Shepherds are year around shedders as I am sure you know. They do blow coat 2x a yr in large amounts as a double coated breed they also shed all year around. My female was brushed daily with a furminator and there was never a moment it would not pull up a ball of hair in one swipe.
Shepherds however are much better equipped to deal with cold both living and working in it as long as properly acclimated to it. Shepherds pant at temps a dobe does not and the panting at 70 can be distressing to the owner who worries about overheating.
Dobes take up less room for the same height or weight. They sleep in balls like a cat and since I use a dog as a service dog space is a factor when the dog has to be out of sight out of the way in resturants etc.
Shepherds are wired more to work independently but any well trained dobe can also be taught to go out to do a task. Shepherds I am told will live happily in the yard where dobes want to be with you 24/7, personally my shepherd was the same way. She was happy to lay in the floor on her bed or in her crate (likely because of the hair and body heat) where the dobe I have has to be touching me with some part of his body at at all times. The shepherd would lay beside me but he lays on me, gives a new view of a body pillow.
Both are intellegent dogs but
shepherds mature faster at least in my experience. My shepherd was off leash reliable by a year old under heavy distraction, my male dobe... not so much. My shepherd was housebroken early by 5mths she was 100%. Some of this may be gender related too so someone else may want to jump in with whether that may be part of it. Shepherd was female dobe is male.
My shepherd naturally 'toted' toys around, dobes eat them. I think in another thread someone said 4-5mths was the general cut off age for stuffies before they were shreaded on site lol.
Both dogs are smart but dobes bore faster and you have to keep on your toes to keep ahead of them. Both need exercise but my shepherd was less distructive or bored than my dobe is if he doesnt get regular walks and run time. Shepherds tend to be less demanding of routine and more tolerant of our human errors. If we don't take them out jogging every day thats usually ok with them (some are high drive) dobes need to do something. If the shepherd moto was 'sure what ever you want, I'm game!' then the dobe moto would be 'JUST DO IT!'
What you may want to do is consider fostering a dobe for a rescue so you can see more of the small personality differences. Visit a rescue and volunteer to be a dog walker so you can get to know several dogs because like diamonds, every one is a little different.
Oh and you can freshen up a dobe for unexpected company with a wet wash wrag LOL
Below is something you would never see with my dobe
why to buy a doberman, instead of a GSD? 
( plus all the other wonderful things people have said!)
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