Which Puppy is the Best Puppy for You?

Once you find a good breeder and have patiently waited the months until your litter is born, how do you choose which puppy will be your Doberman for the next decade? First, let's go over a few things not to do and counter some of the bad advice I have heard over the years.

A misconception is that there is a 'pick-of-the-litter', meaning the best puppy in the litter, and the 'runt-of-the-litter', meaning a small sick puppy. In any well bred litter there will be several 'picks', and there should be no 'runts'. There are always smaller ones and larger ones, and different puppies will be the picks for different people in different situations wanting to do different things with their Doberman.

Don't expect a miraculous sign showing which puppy is yours. I have found that some people expect somehow to 'know' which puppy is theirs when they see it. I have also seen puppies volunteer, such as in the instances when we have chosen a few puppies, maybe three, all of which are fitting to a particular aspiring Doberman owner, and one of the three puppies seems to choose their owner. This should not be expected though. The breeder, who lives with the puppies, is your best guide.

Also, when the breeder simply allows the puppy purchaser to choose from several puppies, the tendency is to take an inordinate amount of time choosing. And of course it does since the puppy purchaser doesn't know the puppies. Try to avoid this.

If you have found a good breeder, they will have asked you enough questions and know the puppies well enough to choose the best one for you. Even if they are letting you choose from several, they know which one is the very best. The key is to be honest. Beyond the breeder's questions tell them everything about you and your intentions and let them know you are comfortable with them choosing your puppy. This is how you will get the best Doberman puppy.

Which Type of Doberman are You Looking For?

It is wise to determine what you are looking for before you start looking for it. Do you want a male? Are you specific on color? Do you plan to show? There are many questions you should answer for yourself before contacting a breeder. And for goodness sake - DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK! A good breeder will provide you with a wealth of knowledge, affording you a better idea of what it is that you really want, versus what you think you may want.

Male or Female?

The question of male or female is usually the first in most people's minds. Understand, sex has little to do with temperament. In our experience, females tend to need more attention and males tend to be a bit goofier. Neither is more aggressive or more difficult to train. The main difference is build. Females will turn out very elegant and sleek, like figure skaters. Males will turn out more muscled with a chiseled look, like a 90 lb Bruce Lee with fur.

Coat Color

Dobermans come in five different colors: black, red, fawn, blue, and white. When contemplating this decision, remember, dogs bred for coat color are not bred for health and temperament. You can't usually breed for both - breeding for just one is tough enough!

Whites are marked with a Z in the AKC pedigree number, as are carriers of the gene. Most good breeders avoid this gene due to eye problems and high rates of skin cancer. The white color is also recessive. This means breeding white Dobermans is very difficult because you have only a small population in the world that will produce them. This also means when choosing breeding stock, color is the primary trait looked for and not health or temperament.

Fawn and blue coats are recessive also. Fawn, a shiny beige-silver, is the recessive dilute of red. Blue, a shiny grey-blue, is the recessive dilute of black. Both fawn and blue Dobermans have the normal rust markings. These rare coats tend to have fewer hair follicles and a higher instance of skin problems such as hair loss and acne, likely due to specific breeding for rare colors rather than health. Finding a good breeder offering these coat colors is difficult and rarely wise.

Finding a healthy well tempered Doberman should be your primary goal. If you are doing so, this leaves you with black or red. Red comes in colors ranging from a brownish to a deep red-chocolate hue. Both have the normal rust markings. There are some breeders who have intentionally bred out the rust markings, mostly in black Doberman to produce an all black. Like the other rare colors, the goal in such breeding is to produce a specific coat and not to produce healthy well tempered Dobermans that improve the overall breed. These breeders should be avoided.

Size

Most American Dobermans range from 24 to 28 inches in height at the withers (shoulders) and 65 to 85 pounds, males being slightly taller and much heavier. European Dobermans are built more solidly, and tend to be taller than the Americans. It is quite common to find bitches standing at 25-28 inches, and dogs taller than 29 inches at the withers. They will also tend to weigh closer to 85-110 pounds if kept in good shape. Research into the blood lines and the size of the parents of your puppy will reveal its eventual size.

Some Dobermans have been breed for a particular size, large or small. Purchasing a Doberman breed for size is unwise, again, it has not been breed primarily for health and temperament.

Puppy or Adult?

Doberman puppies are the nastiest, sweetest, most destructive little creatures you will likely meet outside of Tasmania. They truly make you earn the fine obedient adults they become. Starting with a puppy is a great responsibility that will test your character to its limits. The advantage is that raising a Doberman from a puppy allows a strong bond to form.

For many people, purchasing an adult Doberman is ideal. If you have found a Master Breeder he will eventually have an adult available. Breeders eventually have Dobermans who have retired from breeding or Dobermans who were initially kept for breeding or showing, but due to some flaw in confirmation or change in circumstance, plans changed. These dogs are not throw-aways. A retired mommy-dog is about the sweetest most loving creature in the world and they make great pets, especially for families with other animals or children to replace her puppies.

A dog originally kept for showing will be well trained, saving you a lot of work. They are also accustomed to being in a home where they vied for attention among several other dogs. Once they get their own family, they are enormously thankful and show it. Also, cost wise, even though these dogs go for more than an average puppy, are the best deal, saving on the initial puppy costs.

How much will My Doberman Cost?

First, the cost for a healthy well breed Doberman puppy will be a minimum of $600 but more likely $1,500 or more. Remember, even at these prices the breeder is loosing money. A puppy going for less has been bred and raised by a breeder who has cut some important corners. Second, the initial cost of your puppy is small in comparison to the other expenses. It has been our experience that new puppy owners regularly spend twice what they have paid us for their puppy on a single trip to the pet store, buying new beds, toys, and all the fun stuff. The following is a list of minimal expenses for a new puppy. Depending on your veterinarian, they may cost more:

Crate $100
Food $360 (6 months)
Puppy shots $200
Ear Crop $350 (plus aftercare)
Parasite Preventative $40 (6 months)
Bowls, blankets etc. $100
Bones, chew toys $80 (6 months)
Collar, tags, and lead $80
Stuff puppy will destroy $???

According to these honest estimates, you will need to invest a minimum of $1,300+ in the first six months, in addition to the cost of purchasing the puppy. If these expenses look ominous or like something you would rather avoid, perhaps right now is not the time to bring a Doberman, or any puppy into your home.

Please do not settle for a less expensive puppy from a lesser quality breeder. This puppy will not only incur further cost with any health or behavioral issues, but will contribute to the detriment of the Doberman breed. A better solution is to rescue a Doberman or other dog. These dogs sometime have behavioral or health issues as well, but their initial cost is minimal, and they need homes.