About

SOUNDNESS, HEALTH & VERSATILITY

Black Athirat is a FCI registered kennel and represents my Dobermann longevity project. I started this project at the end of 2012 by collecting information on long-lived lines and studies pertaining to health and longevity in dogs. My research evolved into a social media discussion group, and finally into what it is now: a breeding program. When I have bred 4 consecutive generations of Dobermanns with an average lifespan of 12+ years, I will have accomplished what I set out to do.

Philosophy

The Dobermann is a versatile working dog and thus should be suitable for a variety of activities.

  • Working dogs must be mentally stable; free of anxiety, fear and sensory sensitivity.
  • An athletic structure is essential for maintaining mobility into a working dog’s senior years.
  • Quality of life is just as important as longevity – allergies, OCD etc. are unacceptable in breeding.

Methodology

  1. I own bitches from less common lines, which I have researched and confirmed to have a good average lifespan and sound temperament.
  2. I try to also use sires from less common lines. The majority of litters trace back just a handful of sires, which means that the gene pool is greatly reduced with each successive generation. By using a wider selection of sires, we can preserve more genetic material for the future.
  3. The chosen sire should come from lines with reasonably good average lifespan. Having a “Bred For Longevity” certificate would be ideal, but the list of dogs that meet this criteria is very short. As a compromise I look for dogs which have a majority of relatives that have to at least 9 years within the last 3 generations.
  4. The chosen sire should exhibit sound temperament and structure, and in the best case scenario also have proven working ability through titles or equivalent.
  5. The chosen sire must have at minimum (by the date of the mating), the following health exams:
    – hips
    – heart (echocardiogram)
    – eyes
    – von Willebrand status
  6. I may decide to have the sire tested for diversity (UC Davis VGL). But in any case, I will test the promising puppies.