I don't personally know them, but I can tell you what I don't see - cardiac testing, thyroid/liver/kidney testing. Or titling on any of their dogs. What drew you to this breeder? Perhaps we can help you find a better one?

 

I've looked at the DPCA list and it seemed a lot of breeders (in Florida) only had emails or phone numbers. Charismatic had a decent website where I can see the pedigree. With the pedigree a handful of dogs had the date of death, allowing me to see the average life expectancy from their line. Also the google reviews of people swearing by them, buying multiple dogs from them, and the health/lifetime of the dogs they bought.

I put my dobie down in 2021 due to mammary gland cancer at 7. So I've been doing a lot of searching.

 

FF said it all. There are a lot of great breeders in Florida, we'd be happy to help you find them.

 

Who would you recommend in the state of Florida/Georgia?

 

They don’t strike me as a reputable breeder. It looks like they own the males and females they breed. So rather than pairing a dog and a bitch mindfully in order to better the next generation, they pair two of their own dogs. Their dogs don’t have any titles in conformation or sport. They kind of explain the conformation part by saying they prefer the look of the FCI standard. But that doesn’t explain why they aren’t titling their breeding dogs in sports. Dogs that are chosen to contribute to the next generation should have to prove in an objective venue why they deserve to be bred.

Regardless of what they say they prefer, their dogs do not look like they fit the FCI standard. They’re very blocky and a few are overweight.

also, if they are breeding to the FCI standard they should not be cropping and docking their pups. The reason we crop and dock here in the US is because it’s in the AKC standard. All breeeders striving to preserve the breed and produce dogs that conform to the standard will follow the standard.

There’s another thread right now on reputable breeders in Florida. I’d check that one out. And come back to ask about other breeders you find. My first thread on this forum was asking about a breeder I had found (they looked a lot like this one) and I was able to use the info people provided me on that thread to steer clear of them find a reputable breeder. I couldn’t be happier about that choice!

 

I seen in their Facebook page, they had a dog competing at the end of last year? However I have not seen any competition prior.

I did a quick search on FCI standards the was revised in 2015 stating that the ears are left "Natural". Can you point me to your resources? I may be viewing old information.

https://www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/143g02-en.pdf

Did you buy your pup from a breeder in Florida? If so who? And do you know anyone with a pup from a Florida breeder you would recommend?

 

My boy Hoss is from Charismatic Dobermans.
From Boki and and Lively Lady litter.
Jim and Susan Voltz were great folks to deal with over the years.
Any time I email her she was quick to respond and assist with any issues.
Hoss was a big boy 110 pounds but that’s our fault.
Most of her dogs averaged between 85-95 pounds on their farm.
Extra tall and extra long.
Hoss had two TPLO surgerys in his lifetime.
So his weight was a factor I am sure (our fault) but his temperament etc was excellent.
He was loyal and protective like most of this breed.
Great family dog.
Very high drive.
Great with my Grandchildren.
Human like to interact with daily.
This family is very experienced in breeding Dobermans and also well versed in horses.
You tell them what you are looking for and they will match you to the appropriate pups.
They live with their dogs versus kennel housing.
We drove to their home to inspect their surroundings before we purchased Hoss.
No problems with our requests at all.
Dobermans pass away for many different reason ….so American….Europeans…..South American its a roll of the dice.
They have a Facebook page and one of their pups recently did very well in show.
They have a litter on the ground now Born the first week of January.
Hoss recently passed away this past October at 9 years old from some kind on internal bleeding.
During his recent vet visit….diagnostics lungs clear, heart normal size, etc.
Something else got him but not DCM, copper storage, or any of the other issues that all Dobermans might experience.
So we had to put him down 4 months ago.
We are retired now but if I was to purchase another Doberman I would buy from her again.
We have followed her website sight over the years and the dogs that she has used for breeding have achieved longivity.
Her customers appear happy with their pups as we have followed her on facebook.
Fair price for good working dogs.
If you buy be prepared to train early and keep the weight low.
These pups will take you surfing in the event they are not well trained.
Very very strong dogs So good canine citizenship is crucial.
Check out their facebook page for recent dog show awards etc. Appeared one of their pups did quite well at the Orlando show recently.
Just my 2 cents.

