Breed Standard

Dobermann Kennel Club (London)

GENERAL APPEARANCE

-          - Medium size, muscular and elegant, with well set body.

-          - Of proud carriage, compact and tough.

-          - Capable of great speed.

CHARACTERISTICS

-          - Intelligent and firm of character.

-          - Loyal and obedient.

TEMPERAMENT

-          - Bold and alert.

-          - Shyness or viciousness very highly undesirable.

HEAD AND SKULL

-          - In proportion to body.

-          - Long, well filled out under eyes and clean cut, with good depth of muzzle.

-          - Seen from above and side, resembles an elongated blunt wedge.

-          - Upper part of head flat and free from wrinkle.

-          - Top of skull flat, slight stop; muzzle line extending parallel to top line of skull.

-          - Cheeks flat, lips tight.

-          - Nose solid black in black dogs, solid dark brown in brown dogs, solid dark grey in blue dogs and light brown in fawn dogs.

-          - Head out of balance in proportion to body, dish faced, snipy or cheeky very highly undesirable.

EYES

-          - Almond-shaped, not round, moderately deep set, not prominent, with lively, alert expression.

-          - Iris of uniform colour, ranging from medium to darkest brown in black dogs, the darker shade being more desirable.

-          - In browns, blues, or fawns, colour of iris blends with that of markings, but not of lighter hue than markings.

-          - Light eyes in black dogs highly undesirable.

EARS

-          - Small, neat, set high on head.

-          - Normally dropped, but may be erect.

MOUTH

-          - Well developed, solid and strong with a complete dentition and a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite,

              i.e. the upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

-          - Evenly placed teeth.

-          - Undershot, overshot or badly arranged teeth highly undesirable.

NECK

-          - Fairly long and lean, carried with considerable nobility.

-          - Slightly convex and in proportion to shape of dog.

-          - Region of nape very muscular.

-          - Dewlap and loose skin undesirable.

FOREQUARTERS

-          - Shoulder blade and upper arm meet at an angle of 90 degrees.

-          - Shoulder blade and upper arm approximately equal in length.

-          - Short upper arm relative to shoulder blade highly undesirable.

-          - Legs seen from front and side, perfectly straight and parallel to each other from elbow to pastern; muscled and sinewy,

             with round bone in proportion to body structure.

-          - Standing or gaiting, elbow lies close to brisket.

BODY

-          - Square, height measured vertically from ground to highest point at withers equal to length from forechest to rear projection of upper thigh.

-          - Forechest well developed.

-          - Back short and firm, with strong, straight topline sloping slightly from withers to croup;

-          - Bitches may be slightly longer to loin.

-          - Ribs deep and well sprung, reaching to elbow.

-          - Belly fairly well tucked-up.

-          - Long, weak, or roach backs highly undesirable.

HINDQUARTERS

-          - Legs parallel to each other and moderately wide apart.

-          - Pelvis falling away from spinal column at an angle of about 30 degrees.

-          - Croup well filled out.

-          - Hindquarters well developed and muscular; long, well bent stifle.

-          - Hocks turning neither in nor out.

-          - When standing, hock to heel perpendicular to the ground.

FEET

-          - Well arched, compact, and cat-like, turning neither in nor out.

-          - All dewclaws removed.

-          - Long, flat deviating feet and/or weak pasterns highly undesirable.

TAIL

-          - Preferably docked at first or second joint;

-          - Appears to be a continuation of spine without material drop.

GAIT

-          - Elastic, free, balanced and vigorous, with good reach in forequarters and driving power in hindquarters.

-          - When trotting, should have strong rear drive, with apparent rotary motion of hindquarters.

-          - Rear and front legs thrown neither in nor out.

-          - Back remains strong and firm.

COAT

-          - Smooth, short, hard, thick and close lying.

-          - Imperceptible undercoat on neck permissible.

-          - Hair forming a ridge on back of neck and/or along spine highly undesirable.

COLOUR

-          - Definite black, brown, blue or fawn (Isabella) only, with rust red markings.

-          - Markings to be sharply defined, appearing above each eye, on muzzle, throat and forechest, on all legs and feet and below tail.

-          - White markings of any kind highly undesirable.

SIZE

-          - Ideal height at withers:    Dogs:                69cm (27")

                                  Bitches:             65cm (25½")

-          - Considerable deviation from this ideal undesirable.

FAULTS

-          - Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded

             should be in exact proportion to its degree.

NOTE: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.