Doberman Colors

[JanS]

Sort of color related, but if you do find a breeder you like it's always a good idea to ask what the parents AKC registration numbers are and if they have a Z in it, it means they carry the white gene. No reputable breeder would breed a Z-factored dog.

 

[GennyB]

I no longer care what color my dogs are. I realized that my dogs find me, not the other way around.

I agree...to a point and that being I don't know what it would take to bring home another dilute. I love my goober girl to death but man, you wanna talk about work, she brings a new definition to the word. It is daily with her. Being a dilute it starts with just going outside, you have to put sunscreen on. Her coat is very thin and having CDA it is very brittle and individual hairs break easily. Having CDA also brings on the risk of staph infections, so keeping her clean is important. Keeping her clean brings the risk of drying her coat more...it's a mad vicious circle that you have to find a balance and believe me, that is not easy to do.
When I lost my red boy, I thought I wanted another red male. As luck would have it, the whole litter was black. I was given the choice to wait for the next litter. After giving it some thought, I decided a doberman was more important than the color. I love my black boy and named him Echorun's Luck of the Draw because I bet on red and came up black.
So if given a choice, it's red or black for me.

 

[Chelsi7911]

LOL Gel.



The whites aren't an accepted color so they aren't even one we refer to here, but they do have a lot of health issues and the longevity isn't great. We do have some members who have rescued them and they're every bit as sweet, but they just shouldn't be purposely bred. I've never heard of aggression issues with them since it appears their personality is the same as the rest.

I know whites are not recognised, but seeing as you can get Dobermans with that colour, it was worth a mention.

I have just heard, as with many other myths, that SOME white dobermans can have aggression issues, but without experiencing this first hand, I can only go on hearsay.

 

[gettinggreyer]

We had a black male..........he was independent and you could tell he was my husbands. But he was kind to the rest of us. He was a great guard/watch dog
We had a adopted red male, he only liked me, and was very Velcro.
We had adopted a black female, she was very independent, smart, quiet
We now have a red male. He loves everyone (in the family) is a clown, is loud and can honestly
be a PITA!!!

 

[Caloni]

I was worried about health more than coloring. I have seen some blues with no hair (CDP) and some fawns with sparse hair and rough coat that I didn't like. I have also known more reds and Z factor dogs to get Thyroid problems as well as VWD. But I suspect that is due to the breeder not health testing the parents. I like the sleek original look of the black and rust, not the washed out tan color. I am hoping Luca's rust stays a deep red. Out of all the litters I have seen and puppies I have played with and adult dogs I have trained the Black and Rust remain my favorite.

Albino....we won't even go there. It's just all FUBAR.

 

[Max1mus]

I really like this brown coloration here. Can anyone tell if this photo is touched up or filtered? I don't see many browns like this.

 

[FredC]

Being as that dog pictured above is Euro.. Id say the picture colors have definitely been adjusted to bring out the reds.. Its been my experience that the Euro Dobermann is actually a brown color in comparison to his American counterpart which usually appears to be more reddish in color..

 

[Gelcoater]

Being as that dog pictured above is Euro.. Id say the picture colors have definitely been adjusted to bring out the reds.. Its been my experience that the Euro Dobermann is actually a brown color in comparison to his American counterpart which usually appears to be more reddish in color..

Daisy is more brown.In the sun there are glints of red,but no where near that dog pictured.and I'm more than wiling to admit she doesn't come from a "reputable" breeder.

 

[Panama]

I know whites are not recognised, but seeing as you can get Dobermans with that colour, it was worth a mention.

I have just heard, as with many other myths, that SOME white dobermans can have aggression issues, but without experiencing this first hand, I can only go on hearsay.