 

Below is a very old post of mine regarding Charismatic Dobermans

Edited)

See below an old post of mine but I still enjoy my time spent with my dog Hoss’s breeder.
Jim and Susan Voltz have a lot of information for you about importing and those types of questions.
They area near Gainesville.
Great people in my opinion and Susan is always available for me when I have questions. When I email her its always a next day response if not sooner.





Interesting article from a person that obtained their Doberman from the same breeder Hoss comes from.....Charismatic Doberman's ..........although previously they were breeders up north ......now they are close to Gainesville Florida with a big ranch .......to this very day I still maintain communications with Susan .....she always responds to me promptly and answers any questions ...and no matter what the questions are...... she never hesitates to help me understand.
**
The Doberman named Janggo!
BY MARIA GILDA RACELIS
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Home Buyers Realty, LLC-Manchester, Bolton. Vernon,Ellington 0788174
EMAIL SHORT URL
Share:January 06, 2019 03:36 AM
Featured Image
His name was Janggo. Janggo was the last of the litter sired by Tri-International Champion Wiking di Perlanera. His mother’s name sounded more like a human boxer rather than a doberman dam’s Moonlight Rocky Ridge Shirley.

It was in 2004 when my 40th birthday was coming up in six weeks. I had $1800 to spend for that milestone. Four decades of ups and downs and twists and turns.

I saved up that amount for a brand new Louis Vuitton Manhattan PM. But somewhere in the midst of purse yearning was an image of a black and tan doberman. The choices were not comparable but their visual quality hearkens back to my innermost desire.

Why doberman and not a tiny toy dog like bichon frise, chihuahua or pomeranian? Part of my growing up years was spent with my grandparents from my mother’s side. They used to have a german shepherd, mixed white named Leslie, and doberman. Doberman has always fascinated me even as a child. So I knew back then that this would be the kind of dog to have in my lifetime.

In search of a reputable breeder, we ended up in Chaplin Connecticut where Susan and David Volz operated under Charismatic Doberman which is now based in Florida. We were greeted politely and ushered in to our seats. My heart started pounding as I scouted the room for any signs of doberman activity.

Susan asked first who would be handling the doberman. I confidently said, “I will.” She asked further if I have any experience with dobermans. “My grandparents had one and I grew up with dogs. Big dogs,” I retorted.

Susan excused herself and went to another room. I wondered if her question was a qualifying inquiry before she would decide to let me have a doberman. She came back in with a heavy black and tan female doberman. She introduced her to me and then to my son. I knew she was watching our reaction, especially mine.

After a few minutes of interaction, she went back to the same room with the dog. A few minutes passed when she appeared again with a male doberman. This one was bigger, mean-looking and muscular. But his looks didn’t faze us. I was quite familiar with their deceiving appearance. Susan brought the dobie close to us for another meet-and-greet routine. Then they went back to where they came from. My excitement was compounding as I felt that the next one to show up from that same room would be my doberman puppy.

When the door opened, my heart leaped. Then my joy overflowed when a small sprinting puppy with two tampons sticking out of both sides of his head came dashing up to his soon-to-be mom. With wide arms open, I held his body closely. With his head propped up, his eyes stared at me. I gently touched his face while my eyes were peeled on his. Then I softly said to him, “Hello son.”

Our first dog Miyake was not too happy about having a new member in the household. Let’s face it. Sibling rivalry would not come in as a surprise. I tried to be fair and equal with my treatment to my boys but favoritism became clear and obvious as the days passed by that even my human son got jealous.

When Janggo joined the family, he was much smaller than Miyake which was a year older. Miyake was a mixed beagle and labrador according to the Animal Humane Society. Miyake and Janggo engaged in friendly plays while the dobie was still a puppy. I saw Miyake grabbing Janggo’s toys to assert his stature as the alpha male. It did not take long for his status to be taken over. Some tensions and quarrels transpired to establish who was the true alpha. The doberman prevailed, of course.

As a Realtor, I had the privilege to show houses with my boys in the car. Janggo loved the back seat as poking his head out of the sun roof was his favorite. Miyake would take the front passenger seat. When I was not driving, they hung out with me either in the home office or on the bed watching television.

We had a glorious and happy life together. The family’s first vacation was in the lake house in Maine. Both boys swam in the water. It was Miyake’s first swim by choice and Janggo’s, by accident. He fell off the dock while checking out what was moving underneath the slits.

