The Doberman Pinscher and the American Pit Bull Terrier are two of the most misunderstood dog breeds out there. Both have a bad reputation for being aggressive when this couldn’t be further from the truth.
With such a reputation, it’s a wonder why anyone thought about mixing these two breeds, but the Doberman Pitbull mix is one of the newest designer breeds you can find.
What kind of pet are they? Do they have the aggressive traits of their parent breeds, or are they lap dogs that only look dangerous?
Here’s what you need to know about the Doberman Pitbull Mix.
Parent Breeds
Before you can understand the traits of a Doberman Pitbull Mix, you should know a few things about its parent breeds.
A Doberman Pit – or Pit Pinscher – is a designer breed, also known as a hybrid breed or a crossbreed. This means that it is an offspring of two purebred dogs of different breeds – in this case, a Doberman Pinscher and a Pitbull Terrier.
The Doberman Pinscher
A Doberman Pinscher is a compactly-built dog that is known for its sleek but muscular-built, cropped ears and tail, and distinguishable rust markings.
While the exact ancestry of Dobermans is unknown, it is believed that these dogs are a mixture of several other dog breeds, such as the Rottweiler, the German Pinscher, and the Black and Tan Terrier.
They were first bred by Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann, and they are named after him. He wanted to create a dog who could guard his tax collections.
These aristocrat-looking dogs are among the best watchdogs in the canine world. They are extremely loyal and protective, and they perform well in military and police work and canine sports. At the same time, they are amazing family companions and home guardians.
However, as these dogs are typically used as guard dogs, people fear them being vicious. Some dog owners even train them to be aggressive towards strangers as this makes them feel safer. Still, this points towards the owners being responsible for the dog’s behaviors, and not the dog’s nature.
The truth is, this dog breed is simply loyal and protective of its owners, which can lead to many people misunderstanding them.
Did you know that Doberman can come in a few unusual colors? If you want to learn more about white Doberman, click here!
The American Pitbull Terrier
The American Pitbull Terrier is one of the dogs with the worst reputation. These canines were originally bred to ‘bait’ bulls, but over time, they became excellent farm dogs before people started breeding them to be ‘nanny dogs’ because of their gentleness toward children.
These muscular dogs are built similar to wrestlers or fighters and have a big, strong head and jaw. They are brave and loyal dogs that excel in many dog competitions, including obedience, agility, and weight pulling.
At the same time, they are extremely affectionate and love spending time with their humans.
What’s interesting about Pitbulls is that they can come in many colors, such as: black and white, blue fawn, grey, and even merle!
Their bad reputation stems from the ‘90s when gangs started breeding them as fight dogs, along with organized dog rings, where Pitbulls and other dogs would fight each other to death.
Because of this time period and resulting genetics, some Pitbulls are better with humans than with other animals. It’s important to spend a lot of time socializing them and teaching them how to spend time around other pets.
If trained and socialized properly, Pitbulls make excellent family pets and great companions. This is a working breed that is a people-pleaser if you know how to handle them.
The Doberman Pit Characteristics
While it isn’t known when breeders started mixing Dobermans and Pitbulls, in recent years, the crossbreed became known as the Doberman Pit, the Dober Pit, or the Pit Pinscher.
Just like any other mixed breed, it isn’t recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) and there isn’t a specific standard that this breed needs to follow up to. Even if you look at Doberman Pit pics online, you won’t see a consistent look in these dogs.
When it comes to the breed’s appearance, some people like to say that these pups have the head of a Pitbull and the body of a Doberman. Overall, they look more or less like a bit larger Pitbull, sometimes with the recognizable Dobie pattern.
The estimated height is between 20 and 25 inches, and they will weigh between 50 and 90 lbs – but there is no general rule to this, as the appearance entirely depends on the dog’s exact genetics.
For example, a Pitbull’s estimated height is between 17 and 20 inches, while a Doberman’s falls between the range of 24 and 28 inches.
