[Kerry]

I have had many dogs who lived 8 to 14 years. They were healthy until the very end of life. My Doberman cost around $3,500. He has the best personality and looks, but comes with the worst health problems.

Do purebred and show line dogs in general have more health issues? Who breeds Dobermans that have a solid chance of a healthy life?

My doberman gets looks and compliments everywhere he goes. But I am now wondering if the breed is less popular due to the heart and hip issues. They are otherwise easy coat maintenance, perfect protectors, and have the best companion personalities. I didn't realize how many health issues they have.

 

[KristenC]

The Doberman Pinscher, as a breed, is not a healthy one unfortunately. It isn't that show line dogs are less healthy by any means. In fact, part of the reason dogs from preservation breeders cost so much is all of the health testing that goes into each breeding (plus costs to show the dam to her championship, etc). There are no guarantees on health no matter where the dog comes from, but with a puppy from a preservation breeder, you'll be able to look at the pup's pedigree and review longevity, health testing results, etc so you at least have some idea of what to expect.

 

[Sunje]

Quality breeders will health test properly to avoid as much of the myriad of health issues with this breed. That means echocardiograms and holter testing for heart issues, not just the Embark testing. BYBs will typically not spend the money to do echos and holters, but will promote the DNA testing that they do and state that the dog is "cardio clear", which is false.

There is so much information on this site in regards to which breeders are health testing properly, health issues in the breed in general, how to find a quality breeder, and which breeders to avoid. I'd recommend spending time researching and learning here, as well as on the DPCA and Dobequest websites.

 

[MaryAndDobes]

Hip problems are certainly not a huge issue in well-bred Dobermans. I think they're pretty well down the list on the OFA website for breeds with hip issues, thanks to the testing responsible breeders do.

That's not to say Dobermans don't have other issues, though. As you said, heart / dilated cardiomyopathy being #1 and followed by the other C's - cancer, cervical invertebral instability, and copper storage issues.

I've personally had Dobermans for 42 years so I've seen all of those issues along with some others but for the last 20 years or so, my Dobermans are living longer lives / less problems overall until older ages when you might expect them. And they're all purebred, show Dobermans.

 

[Fitzmar Dobermans]

While there are other breeds with worse health issues than Dobermans, our breed certainly does have its issues. Heart issues are the biggest threat, and as others have said that even with health testing yearly, there are no guarantees. However, truly reputable show breeders do their best to minimize health issues with testing and will be there for the lifetime of your dog.
I have had Dobermans for 30 years, and except for the first one, they were/are all well bred & mostly Champions. My personal dogs have all lived (so far) between 9-14 years. I've had 4 litters, and the life range has really varied widely. On average about 50% make it 10 years or more - my personal dogs tend to live longer, and I'm not sure why that is. I feed my dogs really well, keep their weight down, and do lots of testing. I have yet to have a personal dog diagnosed with cardio, but have lost a few to sudden death at older ages.

 

[Control_Freak]

As others have said cardio, cancer and wobblers are the main health issues in Dobermans…..and they’re big ones. As in life there are no guarantees but you can stack the odds in your favor by choosing a reputable breeder that breeds for health and longevity.

Sometimes it can be hard to weed out the bad ones, they use fancy websites, say all the right words, but at the end of the day they’re no more than a backyard breeder. Kimbertal is far from what would be considered reputable. There is a lot of information about them on here if you search so I won’t repeat it but I will say it’s common for their dogs to have health and temperament issues.

 

[Allforblitz]

Unfortunately Kimbertal has absolutely NO reasons to be charging that price. They are one of the biggest known puppy mills in the US for Dobermans. They con people into paying those prices without appropriate health testing. They have "results" listed but there are no numbers to check those results. There should be OFA numbers that are verifiable through the third party (OFA) the back up their claims. Anyone can type a disease and then type good or clear after. The biggest red flag is that they let anyone take a female (for free), then raise her, then bring her back to be bred, birth puppies, then deliver the puppies back to Kimbertal at 7 weeks of age. Puppies should never leave until 8 weeks firstly, second of all.... WHAT? Ethical breeders would NEVER allow this. Another red flag is they breed two different breeds. You don't see this often with serious preservation breeders. They have a breeder form right there on their page to be a breeder under them with their dogs. They also don't have questionnaires to get to know buyers. They will send dogs to anyone with money. No ethical breeder does this. They want to know where, and to who, their puppies go. They don't appear to have contracts form the buyers to prevent back yard breeding. It appears as though every dog goes home with full registration. Again not something you will ever see with a proper breeder. I list all of this out to show you what to look for in the next breeder. No one should have to see the issues you have with your dog at such a young age. It's not uncommon from this breeder, though.

They import European dogs from "titled" parents (I put titled in quotes, because many of those titles are not through reputable venues and are rumored to be bought and paid for) then coast off those titles. They are not proving their dogs in any way. Even under their past stud dogs there are dogs with no titles. (titles are a third/unbiased party confirming that dogs are a great example of the breed and should be bred) I'm very sorry you fell victim to them. It is not your fault. They are predatory and it takes a lot of time and reading to find a true ethical/preservation breeder. I would start by going to the DPCA website and the breeder referral section. You still need to do your due diligence, but many there are amazing breeders. It is broken down by state.

If you have any questions about a particular breeder, come here and ask. We will be happy to help in any way we can. Many preservation breeders here will tell you that they see no where near as much DCM as the reported 50% number we see thrown around everywhere, because they are actually testing for the disease appropriately and following pedigrees, and looking at longevity in the pedigrees they are considering breeding with. My breeder has a dog that just turned 13 years old recently. Another breeder here just had a litter that was (frozen semen) fathered by her dog who lived to be 14!

As others said before, there are no guarantees, but an ACTUAL ethical breeder will give you the best shot you have for great health and longevity. I hope you stick around and find a great breeder for your next companion. I also wish the best for your current dog. I hope you can find a vet or specialist that can do something for the quality of life and give him many more happy years with you.

 

[Gretchen_Red]

If you purchased from Kimbertal that's a big Yikes, no no no! Too much DCM and health issues in their lines.

You have to reach out and find breeders that care about health and longevity and not just about winning or making money.

I'm on my 7th doberman and none really had any health issues. One had allergies. One has a slightly elevated liver that's resolved with a natural supplement. No hip issues and I have known of no hip issues in the breed other than mild hip displasia and those dogs just aren't bred.