Janggo had always been the constant trouble maker. He would chase the mallards like a crazy hunting dog. He ran away from me when he saw a squirrel or raccoon in sight in Belltown orchard. I broke down in tears when he disappeared in the woods for a long time. I frantically called his name while walking up and the down the hill. There was no sign of him anywhere. I went back to the house, took the car out of the garage and drove around the nearby streets with the car window opened to let the wind carry my voice calling out his name.

My car plodded the pavement of Belltown back and forth several times when I decided to come home with tears welling up nonstop hoping that Janggo would be at the house waiting for me.

But he was not there. My heart was getting heavier in desperation. Then I saw my boy scampering up the hill from the opposite direction of where he disappeared. I was mad at him for making me worry dreadfully. But then having him back drowned that anger instantly.

Life with Janggo was never dull. You never knew what trouble he would cause next. He was skunked one night that my son had to rush to the pet store to get a special shampoo to remove the odor. It did not go away completely no matter how hard I scrubbed and washed. I took him to the groomer the next day. When I picked him up, the groomer could not hide his indignation. He said I should have warned him that my boy was skunked. The smell filled the whole room once they started washing him, he added. I looked at him with menacing eyes. He could have said it in a more diplomatic manner. I paid the fee without the usual generous tip and turned around with my dobie tagging along. “Good Boy Janggo. Good boy stinking up that place. We never set foot in that establishment ever gain.

Janggo loved playing catch. He was very good at catching golf balls with his jaws. He would jump up in the air with agility to catch it, and swing back from the ground to give the ball back to either of the two pitchers with majestic pride.

He was a very curious dog. One time I saw him with a squirrel pinned under his paw. He was just playing with it but with his strong legs, he was slowly murdering the poor creature. My instinct overpowered my common sense when I stopped Janggo from scratching the poor rodent. I picked up the squirrel only to get bitten by his sharp teeth piercing through my fore fingernail and into the flesh. It cost me a visit to the emergency room and anti-tetanus shot.

Signs of slowing down was showing up in Janggo in 2015. I bought an SUV to accommodate his needs. My coupe was too tight and uncomfortable for his extremities and aging body. He could still jump up the SUV up to the last months of 2016. But in 2017, I started helping him up to the back of the car by putting his front legs first then lifting his butt up next. This went on until May 2018. We stopped going for rides because he started defecating even if the ride was only for fifteen minutes. It was frustrating for both of us. I could tell he was not happy about having incidents.

The thought of losing him would visit me as I saw his steps going wobbly. He would fall down frequently and standing up was only possible with human support. His bark was also getting weaker. The solid and strong tone was gone.

When I lost Miyake in 2013, it was an extremely excruciating moment because I was not expecting losing him on that day. Miyake was only ten.

Although Janggo was a bully to his brother, I knew he missed him. Months passed by before I was able to recover from the agony as Miyake was the very first one to go in the household. Janggo’s presence prodded my early recovery.

I could not fathom the pain of losing another child, of losing Janggo. The thought would come but I would shake it off quickly.

In August 7, 2018, that dreadful day came… a day short to celebrate his 14th birthday. He would have been 14 years old in August 8, 2018. Until now, I would burst into tears whenever I think of him. There was a piece of me that was taken away by his passing.

They say time heals all wounds. Time is the best elixir for all sorts of pain. Despite the truth in the saying, the time that I also wish for is the time I see him again…. along with Miyake, Minnie and Momo.

For now, play eternally in the beautiful meadows my child. Forever, you will be in my heart.

 

Not the worst, not the best. I would go elsewhere. Look for a breeder who titles in some meaningful venue (akc Conformation, Schutzhund/ipo) & health tests. There are some great FAQ's here on what to look for in a great breeder. I agree that the DPCA breeder referral is a good starting point.

 

Aston:
Check out within this forum under the search tool Rainbow Bridge.
You will find quite a variety of dogs that passed away at young ages for many different reasons.
American,European,South American, etc..
Some that breed as a hobby to better the breed ..…some from breeders that breed dobermans for a living …..from what I have witnessed with this forum since 2017 is there are just no health guarantees with this breed.
The best we can do is our individual research prior to purchase and once we take ownership keep them healthy and at a good weight.
Hopefully the above list of breeders from ABC will find you your perfect puppy in time.
Peace to you and yours.

 

I'd want to see echo and holters on their breeding dogs, and/or longevity proof on the relatives of the breeding pair (parents, grandparents, siblings, puppies)
As LDi says, there are no guarantees when it comes to dobermans and their health, but you can stack the deck a bit by breeding dogs from healthy bloodlines who have been tested thoroughly before breeding.

