Doberdor Information & Dog Breed Facts

The Doberdor is a mixed breed dog, a cross between the Doberman Pinscher and the Labrador Retriever dog breeds. The breed is intelligent, protective, and loyal as they inherited the best qualities from both parents. However, Doberdor’s history involves taking a look at the stories behind the parent breeds.

The Doberman Pinscher is a relatively modern breed, having been developed in Germany in the 1890s. A man called Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann, a dogcatcher and tax collector, developed this intelligent canine to accompany him on his duty. He was seeking the ideal personal protection dog, one that was intelligent, loyal, and fearless, as well as possessing a natural protective instinct and a trustworthy personality. However, Mr. Dobermann did not keep detailed records of the dogs he used, and in many cases the breeds of the dogs he used to make his personal security dogs were unknown. Although we do not know all of the dogs that contributed to the development of the Doberman Pinscher, a few breeds are suspected as ancestors, including a breed that was very similar, known only as Thueringen breed or Thueringen Shepherd, as well as German Pinschers, local sheepdogs, butcher’s dogs, and Black and Tan Terriers. Since their inception, these dogs have served as guard dogs, police dogs, and military dogs, and they were also major actors in World War II, functioning as sentries, couriers, and even scouts. Dobermans were involved indirectly supporting the military in the battle of Okinawa in 1945, and a memorial statue of a Doberman stands in Guam to commemorate the 25 marine war dogs that gave their lives to free it. However, these brave dogs have a gentler side, they can make loving and affectionate companions, as well as true and loyal friends to those they care about. The Doberman Pincher became recognized by the AKC in 1908 and has since reigned as one of America’s most popular working breeds.

On the other hand, the Labrador Retriever is the traditional waterdog of Newfoundland, long employed as a duck retriever and fisherman’s friend. The breed became popular in the early 1800s when Labs were spotted by English nobles who were visiting Canada. These sporting lords returned to England with fine specimens of ‘Labrador dogs’. Exactly how these dogs of Newfoundland became associated with Labrador is unclear, but the name stuck. During the second half of the 19^th century, British breeders refined and standardized the breed. The physical and temperamental breed traits recall the Labrador Retriever’s original purpose. A short, dense, weather-resistant coat was preferred because during a Canadian winter longhaired retrievers would be encrusted with ice when coming out of the water. In its ancestral homeland, the breed would be assigned to a fishing boat to retrieve the fish that came off the trawl. Moreover, the breed’s thick, tapering tail serves as a powerful rudder, constantly moving back and forth as the dog swims and aids the dog in turning. When it comes to characteristics, the breed is described as one of a kindly, outgoing, tractable nature, eager to please, and nonaggressive toward man or animal. The Kennel Club of England recognized the breed in 1903, and the AKC registered its first dog of the breed in 1917. The Labrador Retriever topped American Kennel Club registrations for the first time in 1991 and has reigned as America’s favorite breed ever since.