Pitbulls weigh between 30 and 80 lbs, with females being on the smaller side. With Dobermans, the gender difference isn’t as big, and they weigh 70 to 100 lbs.
Since both parent breeds have short coats, this dog will be low-shedding, with low maintenance requirements.
When it comes to coat colors, there is a huge variety of possibilities. A Doberman’s fur can be black, red, chocolate, isabella, blue, or white, with rust markings that are easy to recognize.
Pitbulls, on the other hand, can come in a wide variety of colors and patterns, including even brindle, sable, or rarely, tri-color!
Since Doberman Pitbull mix offspring can have all of these colors, you can already see how the possibilities are almost endless. However, most of the puppies have similar patterns as their Doberman parent.
Both the Pitbull and the Doberman have a lifespan of 10 to 14 years, so this is how long a Pit Pinscher is estimated to live as well.
Doberman Pitbull Mix Behavior
There is some controversy regarding this mix breed behavior and temperament.
Dobermans have a high drive and are high-energy dogs. On the other hand, Pitbulls are known as fighting dogs and are thus deemed as aggressive and dangerous. Both have such upbringings that they can respond aggressively towards certain situations.
One thing can’t be denied, and that is that Pitbulls have a high prey drive, which can make them a danger to other dogs and pets if you don’t train them properly.
At the same time, both breeds are excellent working dogs and will do anything to please their owners. This makes them a great choice for anyone who needs a dog that will ensure their home is kept safe from intruders.
Doberman Pitbull mix puppies seem to get a little bit of both worlds. They certainly have these aggressive tendencies, so you need to socialize them from a young age. Otherwise, they might exhibit aggressive behaviors towards some animals, especially smaller ones.
This mixed breed will also get the loyalty trait from both of its parents. Dobermans and Pitbulls alike love humans, and they’ll do anything for their owners! This makes them excellent family pets, even if you have little children – but they may have issues with other pets.
The most important thing for this mixed breed is to understand its place in the pack. While crossbreeding won’t bring about any aggressive tendencies, these dogs are stubborn and overly protective. You can’t let them think they’re pack leaders.
Still, despite its dangerous appearance, a Pit Pinscher will love to cuddle with you on the bed; something that its Doberman parent isn’t fond of doing. This pooch might even consider itself to be a lapdog if you’d let it!
Another thing to be wary of is that this mixed breed has high energy levels. You’ll need to dedicate plenty of time to walking them and playing with them. Daily walks to the park and exercise sessions are a must! You don’t want such a strong dog to develop any deviant behaviors.
A Doberman Pitbull mix puppy has a high chance of suffering from separation anxiety. Both of its parents cannot be left alone for long periods of time, so the same goes for their offspring. If you’re someone who works a lot, this might not be the best dog for you.
To avoid any possibilities of deviant behavior, it would be best to train these dogs from puppyhood. Give them lots of positive reinforcement and socialization, and forget about punishing them.
A dog will never understand why you’re scolding them or, even worse, being physical with them. This will only make them fear you and give them anxiety, which will result in just more bad behavior or even aggression.
Doberman Pitbull Mix Price
Just like the characteristics of these dogs, their price can vary greatly. You can find them at the cost of anything between $500 and $1500, depending on their parents and the breeder themselves.
A general rule is to look at the price of their parents in your area – in this case, a Pitbull and a Doberman – and to expect something within this range.
However, their price varies according to many other factors, and not many things are as simple as they might seem at first glance. One of them is where you’re buying your puppy, or even if you’re adopting it.
Some aspiring Doberman Pitbull mix owners decide to go to breeders who aren’t reputable, as these breeders typically sell their puppies affordably. This is wrong for many reasons as this way, you can never truly know the genetics of the dog you’re buying.
At the same time, even adopting might be risky with this dog breed. These strong canines require a high level of experience, and you should be with them from puppyhood. This way, you’re ensuring that no mistakes were made during their raising.
