In 1995 the AKC reported on a survey of 151 owners of albino Dobermans. The report was printed in the Fall 1995 issue of Doberman Quarterly, book 2. This report is sometimes used by supporters of the albino Doberman, because 89% of the respondents reported that they were "satisfied" with their dogs, and 87% reported that the AKC should continue to register them.

But let's take a closer look at this survey.

Number of respondents -- First, only 47 owners responded to the survey. This is an extremely small sample on which to base such important decisions. Second, the low percentage of respondents -- less than one third of those queried -- creates the suspicion that there may have been some relevant bias influencing who did or did not respond. Third, at least nine of the respondents were breeders or people who wanted to breed (there may also have been other breeders who responded to the survey but who did not mention their breeding activities). This also creates a strong suspicion of bias, since breeders are less likely to criticize the product they are selling.

Responses -- Now let's take a closer look at the answers to the survey. Despite the overall favorable responses of many, and despite the biases discussed above, several interesting problems were revealed. One third (34%) reported that their dogs were not comfortable in sunlight, and 15% reported that vision was poor overall. Skin lesions were reported in 13%, poor temperaments were reported in 11%, and bites were also reported by 11%. Overall, 21 respondents -- nearly half -- reported problems with eyes, skin, or temperament, with several dogs suffering from two or more of these problems.

Here are excerpts of specific comments made by some of the respondents, relating to some of the problems experienced by these owners. Keep in mind that these are all people who have owned albino Dobermans, and several of these respondents are breeders or people who intend to become breeders. Although the AKC reported that only 47 people completed the questionnaire, comments were obtained from 53:

#1: "will squint when going from house to bright sun"
#2: "In the first year she had a lot of skin problems." "she had real bad sores" "she bit his hand." (this person wanted to breed the dog!)
#6: "Good vision - except in sunlight when you come into the house"
#10: "Slight sensitivity to sunlight."
#11: "Poor vision and temperament." "I have had several white dobermans, and have yet to come across a good tempered white doberman yet.....All of the adults I have bought, have been very aggressive, timid, and have definitely had a difficult time in sunlight."
#12: "I did not have white dobermans for long. They were not pets, or could not be. They are so interbred they walked in circles, paced and did not respond to attention.....By the way one of the white dobermans did attack me, leaving a few scars. The people who keep breeding these are only doing it for money from people like me who fall for their less than accurate description..."
#13: "They do not act or perform like the other colors of dobermans. I have owned all 5 colors. I do not currently own any white dobermans at this time or will I ever again. This male I had, I put to sleep a year ago. Temperament was unstable and he basically was blind."
#14: "Sensitive to sunlight. Skin rashes."
#15: "Skin rashes."
#16: "Vision poor, sensitive to light."
#17: "Her eyes seem to be sensitive to bright sunlight"
#18: "has bitten twice." "You can always tell when he gets that look in his eyes." (this person reported that he was satisfied with the dog!)
#20: "Not comfortable 'not during the summer'" (unclear whether this means not comfortable in cold weather, or actually not comfortable DURING the summer). "Has bitten another dog."
#21: "Not comfortable in sunlight."
#22: "Some sensitivity to sunlight."
#26: "Bit owners daughter. Bad vision. No longer owns."
#30: "My dog is mostly in semi-shaded areas..."
#47: "vision is not good and there are skin problems."
#48: "Squints in bright sunlight.""I do try to restrict a lot of sun as any dog with no pigmentation in nose & ears are prone to skin cancer."
#50: "Gave away because of very bad temperament."
#52: "I have noticed the Blue eyes to be sensitive to sunlight"
#53: (negative opinion, did not give specific comments)

Several owners of albino Dobermans have been willing to discuss the problems they have had with their unfortunate pets. The following quotes are supplied from those owners. These are people who have purchased albino Dobermans, adopted them from rescues, or people who are providing foster homes for albino Dobermans in rescue. The comments were either posted on public bulletin boards, and/or are being posted with permission of the authors. Their identities have been hidden to preserve their privacy. You will see the same general pattern of problems throughout -- vision, skin, and behavior problems are found over and over. Please contact me if you wish to verify the authenticity of the comments.

More quotes will be provided as they become available, and the quotes already here may be updated, so check back!

