Health Issues in Dobermanns
All purebred dogs have known health issues. Dogs that are not purebred have health issues too. You just don't know which ones they will have. There are a few health issues that you should be aware of when looking for your Dobermann puppy.
The Dobermann can suffer from a few health problems.
• Cardiomyopathy - Heart
• Cortical Hypoplasia - Kidneys
• Copper Hepatitia - Liver
• Cervical Instability Disorder - Neck (Commonly known as wobbles)
• Von Willebrands Disease - Blood
The most prevalent health problems in Dobermanns are Hip Displasia, Cardiomyopathy (Heart Diseas), hypothyroidism, CVI (wobbler's syndrome), and von Willebrand's disease.
Hip Displasia is a genetic disease that results in a hip joint that is too shallow for the "ball" to fit correctly. This can be a debilitating disease, depending on the severity. It is rare in dobermanns, from show lines, but it does occur more commonly in the general dobermann population.
Hypothyroidism is found in dobermanns, but it is not a common problem among well-bred dogs.
CVI (wobbler's syndrome) an inherited disease of the spinal column. It usually occurs as an adult (3 + years old). There is no test for this disease, but knowledgeable breeders know which dogs have been affected by this disease, and they do not use them in their breeding program. This is another reason to know your breeder, their knowledge of health issues, and their commitment to improving. von Willebrand's Disease (vWD) is a blood disease that is inherited. It is one of the least destructive diseases in dobermanns, but it should not be ignored.
Now that you are terrified that the dobermann is a lost cause health wise, let me assure you that there are many that live long and full lives with no health problems.
Undesirable Traits
The Dobermann has nothing negative about him except if you call wanting to be in your company 101% of the time negative, then maybe he isn't the right breed for you.