10 Things You Didn’t Know about the Red Doberman

The Doberman Pinscher is one of the most popular dog breeds that can be found on the planet. Generally speaking, it is recognized by its black and tan coat. However, it is interesting to note that the Doberman Pinscher can come in a number of other colors as well. To name an example, there are Red Dobermans, which are less common than their black and tan counterparts but not so much so that interested individuals won’t be able to find them.

1. Not Quite Red

Red Dobermans aren’t a bright red color. Instead, their coat is more of a reddish brown, with the result that they are sometimes called brown rather than red. This is true for some of the other colors as well. For instance, Blue Dobermans aren’t bright blue so much as a diluted black, which explains why they are sometimes called either grey or silver.

Having said that, it is also worth mentioning that Red Dobermans can exhibit a fair amount of color variation even among themselves. Some are closer to copper in appearance, while others are more comparable to chocolate.

2. Considered to Be a Breed Standard Color

The breed standards for purebred dogs can be quite exacting when it comes to the color of their coat. As such, some people might be concerned about whether Red Dobermans meet the breed standard or not.

If so, they should know that red is accepted in both the United States and Europe, meaning that Red Dobermans are just as accepted as their iconic counterparts. Something that can’t be said for the other coat colors.

3. Second Most Common Coat

Speaking of which, Red Dobermans have the second most common coat for the dog breed. In this, they have been helped out by their widespread recognition. After all, if a Doberman Pinscher with a particular kind of coat isn’t recognized as a Doberman Pinscher, that is going to reduce the demand for such dogs.

This can be seen by the treatment of Blue Dobermans. They are recognized in the United States. However, the fact that Blue Dobermans aren’t allowed to participate in some events means that they are less popular.

4. Not a Bad Thing

Some of the Doberman coats are avoided for very good reasons. To name an example, there are White Dobermans. However, people should avoid them because these dogs have been brought into existence through a great deal of inbreeding.

Thanks to that, White Dobermans suffer from serious issues, with examples including both anxiety and poor eyesight. Red Dobermans do have differences from their black and tan counterparts, but fortunately, they have nothing that is on that level.

5. More Prone to Suffering From Skin Allergies

One of the issues with Doberman Pinschers as a whole is their increased chance of suffering from skin allergies. Unfortunately, the most notable issue with Red Dobermans is an even higher chance of suffering from skin allergies, which is something that interested individuals will want to keep a watchful eye out for. Fortunately, good skincare can prevent acne as well as the other problems that can pop up because of this tendency.

6. They Are Rare Because of a Recessive Gene

In any case, Red Dobermans are rare because their color is recessive. For those who are curious, Doberman Pinschers have not one but two color genes, one of which is responsible for black while the other is responsible for color dilution.

The black and tan shows up when a dog has at least one dominant allele for both genes. Meanwhile, Red Dobermans are born when the black gene has two recessive alleles but the color dilution gene has at least one dominant allele. The Blue Doberman is born in the reverse scenario, while the Fawn Doberman is born when there are two recessive alleles for both genes. As such, the Fawn Doberman is the rarest of these possibilities.

7. Two Red Dobermans Make for a New Red Doberman

Due to this, it is possible to create new Red Dobermans without resorting to excessive inbreeding. For example, two Red Dobermans will produce another Red Doberman because both are carrying two recessive alleles.

Similarly, it is possible for a Red Doberman and a black and tan Doberman to produce another Red Doberman so long as the latter is carrying one recessive allele. However, if that happens, some of the puppies will be Red Dobermans while the rest will not be. Of course, if the black and tan Doberman doesn’t have one recessive allele, all of the resulting puppies will come out black and tan.

8. Hasn’t Been Studied Much

There is much that remains unknown about dogs because not enough resources have been poured in for people to have figured out everything about every single variety out there. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this means that Red Dobermans are still mysterious in a lot of respects, meaning that people should be careful about putting too much trust into anecdotal claims.

9. Said to Be Light-Hearted and Less Territorial

Unfortunately, there are times when people don’t have anything but anecdotal claims to work with. For instance, there are claims that Red Dobermans are light-hearted and less territorial when compared with their black and tan counterparts, which may or may not be the case because the issue hasn’t been investigated enough for there to be a clear answer.

On top of this, it doesn’t help that there are already some lines of Doberman Pinschers that are light-hearted and less territorial than others because of the desire for a more suitable pet rather than guard dog.

10. Still a Doberman Pinscher

On a final note, it is important to point out that the Red Doberman is still a Doberman Pinscher, meaning that interested individuals should form their expectations based on said dog breed. To name an example, they should keep a watchful eye out for dilated cardiomyopathy, which is a disease of the heart muscle that affects Doberman Pinschers more than any other dog breed.

For an idea of the severity of the issue, these dogs are responsible for something like 40 percent of the diagnoses, with the runner-up being German Shepherds at just 13 percent.

You can also read:

• A Complete Price Guide for the Doberman Pinscher
• 10 Dog Breeds Similar to Dobermans
• 20 Things Only Doberman Pinscher Owners Would Understand
• 7 Things You Didn’t Know about the Blue Doberman Pinscher