Owner A: "I am a white doberman owner. would someone like to ask about the health of my doberman? well she is the light of my life, the sweetest dobergirl anyone could ever have, which saddens me because she is afflicted with so many health problems. MULTIPLE missing teeth, the rest are very tiny. she squints in the sun(i know that is not a disease, but it gets worse), she has a half- baseball sized lump in her neck-a clogged salivary gland-surgery for my sweet girl next week, multiple moles that need to be cut off every year-i am going to have the next one tested for melanoma, and a pyometria? when i first got her-emergency surgery(i would have gotten her fixed anyway. someone paid $1800.00 for this sweet girl and abused her up untill i got to her at 3 years of age. i ask myself why must she continue to suffer? and you can ask me, i am a white doberman owner. " "I have a white, and she currently has 2 pigmented moles. I have already had 2 cut off last year. They usually grow around the inner lid of her eye. "

Owner B: "I am the owner of an albino dobe....[who] has several health problems, just at the tender age of 9 months. (almost 10!) He's photophobic...can't stand to be out in the sunlight. I've put up a a big tarp in a corner of the fence, so he can run out and do his business in the shade. He always comes right back in. He has megaesophagus, which, so far, doesn't look like he's going to outgrow it. He's huge for 9 months...he's 75 pounds and 28 1/2 inches already. Oh, but he has the head of a greyhound...really really narrow. :) He often appears to have no common sense. He's scared of just about everything...including his own shadow! BUT, I still love him.....Why continue to breed genetic defects? Why continue to breed dogs that can't do the work they were bred to do? Why continue to breed dogs that have SO MANY health problems, and that live in pain because of their photosensitivity??" (This dog was euthanized in January of 2001 for worsening aggression, after biting the owner and one of the family's children. The owner believes that the aggression was related to increasing fear and blindness.)

Owner C: "As far as any problems with [her], there has only been her very sensitive skin. She is very prone to an, almost eczema type, peeling and irritation when bathed with a shampoo containing alcohol. Her skin was really bad when we first got her but has healed nicely since then with no reoccuring problems. ....One thing that I have noticed on her, is that her fur dosn't seem to cover her body as well as a normal colored Dobie. At any location on her body, you can see straight down to the skin. This is why I can see the freckles so well." " It seems she does have some of the temperament problems associated with the massive amounts of inbreeding she has. 2 days ago, she killed my daughters kitten.....[she] has been showing lots of signs of temperament problems lately. She will bare her teeth and lunge at our [other dog] while he is laying down, sleeping. She even attacked our 2 year old male cat for no reason (the tom-cat, at 16 lbs, came out ahead on that deal!). I hope that we can find [her] a decent home that has no other dogs, no cats and older children." "On a sad note, though, I had to call the local humane society on [her]. Her temperament seemed to have finally gotten the best of her. She was actually attacking her puppies. Not just disciplinary nips, but actual bites to the point of leaving teeth marks and cuts on the pups. She also attacked my husband and started baring her teeth at my 7 year old son.....The next day after she attacked my husband, we had the humane society come and pick her up.....I will NEVER own another white doberman...."

Owner D: "Besides the squinting which I expected, and the blistering ([the previous] owner says I know his skin blistered but he LOVES laying in the sun) aaarrrgghhh!...anyway beyond that nothing so far. " "He unfortunately loves the sun so we're keeping him bathed in sunscreen and sometimes t-shirts, visors and sunglasses. The woman who surrendered him said he was the product of a father bred to daughter...down south somewhere.....When he came in, he had slight blistering along his backbone which the family said had come from his sleeping in the sun in the back yard all day long. ....He at times appears a little "slow" if you will.....he can't track an item when it's thrown, he hesitates before he responds sometimes...like the spark didn't ignite right away, you know?"

