Doberman dog breed

The Doberman is a large dog, weighing between 32 and 45 kilos when fully grown. As such they need plenty of high-quality food as both puppies and adults to make sure they’re getting the right nutrition.

As a puppy you should feed your Doberman smaller meals 3-4 times a day. As they get bigger, adult dogs will only need to be fed once or twice a day. If you have your Doberman from a puppy, try to start by feeding them the same food as they ate with the breeder. Introduce new food gradually, mixing it with their current food over the space of a few weeks to avoid an upset tummy.  

Most dog food packaging includes a guide for feeding quantities depending on your dog’s size, but you may also need to factor in activity level and age to make sure they’re getting the right portion size. 

Doberman dogs have short coats which only need a little bit of grooming. Brushing once per week will help to remove shedding hairs and keep them looking glossy and healthy. You may find more hair than usual in the spring and autumn as your Doberman sheds its coat, so more frequent brushing will help to keep this under control.

Dobermans are an active breed that need plenty of exercise. Ideally, you should walk them for two hours every day, split into two hour-long walks. Training, enrichment toys and other mentally stimulating activities can also help to tire them out.

Doberman’s are intelligent dogs and can be trained to perform a wide variety of tricks and tasks. They have been used as police dogs, guard dogs and messenger dogs in the past, and are quick to learn and eager to please. 

As they’re a large breed, thorough training and socialisation from a young age is important to help your Doberman learn how to behave both at home and out and about. 

They are a distinctive and somewhat intimidating breed for people who aren’t confident around dogs, so it’s important to keep your Doberman under control when out in public. 

Teach the essentials like recall, loose lead training and house training from when they’re puppies. 

Bloat is a medical emergency and can be life-threatening. The stomach fills with gas and can twist, cutting off blood supply to the gut and affecting circulation to the heart.

Symptoms include a swollen, hard belly, retching but not vomiting, drooling, pain in the abdomen and other signs of distress like panting and restlessness. It can kill dogs within a matter of hours, but thankfully the condition is extremely rare.

This is an inherited condition where the thigh bone and hip joint don’t fit together properly. It causes pain, especially when walking, and can lead to lameness in the back legs. Hip joints can be tested for this condition by the vet. Breeders shouldn’t mate dogs with hip dysplasia.

This is a heart condition where the muscles in the heart become weaker and thinner, As the muscles weaken the heart pumps blood less effectively, leading to increased pressure which stretches the thin heart muscles. Some dogs develop abnormal heart rhythms or a heart murmur. Dilated cardiomyopathy is the most common cause of heart failure in some large dog breeds, including Doberman Pinschers. 

• Signs of the condition can include:
• Rapid breathing even while resting
• Increased effort breathing
• Weakness 
• Reduced ability to exercise
• Fainting or collapsing
• Weight loss
• Swollen belly.

Von Willebrand’s Disease is an inherited blood disorder that means blood doesn’t clot effectively. Your Doberman may bleed excessively if they’re injured or after surgery. 

Symptoms of Von Willebrand’s Disease include:

• Nosebleeds
• Bleeding gums
• Internal bleeding. 

Blood transfusions from healthy dogs can help manage the condition.