BEYOND THE ATLANTIC


A Synopsis of influential Dobermanns in the USA and the importance of combinations between American and European dogs. by D.K.

This article is just a short report,a synoptical resume of some dobermans who had (have) determinative influence for the development of the breed in the USA, and parallely an effort to render comprehensible the importance and the value of the mixing between American and European bloodlines, in order to enlarg e the genetic “pool” and produce also great individuals by using
different lines (or lines who have a common genetic base and origin in reality ) as alternatives.
Of course under the normal restrictions of a brief article there are omissions and certainly it is a subjective personal point of view,not a complete report or a scientific statistic research.

It would be interesting to mention some great and also very influential dobermanns for the USA from different spaces of time, beginning from the decades of 20’s and 30’s with the influence of German (Sigalsburg) and Dutch (Koningstad) bloodlines.Some of this period’s great specimens are:

• Prinz Favorit v.Koningstad (wt: 1921)
(Dutch-Am.Ch.Prinz Carlo v.Koningstad-Dutch Ch.Angola v.Grammont).
A red Dutch bred male who made the breed popular in the USA.He was American champion
and Westminster 1925 winner.Prinz Favorit produced 15 champions.

•Illisa of Westphalia (wt: 1926)
(Claus v.d.Spree-Prinses Illisa v.d.Koningstad) the brown female who was the only American bred dog who became German siegerin(1929).Illisa was alsoAmerican champion.
She had one litter for the Westphalia’s kennel sired by the well known stud Helios v.Siegertor.
The very importand for the USA German bred stud Kurt v.d.Rheinperle Rhinegold (Ch.Astor of Westphalia-DVsgrn Anita Zur Immermannhoehe) was Illisa’s grandson.

The German bred male, DPCA 1934 Best of Breed-Champion and Sieger Muck v.Brunia (wt: 1929) (Lux v.Roedeltal-Hella v.Winterburg)who was grandson of Alto v.Sigalsburg and top producer in Germany and USA too. Between his most famous progeny in Europe are the ‘A’ and ‘B’ v.d.Domstadt litters and the great Troll v.Engelsburg
(German-American and Canadian champion-1935 world winner-95 ,
Best of breed awards and 48 Best in Show.
Troll gave a large number of outstanding descendants in Europe.
He was exported in USA but he was not used so often as stud.Inspite this fact he sired 13 American champions).

Muck v.Brunia produced champion children also in USA (like for example the 5 champions of the ‘F” Lindenhof litter). Many of his grand-children became champions too. Muck v.Brunia is one of the most important males for the further development of the breed in Europe and America too.

Another very influential dog during the 30’s was Jessy v.d.Sonnenhoehe (Charloc v.Rauhfelsen-Alice v.d.Sonnenhoehe) a German bred female who is one of the most important females in history, having a large number of great descendants in Europe and US. Her first mating to Troll v.Engelsburg in Germany produced the sieger Ferry v.Rauhfelsen (later exported to the USA where he became champion.
He also was the first dobermann who got the best in show at Westminster in1939.
Ferry was the father of 37 American champions) and the siegerin Freya v.Rauhfelsen.
Especially in the US, Jessy produced 13 champions from only 2 litters (the first sired by Kurt v.Rheinperle and the second by Pericles of Westphalia). About 45 of her grand children became champions in America. Jessy was German siegerin, 1937 DPCA best of breed and American champion.

The decade 1940-’50 is considered as a determinative period in the American dobermann breeding history.It is the so-called era of “the seven sires”. According to Peggy Adamson’s article,”Illena and the Seven Sires”(written in 1951): “The Seven Sires were responsible for an era in American Dobermans which was as exciting and colorful as the dogs themselves. They towered over the Doberman world like mighty titans and the competition among them was brisk, awesome -- and sometimes fierce. The dog magazines fattened on their advertising, the like of which the breed has not seen before or since. Their names were familiar to the veriest novice, and their offspring could be found in the remotest hinterlands. Each had his loyal partisans, and the legends concerning them were inexhaustible. With their passing, passes an era. History will not soon see the time when seven males of such stature live contemporarily again".

Those dogs were:

1)Ch.Westphalia’s Rameses (1938-1948)
(Ch.Kurt v.d.Rheinperle Rhinegold-Jessy v.d.Sonnenhoeve) who was linebred to Helios v.Siegertor (imported from Germany). Rameses sired 11 champions.His father Kurt v.d.Rheinperle was not a succesful show dog but as a stud he produced 20 champions and his influence to the American breeding was of great importance.Rameses had 6 litter mates and all of them became champions like him.

2)Ch.Dow’s Illena of Marienland(whelped 1941)
(Ch.Westphalia’s Rameses-Ch.Dow’s Cora v.Kienlesberg).
Illena is the dam of 12 champions in 5 litters by 3 different males.Her mother was daughter of Kurt v.d.Rheinperle Rhinegold out of a half sister of Jessy v.Sonnenhoeve,named Ch.Gretel v.Kienlesberg. In the bloodline of Dow’s Cora v.Kienlesberg there is strong influence of Helios v.Siegertor.



3)Ch.Westphalia’s Uranus(1939-49)
(Pericles of Westphalia-Jessy v.Sonnenhoeve).He was half brother to Rameses.His father was son of Kurt v.Rheinperle Rhinegold who was the father of Rameses as well. Uranus gave to the breed 14 champions.

4)Ch.Favoriet v.Franzhof (1941-51)
(Westphalia’s Uranus-Adele v.Meigel). His mother was daughter of Westphalia’s Rajah(full brother of Westphalia’s Rameses).The brown male Favoriet v.Franzhof was the sire of 13 champions.

5)Ch.Domossi of Marienland(1939-46)
(Ch.Blank v.Domstadt-Ch.Ossi v.Stahlheim)who was full brother of the great Dictator v.Glenhugel.The number of champions sired by the brown Domossi of Marienland is 20.

6)Ch.Emperor of Marienland(1941-49)
(Domossi of Marienland-Westphalia’s Rembha)who produced 18 champions.Emperor’s mother was sister of Westphalia’s Rameses.





7)Ch.Alcor v.Millsdod(1941-51)
(Ch.Westphalia’s Uranus-Ch.Maida v.Coldod)who was 1946 and 1948 DPCA Best of Breed and winner at the Westminster show in !947.His mother’s line was based in Sigalsburg’s blood in combination with the line of Muck v.Brunia.The German bred father of Maida v.Coldod,named Carlo v.Bassewitz, was American champion and he sired 13 Am.champions as well. Alcor was the father of 26 champions.


During the 40’s USA saw one of the best males ever in this country, the great brown sire
(52 of his descendants became champions),
Dictator v.Glenhugel (1941-1952) (15 BOB-5 BIS)
(Blank v.d.Domstadt-Ossi v.Stahlhelm).
Dictator was 1943 DPCA Best of Winners,1944 DPCA Best of Breed and 1945 Westminster Group Winner.

His German bred mother was daughter of the very important German producer Troll v.Engelsburg and grand daughter of Muck v.Brunia, while his also German bred father (who was the sire of 15 champions)
was son of Muck v.Brunia.