What we do

Our primary areas of focus are the thrilling, multidisciplinarian aspects of dog sport, specifically French Ring and IGP. However we also show our dogs in conformation and dabble in competitive obedience, barn hunt, sprinter - and our favourite, non-competitive official event: temperament testing. Where possible our dogs also go through a complete Breed Survey evaluation.

How We Do It

Our dogs undergo a rigorous selection process before ever being considered for breeding. They must be exceptional in temperament, they must pass extensive health testing, they must be true to the breed’s character, and possess correct breed type with sound functional structure. We typically have them respectably, if not heavily titled prior to breeding, and we select males we believe will best complement our females, at times travelling great distances or importing semen from overseas.

Health and longevity is a huge priority for us, it is the entire reason we decided to try our hand at helping preserve this incredible breed. As such we do in depth pedigree research and careful considerations to assess the risk and benefits of every pairing. We do not breed the same female to the same male over and over again as we believe this is detrimental to the overall gene pool.

Another aspect where our program might distinguish itself from many others is the emphasis on blending bloodlines from the major gene pool, primarily using North and South American show with performance lines and Working Lines (European), and occasionally incorporating European show lines.

Why we do it

It all began over a decade ago when our “Nadia” came into our lives, as a service dog prospect. My first purebred dog was an Irish Terrier, followed by a Miniature Pinscher and I have always liked the terrier type and attitude. However my mind was blown away by the experience of working with a dog that was genetically created for the sole purpose of wanting to work with their human partner.

It makes sense, then, that if the Doberman is the only breed created as a personal protection dog, that their raison d’être is their person. His person is to the Doberman what the sheep is to the Border Collie, and a failure to understand this fundamental truth, is a failure to understand the breed. I marvel at this continuously even today, their human-like intelligence and demeanour, their thinking shows them as the dogs “with a human brain” and when you peer into their eyes, it is easy to understand how and why they got this description.

Pictured here with “Vanir” BPISS BPILS BPIG UDC CH CanCH Themiscyra’s Gift of the Vanir BH-VT BSB-E2a CSAU WAC ATT YTT PTT CGC TKN TT VSM ROMC

Additionally to the selection of genetics as well as the proving of our dog’s qualities in both work and conformation through titling in multiple venues, our puppies are reared with thoughtful, robust socialization and exposure protocols featuring amongst other things, ENS and ESI to give them and their future families an edge in whatever they may choose to pursue.

All of our dogs live an otherwise normal life as our beloved family companions, and those who are co-owned live the same way with their co-owners. This approach is in our vision, the correct way to breed dobermans, rather than in large kennel facilities, the breed’s deep desire for human contact is a hallmark, and it’s important to us that all of the dogs we bring into this world, live enriching, fulfilling lives.

All of our dogs are placed on co-ownership contract as a safety net, and we stand behind them for their lifetime, taking them back at any point if for whatever reason their family can no longer keep them.

Whether they go on to be trained and work as detection dogs, service dogs, sport dogs, show dogs or active pets, they all deserve the best start in life, and humans who will be as equally devoted to them, as they are to their person.

However, because no breed can be truly perfect, the Doberman is in a precarious position from a genetic standpoint. It hurt our hearts to think that one day future generations would never experience the pure, unbridled joy of a working relationship with a Doberman, simply because the breed might very well die out with considerably reduced lifespans.

So knowing Nadia had exceptional longevity in her pedigree, knowing she was a total dog in looks, brains and temperament, we set about into what has emerged as a lifelong passion for the breed, and decided that we would try to make a modest contribution to the gene pool, to help preserve it.

The rest as they say is history. With over 50 individual titles I have put on dogs myself, and many more put on dogs we produced by their co-owners, out of a very limited number of litters, the dream of Themiscyra rises like a glorious Sun over the steppe where the Amazons once rode in all their power.

We believe it is possible to breed a true Total Doberman not simply a dog that is a “jack of all trades”, but rather a dog that excels in working venues, sport venues, performance venues while also retaining the desired qualities of the show ring, with a reasonable lifespan for a large breed.