Q&A
5. Which traits, if any, are becoming exaggerated? I think everything ebbs and flows with the times and popular stud dogs. At one time the Doberman was very lacking in bone, at one time they were quite over exag- gerated in the rear and or the front piece, at times them have gotten too tall but every time something like this happens the majority of the breeders try very hard to bring them back to what the standard addresses. I feel our breeders are doing a very good job and we have a lot of very correct Dobermans in all parts of the country. 6. What do handlers do in presentation that you wish they would not? All most all Doberman handlers crank the tails up and the standard says the tail is to be carried slightly off horizontal and the majority of them pull the neck back to where the neck is above the front legs. If a dog is correctly made they cannot stand in that position. Leave them alone. They almost always look better! 7. What traits do you see popping up these days that are going in the wrong direction? What’s better? I think we are getting back to square, balanced and proper size. I think one of the main problems today is in our mouths—which are getting progressively worse. 8. Describe ideal Doberman movement and its impor- tance in judging. They should move with balance and strength. If a dog is made right they will move right. If they do not more cor- rectly there are always structural reasons for it. A Dober- man should always look the same standing and moving. 9. What, if anything, do you feel non-breeder judges get wrong about the breed? I think the biggest problem with today’s judges period is their own lack of self confidence which is why handlers have such an edge in the ring. Way too many judges feel they can’t go wrong by pointing to a familiar face. (And you have to admit that we have GREAT handlers who always make their dogs look good.) 10. What previously campaigned Doberman(s) come close to your ideal? Please explain. Except for her hormones which turned her into a witch right before she came in season, I think the best Dober- man I have had my hands on was Toledobes Serengeti bred by Pat and Judy Doniere and shown by Andy Linton. She was the correct size, square, tight-skinned, smooth and a joy to go over. 11. How does the breed in North America compare to other parts of the world? I find it very hard to compare our dogs with those in Europe because they work very hard making sure they are so totally out of control that you cannot see a thing, standing or moving. I have been quite impressed with many from Australia and New Zealand but the only ones I have liked from South America have been the American bloodlines. 12. Do you have anything else to share? I just wish that everyone would get over their personal agendas and lets all of us get back to the dogs and the breed we all love.
should reflect that. He should move freely, but with authority, holding his outline, reaching and driving with rear legs working right behind the front legs and tending to converge as his speed increases. If a Doberman is built right, conditioned properly and not taught bad movement habits, he will move right. Movement is the proof of it all. 8. What, if anything, do you feel non-breeder judges get wrong about the breed? Many judges do not know how to count teeth and it is conspicuous. 9. What previously campaigned Doberman(s) come close to your ideal? Please explain. I do not remember registered names of most of the dogs I handled over the years let alone others I did not handle, noteworthy as they might be. However, I do remember dogs by what they looked like. Accordingly, I can recall a number of dogs and bitches that exhibited strong breed specific characteristics and helped shape my concept of what a Doberman Pinscher should look like. My mind’s eye can still see them with their handlers. I remember them as that black dog or that red bitch that so and so handled about so many years ago. 10. Do you have anything else to share? I do not care what class a dog is out of or who is handling the dog. That includes Best of Breed. If I think it is the best one in the ring, it wins. PAT HASTINGS
1. In order, name the five most important traits you look for in the ring. The ability to do the job for which it was bred, silhouette, character and temperament (correct for its breed), head and movement. 2. Are there any unforgivable faults in the breed? Temperament and an incorrect topline as it is just a symptom of how the dog is built. 3. Do uncropped ears and/or
undocked tails affect judging? It depends entirely on the wording of the standard. In a Doberman I would not reward either. The Doberman is a cropped and docked breed and always has been. He has cropped ears and a docked tail to add to his demeanor of a force to be reckoned with. Without it he loses the pres- ence of what makes him a Doberman and he becomes just another hound dog. 4. What are the most controversial breed topics? How do you address them? Of course, cropping and docking are currently on the radar as controversial but overall I think the Doberman Standard is one of the best and most of the breeders try to breed to the standard so there is not a lot of controversy.
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