Content
- Origin of Doberman and German Shepherd
- Physical characteristics: Doberman x German Shepherd
- German Shepherd
- Doberman
- Doberman and German Shepherd Personality
- Doberman X German Shepherd Care
- Doberman X German Shepherd Health
The German Shepherd is one of the most popular puppies in the world thanks to its fantastic qualities, which makes it a perfect dog for both company and work. In turn, the Doberman is another dog of large dimensions and excellent qualities, although less widespread, perhaps because many consider it a dangerous dog. Also, both are considered excellent guard dogs.
We review the most important features and the differences between Doberman and German Shepherd in this article by Animal Expert. So if you are thinking about adopting one of these breeds, we hope we can help you make the best decision by detailing each one of these beautiful breeds. Good reading.
Origin of Doberman and German Shepherd
To understand the differences between the Doberman and the German Shepherd, the first thing you must do is get to know the fundamental aspects of each of these breeds. The German Shepherd is a German breed originated in the XIX century, at first with the idea that he dedicated himself to the shepherding of sheep. The breed soon exceeded this task and is well known for its capacity for other tasks such as assistance, police or military work, is a good companion dog and is also considered an excellent guard dog.
The Doberman, on the other hand, is another of the best known dogs of German origin, although it is not as popular as the German Shepherd. Its origin also dates back to the 19th century, but it is not a breed of shepherds, but designed to be a guard dog, a task that continues to this day, although we also find many people who rely on the Doberman as a companion dog.
Both the Doberman and the German Shepherd are among the best guard dogs around.
Physical characteristics: Doberman x German Shepherd
Just looking at the two puppies is enough to appreciate the differences between the Doberman and the German Shepherd in terms of physical appearance. But it should be noted that traditionally the Doberman has had its tail and ears amputated. This practice, totally cruel and unnecessary, is prohibited in several countries, happily.
In Brazil, both the practice of cutting dogs' tails and ears was banned by the Federal Council of Veterinary Medicine in 2013. According to the organization, trimming the tail can develop spinal infections and the removal of the tips of the ears - something that had been customary for years among Dorbermans tutors - can lead to the total loss of the ear. The agency also asks that professionals who still carry out these interventions be denounced.[1]
The purpose of such surgical acts was to give a more ferocious appearance to the race, which has always been linked to aggressiveness, even if this does not correspond to reality. Thus, with such interventions in the animal's body, the only thing that was achieved was to make the dog suffer in a unnecessary postoperative period, making it difficult to communicate with their companions, since the position of the ears is of great importance for the socialization of dogs.
On the other hand, we must take into account that in some countries Doberman is included in the list of most dangerous dog breeds that exist, which implies the obligation to comply with a series of requirements to be a guardian of a specimen of this breed. The German Shepherd, on the other hand, is not considered a potentially dangerous dog.
Below, we will present the differences between the Doberman and the German Shepherd in terms of physical appearance:
German Shepherd
German Shepherds are large animals, with a weight that can exceed 40 kg and a height that exceeds 60 cm, counting to the withers. They are more robustly built than the Doberman and their body is slightly elongated. They are widely distributed and have adapted to life in both the city and the countryside.
Although its version in black and brown marks is the best known, we can find shepherds with long, short hair and in different colors like black, cream or ivory. In addition, it has a double layer of hair: the inner layer is like a kind of wool, while the outer layer is dense, hard and glued to the body. The length can vary in each part of your body, since, for example, on the neck and tail the hair is longer.
Find out all the details of this breed in the German Shepherd Animal File.
Doberman
The Doberman is also a large dog, much like the German Shepherd. It is a little less heavy, with specimens between 30 and 40 kg, and a little taller, with a height that can reach 70 cm from the feet to the withers. Therefore, he has a more athletic and muscular body formation. In general, its appearance is thinner than that of the German Shepherd, which tends to be more robust.
Like the German Shepherd, it has adapted to city life, but prefers temperate climates and bears worse than the German Shepherd a very cold climate due to the characteristics of its coat, which is short, dense and stiff, and it has no undercoat. As for colors, although the best known Dobermans are black, we also find them in dark brown, light brown or blue.
For more details about the breed, don't miss Dorberman's pet sheet.
Doberman and German Shepherd Personality
When we talk about the personality differences of Dobermans and German Shepherds, this is perhaps the point where they differ the least. Both they are intelligent animals, very faithful and protective of their family. Traditionally the German Shepherd is considered a better option to live with children, but the truth is that both dogs can live with the little ones in the house without problems, as long as they have been well socialized and educated.
The German Shepherd learns very quickly and is an excellent guard dog. Due to their great intelligence and ability, it is essential to offer a good education, socialization and stimulation both physical and mental to him.
Talking about Doberman, he is also a very good student, intelligent and with excellent qualities for learning. As a disadvantage, we can point out that it may have relationship problems with other dogs, of the same breed as him or not. Therefore, we insist: socialization, education and stimulation are key and essential aspects.
Doberman X German Shepherd Care
Perhaps one of the most obvious differences between the Doberman and the German Shepherd is the care of its coat, much easier in the case of the Doberman, as it has a short coat. The German Shepherd will only needbe brushed more often, especially if you have long hair. You will notice that he loses a lot of hair throughout his life.
On the other hand, as far as the physical activity they need, both are dogs with considerable energy, but the German Shepherd is the one that requires the most physical exercise. Therefore, just taking a course a few times a day is not enough, it will be necessary to offer him the opportunity to running, jumping and playing or taking long walks. He is a good candidate to participate in dog sports activities.
In both races, stimulation is important to avoid stress and boredom, which give rise to behavioral problems such as destructiveness. Learn other ways to reduce stress in dogs in this article.
Doberman X German Shepherd Health
It is true that both races can suffer from problems due to their large size, such as gastric torsion or joint problems, but there are differences in terms of the diseases to which they are prone. For example, in the German Shepherd, hip dysplasia is very common.
In Doberman, the most common pathologies are those that affect the heart. On the other hand, the German Shepherd, due to its indiscriminate breeding, suffers from gastrointestinal and vision disorders, among others. In addition, this uncontrolled breeding has also caused behavioral problems in some dogs, such as nervousness, excessive fear, shyness or aggression (provided it has not been properly educated or socialized). In Doberman an excessively nervous character can also be detected.
The German Shepherd has a life expectancy of 12-13 years, much like the Doberman, which is about 12 years.
From what we've presented, have you already decided which breed to adopt? Remember that the two dogs are on the list of the best guard dogs and will certainly be good company for you.
If you want to read more articles similar to Differences between Doberman and German Shepherd, we recommend that you enter our Comparisons section.