This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t adopt your Doberman Pitbull mix – on the contrary, adopting is always the more moral decision than buying. However, you need to be aware of what you might be getting yourself into when you adopt a pup of such a high-drive breed.
Keep in mind that, if trained well, a Doberman Pitbull mix – or any of its parent breeds – isn’t any more aggressive than any other dog breed out there.
Is A Doberman Pitbull Mix Hypoallergenic?
Both a Doberman Pinscher and a Pitbull shed little to moderately, so you won’t have too much grooming to do. Brushing their coats once or twice a week with a high-quality bristle brush is all it takes to keep their fur looking shiny and healthy.
However, this doesn’t mean they are hypoallergenic.
What causes issues for people with dog allergies isn’t dog hair, but rather, a dog’s dander, saliva, and urine. Even if a dog sheds very little, allergy sufferers might still experience severe breathing issues.
Sure, Doberman Pits don’t shed as much as some other dog breeds. However, Pitbulls tend to drool a lot, and chances are that a Pitbull mix will drool just as much. This means that there are plenty of allergens on these dogs.
Also, both parent breeds still shed to a certain amount, and since their hair is short, the dander can easily fly away causing trouble.
So, no, despite their short fur and low amount of shedding, a Doberman Pitbull mix isn’t a hypoallergenic dog.
Controversies About Designer Breeds
In the past two decades, designer breeds have become extremely popular. People who have gotten bored of purebreds, such as Labrador Retrievers, Bulldogs, German Shepherds, and Great Danes, are looking forward to having cute designer dogs that are entirely unique and unheard of.
However, not all are up for having such a huge number of mixed breeds nowadays.
Many animal lovers and experts alike have raised their voices against crossbreeds such as the Pit Pinscher. There are several reasons for this.
First and foremost, there is no guarantee that mixed puppies will have only the best characteristics of the parent breeds no matter how hard the breeders might want this.
Purebred dogs have a standard set of physical and mental traits. These are usually very common, but exceptions are always a possibility. These are minor compared to the expected set of desirable features.
With mixed dogs, however, you can never know which genetic traits they’ll inherit. Some dogs might even get all the worst traits from both of their parents! Mixed dogs are somewhat a lottery when it comes to characteristics. You can’t possibly know what you’re getting.
Not to mention that most mixed breeds tend to be much more expensive than their parent’s breeds, which makes many dog lovers believe they aren’t really worth the money.
The first one is hybrid vigor, which gives mixed dogs better health and lower chances of developing certain genetic issues – but more on that later.
Also, most breeders create hybrid dogs with the desire to remove some bad traits of a specific dog breed. This is why there are so many Poodle crossbreeds – Poodle genes make dogs hypoallergenic.
The same goes with the Doberman Pitbull mix.
While both of these dog breeds are considered aggressive, they have many contradicting traits that can be exterminated if you ‘mix’ them together.
For example, while Dobermans are introverts among dogs that need their own space, Pitbulls are friendly and in constant need of attention.
On the other side, Dobermans are much more energetic than Pitbulls, which can sometimes even be considered lazy – but just as all other terrier dogs, they are extremely stubborn and independent.
By crossbreeding dogs with such contrasting temperament, you can get a watchdog that will love being with their owner while remaining active and constantly aware of everything that’s going on in its surroundings.
Doberman Pitbull Mix Exercise And Training
As we’ve already mentioned, both the Pitbull and the Doberman have very high energy levels – although Pitbulls have quite lower stamina. This means that their offspring will have the same exercise requirements.
It’s important that you make sure your Doberman Pitbull mix has plenty of daily exercise. This includes everyday walks and regular games of fetch and frisbee.
These dogs don’t do well in apartments as they need a lot of space to run around. You should keep them in a house with a spacious backyard where they can roam freely. Otherwise, your dog might turn towards destructive behavior.
Both dog breeds were raised to respond to certain situations aggressively. In the end, this is what makes them amazing guard dogs. However, this means that they need plenty of socialization to grow up confident and calm.
