A father-daughter duo impressed Crufts judges on Sunday (March 9) afternoon, taking home top titles in the Doberman breed segment of the event.
Among the over 200 breeds exhibited in the annual world’s largest dog show at the NEC, Birmingham, the Doberman stood out as a popular pooch in the working class category. Hundreds of passersby kept on stopping by to peek at the Black and Rust, or Red and Rust, guardians.
While all competing dogs left an impression on the audience, it was Alvin, a Black and Rust male Doberman, who ultimately won the Best of Breed class. Not far behind, Ch Amazon She Must Be Adored JW, AKA “Cello”, took the gong for Opposite Sex.
Cello, a two and half year old Black and Rust Doberman, won the Open Bitch class in addition to the Opposite Sex class. Unlike her father, she has not qualified for a chance to win the Working Class category, and perhaps the overall Best in Show.
Nevertheless, her beauty and grace has left many onlookers impressed. “We’ve already had people asking us [to mate from her],” Clive Evans, owner of the Amazon Dobermanns kennel, reveals.
A puppy from a Doberman with Cello’s type of pedigree and dog show titles cost approximately £2,500, a relatively fair price considering some breeds, such as French Bulldogs, get sold for £7,000.
The breed takes its name from the man who developed it: Karl Louis Dobermann, a tax collector in Apolda, Germany. He wanted a fierce looking dog to protect him in his work, to act as a deterrent to any would-be robbers, and with enough courage to defend and attack when required, according to the Kennel Club.
Since the 19th century, when the Doberman was established, its protective instincts have remained. “It’s a very loyal dog, very, very loyal,” Clive insists.
“Generally, they’re one person dogs,” he adds. An easily trainable breed, Dobermans consistently rank in the top five of the smartest breeds in the world.
Nevertheless, as a guard dog, first-time Doberman owners need to consider its drive for mental stimulation, large size, and occasional prey drive.
“I would advise people, when they get a puppy, to ensure that they socialize properly,” Clive, who has bred Dobermans for over 30 years, urges. He adds: “Last thing you want is a dog which is not socialized and not people friendly, not dog friendly, not animal friendly, that’s the last thing you want, because that is what’s going to get you into trouble.”
Alvin continues: “This is a dog which, although we don’t exercise ours a great deal, they do need exercise. And when I say I don’t exercise a great deal, what we do is we drive to a field, we open the van, let them out loose in the field, they exercise themselves by chasing one another.”
Dobermans have a reputation for being ferocious dogs, thanks to media portrayals often found in Hollywood, with figures like Magnum’s Zeus and Apollo. Nowadays, Dobermans appear less threatening, likely due to their natural droopy ears and long tail, which were once cropped for aesthetic purposes.
“They are very, very loving,” Clive admits. “When you start stroking them, they’ll say, don’t stop until I tell you.”
The Doberman expert further shares: “They can whine and sometimes you can have a little bit of separation anxiety, they will stick to you like velcro dogs. The other thing as well is, if you leave a room and you don’t close the door behind you, just say, for instance, you go to the bathroom, [they] will wait outside the door for you until you come out, [and] it’s like you’ve been away for a week and you’ve just returned home.”
According to Clive, Dobermans can make great family pets, however, they need a headstrong owner. “You’ve got to be the dominant person over the dog, because it’s like a pack, if you think about a pack, you’ve got to be the leader pack,” he explains.
