ready for showing and in fi nding the per- fect handler. Casha handily earned her CH, including a BISS from the Veteran Class. New Doberman owners would be wise to join and become active in their local Doberman Pinscher Club of America (DPCA) Chapter Club, http://dpca.org/ club/DPCA_chapterclubs.htm. Th e col- laborative environment that helped Don in 1973 is still a viable information resource today in helping a new owner and his/her Doberman learn and grow as a team. When Vic Monteleon held one of the fi rst Working Aptitude Evaluations (WAEs) http://dpca.org/awards/wae/ on the East Coast, Don and Casha entered. She passed. At this point in our interview, Don paused as he looked for the date on her framed Working Aptitude Certi fi cate, still hanging in a place of honor on his wall. On Aug 13, 1978, CH Casha von Meyers- dorf CDX (at that time) WAC became one of the earliest Register of Merit Certi fi ed Dobermans (ROMs). Casha had one litter and lived 14 years. Don has shared his life with two of her pups, two other Doberman companions who excelled in obedience, and a beautiful male Doberman who had to be put down due to an unstable temperament. Cur- rently, Don shares his home in Alexandria, VA with Eve, a 10year old female who had six UDX legs when she retired, and CH Kerwynd’s Burning Love CD, call name Lava. Don said each was so di ff erent and he’s “loved every one of them”. Whether the Doberman is a Marine War Dog, redeeming force for a troubled boy, partner in therapy work, search and rescue, or performance sports, our Dobermans are by our side. Th e Doberman is a dog who needs a working partner and life companion. Th ey need a job and they need to do it with you. Once by your side, working together, your Doberman will be there forever. The Doberman Pinscher Club of American is grateful to ShowSight Magazine for this oppor- tunity to share information about our magnifi- cent Breed. To learn more about the Dober- man, please visit the DPCA website, http:// dpca.org/. Questions are always welcomed at DPCApubliceducation@dpca.org. The DPCA Public Education Committee grate- fully acknowledges the interviewees who made this article possible, Sandy Driscoll and Don Levinson.
CH Casha von Meyersdorf UD WAC ROM
Kerwynd’s Black Swan UD (Eve)
UD for this fi rst time Doberman owner and his partner. Don has continued in obedience with his subsequent Dobermans and became an AKC Obedience judge and trainer volun- teer at the training club where he and Casha began. He and the spirit of Casha continue to give back to those of us who, like him, enter that fi rst training class with our new Dober- man, unaware of where this new relationship and partnership will lead. Th ere are no short cuts with a Dober- man. Although they are each as di ff erent as people are, they all require a great deal of time and commitment to be properly socialized with people, dogs, and the envi- ronment as well as learn basic manners and commands. Don cautioned they are not the right dog for everyone. An intelligent, energetic, and powerful working Breed, the Doberman requires signi fi cant physical and mental exercise. Th ey cannot be penned up or left alone to entertain themselves. Dober- mans are high maintenance dogs in terms of personal contact time with their owners, and have earned the nickname Velcro dogs, as they are relationship driven and need to be with their people. To illustrate the challenge of own- ing a Doberman, Don spoke of a young couple in the Marine Corps with two young children who added a stable, well bred Doberman to the family. Despite the Doberman’s good temperament, his
natural exuberance and size, combined with the couple’s lack of time to socialize and train him, proved too much and the couple asked the breeder to take him back, which the breeder willingly did. As with Don and Casha, a Doberman owner must be prepared to commit the time to socialize and train together, and ideally build a partnership in classes and club activities, i.e. showing, agility, obedi- ence, and tracking. An owner/Doberman team can also get involved in therapy work or one of the many good citizen activities that best suits the Doberman and, second- arily, the owner. Additionally, Don noted the impor- tance of being aware of your Doberman’s temperament and fi nding the basic train- ing method that works best for your dog, even though it may not be what you have previously used. “Just like people, no two Dobermans are alike. Some are softer and more sensitive and get their feeling hurt, while others can take a more strong cor- rection. Each has a di ff erent temperament and needs to be trained accordingly. Train- ing methods that work for one Doberman, may not work for another.” When Casha and Don competed in obe- dience, people showing in Breed advised him to show her. Members of the DPCA Chapter Club Don had joined helped men- tor him through the process of getting her
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