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A Decade to Reflect
Ten years is considered an achievement of longevity in the Dobermann breed and since my A-litter turned 10 this year, it is a fitting time to reflect. I have owned dogs all my life, but Dobermanns only since 2011. My first Dobermann was a backyard bred, poor tempered, sick dog which I had to put…
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Riding on Coattails
It is a common practice in the dog breeding community to ride on the coattails of past successful combinations and individuals in a pedigree, rather than just resting on one’s own laurels. This has both positive and negative consequences: the original breeder who achieved fame becomes even more well known via the offspring and grand/great-offspring…
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Anthropomorphizing Dogs and its Consequences
Last night I received the information from my flatmate that Ashra had been attacked by an off-leash pitbull mix, while on leash, in front of our home. I have been spending most of the night and day being furious that my dog’s life was put in danger and looking into the procedure of reporting the…
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Temperament and Genetics
One persistent myth about dog behaviour and temperament that bothers me is the incorrect notion that all dogs are born as blank slates, ready to be molded. We’ve all heard such a story: My dog bites kids because she’s a rescue, she was traumatized by a rough child. My dog is afraid of everything, because…
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Breeding for Titles
When I first started my breeding project, I aimed for using exclusively titled stud dogs – with both working and show titles, when possible – as this is what I had been led to believe was evidence of worthy breeding stock. Spend X amount of money on showing or training your dog, get X amount…
