A word about color
Let me share with you some facts about the four recognized Doberman colors. Blue is a dilution of black, and fawn is a dilution of red. All four colors are recognized and can compete in all AKC sanctioned events and shows. Some have done very well. They also can compete in other sports such as Schutzhund etc. Some people believe the dilute Dobermans i.e. blues and fawns to be inferior genetically and state they should not be bred, owned etc. They will tell you they will automatically have all kinds of health problems and die early. Those are ridiculous statements unfounded by research and fact. Here is an example to help illustrate the point. I have brown hair, I am balding, and at high risk for diabetes. Arguments against dilute Dobermans are the same as saying my brown hair caused my baldness and diabetes. The three are completely unrelated. It is the same with Dobermans. The genes that cause the change in hair color are not the same genes that cause other problems. Here is where those statements come from though. There are some very poor quality blue Dobermans out there and some poor fawn colored Dobermans as well though blues seem to be the ones most picked on. Many of them have thyroid problems, skin problems etc. Thyroid problems are the result of poor breeding selection, not blue coats. It is possible to get good dilute colored Dobermans, we have proved it with a successful breeding program that included using a very healthy and balanced fawn Doberman stud. If you buy good Dobermans, they are never the wrong color. Buy Dobermans that come from healthy parents and you will have healthy Dobermans. Buy an inbred inferior dilute colored Doberman from an uninformed or unprofessional breeder and you will have one of the Dobermans that anti-dilute proponents hold up to the world and say "See they are bad!" It is not the color that made the Doberman bad, it was poor breeding selection. My fawn Doberman had a thicker fuller coat than any Doberman I had owned, he produced full coated Doberman puppies, free of the problems people say dilution causes. Look at it all in perspective, there are also really poor quality black and red Dobermans out there, but people don't go around claiming that their coat color was the reason. The exception to this rule is the white Doberman, which is not a dilution gene, it is the absence of a color gene. The white itself is not the problem, it is how the eyes and skin are affected that causes the problems. We have since retired our fawn stud when we went back to the foundation European Doberman lines. Dilute colors are however considered a fault and disqualification in Europe. This is also based on opinion not on research or performance, but in Europe dilute puppies are often quickly euthanized and the parents retired from breeding. It is considered and embarrassment to your kennel to have dilute puppies in Germany for example. The DPCA has a very easy to read and understand Color chart at:http://www.dpca.org/color.chart.5.html a view of this chart also shows with science that breeding two dilutes together to get a dilute puppy has the same genetic makeup as other combinations. Many people argue that two dilutes should never be bred together and this is not based on science, it does not matter what is used to produce the color, the genetic makeup will be the same. That assumes however that we are talking about breeding healthy well bred dogs. Again the inbreeding in the dilute colors is what causes the problem, it is seperate from the color gene itself.
You can see pictures of the allowable colors (Under the AKC) here: http://www.familydobes.com/colors.htm
White is not allowed under any standard, but the AKC will still register white offspring with a "z" designation on the paperwork. Any descendant coming from white or "z" factored parents will also carry the brand. What the Z factor means is that the registration number will begin with "WZ" instead of "WS" for example. The Z designation does not designate a particular gene. White Dobermans have been known to have many problems, and there again it is because of inbreeding not the color itself. The exception is photosensitivity. The eyes and skin are very photosensitive and can cause a host of skin and eye problems, some of those eye problems are manifested in behavior such as fear biting. The dogs are not any more aggressive than any other Dog, they are just always being surprised because they don't see well. This would lead me to having a bad attitude as well!
From the DPCA: WHITE DOBERMANS In 1980's the white Doberman made it's appearance and it has been found that the white gene is a separate gene, and is located at a different genetic site (locus) than the color (B) and dilution (D) that is the basis of the four allowed colors for the Doberman. The white gene does not interfere with these four known colors of the Doberman and does not need to be included in the color chart.
The white Doberman is considered an incomplete or partial albino. The dogs have blue eyes and are cream colored with light tan markings. The dogs suffer from photo phobia (photosensitive). This means the dogs cannot tolerate light, often closing their eyes and bumping into objects when put in unfamiliar surroundings. Their temperaments range from being very shy to fear biters. These are not the attributes a responsible breeder or one that is familiar with the criteria of a working dog wish to produce or perpetuate.
WARNING: The white Doberman is NOT considered to be of great value (charging more/more expensive) by Responsible Breeders. Responsible Breeders DO NOT include the white Doberman in their breeding stock/programs.
The WHITE color is a DISQUALIFICATION and these dogs CANNOT COMPETE in the conformation ring.
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