They are intelligent dogs that respond well to training. However, if they pick up their Pitbull parent’s temperament, they can be a bit on the stubborn side. They can learn to do things their own way, and you can have trouble breaking them out of that habit.
Because of all of this, Pit Pinschers require handlers who are knowledgeable and experienced. They are not the best choice for first-time dog owners.
Health Benefits Of Mixed Breeds
Sadly, many purebreds have several health issues. This is the result of inbreeding, a practice that is quite common with breeders who want to keep the dogs’ bloodlines pure.
When you expand the genetic pool by mixing two breeds, you’ll get an offspring that is healthier, stronger, and less prone to genetic disorders since they have a bigger variety of healthy genes to ‘pick’ from.
This trait is known as hybrid vigor.
We’ll explain this in the case of Doberman Pits; something that you’re here for anyway.
Some of the health issues that Doberman Pinschers suffer from are:
•Thyroid issues
• Heart diseases
• Hip dysplasia
• Arthritis
• Von Willebrand disease
On the other hand, Pitbulls commonly suffer from:
• Thyroid issues
• Hip dysplasia
• Elbow dysplasia
• Degenerative myelopathy
As you can see, both dogs have issues with bones and the thyroid gland. Sadly, this also means that Pit Pinschers are also likely to have some of these conditions and diseases.
However, the chances for myelopathy, Von Willebrand’s disease, and cardiac issues drop significantly since the puppy has high chances of picking up genes that don’t have any chance for these diseases.
This means that while even this mixed breed can have certain health issues, it is still rather healthier than both of its parents.
Of course, responsible breeders will do all they can to ensure that their litters don’t come from parents with genetic complications. This is why it’s important to take your time and research breeders.
Doberman Pitbull Mix Puppies
If you’re looking for Doberman Pitbull mix puppies, there are a few things you should consider.
First off, it’s essential that you find a reputable breeder who conducts regular genetic tests to ensure that none of the puppies experience any health issues or genetic conditions.
Also, you should demand to come in person, so you can see the living condition of the puppies for yourself. These dogs need to be taken care of since their first days, so their aggressive behavior doesn’t exhibit itself.
Puppies younger than twelve weeks should stay with their mothers. This is a sight that you should see once you get to meet them for the first time.
For dogs with such unpredictable temperaments, such as the Doberman Pitbull mix, you should insist on meeting both parents, so you can see their behavior. This is the best sign of your pup’s future behavior.
Is This The Right Dog For You?
Photo from @jess.and.the.dogs
Before you decide to get this mixed dog breed, check if keeping Pitbulls is legal in your area. Many countries ban people from keeping purebred Pitbulls, and sometimes, even Pitbull-mixed breeds.
If you’re a novice dog owner, you should prepare to spend some money on a professional dog trainer who will help you with socialization and training.
Since this is a strong, energetic dog, secure your backyard and give him enough space to run around. Dog toys are a must as well, as this will keep him stimulated. A bored Doberman Pit can do a lot of damage.
These pups tend to suffer from separation anxiety, so someone should stay home with them most of the time. They love being close to humans, and they’ll want to be a part of every single thing you do throughout the day.
A Doberman Pitbull mix will get along with your kids. He might even be good as a temporary nanny! However, he might not get along with other pets since Pitbulls have fighting dog genes.
If you’re interested in some more Pitbull or Doberman mixes, you might want to look at these crossbreeds:
• Blue Heeler Pitbull mix
• Golden Retriever Pitbull mix
• Weimaraner Pitbull mix
• Frenchie Pitbull mix
• Oeb Pitbull mix
• Cane Corso Doberman mix
• Greyhound Pitbull mix
• Pitbull Dalmatian mix
• Shih Tzu Pitbull mix
Remember, how you handle your dog is much more important than his genetics.
In the right hands, these dogs can be loving, devoted, intelligent pets that will keep you, your home, and your family safe from any harm.
