The Dobermann is intelligent, alert and tenaciously loyal; it is kept as a guard dog or as a companion animal.

He set out to breed a new type of dog that would exhibit impressive stamina, strength, and intelligence.

It is also widely believed that the old German Shepherd was the single largest contributor to the Dobermann breed.

The British did the same a few years later; now the US and Canada are the only countries who continue to use Pinscher and have dropped an "n" from Dobermann's surname.

[10] It was originally intended as a guard dog,[13][14] so males typically have a muscular and intimidating appearance.

There are nine possible combinations of these alleles, which can result in four different color phenotypes: black, blue, red, and fawn (Isabella).

[17][better source needed] White Doberman were identified as albino, and the condition is caused by a partial deletion in the SLC45A2 gene.

[24] The Doberman Pinscher Club of America requires that ears be "normally cropped and carried erect" for conformation.

[citation needed] Canine intelligence is an umbrella term that encompasses the faculties involved in a wide range of mental tasks, such as learning, problem-solving, and communication.

The Doberman Pinscher has been ranked amongst the most intelligent dog breeds in experimental studies and expert evaluations.

[29] There is some evidence that Doberman Pinschers in North America have a calmer and more even temperament than their European counterparts because of the breeding strategies employed by American breeders.

[30] Despite this, the American breed standard states that, for purposes of determining of conformation fault, aggression and belligerence by a Doberman toward other dogs is not counted as viciousness.

[31] There is a great deal of scientific evidence that Doberman Pinschers have a number of stable psychological traits, such as certain personality factors and intelligence.

[34] In addition to the studies of canine personality, there has been some research to determine whether there are breed differences in aggression.

[38] A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 11.2 years for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 for crossbreeds.

[43] Data from the University of Purdue Medical Veterinary Database found the breed to be predisposed to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) with 5.8% of Dobermanns having the condition.

[51] Among female Dobermanns, the sudden death manifestation of the disease is more common, whereas males tend to develop congestive heart failure.

[53] The Dobermann is predisposed to the following dermatological conditions: acral lick dermatitis; chin pyoderma, acne, or folliculitis; cutaneous drug eruptions; colour dilution alopecia; demodicosis; follicular dysplasia; interdigital haemorrhagic bulla [d], pedal furunculosis or cyst; pemphigus foliaceus; and vitiligo.

[57] The breed is predisposed to hypothyroidism[54][42] with one US study finding 6.3% of Dobermanns to have the condition compared to 1.54% for mixed-breeds.