Has anyone ever heard of a white doberman?

Question

Apparently they have a similar gene to the recessive gene that causes white tigers and it has no problems that usually go along with white abnormals (deafness and blindness). Its not albino just a white recessive coloring. Ijust wondered if anyone else had heard of this or seen it. I was reading some veterinary gene studies on breeds with known origins (the original crosses) and came across it. Interesting reading and very useful if you want to know why certain inheirent diseases are breed specific (eg hypothyroidism,epilepsy and other diseases affecting the brain function). You come across the weirdest things and i have never heard of a white doberman.

Its not albino, just a white color, no pink or blue eyes and it can have the mask and markings in a pale tan, almost an apricot color. Just like the tigers arent true white or albino nor are the dobes.

I cant find the paper i was reading, i am studying behaviour characteristics in domesticated animals at present and was just skimming it to see if it was relevant to my current thesis and it caught my eye cause i own 2 dobes.

Actually i did just find some web sites devoted to white dobermans, but they are just white dobes bred from a single albino b*tch. I actually mean a color gene not a lack of color gene. Ones with normal brown eyes and some traces of marking and pigmented skin, dark nose and all that. The paper i was reading was pretty specific that it is not albinism.

Apparently the white colored gene was inheirited when grey hound was added to the mix to create the modren doberman. But the arguments about which dogs are the originators give me a headache. The breed of the original 2 is unknown but people have said that great dane, rottweiler, beauceron, german pinscher, german pointer, greyhound and another smaller breed (terrier of some sort) with the black and tan markings are all what make up dobermans. There is a couple of them that have white colorings that isnt necessarily albino, not accepted coloring but it does happen. Plus it would explain the occasional pup born with some white but not all white. The white gene is in there its just a very recessive gene. I did find another paper which was on albinism in some dogs and apparently sometimes its not the mutated albino gene, just a recessive normal color gene.

Answer 1

It is in fact a mutation of the color allele that ends up creating the white dobermans. A breeder back in the 60s had a litter with a few white puppies. In order to establish the white she bred brother to sister and had a litter of puppies. These dogs are listed as being positive for the "Z Factor". The AKC does not allow them to be shown. They often develop sight problems later in life in addition to having poor quality coats and often developing blisters when exposed to sunlight for too long. They are not healthy dogs and no one should ever intentionally breed for them. They technically are not albino, since it is in fact a mutation. However, many do have blue eyes, and while you can still see the markings as a cream color on some, on others you cannot see any markings. People breed them as a "rare" color, when in fact it is an unwanted color, and in turn charge more money for a lower quality dog.

I know it isn't a lack of a gene, it is a mutation of one of the color alleles. Normal dobes have 2 alleles for each color. So a black dobie is BBrR, BbRr, BBRR, you get the idea. The B is dominant for black. To get a red it is bbRR, or bbRr. For a blue it is bbRr, and to get a fawn it is bbrr. An albino has one of the Bs or Rs replaced with a different gene, giving it the so called "Z factor". Proponents of white dobies say they aren't albinos, which in fact it true, they are not true albinos since it isn't lack of gene or a recessive. It is a mutation. The DPCA (Doberman Pinscher Club of America) actually calls them partial albinos. I state again that no one should ever breed an albino or breed a dog knowing it carries the Z factor.

I won't be commenting after this, but I don't think you understand genetics. I am in research and have science degrees. Some dobies do have the occasional white marking on their chest, but the AKC limits the size, many breeds have this. There is no such thing as a "very recessive gene," there is simply dominant and recessive. The C gene (which is what the gene for white is) is a mutation. If it wasn't, white dobies would have been around much earlier than the late 60s when they happened, and it wouldn't have all been traced back to 1 litter, other people would have experienced it. Some dogs do have white as a recessive color and it isn't albino (like german shepards), but all the white dobies I have ever seen and all the pictures I can find on the internet, the dobies have pink noses and blue eyes. I have NEVER seen one with a normal colored nose and any shade of brown eyes. And it is true that albinos can have blue eyes. I suggest you do a little more research. This is a very heated issue for lovers of the Doberman breed. Here's a really good website
http://whitedobes.doberinfo.com/

Answer 2

OH YEAH...
In the '70 someone had a white Doberman born supposedly. And they bred her to her own kids, and the littermates back and forth to ensure this garbage continued. Albino Dobermans are AKC registerable, but are not able to compete in any AKC competiitons.
They are FULL of health problems, so inbred that it would make you absolutely sick.
The Albino breeders breed them without any regard at all to health, structure, temperament etc. A dog bred solely for it's colour is no justice at all to the breed.
ALbino breeders are an unscrupulous lot.. They try to sell their genetically inferior garbage at huge prices and tell people that they are rare. They also tell people that albinos have always been born and breeders of coloured dogs just kill them. This is absolutely untrue. There were no albino dobermans til this thing in the 70's was born.

An albino Doberman will never be born from dogs that don't carry the gene. You want to make sure when you buy a Doberman that there are no albinos in the pedigree.

Read about it here

http://www.dpca.org/ac.html

Don't get sucked into their lies!

Answer 3

They might not have pink eyes, but they do carry the albinistic gene. White is a disqualification in the confirmation ring. They started registering White and White ("Z") Carriers with the first 2 letters of their registration # starting with WZ so reputable/ ethical breeders could identify them and no breed to or with them.

They are sun sensitive as their skin is very pink, and they are photo sensitive.

Some dobermans breeder do breed them and call them "RARE". Well in my opinion, if you're breeding a white to a white, they can't be all that rare if you own 2 of them. I do not feel they should be "culled", however, they should be spayed/neutered. Using them in a breeding program is not for the betterment of the breed what-so-ever. They breed them to line their pockets with money from puppies that can and some, will have extreme health issues. JMO

Answer 4

I've heard of white dobermans and I've also seen one at my vet's office. The dog was beautiful. I'm not exactly fond of white dobermans, however I do not reccommend having them put down like some websites avicate.
My best doberman has the Z gene and I could not have picked a better doberman. He's black and rust does not have any health or skin problems. His conformation is perfect and he is extremely friendly to guests and no so friendly to unwelcome intruders. He is a member of the family and exceedingly easy to train. I call my breeder regualary to make certain that when the time comes I will be able to purchase another doberman from his line.

Answer 5

Their was one in my agility class - but she IS an albino with very pale blue eyes. Her owner bought her sunglasses beause she can't stand bright sun in her eyes.....
Now maybe there is also a nonalbino white but according to this owner all white dobies trace to one albino foundation animal - which tend to indicate this IS an albino trait...

Answer 6

......Its hard, short-haired, close-fitting coat comes in black, black & tan, blue-gray, red, fawn and white. While white markings are considered a fault in some clubs in others it is accepted. The hair is short, thick, hard and tight to its body.

Answer 7

sounds sort of like an albino animal Ive never heard of this being common in dogs but it could be possible i guess

Answer 8

Yes, I have seen them. they are a genetic abomination. Real Dobermans do not come in white and breeders in Europe will cull a white puppy.

Answer 9

Yes, I've seen them before. My understanding is that they frequently DO have hearing problems.

Answer 10

ive never heard or seen it.
but it happens in other breeds/species so why not.
where did u hear/reed this?
i was taught in breeding calses that the double domante white gene in horses is leathal.