This may seem like a silly question to ponder, but breeders put a lot of thought into this question. Who are we? When trying to improve a breed, it is important to reflect on this question and it is often answered by establishing goals. That might seem simple enough right? I wish! Think about your ideal doberman. What draws you to a doberman? A nice chest? Square? A nice head? Angulation? Temperament? The list goes on. Take a look at the popular doberman magazines and the big winning dogs. Some of these dogs are simply flashy and win against more structurally correct dogs.
So where do we get guidance from in breeding for the "correct" doberman? This is where the breed standard comes in to play. The standard is generally set by the parent club and may vary from country to country. The standard in the United States is different from the European standard. Since we are located in the U.S. and wish to compete in the AKC ring, we strive for the standard set by the DPCA. While it is easy to get off course and begin to breed for what is popular in the ring, the standard is the guide and reminder for what the doberman breed is supposed to embrace. You may ask, but you have European lines? Yes, we do and our focus with our Euro litter was a working drive focus for IGP/IPO. All of our litters have a goal in mind. While we don't always achieve the goal, the litters produced are always produced for a reason. When we breed, it is with years of research behind the pairing. We may not achieve a certain goal in one or even 2 generations but there is a definite goal in mind. I generally make plans with several generations in mind. While I am not old enough to have been in dobermans since the 70's, I have been studying and admiring the breed since the 90's. I dedicate numerous hours a day to researching pedigrees, talking to other breeders and when we are able to, going to shows to see the top dobermans in person. My interest and admiration for the breed has not waned for over 20 years, I will always be owned by the breed. I am a student of the breed, always wanting to learn and improve on each generation we produce. Our breeding program evolves, as we evolve and as I constantly ponder the question - Who are we?
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AuthorWe are a doberman preservation breeder, breeding for conformation and working temperament. We participate in AKC and working events and do health testing on all of our adults prior to breeding. We do not mass produce and generally do have a wait list for all of our litters. We do work with new breeders who are interested in improving the breed. Archives
August 2021
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