HISTORY: The Doberman Pinscher became the well known dog breed that it is today all because one day a door-to-door tax collector (now that’s an unenviable job if there was one) decided he needed a little extra job security in the form of a guard dog to accompany him on his rounds. The German tax collector in question was called Louis Doberman and around 1870 he began developing a new breed of dog that eventually resulted in the modern day Doberman Pinscher. The dog breeds from which the Doberman Pinscher was derived included: the Rottweiler; German Pinscher; Greyhound; and the Manchester Terrier. (There are those who speculate that the German Shepherd was also involved in the make-up of the Doberman Pinscher, but this is unlikely since the Shepherd was also being developed around the very same period.

In its early form the Doberman Pinscher was a somewhat heavy-boned and rounded dog (more similar in appearance to the Rottweiler). Further development by subsequent breeders transformed the early heavyset shape of the original Doberman into the sleek, streamlined dog that characterizes the modern Doberman Pinscher. The first official records documenting the Doberman date back to 1890 in Germany.

The 1st official Doberman Pinscher club appeared in 1889 and is credited to Otto Goeller who helped refine the development of the Doberman Breed through his Kennel named Thuringen in honor of the region from which the breed’s creator, Herr Doberman, hailed from. Another individual who played an important role in refinement and development of the Doberman was a Herr Gorswin through breeding efforts from the Groenland Kennel.