I had known both of the Dobermans' parents, but unfortunately both are no longer with us (dam died of liver failure at 5yrs old [not genetic though] & sire died suddenly of DCM at 7 1/2yrs old). I loved their parents. Especially their dam, Shelby. She was just a special, once in a lifetime sort of dog and I was heartbroken when she passed. Almost felt like one of my own. Their sire was a nice dog temperament wise, too. I really liked him. Conformationally he wasn't quite my type, but he was still a handsome dog.
I know a couple of their aunts and uncles as well (a few no longer with us thanks to DCM), and I know some of their great aunts and uncles as well. I'd known their grandma.
I know most of Ripley's siblings and most of Keira's siblings, too. There is only one in Ripley's litter who I don't get to see (one sister lives out of town), and two in Keira's litter (one brother and one sister out of town). I am glad I ended up with the dogs I did. Their siblings are nice, but one of Keira's sisters is kind of a nut job and a dog I could not live with, the other is very bossy and bitchy and would have been a disaster with Dance, and the other is overly happy and in your face. Keira may not be perfect, but she's the only girl out of that litter that fits in our house temperamentally. The last dog mentioned I could live with, but I do prefer Keira's much more reserved and observant temperament. One sister has a couple of points I believe, but isn't being shown anymore (wanted to spay her and because of the DCM, her breeder wasn't going to breed her). She is a fantastic Agility dog. Keira's two brothers I know are very nice, very similar to Ripley actually.
I like most of Ripley's brothers. Three are too soft for me to live with, though. One looks like a girl, haha. Poor guy. He's super cute though. I like Ripley the best conformationally as well. The other boys all took after their sire and are shorter/stockier than he is. His sisters are nice. The one in particular is
very pretty. I wish Keira looked like her. She'd have done really well in the conformation ring I think, but she's a much loved pet and Flyball dog. I like that, again, Ripley is more reserved and observant than most of his siblings.
Keira and Ripley are siblings as well, from a repeat breeding. They aren't really anything alike. They don't really look alike, they don't act alike for the most part. They're very different from one another.
It's nice being so close to your breeder and becoming friends with them. I know so many Dobermans, and it's interesting to see how they compare with me two, as most of them are related somehow. I really like being able to know their littermates in particular. It's interesting to see how they're similar/different... and actually, there are more differences than similarities, which surprised me.
I don't know most of Dance's relatives. I've met one sister and got to know her dam a bit, and I know a couple other dogs related to her, but I wish I knew her littermates. I'd love to see what the rest of them grew up to look like, and I'd love to know what they're like in temperament as well. The one sister I know is not much like Dance at all. I inadvertently met Dance's sire in 2005 at an Agility trial I was watching, and he seemed nice. I didn't pay much attention, though, as I had no idea he was going to be my dog's sire in a couple years. Dance is similar to her dam in some ways (barky and strange with people), but seems much more outgoing and driven than she is. I have seen two of Dance's siblings from a prior litter (Dance is from a repeat breeding), and the one seems similar. The woman who used to own the one older sister always says Dance is like a shrunken version of her. Not sure what that dog's temperament is like, though. They sound similar though. And the older brother I met is more people confident than Dance, but otherwise seems similar as well. But a lot bigger. I almost forgot! I know Dance's grandma (on her sire's side) as well. I can only hope that Dance is still as spunky and full of life at 13 as her grandma is.
Here are two of Ripley's brothers:
(Daimler at 2yrs)
(Bishop at 7 months)
Grandma (Keira's as well):
Another relative (uncle somewhere I think), a couple days before he died of bloat (10yrs):
Another relative (8yrs old):
Shelby (dam):
Magnum (sire):
And Keira and Ripley:
And I have all of Ripley's littermates as puppies
here. Those are mostly from when they were still at their breeder's house, though.
Here is Dance's grandma:
A half sister:
A couple more in a new post...
