learned about the genetic situation in Dobermans, I felt that few people were interested. This was especially true considering that despite posting my petition on Bluesky , X , Tumblr , Facebook , and Threads , the number of signatures was very low. However, today I discovered these two petitions, which are about the genetic diversity of purebred dogs. 1. Petition to Nordic Kennel Union This petition was filed by breeders from Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark.  2. Petition to Canadian Kennel Club This petition mentioned the Canadian Kennel Club for prioritizing show-oriented standards over breed genetic diversity, so its system needs to be reformed. I have signed both of these petitions. I also recommend that you take an interest in these petitions even if you do not live in those regions. Global genetic diversity of breeds is very important for breed preservation. How to sign a petition in Change.org 1. Log into Change.org using an email address (with a pa...

To Doberman Pinscher Club of America, Your Code of Ethics literally includes these two things: "I will conduct myself in a manner that upholds the honor of the Doberman Pinscher breed and the reputation of the DPCA." - People now prioritize health when choosing a pet. Therefore, to further enhance the reputation of the DPCA, shouldn't the genetic health of the Doberman Pinscher be prioritized over purity? "I will act at all times to preserve, protect, and promote the welfare, improvement, and public image of the Doberman Pinscher." - Continuing to neglect the situation of Dobermans—who die prematurely from DCM and cancer before the age of 10, and whose average genome-wide COI is nearly double that of a purebred dog—will not contribute to breed protection, breed improvement, the enhancement of breed welfare, or the breed's image; rather, it will cause harm. In fact, despite liking Dobermans, many people, including myself, decide not to raise them in the futu...

How to find a good breeder Important: Never buy animals from pet shops; buy directly from breeders. Dogs and cats sold in pet shops do not undergo proper socialization, health testing, or genetic testing. Their parents spend their entire lives confined in puppy mills without proper treatment, and their puppies are often separated from their parents too early. This is why dogs from pet shops often show behavioural problems compared to those from non-commercial breeders. Green Flag The breeder asks about your lifestyle habits. The breeder observes the personalities of their puppies/kittens, selects those that match the buyer's personality and lifestyle. The breeder shows (not just saying) you the health checkup and DNA test results of their dogs and cats, and the results say their dogs and cats are healthy.  But the important point here is: Although this is a sign that the breeder cares about the health of their breed, in the case of polygenic diseases such as hip dysplasia, cancer, ...

Among breeders, "inbreeding" usually refers to mating first-degree relatives, or sometimes second-degree relatives. "Linebreeding" usually refers to milder inbreeding, such as mating cousins or half-cousins.    The degree to which the coefficient of inbreeding accumulates for each match Selective linebreeding over multiple generations is a method used to create various dog and cat breeds by crossbreeding individuals with desired appearance and personality traits to establish predictable characteristics. However, this limited genetic diversity causes harmful recessive genes that were masked by healthy dominant genes to pair up and lead to various genetic diseases. Furthermore, certain practices, such as the excessive use of show-winning sires for breeding, further undermined genetic diversity and spread genetic diseases throughout the breeds. Traditionally, breeders have calculated COI based on 5 to 10 generations of pedigree information; however, because this does n...

The photo of a German Pinscher In fact, the Finnish Kennel Club had previously conducted an outcrossing project targeting German Pinschers , which are one of the foundation breeds of Dobermans. Their gene pool narrowed due to the sharp decline in the number of German Pinschers caused by the two World Wars. In the 1950s, the breed was restored through a female that survived in East Germany, which was bred with four Miniature Pinschers. Their problems are the high frequency of hereditary cataracts, which was 16.5% at last, and adverse reactions to vaccinations, which were 20 to 25%.  So they started an outcrossing project in 1996; the donor breed was the Standard Schnauzer. The result was : The long and rough coat was partially left out already in F2-generation and mostly also in F3-generation. So it has not been any real problem.  The HC situation in crossbred lines (first 3 generations) was: 13 dogs were healthy, 2 dogs (10,5%) got HC, 3 dogs were suspected to have HC, and 1 d...

Trigger warning: This post mentions early death. So when you experience loss, you might feel uncomfortable. This post is my personal story. And this is the post I've planned since I started this blog. 1. Why I won't raise a Doberman in the near future (if the situation didn't change) I'm a teenager now; I'll enter college next year (I'll have the test earlier than my peers), and my family don't like dogs.  Plus, the Doberman Pinscher is a high-maintenance, high-energy breed that is prone to separation anxiety; they need daily exercise, mental stimulation, and proper socialization. Because they are large dogs, food and veterinary care cost more than for small and medium-sized dogs. That means I can't have a Doberman now, and I should be financially independent and stable to get a pet.  But the most important factor is that I have heard far too many stories online about people whose Dobermans crossed the Rainbow Bridge before even ten years of age due to D...