The Dobermann Breed
Dobermanns are considered a large breed dog ranging from 32-35 kg for the females and 40-45kg for the males
They were initially bred in 1890 by Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann by mixing different breed of dog including;
Old Short Haired Shepherd Dog
Rottweiler
Black and Tan Terrier
Smooth Haired German Pincher
It was recognized as a breed in 1908
The Dobermann is renowned for its intelligence, loyalty, drive and ability to be involved in all types of situations including being a home/companion dog, Dog Sports and as protection
The tails are traditionally docked and ears cropped world wide except in Australia, where they are left whole. This trend is slowly changing to have natural tails and ears.
They are easy to take care of with a short coat and live for approximately 9-12 years
Parvo Virus
Parvo is a very infectious virus that is spread by the fecal matter of infected dogs. You don’t have to see the fecal matter for the virus to be still on the surface.
It can be present on hard surfaces like pavements, concrete and on grass and in the dirt and even on clothing for up to months or years.
the virus causes an infection in the gut lining and symptoms,can start to show within 3-7 days of infection and include;
Lethargy
Not wanting to eat
Fever
Severe vomiting and diarrhoea
Dehydration
Collaspe
Fast heart rate
low body temperature
can lead to death
Unvaccinated dogs and puppies are most at risk from contracting this virus and there are many ways you can limit the exposure and risk;
1. Always use hand sanitizer before handling your dog, before feeding and after cleaning up after your dog
2. have your dog vaccinated against Parvo
3. Your dog should only have contact with fully vaccinated dogs
4. Take your shoes off before entering the home or areas your puppy is in or will have contact with
5. Make sure your clothes are clean or have a set of clothes you only use while handling the puppy then wash straight away in a hot wash cycle
All available precautions are taken to protect our dogs and puppies from this disease. We have very strict hygiene standards and all dogs are given the FULL doses of the vaccine, including the extra optional one to ensure top protection is achieved.
Grooming
Dobermanns are very easy to groom. They have a short, glossy coat that can just be wiped down with a damp cloth
Over washing your dobermann can lead to dry, flakey skin
A quick brush with a normal dog brush is all they need to keep on looking beautiful
All puppies are exposed to bathing and being cleaned before they go to their new home
DCM
DCM (Dilated Cardiomyopathy) is a disease of the heart muscle, causing it to be unable to pump blood around the dogs body effectively and the walls of the heart muscle are thinned
The cause is primarily genetic and investigations have also shown a link with infections and diet
DCM is confirmed by echochardiography
The outcome of having DCM is a shortened lifespan and the dog can suffer fatal heart attacks and arrhythmia
DCM can be tested for via a genetic test before the dogs are bred
Exercising
Regular exercise of minimum 40 mins or more each day is important to keep your dobermann happy and healthy
It keeps them physically healthy, but also emotionally healthy and happy
They need the intellectual stimulation of playing a new game, learning a new trick or command or just reaffirming the commands they already know
They also need the social interaction with their owners and other dogs
These dogs are show and working lines and will not be happy to be just left in a yard all day with nothing to do
Dogs West
Dogs West is the official group for WA Dogs and provides many facilities and activities and services for the dogs of WA
Their grounds are located in Southern River
They host Dog Sports clubs, Dog training clubs, Dog Shows and are also the “one stop go to site” for information and dog breeding
All puppies sold in WA will be registered with Dogs West
Veterinarians
We use a regular vet to check on the health of the adult dogs and puppies on an ongoing basis.
We currently use My Best Friends Vet in Leederville, Applecross Vet Hospital and for outside regular hours the 24 hour Perth Vet Specialist Hospital. If you need to take your pet to any of these mention they are one of our fur babies because they have probably met them before or know us quite well.
Just make sure you have references available to research if a particular thing is ok for dogs and access to a vet or information for a medical emergency
VWD
Von Willebrand Disease is a genetic disease which caused the blood to be unable to clot properly, causing excessive bleeding.
This disease comes in 3 main types:
Type 1 – Can cause serious bleeding and is the least severe
Type 2 – Characterised by prolonged bleeding and spontaneous hemorrhaging
Type 3 – The worst one where your dog can have serious bleeding episodes and can require frequent transfusions
There is a screening test available where the inside of the dogs mouth is scraped for DNA. All dogs bred are tested and must be clear
It is a very manageable disease in dogs by injections of medications to help the blood clot. The danger is when you don’t know your dog has the condition, so cannot plan with routine surgical procedures of if your dog has a massive accident and can bleed out.
Dobermanns on Chelmsford have all our breeding dogs screened and must be negative to be considered for mating. We do not use any animal untested for breeding.