I fostered 2 albinos 1 VERY BRIEFLY, and never will again. One had major skin issues and I had to send her back with rescue after just a week, and the other... after fostering her for 3 months, hoping to give her some "home structure"... my recommendations were to have her hearing and eyes checked, and if they were ok, either find a professional behavioralist or put her down. She was very jumpy and quick to snap at anyone. Even if she was looking directly at me when she was laying down or standing... if I walked anywhere near her from any angle, she'd wig out and go after me (or my husband). There were a few times, my husband thumped the ottoman on the floor, and she went bonkers, attacking the ottoman.... The one with the skin issues was adopted and the one I worked with for a few months, she ended up being up down 2 months after they picked her up because she bit someone in the face. Whether it was due to poor hearing, poor eyesight, poor breeding or all balled up into one... I don't know, but I will never foster another albino. No myth involved... personal experience!

No reputable, responsible, ethical breeder will breed them.

 

[FredC]

Ive had "Browns" so dark that inside it was sometimes difficult to tell the Brown pups from the Black ones unless they were side by side..

 

[jmorposmo]

We have had black/rust males, but would like to get a red female in the next few years.

 

[JanS]

Being as that dog pictured above is Euro.. Id say the picture colors have definitely been adjusted to bring out the reds..

Yup, I could spot that before even seeing the question.
I would call Della a true red and she's not that vivid.

 

[Ingrid H]

i have a chart to share about colour.. hope is useful.

I never heard of melanistic. Does that mean solid color?

 

[Asteria]

I like black/rust the most. I actually like the blues but the skin issues turned me off to owning one so reds are next. I'm actually hoping to add a red female to our family in the next year

 

[JanS]

I never heard of melanistic. Does that mean solid color?

I just heard the term in another thread today (forget which one) and I've never heard of it either.

 

[ivandobe]

I just heard the term in another thread today (forget which one) and I've never heard of it either.

Yes.. I saw this b4 here.. Is not really solid color until the whole coat also the same color. Still have abit marking here and there.

 

[MyBuddy]

How did you choose the coloring of your Doberman? For those that have had experience with different colors, do you notice a personality difference? I sometimes think there must be a genetic link with personality and coloring in animals (not sure if there is any research on this...just based on my experience with horses, cats, and dogs). What do you think?

My first Doberman was black and tan. At the time, to me, it was the only color that said 'Doberman'. I had limited exposure to Dobermans at all and when I did, they were black and tan, so in my mind there was no other.

Then I got a Red and got hooked on it too! A lot of people I've met didn't even know a Doberman 'came in red'. It seems they have the same mindset that I had years ago....Doberman = Black/tan. After having a red, I was going to go back to having a black this time but fell in love with Buddy and got my red again. For me, it's only black or red as far as color. And I don't think color distinguishes personality. I don't think color plays a role in it at all really. I believe it's all in the genes and maybe in how they are raised. My two Appaloosa's are as different as night and day too!

 

[beckers]

, I know it is not an exact science but these red boys are real goofballs I know Dragonborn is right about it being genetic as to personality but so many of our members have reds that are real clowns, I have a black and tan girl who is brighter than most people she is far more independent than my red boy Buddy, it's like having an extra limb with him, we are joined at the hip but he is just the funniest dog I have ever owned, they will enjoy your lifestyle for sure , and you will never have a better friend it's the brain and heart of the Doberman that makes them so unique, just make sure you check out a really good breeder and start looking early. Nice to meet you we are in Cumbria UK.

Kunnar is Red and he is a goofy fun loving dog as well! He is really smart so that gets him into trouble at times...The most recent thing he has taught himself how to open up doors My personal preference would be Red I love how they look next up would be a blue maybe but I really think I will always have Reds

 

[Cariboo Country]

Kris' body color is like Gelcoater's dog, more a brown than red. She is certainly not red like JanS' dog.

 

[Rits]

I really like this brown coloration here. Can anyone tell if this photo is touched up or filtered? I don't see many browns like this.
View attachment 31298

The picture definitely has been adjusted. Way over saturated in color. You can easily tell when the red/rust looks orange and the grass BRIGHT green. It looks unnatural.

I never heard of melanistic. Does that mean solid color?

Melanism is the opposite of albinism. The pigment is dark/black because of high amounts of melanin. Fun fact, the black panther is actually a melanistic leopard or jaguar!