Owner E: "Definitely could not see as well as "normal, non-z dobes". ...my husband came home from hunting (we live on 40 acres, so he was walking up the logging road to the house), granted wearing camo, but...my dobe saw him and my other dobe...saw him very clearly. The white one was looking all around, by this time all the dogs were barking at him. She did too, but clearly was not looking where he was at. She was looking about 45 degrees away from him and using her nose to locate him. She never did see him (at this time he stood still to see if she would ever find him) until he got fairly close to the fenced yard and was moving again. She definitely squinted in the sun and I am convinced did not have the perception or accuracy of sight "normal" dobes have. Personality wise or behavior, she was a mess. Anytime I approached her to pet her or do anything, she immediately rolled over on her back and pee'd all over the place.....she was scared to death to go through the door and if you tried to pick her up to bring her in the house, she pee'd all over you.....She didn't show any aggressiveness, just submissiveness. Conformationally gross. Ears did not stand. Sway backed (though hard to tell since due to her submissiveness she didn't walk right, always hunkered or crouched)...No chest. Her proportions were way out of proportion (too leggy, too long in body, etc.). " "The 3 white pups out of the litter that was whelped here, constantly ran into things when out in sunlight and it wasn't just clutsy puppy awkwardness either. This pup still does this and he's matured and gained his "grace". A friend of mine who adopted him was so afraid he'd broke his neck when he ran full force into the side of their truck!! It was sunny out and he didn't see it. Thankfully he was okay and only stunned himself and probably had a huge headache, but from then on he had to be walked on a leash unless they were in an open area." "It saddens me each time I think about those pups or see them...One pup out of that litter has died. He was one that was sent back to the breeder to fulfill contracts. He was returned to her, dropped off at her kennel when she refused to take him back, due to severe aggression problems. The cause of his death I'm uncertain about since I do not have any contact with this breeder any longer. But it saddens me none the less that he passed away, but he shouldn't have been produced in the first place. I just wish that it hadn't taken the production of 8 poor quality pups and one death to open my eyes. "

Owner F: "Most of the white dobe sites out there are perpetuating the myth that albinism has no health consequences for the animals involved. Being a rabbit rescuer/ rehabber and vet tech student, I know that this is not the case (my own albino rabbits are photophobic and I maintain a very dim- lit household for their benefit), but could find little information about albinism and the white Doberman online that mentions health issues. Finding nothing but page upon page of information stating that they are either not albinos or, at best, admitting to parti- albinism,  and that there are no health issues associated with albinism, I found their statements about temperament and other issues to be a case of "methinks the Lady doth protest too much"! I am very glad that there is someone out there presenting the facts about albinism to counter these claims. The reason for my sudden interest is that I have had a very mistreated white dobe suddenly thrust upon me by a neighbor who had threatened to kill her if I didn't take her. Obviously this neighbor has discovered my rescue/rehabber work with the rabbits and decided that I needed to branch out to dogs in order to make his life easier, since he has had all the litters out of her that he wants. He even came over to my house with her papers signed over to transfer her to me. She is in very bad condition, infested with fleas and awful skin. She is going to the vet this afternoon. She hasn't even been given shots in years. He purported her being a "rare" white doberman, worth thousands of dollars, yet he didn't find it at all important to protect his investment with boosters and the minimum of care. Having a small amount of knowledge of dobes, I already knew that the white is not a rare dog worth as much as he claims, that it is an albino animal, but agreed to take in the animal for its own safety. She is five years old, nervous, skittish, does not seem to see very well, in overall poor condition, slightly emaciated, and does not respond to her name, but does respond to gentle tones of general comfort and praise, will not walk on a leash, but does seem to want to get close to me and be petted and comforted. ....Her temperament does seem to be very submissive, as well as loving, but she is also stubborn and, at times, unresponsive.[....]Just so you know how things went with the vet, she has a skin and a vaginal/ uterine infection and also a flea allergic dermatitis. ....She has a wart on the end of her tail and a very bad dock job, and also has noticeable scarring from her dewclaw removal (my vet feels it was a poor home job). Her teats are worn out from nursing multiple litters. Eyes are a clear blue or green in different light, and reflect red at night. She had some thick, green ocular and vaginal discharge at the time of rescue, but this has cleared up with the antibiotics. Her butt looked like a babboon, it was so red and inflamed from the flea allergy and infection from excessive biting and licking, and her back and belly were in much the same condition, but they are now pink and healing up nicely. ....I got her a very bright contrast squeaky doggy football toy, but she is afraid of the squeaky sound and does not seem to really track the ball visually. ....she seems able to see me, even through the gaps in the fence when I have stood on the other side, but she does not seem to be able to track my hands very well and I have to approach for head pats slowly to avoid frightening her (she seems to think she is going to be hit often also). ....She does not trust children at all, and I feel that she is frightened enough of them that there is a possibility of fear biting around children. Overall, I am pleased with her progress, and she is definitely becoming a sweet wiggle- butt doggy, however I can see some major faults with her temperament and physical traits with relation to the breed. She is a nervous and submissive dog, and does not seem very bright, and I do have some concerns over her trainability, even with her strong desire to please.

