You might find this interesting. The DPCA | Judges Education

Those little pencil marks on the toes usually go away with age. My boy still has traces if his on the first joint of his toes, lighter, but still traces of them there.

The chest markings should be well defined, but again there are variations. My boys are smaller and darker, too.

This is specifically about the coat and markings: http://dpca.org/JEC/illustrated_standard-coat.htm

You might check my gallery if you wish and see if there's any pictures where you can see his chest markings. They've gradually gotten darker with age and now at 7 1/2 you have to look for them. Both his parents are champions ...no question of whether he's purebred or not.

 

Hi, were you looking at puppies or adults?

To possibly purchase one?

 

We were looking with our friends. They wanted us to go along since we've had dobes for 5+ years.

 

Ah, so you are helping them to make a purchase decision?

Honestly, markings would be the last of my concerns, especially in the breed nowadays.

If the breeder cannot produce hard copies of recent echocardiogram and 24 hour holter monitor results, read normal by a canine cardiologist, can't produce vWD and liver and thyroid panel results, OFA hip results, elbows, CERF, and a few other pre-breeding health screenings, on the parents, then I'd advise your friends to pass.

Beyond all that, the pedigree should be a thoughtful one, with causes of death known in all ancestors, age at death, and the pairings aiming toward good structure, health, temperament, and longevity.

While I can find something great, and something to love, in most every Doberman out there, I sure would NOT give money to anyone for puppies produced in a less responsible manner than that listed above.

There are a ton of poorly bred Dobermans in shelters and rescue who would LOVE to get a good home--if one is going to obtain a poorly bred dog, then that can be done while helping animal charity, rather than lining the pockets of those creating the problems.

 

Here's a couple of pictures where you can see his chest. Photobucket is working for me again. You don't know, but photobucket has been mean to me over the last couple of years with their changes making them unavailable for use with my phone.



Just going to enter and edit as I beg the codes off of photobucket.



I just really like the above picture and you can see one marking on his chest. They're more visable in the sun. My neighbor is holding him for me.

 

Mabel has "dirty toes" aka "pencil marks"

In and of it's own it's not a sign of a bad breeder, just a trait in some lines. In my girls case it passes from European lines and in other dogs cases it can be poor breeding....

Linda's links were great on explaining pencil marks and faded chest markings.

 

They could just be more melanistic in their markings, or have darker muddy markings. Do you have a photo? If their markings are basically not existent, then they could also actually be melanistic, which is a huge red flag if someone is breeding melanistic Dobermans.

 

People breeding for no markings at all, aka solid black dobermans, would be what you're talking about, right Kate?

Come to think of it I don't remember anyone breeding for a solid red dobe. Excluding the Garretts and other Texas byb that apparently spawned from them. But those red dogs are totally different from what a melanistic red dobe would look like. Those dogs were vizsla colored dogs.

Otherwise, melanistic dogs can pop up in good or decent litters. Tho, I don't think a solid colored melanistic doberman would happen in a better bred litter.

 

Thanks guys! That really helped. Friends are going to look into rescueing instead these people after a second look were defininently BRBs

 

That's awesome, glad you were able to help guide them in the decision--and I hope they follow thru and end up with a great new dog friend.