THE DOBERMANN STANDARD
(Kennel Club, London)

GENERAL APPEARANCE – Medium size, muscular and elegant, with well set body. Of proud carriage, compact and tough. Capable of great speed.

CHARACTERISTICS – Intelligent and firm of character, loyal and obedient.

TEMPERAMENT – Bold and alert. Shyness or viciousness very highly undesirable.

HEAD AND SKULL – In proportion to body. Long, well filled out under eyes and clean cut, with good depth of muzzle. Seen from above and side, resembles an elongated blunt wedge. Upper part of head flat and free from wrinkle. Top of skull flat, slight stop; muzzle line extending parallel to top line of skull. Cheeks flat, lips tight. Nose solid black in black dogs, solid dark brown in brown dogs, solid dark grey in blue dogs, and light brown in fawn dogs. Head out of balance with body, dish faced, snipey or cheeky very highly undesirable.

EYES – Almond shape, not round, moderately deep set, not prominent, with lively alert expression. Iris of uniform colour, ranging from medium to darkest brown in black dogs, the darker shade being more desirable. In browns, blues, or fawns, colour of iris blends with that of the markings, but not of lighter hue than markings; light eyes in black dogs highly undesirable.

EARS – Small, neat, set high on head. Normally dropped, but may be erect.

MOUTH – Well developed, sold and strong with a complete dentition and a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e., the upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws. Evenly placed teeth. Undershot, overshot, or badly arranged teeth highly undesirable.

NECK – Fairly long and lean, carried with considerable nobility; slightly convex and in proportion to shape of dog. Region of nape very muscular. Dewlap and loose skin undesirable.

FOREQUARTERS – Shoulder blade and upper arm meet at an angle of 90 degrees. Shoulder blade and upper arm approximately equal in length. Short upper arm relative to should blade highly undesirable. Legs seen from front and side, perfectly straight and parallel to each other from elbow to pastern; muscled and sinewy, with round bone in proportion to body structure. Standing or gaiting, elbow lies close to brisket.

BODY – Square, height measured vertically from ground to highest point of withers equal to length from fore chest to rear projection of upper thigh. Fore chest well developed. Back short and firm, with strong, straight top line sloping slightly from withers to croup; bitches may be slightly longer to loin. Ribs deep and well sprung, reaching to elbow. Belly fairly well tucked up. Long, weak, or roached backs highly undesirable.

HINDQUARTERS – Legs parallel to each other and moderately wide apart. Pelvis falling away from spinal column at an angle of about 30 degrees. Croup well filled out. Hindquarters well developed and muscular; long, well bent stifle; hocks turning neither in nor out. When standing, hock to heel perpendicular to ground.

FEET – Well arched, compact, and cat-like, turning neither in nor out. All dewclaws removed. Long, flat deviating feet and/or weak pasterns highly undesirable.

TAIL – Preferably docked at first or second joint; appears to be a continuation of the spine without material drop.

GAIT – Elastic, free, balanced and vigorous, with good reach in forequarters and driving power in hindquarters. When trotting, should have strong rear drive, with apparent rotary motion of hindquarters. Rear and front legs thrown neither in nor out. Back remains strong and firm.

COAT – Smooth, short, hard, thick and close lying. Imperceptible undercoat on neck permissible. Hair forming a ridge on the back of the neck/and or along spine highly undesirable.

COLOUR – Definite black, brown, blue or fawn (Isabella) only, with rust red markings. Markings to be sharply defined, appearing above each eye, on muzzle, throat and fore chest, on all legs and feet, and below tail. White markings of any kind highly undesirable.

SIZE – Ideal height:

Dogs 69cm (27 inches) at withers

Bitches 65cm (25.5 inches) at withers

Considerable deviation from this ideal is undesirable.

FAULTS – Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

NOTE – Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.