Owner G: "My dobe was purchased at nine weeks....Her vWD test came back at 3%. Yes, 3%.....At about 14 weeks she started acting clumsy. This progressed over a few weeks to major ataxia. She couldn't stand still without losing her balance, and if she walked she was likely to trip over her feet, and when she stopped she would fall over unless she stopped up against your legs or a wall - rather like you or I trying to get around on ice skates. She saw two regular vets and a neurological specialist in another city. She was diagnosed with progressive, degenerative brainstem neuropathy.....I was told this disease process would not kill her, that eventually the scrapes on the tops of her front feet (from tripping) would become permanent, that she would become unable to get up, and I would euthanize her because I couldn't stand watching her waste away.....At the same time as the neuropathy showed up, she also showed problems with her eyes. Her pupils would dilate and constrict in the absence of changes in light, and her pupils would "rattle" up and down. The veterinary opthalmologist concluded that...the wiring (brain) was the problem. BTW, she has very light eyes and squints.....At the same time as the Ataxia and Nystagmus began, she began submissive urination.....It persists to this day, occurs 2-3 times a day....She uses diapers when she is not outside or in her crate.....At about four months she developed her first bacterial skin infection. After one course of antibiotics, she got better and then got worse. We decided to not fool around, so she was on large doses of antibiotics for another nine weeks. Since then she has had two relapses and needed an additional course of antibiotics. I have kept her on 25-50 mg Benadryl for as long as 5-6 months of the year to prevent belly skin discomfort from allergies.....This dog excelled at puppy class, before she dropped out for her health issues. I have continued training at home, but I believe that she has a learning disability. I couldn't begin to quantify this, so perhaps I shouldn't mention it at all, but that's what I think. She is excessively licky/submissive but lacks bite inhibition and is prone to hurt you with a frustrated nip during play.....she has had episodes of dog aggression. Two of my other bitches (non-Dobe) have been her target. The first one was attacked or cussed at several times over a period of two days." "My white dobe is the product of a white sire and white dam, bred specifically to make white pups." "I lost [her] a couple weeks ago. In the two days before I requested euthanasia she suffered alternately stiffened limbs and knuckling over, poor balance, dementia (butting her head into a corner), loss of personality (completely stopped the excessive licking and excitement urination that had plagued us her entire life), minor seizure activity, threw up about every 45 minutes, was terribly thirsty, wouldn't eat, and finally developed a "palsy" (my descriptive word, not a diagnosis) or "localized seizure" (the Vet's words) which involved only the head and neck. The Vets felt her condition appeared consistent with a brain tumor."

Owner H: "Re: Albinism - I don't understand the WDC (White Doberman Club)'s stand that whites are simply a different color and that it's not albinism that causes it. Unfortunately, I have a little experience on the topic of albinism...My sister and her husband are the equivalent of Z factored; I have 2 nephews with the EXACT form of albinism that gives white dobes their white fur and blue/purple eyes. They have the EXACT same vision problems (little or no detail vision and little depth perception) that [my dog] has. They also have light-sensitive eyes. Are there really whites out there that DON'T have the vision problems? The WDC states that there *are* on the WDC website. The rescue facility where I adopted [my dog] from had the only 4 whites I've ever seen and EVERY ONE had the same vision problems." "Here's how I'd describe [my dog]: [he] was adopted at 18 months after living his life in a puppy mill and then in the kennels at a rescue facility. He had never lived with a family before our's so I'm not sure how much of his temperament problems are environmental and how much are the result of his breeding. He's sweet and enthusiastic about almost everyone but easily startled, timid and extremely (sometimes annoyingly) submissive. He has the same type of red belly spots/rash as I've seen on other white dobes but they don't seem to be itchy or develop into sores. His biggest problems stem from his poor eyesight - he stumbles frequently, falls down hills that he doesn't see and runs into walls and trees. He's squinty in the sun but that doesn't keep him from loving to be outdoors." "[My dog]'s skin does seem to bruise or tear more easily...'course he's always running into things and falling and stuff. Not sure if it's because it's easier to see than it was on [my other dog]'s darker fur or what. He heals fast but it stays red for a long while after it heals...again, not sure if it's just that it's easier to see or what."

