About Me
Welcome to ATLAS’ Den. My name is Steve and I am the owner of this site. As a child, I have always wanted a Doberman Pinscher. Now with a family and a house of our own, my childhood dream has become a reality. I became frustrated by the lack of available information for the pet or family Doberman. I could not find information on how family-oriented Doberman owners go about their daily lives with such an intelligent and energetic breed. And I couldn’t find information on what a daily routine for a male European Doberman looks like. There are plenty of information on the breed, but no information from the angle and perspective of a first time Doberman owner and dog owner. If you are considering a Doberman as your first dog, you came to the right place.
Doberman Growth & Development Charts
I also couldn’t find any Doberman detailed growth charts online. The growth charts I’ve found plotted a Doberman’s average weight by age (mostly American Dobermans), but I needed more information than that. I would like to see measurements by age in addition to weight. Why growth charts? Growth charts are helpful in several ways. It can give you an estimate on sizing collars, harnesses and outfits for your Doberman. It can also help predict when it is time to upgrade your dog’s crate or even your own living space. Planning to travel with your Doberman and not sure if your dog will satisfy the hotel’s weight limit? Growth chart can give you a general guesstimate. Finally, growth charts can be used as a guideline to ensure that your Doberman is on the correct growth track.
I set out to record these two aspects of our European Doberman and how it crosses into our daily lives. I will be charting Atlas’ growth on a weekly basis. This means measuring his weight, his height, his shoulder height, his length, chest and neck girth. Hopefully my effort will be useful to new European Doberman owners out there that are in search of such information.
No Room for Elitism or Pretense
I created this site to provide information for would-be new pet Doberman owners as a new Doberman owner and first time dog owner myself. If you’ve done your research on the breed, you’ve probably came across several online Doberman-oriented forums, communities and discussion boards. You’ve probably even registered to ask a question or two.
These communities will generally regard someone new and considering the breed, as just not good enough to own a Doberman. You basically have to earn the privilege to be a Doberman owner with these folks.
It’s also all about the American Doberman and anything less is unworthy. Looking for a pet or family Doberman? Sorry, Plebeians are not allowed. What about a European Doberman? They are just a “marketing gimmick” (so the breeder can command a premium price). Do you own a European Doberman? You have an invalid and probably bought it from a BYB or puppy mill, you are also at the wrong gala party.
While the primary focus of this site will be on the European Doberman, all the articles will also apply to the American Doberman.
And finally, many of these forums’ top posting members are absolutely obsessed with working dogs, agility and AKC/IPO/Ch. titles – to a fault. Not all Doberman enthusiasts are into showing or titling their dog(s) nor do they have the slightest ounce of care for it. Many of us simply just want a Doberman as a family member and protector.
If you are turned off by any Doberman online communities due to aforementioned experiences, then I welcome you to ATLAS’ Den with open arms. ATLAS’ Den is a growing site and I am glad to have you join us while we are starting out.
Join me on my journey as a new European Doberman and dog owner and I hope you can learn from my experience. May be I can learn a thing or two from your own journey!
But Aren’t Dobermans Not Recommended for the First Time Dog Owner?
The general consensus is if you are an inexperienced dog handler, let alone a first time dog owner, then a Doberman is not the best breed for you. My take on this is, positive result is directly proportional to time and commitment, and I’m dead set to disprove this myth. Now if I was considering a Belgian Malinois as a first dog, then that’s a whole different story.
About Atlas
Atlas is our male pet European Doberman Pinscher. He was born on November 8th, 2019 at the West Coast Doberman Ranch in San Jose, California. He was part of a 12-puppy litter born to Clarence and Nala.
About Product Links
I independently selected and Atlas approved every product mentioned on this site. Throughout the site you will come across links to a pet product that I recommend. These links take you to an external site, such as Amazon or Chewy, where you can purchase the product. If you click on any product links and make a subsequent purchase, I may get credited with a percentage of the sale. I re-invested this credit back to this site’s operation expense. Thanks for your readership and for your support! Welcome to ATLAS’ Den and enjoy your stay.