“only in the spirit of love, sacrifice and great cost will we bring our breed to a state of genetic excellence”
Philipp GrünigPhilipp Grünig
“Judge, scientific breeder and profound student of the Dobermann”

Inherited Colour in the Dobermann

Key to Chart Colours

Black (black with rust coloured markings).
Brown (various shades of red-brown with rust markings).
Blue (actually grey with rust coloured markings).
Fawn (called "Isabella"; about the color range of 'camel's hair' with rust markings).

B is the factor for black, it is dominant over b the brown factor.

D is the nondilution factor, it is dominant over d the dilution factor.

The numbers ranging from 6.25 to 100 are percentages of each color type to be expected.

Colour Inheritance Chart

  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
    BBDD BBDd BbDD BbDd BBdd Bbdd bbDD bbDd bbdd
1 BBDD BBDD 100 BBDD 50
BBDd 50
BBDD 50
BbDD 50
BBDD 25
BBDd 25
BbDD 25
BbDd 25
BBDd 100
BBDd 50
BbDd 50
BbDD 100
BbDD 50
BbDd 50
BbDd 100
2 BBDd BBDD 50
BBDd 50
BBDD 25
BBDd 50
BBdd 25
BBDD 25
BBDd 25
BbDD 25
BbDd 25
BBDD 12.5
BBDd 25
BbDD 12.5
BbDd  25
BBdd 12.5
Bbdd 12.5
BBDd 50
BBdd 50
BBDd 25
BbDd 50
BBdd 25
Bbdd 25
BbDD 50
BbDd 50
BbDD 25
BbDd 50
Bbdd 25
BbDd 50
Bbdd 50
3 BbDD BBDD 50
BbDD 50
BBDD 25
BBDd 25
BbDD 25
BbDd 25
BBDD 25
BbDD 50
bbDD 25
BBDD 12.5
BBDd 12.5
BbDD 25
BbDd 25
bbDD 12.5
bbDd 12.5
BBDd 50
BbDd 50
BBDd 25
BbDd 50
bbDd 25
BbDD 50
bbDD 50
BbDD 25
BbDd 25
bbDd 25
bbDD 25
BbDd 50
bbDd 50
4 BbDd BBDD 25
BBDd 25
BbDD 25
BbDd  25
BBDD 12.5
BBDd 25
BbDD 12.5
BbDd 25
BBdd 12.5
Bbdd 12.5
BBDD 12.5
BBDd 12.5
BbDD 25
BbDd 25
bbDD 12.5
bbDd 12.5
BBDD 6.25
BBDd 12.5
BbDD 12.5
BbDd 25
BBdd 6.25
Bbdd 12.5
bDD 6.25
bbDd 12.5

bdd 6.25
BBDd 25
BbDd 25
BBdd 25
Bbdd 25
BBDd 12.5
BbDd 25
BBdd 12.5
Bbdd 25

bbDd 12.5
bbdd 12.5
BbDD 25
BbDd 25
bbDD 25
bbDd 25
BbDD 12.5
BbDd 25
BBdd 12.5
bbDD 12.5
bbDd 25

bbdd 12.5
BbDd 25
Bbdd 25
bbDd 25
bbdd 25
5 BBdd BBDd 100 BBDd 50
BBdd 50
BBDd 50
BbDd 50
BBDd 25
BbDd 25
BBdd 25
Bbdd 25
BBdd 100 BBdd 50
Bbdd 50
BbDd 100 BbDd 50
Bbdd 50
Bbdd 100
6 Bbdd BBDd 50
BbDd 50
BBDd 25
BbDd 25
BBdd 25
Bbdd 25
BBDd 25
BbDd 50
bbDd 25
BBDd 12.5
BbDd 25
BBdd 12.5
Bbdd 25

bbDd 12.5
bbdd 12.5
BBdd 50
Bbdd 50
BBdd 25
Bbdd 50
bbdd 25
BbDd 50
bbDd 50
BbDd 25
Bbdd 25
bbDd 25
bbdd 25
Bbdd 50
bbdd 50
7 bbDD BbDD 100 BbDD 50
BbDd 50
BbDD 50
bbDD 50
BbDD 25
BbDd 25
bbDD 25
bbDd 25
BbDd 100 BbDd 50
bbDd 50
bbDD 100 bbDD 50
bbDd 50
bbDb 100
8 bbDd BbDD 50
BbDd 50
BbDD 25
BbDd 50
Bbdd 25
BbDD25
BbDd 25
bbDD 25
bbDd 25
BbDD 12.5
BbDd  25
Bbdd  12.5
bbDD 12.5
bbDd 25

bbdd 12.5
BbDd 50
Bbdd 50
BbDd 25
Bbdd 25
bbDd 25
bbdd 25
bbDD 50
bbDd 50
bbDD 25
bbDd 50

bbdd 25
bbDb 50
bbdd 50
9 bbdd BbDd 100 BbDd 50
Bbdd 50
BbDd 50
bbDd 50
BbDd 25
Bbdd 25
bbDd 25
bbdd 25
Bbdd 100 Bbdd 50
bbdd 50
bbDd 100 bbDd 50
bbdd 50
bbdd 100

Note: The proportions of the various colour combinations as listed above are theoretical, with the exceptions of those where 100% (or all) of the get are expected to be of one type. If it were possible to observe 1000 or more pups from a breeding which would theoretically produce pups of three or more genetic formulas, then the proportions noted would be very nearly those which are expected by theory.

In relatively small litters (from 6 to 12 pups for example) the probabilities of the predicted ratios actually being observed would be very remote indeed. This chart and its contained percentages are therefore meant to serve only as a guide to colour inheritance in the breeding of Dobermanns.


This chart has been arranged by Mr. W. Donald Thompson, Middletown, Delaware, based on the studies of Iljin* and of Whitney**.

*N. A. Iljin, "Über die Vererbung der Färbung beim Dobermann-Pinscher", Der Züchter, 3,. 370-6 (1931)
**L. F. Whitney, I "Color Inheritance in the Doberman Pinscher", The Dog News, Aug. and Sept., 1934;
"How to Breed Dogs", Orange Judd Publishing Co., 1947