Dog Health Questions: Could a Working Doberman be a show dog?

Okay so Last Week on the 6th and 7th of March we had our Dog Show. Well my Personal Protection Dog Club ask me and 4 other people to go to the Dog Show to talk about our Club and safe and responsible Personal Protection Dog Training to the people at the dog show and we were to demonstrate some of the training. Well it was five dogs in total we took a Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd Dog, Rottweilers, Belgian Malinois, and a American Staffordshire Terrier, we all showed different examples of the training, well when we were taking a 1 hour break I was looking around and found a Doberman Show/Breeder that went Gaga over Hercules my Doberman Pinscher that is a Russian Import and that turned 10 months old 2 weeks ago well she said he had perfect conformation even dough he was a more muscular and like two inches taller from he 4 year old male Ch.show dog, (but Hercules is still going and I believe he is going to be a lot bigger) She asked me if I was showing him, I told her that I was actually here in behave of my P.P.D club along with others and her face when from a smile to a sad look and disappointment an she told me to bad he could have been a champion (even dough he is in my eyes and other people in my club think so also).

Well to resume this long question "Can my Russian Import Personal Protection dog (that is still in training) become a show dog? This is out of curiosity to see if that lady was right, I am a very curios person and I tried to push this to the side to the best of my ability but I guess curiosity won over.

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I don't know enough about showing dogs to really say definitively yes or no to this question but from what I've read, the European Dobermanns tend to not be accepted by American standards because of what you've stated above. In fact, this quote that I borrowed from a website that discusses the difference between the European and American versions of the Doberman reads "most of the European champions would be disqualified because of their size in the American rings."

According to my reading, the American Doberman should be as follows:
Height at the withers:
Males: 66 cms to 71.1 cms. Ideal about 27 1/2 inches.
Bitches: 61cms to 66 cms. Ideal about 25 1/2 inches
DISQUALIFICATIONS: Overshot more than 3/16 of an inch (0.5 cms).

For the European Doberman:
Height at the withers:
Males: 68 cms to 72 cms.
Bitches: 63 cms to 68 cms.
DISQUALIFICATIONS: 2 cms over or under the standard.

I say, if a person who shows dogs thinks your dog is good enough to be shown, you should go for it.

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• I don't know for sure but I don't see why not. A show dog is suppose to be a perfect example of the breed and I would think if it was a perfect example it should be able to work in the field it was bred for. At least this is what I believe, how could it be a perfect specimen if it can't complete the tasks it was bred for....


• YES. There are a lot of breeders who title their dogs in both performance and conformation fields in all breeds, including the Doberman Pinscher. Many breeders of working Dobies also show their dogs, with great results, and there are plenty out there with titles in both a working field and conformation.


• I don't know the breed, but I don't see any reason why not if he has the correction conformation. Good breeders breed for the correct form and drive. Form follows function and both are very important. If I were you I would continue in your group your in now, but maybe take a poke in the show ring if your interested. More titles never hurts!


• If he fits the standard, then yes he could!
  
  BUT....there are two different styles of dobie show dogs:
  
  AKC Dobie- http://content.breederoo.com/users/Notor…
  
  And those seen at International/IABCA dog shows- http://dobermanpuppyforsale.com/img/Fi09…
  
  I'm pretty sure the standards are pretty much the same. If you want to show him, I would recomend UKC and IABCA.


• Yes, there are many dogs out there that are also working dogs. My neighbor has two border collies that no only are herders for a small flock of sheep but the are both Grand Champion show dogs. So I would say yes give it a shot, if you don't like it you don't have to do it again.


• If the dog fits the standard, I see no reason why he can't
  
  Lots of show dogs are working dogs out of the ring.


• Yes.