Thanks guys.
Pearly whites! What kind of dental dog care do you use?
I give them raw beef knuckle bones to gnaw on once a week or so. That usually keeps their teeth in good shape. The oldest is 5 and his teeth are still in great condition.
Doberman's are one of my favorite breads, as long as they aren't chasing me
Strangers always think they're terrifying, but anyone who spends five minutes with them at my house changes their minds.

The two adults are certified therapy dogs, one is a registered service dog, and well, the puppy is still a puppy!
WTF has happened to its ears
No reputable breeders in the states will send a dog home without having their ears cropped by a vet that knows what they're doing beforehand. I know it's illegal in some parts of Europe, but there are quite a few breeders on that side of the pond that will drive to Hungary and other similar countries where it is still allowed. My puppy looks like he has long donkey ears right now, but he will grow into them as he matures.
gsgary said:
They have been cut that is disgusting
Lol. I've never liked dobies with full ears. Looks like a sick Rottweiler.
Some people don't like cropped ears. It's a personal preference.
Side note, many people don't realize that many of the dogs they love have tails docked or ears cropped. In the older days, it originally was I prevent injury. Nowadays, it's more so cosmetic. Very few people have needs for working dogs anymore...
In any event, pretty dogs.
A lot of people don't realize how many breeds are cropped or docked. Boxers, Great Danes, Rottweilers, Australian shepherds, Dobes, Boston Terriers, Schnauzers, etc...
As for as conformation events go, it's purely cosmetic these days. Dobermans were originally cropped and docked because they worked as personal protection dogs, and it gave the assailant less to grab and fewer targets that could easily injure the dogs. I'm really active with my pooches, and one of them does schutzhund trials (see below) as well. Erect ears help to pinpoint sounds and can be beneficial (why do you think no wild canine species have floppy ears?).
(I know this is an awful photo, but it's the best I could get in the rain with a cheapo camera)
I have nothing against natural Dobes, and I would love to have one in the future with full ears and tail. You just can't find them in America unless you go through craigslist or some other terrible venue and find a completely irresponsible, unethical breeder. No way will I ever support them by paying for one of their dogs when thousands of them are up for adoption in shelters across the country.
It's a personal preference.
Well, I wouldn't call it personal preference as much as I would call it savage unnecessary mutilation of innocent animals : (
On topic: I love the first picture! and the third one with the water dripping is great, too bad lighting is so harsh
I couldn't agree more about the lighting. I try to only take pictures of the black dogs when it's cloudy because our Texas sun can be pretty harsh. It's so easy to get blown highlights, and it's so easy to underexpose it in an attempt to compensate which just results in a black silhouette.
I'm not sure how it's savage as long as it's done by a vet that knows what they're doing. I have seen bully breeds that have had their ears chopped off with scissors on their owners kitchen tables--that's savage and criminal. Had any of my three dogs acted like they were in pain at any point, I probably would have gone through the extra hassle of importing a dog from Europe. With that said, not a single one of the three ever displayed that they were in pain or slowed down in the slightest because of the process. A lot of people have a misconstrued idea of what ear cropping entails. I wont stay up on my soapbox and preach about it, but if it's done by one of the 20 or so vets in North America that are worth a damn, the dogs don't suffer in any way.
Here are a couple more of my pup...
His ears are taped to a piece of foam to teach them to stand. Clearly, it doesn't slow him down in the slightest.
I just re-wrapped his ears, and I'll let you be the judge of how uncomfortable he feels.
Part Husky, Part Doberman? - YouTube
Lastly, I'm not posting this for C&C purposes for obvious reasons, but their ears aren't nearly as long and pointy as those first photos may lead you to believe. It just depends on the angle...