Owner I: Owner I is me! I adopted a female doberpuppy, roughly 5 months of age, on 6/20/00. At the time of adoption, at five months of age, she weighed TWENTY pounds! She obviously has more problems than just those caused by her albinism. She does, however, also appear to have the vision problems common to albinos. On the afternoon I adopted her, it had already become obvious that she doesn't recognize people from across a room. Even though she had already become familiar with me, she would have to actually smell my hand before she would relax and wag her tail. The next day, she "lost" me when I was standing quietly outside. It was an overcast day, and we were under trees, so there was no glare for her to contend with. Nonetheless, she couldn't locate me visually as I stood about 20 feet away from her. She had to cast around following my voice until she got within a few feet of me! Despite her vision problems, however, at this point her personality appears to be pretty normal for a doberpup. Check back for further updates as she gets older! -- Two months later (8/30), Lily is suffering from demodectic mange. She is generally a cheerful and happy-go-lucky little creature; however, she does have some fear/possessive aggression problems with other dogs, and is timid in new situations. She still appears to not recognize me from across a room when she is in strange surroundings.

Owner J: "I own a 3 yr old white female dobe.... [She] was the first white for the dobe rescue, that I help by transporting and fostering dogs. She was an owner turn in. I was supposed to be just transportation. I knew she would have to stay at my house a few days. This was at the end of April '99. To make a long story short, I had never seen a dog as terrified as [she] was.....[she] was extremely dog agressive (I have 2 male corgis & 2 male rescued dobes).....[she] has been in obedience training since last June; she is performing all of the novice and open exerises. I have a wonderful obedience trainer, with alot of dobie exprience, that has taught me to "train the dog that I have" (that is her favorite expression since [my dog] started training). I have not started matching her, yet. [She] also started agility training this January....In teaching her the obstacles the main thing I had to do was slow her done so she would think. We are now sequencing obstacles and starting to teach her discrimination of obstacles.....Her vision seems fine.....She is extremely observant; she notices everything. At times she squints in bright sunlight, but not usually. I have red hair & am light complicated; if the light is a little strong for me it seems to be the same for her. Overcast, grey days can be the worst. She does sunburn. I put sunscreen on her before taking her out (anytime I know she will be out for 15 mins. or more).....I use Coppertone Sport SPF15. It's nongreasy & waterproof. I put it anywhere she doesn't have hair or where it is thin (like the top of her toes). [She] does have a wonderful coat....Oh, I did buy [her] a pair of Doggles. They are swimmer's goggles with UV protection adjusted for dogs. I want to protect her eyes as much as possible. She has had several very minor skin infections; it is extremely easy to catch it as soon as it starts."

Owner K:(the following statement is actually a composite from an interview with two rescuers fostering an albino male, rather than an exact quote) We've had this dog for 2 weeks now. We have a 2 acre yard for our dogs to run in. This is the only dog who has ever run into the fence twice; and he's the only dog who has ever fallen into that hole in the yard. He doesn't seem to see very well. He doesn't squint in the sun, but his pupils constrict so much that they nearly disappear. He is sweet and friendly, but he's also timid. He is frightened of many things, and skittish. His teeth are also abnormally small. He's very handsome, though -- for a greyhound!

Owner L:  "I have a albino dobie that someone gave me because they did not want to provide for the dogs apparent problems. He has a very sensitive stomach, blind in sunlight and sensitive skin. Gus is a wonderful dog, but high strung. 2 nites ago he was trying to go after my male chihauha and because I stopped him...he bite me twice. I never saw it coming. He was in such a frenzie that during his attack he broke off his canine tooth. Because he has shown aggressive behavior before I am having him put to sleep. I could not keep him because of my fear of being bite but I also can not in clear conscious give him to anyone else knowing that he will bite. It is truely breaking my heart. "

