I love history, and I love learning, but add Dobermans into the mix, and I’m chomping at the bit! Working on the top producing sires project was such a learning experience, forcing me to delve into pedigrees and photos from books and magazines much older than I. For more than a month, I was knee deep in Doberman literature, and I couldn’t have been happier.

Since acquiring my first Doberman in 1995, I have loved reading and studying pedigrees. I have always made it a priority to learn about the lineage of my personal dogs, and also any dogs who I have bred to as well as those I just plain admire. I strive to understand why the great ones turned out great. This issue of The Doberman Network provided me with an opportunity unlike any I’ve had in my twelve years working in Doberman magazine publishing.

What began as an idea to showcase our breed’s top sires turned into an incredible project with more than 60 dogs’ photos and pedigrees included. On top of that, we are proud to have nearly 90 (that’s NINE-ZERO) Stud Dog Directory listings for current dogs. Do you know what typing 150 pedigrees in the course of a few weeks does for you? It gives you a crash course in the pedigrees of our breed’s top and upcoming sires!

It was enlightening to view dogs from the early 1940s and delve into their pedigrees. Peggy Adamson’s famous article, Ilena and the Seven Sires, taught us that all current Dobermans go back to these eight dogs through one or multiple combinations. What I discovered was that, in addition to descending from this stock, most of the early top sires have pedigrees that go back to these dogs many times over. Further, as I worked my way through the decades to our present day dogs, I observed many top sires from the 40s, 50, 60s and 70s in the pedigrees of our top sires today. Therefore, this showcase should provide a small pictorial history for anyone interested in “seeing” the male dogs further back in their present day pedigrees.

In going through old magazines, searching for information on certain dogs, I came across many wonderful tributes and memorials to some incredible Doberman sires. While we aim to provide original editorial for you, I couldn’t pass on the opportunity to reprint two such memorials in this issue. Ch Marienburg Sun Hawk, CD and Ch Tolivar’s Boo Radley dob Mann were two very influential sires who descended from significantly different lineage, yet produced 86 and 76 Champions, respectively. I selected these two dogs because they penetrate into many current day pedigrees, and I thought their history would be of great interest to many new on the scene. For example, if you have bred to popular sires such as “Sirius”, “Jet”, “Steel” or “Hunter” you have Hawk in your pedigrees. If you have used “Brody”, “Eddie”, “Nick” or “Rip” you will discover Boo is behind your dogs. And, of course, many have both!

I realize not everyone is a geek about pedigrees and lineage like I am, but maybe this issue will spark your interest just a wee bit. After all, we are nothing without everything that came before us.

Looking ahead, we hope for another smashing issue in June. With our one year anniversary edition, we have broadened the scope of the next magazine by offering a special promo code of $10 off any ad claiming #MYFIRST. If you’ve got a first that you want to share with the rest of the Doberman fancy, this is your opportunity. See the promo page in this issue for ideas to make it your own! And… you’ve got it – enter MYFIRST at check out when you pay online to receive the discount.

We look forward to hearing your feedback on this, our first stud dog issue, and we hope you and all your friends will join us in June.

Until then… All the best to you and your Doberman family.