Westminster 2011

[Echo Farm]

Originally Posted by Princess Doreen

Dobermans have a LOT of health problem - biggest one is heart problems. Lots of young dogs dying in this breed. The more popular a dog becomes, the more breeding is done to meet the demand. Lots of room there for a decrease in discriminate breeding and just breeding anything to anything to producer a litter of puppies to sell.

Dobes are a wonderful breed. I hope yours lives a long and healthy life. But anyone in the market to buy one should do a lot of shopping around making certain that the breeder diligently screens for health defects.

This is just basic practice when shopping for any breed. Stay away from pet shops. If you want a specific breed and don't necessary want a puppy, check out rescue dogs for that breed at the parent club's web-site. If you're not in the market for a specific breed, visit your local shelter. It's a tough thing to do, however. My husband and I volunteered at a local shelter, and I came home every night in tears knowing full well that half of those dogs would never find a home.

Good advice.
Dobes are so short lived that the DPCA gives a Longevity Certification for a Doberman that lives 10 years.

Why is 10 years old the eligible age?

The program founders did an informal and unscientific survey on age and cause of death in Dobermans. Though it wasn't scientific, they got 850 responses and those responses showed that the average age at death for our breed was about 9 for males and 9 1/2 for females. So 10 years old was chosen for the program's marker.