Owner M: " I participated in your research study several years ago and have a sad but important update.  ****, the albino Doberman we adopted from **** in October, 2000 at 8 months of age, attacked me yesterday.  We had her euthanized.  The injuries to my left arm are quite extensive, but the emergency room physician was able to close the wounds. **** had become considerably more aggressive toward company, having "nipped" several visitors on their arms over the past year.  After the 3rd incident, we crated her anytime the doorbell rang.  She also had become more aggressive toward our other Dobermans, particularly the deaf one.  Last November, **** attacked the deaf Doberman quite severely.  Surgery to close her 20+ wounds cost over $1,000. **** was 8 months old when we adopted her.  She came from a breeder in **** who released her and her littermate to the rescue when she couldn't sell them.  **** had never been abused, was strictly a house pet, wore Doggles when outside, and was treated with love, respect, and structure as are our other 4 Dobermans.  Totally unprovoked, the attack on me yesterday and her subsequent euthanasia leaves us sad but convinced that, regardless of its environment, the albino is an unstable animal.  The irony is that I had just the previous night read your research findings, which greatly concerned me."
 
 

Never seen an albino doberman? Visit these files for photos of five albinos, reproduced with permission.

While viewing the photos, notice some conformational faults which appear to be common to many or most albinos. These include snipey muzzle with insufficient underjaw, hare feet, sway back, round croup, low tail set, shallow brisket, lack of forechest, and so on.

Kirby -- Kirby is a rescued male. At less than one year of age he appears to be losing his vision. He has trouble following toys which are thrown for him, and can not stand sun exposure. Notice that his eyes are nearly closed in most of the pictures, despite the fact that the sky was completely overcast when the photos were taken. Also notice the skin eruptions (due to chronic skin allergies) and the growth on the bare tail stub.

Britta -- Britta is a rescued female relinquished by a breeder in Ohio. She is five years old. Notice the skin lesions on the muzzle, and also around the eye margins. This dog is known to burn and blister with sun exposure.

Mijo -- Mijo is approximately the same age as Kirby. Mijo was blistered from sunburn when he entered rescue. Although he seems generally intelligent, his foster owner notes that he has trouble tracking thrown objects (like Kirby). Notice that his eyes are squinted nearly shut in most of the pictures.

Lily -- Lily is my pup, roughly five months old as of 6/20/00. You can see that she in the first pictures she was walking far down on her pasterns, which I suspect was due to malnutrition (as you can see in later pictures, this problem was resolved for the most part after a week of good food -- however, you can also see that the lateral deviation of her feet remains). You can also see how small she looks for a five month old pup! She does appear to have typical albino vision problems (see the "owner reports" section listed above) as well as serious conformational faults consistent with other albinos and factored dogs. Lily pics 1Lily pics 2 Lily pics 3

Tiamo -- Tiamo is a neutered male rescue dog. Unlike many albino dobermans, you can see that Tiamo does NOT have a sway back or a shallow brisket. In fact, his rescuers and I agree that he is actually a pretty handsome dog -- for a greyhound, that is! I made the photos of Tiamo, and he even moves like a greyhound -- very interesting to watch, actually. Tiamo also appears to have the typical albino vision problems, and one or two of the pictures show a couple of the thin pink patches in his fur.

Blue -- Blue is Tiamo's brother. You can see that Blue actually has a reasonably good build for a pet-quality doberman, although he does have a roached back and is rather narrow through the chest.

Because of the special concerns associated with raising and living with handicapped dogs, a concerned albino Doberman owner suggested that I start this section. I thought it was a great idea! This area will contain tips from albino owners on some of the adjustments that can be made to improve quality of life for these animals. Check back periodically to see new tips as people provide them!

Vision:

• albinos often appear to have trouble seeing or tracking toys. Try noise-making toys (such as the Wiggly Giggly ball) or toys with flashing lights to make them easier to find
• Wear high-contrast clothing (like bold stripes) to make yourself more visible

• some albino owners report that visors and/or sunglasses help albino Dobermans to manage their photophobia/photosensitivity problems
• try "Doggles", special UV-blocking swimmers'-type goggles made specifically for dogs -- http://www.doggles.com

• always keep sunscreen on specially vulnerable areas such as nose, eartips, and back when an albino is going to be in the sun
• provide as many shady areas as possible when the dog is outside; one owner has placed a tarp over a corner of her fence to provide additional shade
• t-shirts or other clothing will also help to protect that sensitive albino skin

