Like most children in America, I grew up on Disney movies. I had quite a few, including some of the lesser-known ones, like "Oliver and Company." I liked the movie well enough; I thought the songs were catchy and the characters were funny, but there was one part that never sat right with my six-year-old self.
The main villain in the movie is a mobster who is trying to extort money from a homeless man. Since this is a movie centered around a cat and his canine friends, the mobster has two guard dogs--terrifying, snarling beasts known as Roscoe and Desoto. What I could never quite wrap my head around, though, was that the two monsters onscreen were supposed to be the same dogs as the snoring, cuddly lumps on either side of me.
Perhaps you don't remember the 1988 film. That's OK--most people don't. But surely you've heard of Pixar's 2009 release, "Up"? Another great movie with fun characters and good music. But, yet again, the main bad dog, Alpha, looks an awful lot like my lovable pups. What is it about Doberman Pinschers that makes it so easy for Hollywood to cast them as bad guys?
I do have to give Pixar a round of applause, though. Even if Alpha is leader of the villain's evil dog pack, the animators got all of his Doberman mannerisms, like the little tail wiggle, down pat. See it for yourself in this short video!
Dobermans were originally bred to be guard dogs by a German tax collector in the late 1800s. Louis Dobermann's first successful dog that is recognizable by today's standards was only introduced in 1890, making the Doberman one of the younger breeds officially recognized by the American Kennel Club (in 1908.) From the beginning, they were known as "police-soldier" dogs, truly earning the title during World War II, when the Marine Corps War Dogs division was put into place, which included dogs of many different breeds, but the majority was clearly Dobermans. Nicknamed "Devil Dogs" for the horned profile of their distinctive cropped ears, they were highly prized among the handlers and other soldiers for their low maintenance, intelligence, and loyalty. According to reports, no unit containing one or more Devil Dogs was ever ambushed by the Japanese.
Even with this history of protection and loyalty, Dobermans have been slandered in the media as bloodthirsty killers. From "The Doberman Gang" in 1972 to "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" in 2008, they've been cast as the antagonists over and over again. The Doberman in "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" is even named "El Diablo"!
I know that things aren't likely to change anytime soon in Hollywood; these dogs have been typecast too long for it to change overnight. But I hope some people will come to understand that Dobermans, and the others that are often lumped in with them (Pitbulls, Boxers, German Shepherds, and so on), aren't inherently evil. My two Dobes are more likely to lick you to death than anything else, and they love lazing around all day like in the picture above.
So, if you ever see me walking my dogs around, ask if you can pet them! I'll say yes, I promise. I think it's great when people are more eager to pet my sweet pups instead of being fearful over the fake reputation that has built up around their breed.
