ABOUT OUR DOBES

I grew up with Dobes, the 'back yard bred' type. Even this was enough to hook me on the breed forever. Gerald on the other hand did not grow up with dogs but agreed we could get one 'provided it has short hair and lives outside'. Our search did not take us very far - the 1st litter I saw was pathetically thin, pot bellied and the Dam was obviously quite fed up with the remaining kids. They were being kept in a small concrete back yard. How could I leave a puppy in that environment? Of course it went home with me. Since then I no longer look at litters unless I have done my paper research and it is something I think I would like to take home!

Anyway, this girl was not a breed specimen, but what a character. Gerald adored her and the two of them started off doing obedience. She is one of the very few dobes to have attained Obedience Championship status. She also became something of a champion at dog jumping , though prior to the awarding of DJ Ch titles, but competed at National level for several years, always finishing in the top 10,. Our kennel name is her's and mine combined thought up on the spur of the moment by Gerald when he went to Kusa to register the Kennel name. When he was working her we obviously saw loads of Dobes and started understanding just how much she deviated from the breed standard. My 2nd Dobe was from a really good line, as was my 3rd. By that time I had started showing, but still had no intention to be a breeder even if we did let our girls have one litter each before spaying them always trying to make sure they were healthy pups with great temperament and improving on breed conformation if we could.

Several years later I was again looking for a pup. We both really liked a new import - Danika vom Norden Stamm. I waited and eventually managed to get a really stunning male from Marc de Chalain when he bred her the last time. He of course said I had to show so I went back to the game I had walked away from a few years before with the clear intention to fulfil my commitment to Marc and leave it at that. Well, 'Rip' did it for us. He was just such and amazing dog and how could I possibly deprive other people of having a chance at a dog like that?

We have since attended several International Dobermann Club Shows. What an amazing site to see +- 700 Dobes at one show. And I have drooled over the most amazing specimens. We decided we would do what we could to improve the Dobes in SA. So, we now admit to being breeders but still very selectively and seldom. We are very fussy about where our babies go to and Gerald regularly moans at me for un-selling more puppies than I sell. This policy has ensured that we have gained a lot of really good Dobe parents as friends so I'm not complaining.

Marie