• Try bathing with Nova Pearls sensitive skin formula, or oatmeal shampoo
• some albino Dobes appear to be sensitive to metal. It might be a good idea to avoid metal collars, just in case

Albino Dobermanns in the UK
Last update 4/28/01

An albino bitch was recently shipped in whelp to the United Kingdom, to the breeder Denise Harrison of Dobenar Kennels. This bitch, Phantom's Flaxen Lass (Flaxen), was bred by Lysa Rector (of Whispering Woods kennels). Flaxen had previously been placed in another home by Lysa Rector, on a breeding contract . However, she was returned to Lysa by the original contract holder, who reports that she found Flaxen to be of poor quality and not good breeding material. This person further reports that Flaxen had problems with both poor vision and extremely submissive behavior, in addition to being of poor conformation. After Flaxen was returned to Lysa she was then bred by Lysa, and shipped to Denise in whelp. (For confirmation of the original contract holder's findings, please contact me.)

Flaxen successfully whelped eight puppies while in quarantine. Four of these pups are albino; the other four are carriers of the albino trait. One of the albino pups, a male named Dobenar's Wonderfully Wicked, was exhibited at two Kennel Club shows in the UK.

The first show in which the pup was entered, the first weekend in July, 2000, was sponsored by the Clacton and District Canine Society Association. This was an "Open" show, which means that only pedigreed dogs can enter, but wins do not count towards a championship title and only the Best in Show and Best Puppy In Show winners gain qualification to be shown at Crufts. I'm guessing that this would be roughly equivalent to an AKC "fun match" or "sanctioned match".

It is important to note that, in the UK, the breed standard does not include any outright disqualifications. It simply describes desirable and undesirable traits. Because of that fact, the judge did not simply dismiss the white puppy outright. However, she placed him fourth -- out of a class of four. At the second show, the puppy showed under well-known judge Jimmy Richardson. Mr. Richardson also chose not to dismiss the puppy; however, at this show the pup did not place in a class of ten.

Here is the first judge's written critique of Dobenar's Wonderfully Wicked (in the UK, critiques are written for all dogs that place):

CLACTON & DISTRICT CANINE SOCIETY ASSOCIATION

TENDERING HUNDRED AGRICULTURAL SHOW - DOBERMANNS

[....critiques of other dogs have been removed....]

"JAY KERSHAW
---------------------
JUDGING THE WHITE.

Given that "white supporters" seem to enjoy, and indeed thrive on controversy, I was not going to allow them any emotion by witholding a place due to colour, (as you know, the KC have in their infinite (supportive) wisdom, registered whites without any official tracking mechanism), so I felt I had no choice but to judge the dog as fairly as I could bearing in mind that whilst 'white markings of any kind are highly undesirable', there are unfortunately no disqualifying faults' even though white is not in our breed standard! Ridiculous situation.

Placing the dog 4th was in NO WAY a reflection of quality, merely the fact that only 4 were present in the class. It also allowed me to draw my own conclusions instead of relying on other possible emotions and opinions.

The dog's name is Dobenar's Wonderfully Wicked, and he is the son of Phantom's Flaxen Lass (brought in to the UK in whelp). He is nearly 7 months old.

In my opinion, he is not a good specimen of the 'breed' (as we know it). He is large, over-sized and overweight even for a puppy. He was a little upright in shoulder and his overlay of shoulder was wide. His rear angulation was satisfactory although he didn't have much behind the tail, and fell off slightly at croup. He moved adequately with a fair stride but ran a bit close behind. His feet could have been tighter. He has complete and well laid dentition and good bite. He is cream coloured, with a thick coat and no clearly defined markings.

His eyes were small, tight and very pale pink colour with signs of blue (from what I could see), and he was definitely squinting hard against the light. Whilst it was a bright day, none of the other dogs appeared troubled by the light. He was ok about being gone over.

In all honesty and not to deliberately downgrade the dog, I felt quite sorry for him. He was obviously trotted out on a bright day to prove a point, that Denise Harrison has been the first UK exhibitor to successfully import, register and show a white dobermann. This is not a working dog and IMO, certainly not a dobermann. Despite the fact that he is white, he is not IMO a good enough standard to be shown.

I don't think Louis is so much turning in his grave, but spinning out of control!"