Health and Longevity

The Dobermann race was originally bred in the 1880s by Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann in Apolda, Thuringia, Germany. Karl Dobermann was a tax collector and night watchman who ran the Apolda dog pound. Needing a great protector due to his difficult work, he decided to try and breed his ideal companion from the dogs available in his dog pound. No one knows for certain, but it is believed that he has crossed many breeds to get the Dobermann, including the Rottweiler, German Pinscher, Great Dane, German shepherd dog, Manchester terrier, and English greyhound shorthaired shepherd.

Dobermanns have come a long way from the fierce dog created by Louis Dobermann, and the Dobermann today is an affectionate and loving dog equally suited the family life and training/work. Furthermore, due to careful breeding, it’s also of a far more gentle temperament than its’ past incarnations. Physically its’ original appearance is also quite different and the docking of its’ ears and tail is no longer allowed in Denmark or many other European countries.

At Dobergaarden we work to further improve the quality of the Dobermann, refining what it originally was into what people desire from the breed today with a great focus on the breed’s overall health and longevity. An important part of this process is knowing the history of all our dogs, not only for health purposes but also to ensure longevity within the race by not including dogs in our bloodlines know to carry heart diseases and the like. This is vital for us to be able to improve on the breed and create excellent dogs in every sense of the word. If you want to read more about what goes into this work, look here.

Some years back IDC introduced a breeding examination system called ZTP (In German called ZUCHTTAUGLICHKEITSPRÜFUNG), that all certified breeders and breeding pedigree registered Dobermann (thus including Dobergaarden and its’ dogs) have to comply with.

As such, both the father and the mother of any litter we create have to undergo the ZTP examination for our litters to get the needed pedigree papers. This ensures that you as a buyer at any time will receive a good and reliable certified Dobermann. As further insurance, we at Dobergaarden also strive to ensure all our dogs have been tested mentally to try and guarantee they are of both great body and mind.

Below you find the documentation on the ZTP examination, feel free to study this important document.