The German shepherd is one of the most popular dogs in the world thanks to his fantastic qualities, which make him a perfect dog both for company and for work. For its part, the Doberman is another dog of large dimensions and excellent qualities, although less widespread perhaps because many consider it a dangerous dog.
We review the most important characteristics and the differences between Dobermans and German Shepherds in this article on our site. Thus, if you are thinking of adopting one of these breeds, or a mestizo dog with their own characteristics, we will help you choose one or the other.
Origin of the German Shepherd and the Doberman
To perceive the differences between Doberman and German Shepherd, the first thing is to know the fundamental aspects of each of these breeds. Starting with the German Shepherd, it is a German breed that originated in the 19th century, initially with the idea of dedicating itself to sheep herding The breed immediately exceeded this task and its capacity for other tasks such as assistance, security, police or military work, etc., is well known, in addition to being a good dog company.
The Doberman, meanwhile, is another of the best-known dogs of German origin, although not as popular as the German shepherd. Its origin also dates back to the 19th century, but it is not a breed of shepherds, but designed for guarding, a task that it continues to perform today, although we also find it as an appreciated companion dog.
Doberman and German Shepherd Physical Characteristics
You only have to see both dogs to appreciate the differences between the Doberman and the German Shepherd in terms of physical appearance, but it should be noted that the Doberman traditionally suffered the amputation of the tail and the ears This practice, totally cruel and unnecessary, is prohibited in more and more territories, fortunately. Many people wanted to achieve a fiercer appearance in this way and, in fact, the breed has been linked to an aggressiveness that does not correspond to reality. The only thing that was achieved was making the dog suffer in an unnecessary postoperative period and making it difficult to communicate with his peers, in which the position of the ears is of great importance.
On the other hand, it must be taken into account that in some territories the Doberman is included in the list of breeds of dogs considered potentially dangerous, which implies the obligation to comply with a series of requirements for his possession. The German Shepherd, on the other hand, is not considered PPP.
Next, let's see the differences between German Shepherd and Doberman in terms of physical appearance:
German shepherd
German Shepherds They are large-sized animals, with a weight that can exceed 40 kgand a height at the withers that exceeds 60 cm. They are more robustly built than Dobermans and their bodies are slightly elongated. They are widely distributed and have adapted to life in both the city and the countryside.
Although their version in black and tan is the best known, we can find these shepherds with long, short hair and in different colors such as black, cream or sable. Likewise, his cloak stands out for being made of double layer The inner layer is fleece, while the external one is dense, hard and attached to the body. The length can vary in each part of its body, since, for example, the hair is longer on the neck and tail.
Get all the details in the breed file: "German Shepherd".
Doberman
The Doberman is also Large, very similar to the German Shepherd. He is somewhat less heavy, with specimens between 30 and 40 kg, and somewhat taller, with a height at the withers that almost reaches 70 cm. Therefore, he has a more athletic and muscular body conformation. They are generally finer in appearance than the German Shepherd, which tends to be stockier.
Like the German shepherd, it has adapted to life in the city, but prefers temperate climates and tolerates it worse than the German Shepherd weather inclement weather due to the characteristics of its coat. Thus, his coat is short, dense and hardand has no undercoat. As for the colors, although the best known Dobermans are black and tan, we also find them in brown with red, in different shades of brown.
For more details, don't miss the breed file: "Doberman pinscher".
Doberman and German Shepherd character
In the character section, it is perhaps where the differences between Doberman and German Shepherd are minor. Both are intelligent and very loyal animals and protective of their family. It has traditionally been considered that the German shepherd is better for living with children, but the truth is that both dogs can live with the little ones in the house without problems, as long as they have been well socialized and educated.
Starting with the German Shepherd, it is excellent for learning and a good guardian. Due to his great intelligence and capabilities, it is essential to offer him a good education, socialization and stimulation both physically and psychologically. For its part, the Doberman is also a very good student, intelligent and with excellent learning qualities. As a drawback, we can point out that he may have problems in the relationship with his congeners, although these conflicts also arise with German shepherd dogs. In both cases, we insist, socialization, education and stimulation are key and essential aspects.
Doberman and German Shepherd Care
Perhaps one of the most obvious differences between the Doberman and the German Shepherd is the care of their coat, much easier in the case of the Doberman due to its short coat. The German Shepherd will need more frequent brushing, especially if we have one with long hair. We will notice that he removes a lot of hair
On the other hand, in terms of the activity they need, both are dogs with considerable energy, but the German Shepherd is the one that requires more physical exercise Therefore, he will not arrive with a couple of walks a day, but we will have to provide him with the possibility of running, jumping and playing or taking long walks. It is a good candidate to participate in canine sports activities.
In both breeds, stimulation is important to avoid stress and boredom, which give rise to behavioral problems such as destructiveness. Know all the symptoms of a bored dog to detect them in time.
German Shepherd and Doberman He alth
It is true that both breeds can suffer from problems due to their large size, such as stomach torsion or joint problems, but they differ in terms of the diseases to which they are prone. For example, in the German shepherd, hip dysplasia is very common.
Thus, in the Doberman pathologies that affect the heart are more commonOn the other hand, the German Shepherd , due to its indiscriminate breeding, suffers eye and gastrointestinal disorders, among others. In addition, this uncontrolled breeding has also caused behavioral problems in some specimens, such as nervousness, excessive fear, shyness or aggressiveness (provided it has not been properly educated or socialized). An excessively nervous character can also be detected in the Doberman.
The German Shepherd has a life expectancy of 12-13 years, very similar to that of the Doberman, which is around 12 years.
