Jason Morgan 
There are two types of Doberman, you have seen in the world. One bred by Americans (recognised by the American Kennel Club) and the other bred by the Europeans (recognised by the European Kennel Club). Both essentially look the same to a laymen eye if you are not aware of the differences between the two..
But if you once know the differences, then you can easily spot them apart.
How to Spot the Difference
Looks
American Dobermans are a little short and skinny compared to the muscular and taller European Doberman.
Color Markings
American Doberman have Rust or light brown markings while their European brothers have Tan or dark brown markings.
Neck
The American Doberman has a thin neck with a little slope whereas the European Doberman has a thick neck and no slope.
Americans still like to call their version “Doberman Pinscher”, while Europeans call theirs “Doberman”.
Tabular Representation of the Differences:
| American Doberman | European Doberman | |
| Colors Available | Black, Red, Blue, Fawn (Isabella) | Black, Red |
| Height | 26-28 in (male), 24-26 in (female) | 27-28 in (male), 25-27 in (female) |
| Weight | 34-45 kgs (male), 27-36 kgs (female) | 36-47 kgs (male), 29-38 kgs (female) |
| Temperament | Intelligent, Loving, Owner friendly emotions, Ideal family or show dog | Intelligent, Loving, Confident, ideal working dog |
| Overall build | Longer thin refined body of a show dog, thinner bone structure | Thicker and muscular body of working dog, thicker bone structure |
| Head | Thinner wedge like head with thin muzzle and jaw structure | Broader head with thick muzzle and jaw structure |
| Eyes | Light brown | Dark Brown |
| Neck | Longer and thinner, rising sharply from the shoulder | Shorter and thicker, less rise from the shoulder |
| Chest | Small and narrow | Large and broad |
| Legs | Thinner and elegant | Thicker and muscular |
| Feet | Smaller and refined | Larger and compact |
| Assertive | No | Yes |
| Protective | Yes, but a little less | Yes, a bit more |
| Daily Agility | Normal with a little less exercise requirement | High stamina driven exercise requirements |
| Physical Correction | More sensitive | Less sensitive |
| Sees owner as | More of big brother | As an Authoritative figure |
| Reaction to the Unknown | Might need a little guidance and assurance | Confident |
| Family in Danger situation | Barking with physical attack, might occasionally retreat | Barking with physical attack, rarely retreats |
Which is better?
- Well, neither is better than the other. Both have been breed for completely different purposes.
- It thus depends on the type of dog you want for yourself to make the choice of the better dog between the European and American variant of the Doberman.
- Just to recap, the American Doberman is more of a show dog and is an ideal family pet with average need of daily activity and elegant looks.
- Whereas, the European Doberman is the ideal working dog be it on a farm or for guard purposes. It is a large muscular doc with high energy levels and needs an active lifestyle.
See Also: Doberman vs. Miniature Pinscher: What’s the Difference?
A Third Varient
There’s also one another type of Doberman which you probably might never see. But you can get duped in its name. It’s the Warlock or King’s Doberman. This refers to the Doberman that was made by Louis Doberman, himself.
But he took that secret to his grave. So, unless he plans to visit Earth; that variant’s formula isn’t seeing the light of the day.
So that’s all for today, folks.
Hope you enjoy the article and are rich with the information and easily able to spot which Doberman is in front of you.