Where health testing is concerned, this is what you want to see results of (on the official paperwork) on both parents:

1. DCM ( A deadly heart disease many dobermans are affected with)--a Holter test (24 hour ekg) and a sonogram done every year before breeding. Unfortunately, this won't tell you that any puppies will be free of DCM, or even if the parents will stay clear of heart problems, but it's the best we can do. There is a gene test, but it is not particularly good--it may pick up some dogs at risk, but there are multiple genes involved, so a dog can be clear and still have problems. The Holter test will check for arrhythmias, and you should see results of an echo-cardiogram to check for heart enlargement. Every year.

2. Thyroid test--check for hypothyroid. Every year.

3. Liver function blood tests. Every year.

4. CERF to check for eye disease.

5. vonWillebrands--(a bleeding disorder)--puppy should be clear or carrier, done by genetic testing. Sometimes you can tell by the parent's status (in which case, one parent clear and one either clear, carrier or affected is OK). One-time test.

6. Hips (for joint problems)--parents should be good or better (puppy can't be tested and certified until 18 months old (provisional) or 2 years old. There is an OFA database for hips and elbows where you can see results. One-time test

7. Look at bloodlines for incidence of DCM, wobblers, liver disease.

 

I have seen some of her dogs in person... I personally wouldn't purchase from this breeder. I think they care as much as they know how to care.... but they aren't near the level of anyone trying to better and preserve the breed. They just bred some house dogs of theirs that they love and help their puppy buyers, which is commendable, but really the bare minimum.... like the bar is in hell. I don't know how much advanced Health testing they do.

I personally would rather support people titling their dogs, breeding to dogs across the country or continent to better structure as mother nature allows every breeding. People pouring over pedigrees for years before choosing a pairing. ABC Gave you some EXCELLENT recommendations early. Most ethical breeders don't have time for a fancy website and are very busy. It takes a bit of time to get ahold of them, but once you do they will totally cover their pedigrees, health testing, their dogs temperaments, and anything else you want to know.

Our lovely member above speaks of her dogs double TPLO and blames herself for him being heavy.... and while it can be caused by a dog being overweight, I have seen many well bred older Dobermans with extra pounds never need knee surgery... It is normally more commonly caused by poor structure or improper conformation. It seems to happen more in dogs that are too straight in the rear, at least, that has been what have seen in my few years in dogs. If that is incorrect, I would love to learn more from someone who knows more about it, as it isn't something I have studied nearly as much as I have other things.

I don't think they're the worst, but you can absolutely do better.

Hollywood Dobermans
Kettlecove Dobermans
Monarch Dobermans (they should be breeding in 6 months)

Along with all who ABC mentioned. There are others as well. You will wait longer for a puppy from breeders doing all the things right, sometimes. Sometimes you will have good timing and you won't, but regardless, it is worth the wait to get a dog from someone doing everything they can to ensure a healthy, structurally correct, and TEMPERAMENTALLY correct dog that you will hopefully live with for the next decade.

 

Great input! I plan on doing a visit to see there adult dogs in person, since she isn't to far. I will definitely look into the breeders you recommended. Thank you!

 

Charismatic Dobermans in North Florida are well-regarded for healthy, well-tempered dogs. I think you can visit them and speak with recent buyers can help you decide if they’re the right fit.

 

Thank you! I plan on doing a visit to see her adult dogs next month! They are very responsive with answering questions.

 

Hello Hannah …
My boy Hoss was from Charismatics Boki and Lively Lady.
Do you have one of their pups?
Thank you for your post.
And welcome from Florida (Tampa Bay) . 😎 😎

 

ENSURE THAT THE BREEDER HAS A HEALTH GUARANTEE!!!

 

Wow. Sorry this happened to you.
I'd like to hear the other side of the story, to be fair.
To the cognoscenti:
How common is a health guarantee, for how long? Is there a best practices standard suggested by DPCA, for example?

 

Should be required by all breeders.

 

I saw a strong recommend recently for Nomad dobermans in Panama City, FL. I've looked a bit into this breeder and am liking what I see with bloodlines, longevity, and puppy raising. At this point Nomad is on my short list for the next puppy.

 

I wouldn't hesitate to get a puppy from Paula (Nomad). I'm fairly picky on breeders and I like her breeding program.

 

I am waiting for a black male pup currently