Natural-Eared Dobermans

When Marietta, Georgia dog show judge J. Donald Jones was chosen to judge Best in Show at Westminster, the AJC interviewed him and asked a crucial question. Here is a portion of their Q&A:

"Q: What kind of dog do you have?

A: I don't have a dog right now. I'm a single man, and I travel so much. When my last dog died, I didn't get a replacement.

Q: But if you did have a dog, what would it be?

A: If I had a choice for a house dog, I'd have a dobe [Doberman pinscher] bitch. They're the sweetest dogs in the world."

J. Donald Jones is clearly a wise man. Dobes are incredibly sweet dogs. They are also loyal, intelligent, gentle, fun-loving, and affectionate. All Dobermans are lovely, with their sleek coats, athletic builds, and proud bearing, but Dobermans with their natural ears (and even better, their long, whip-like tails) are especially appealing.

The first natural-eared Dobe I fell in love with was our friend Tony's dog Dozier. We used to dogsit Dozier, and his goofy, fun personality coupled with his unbridled enthusiasm was quite winning. I had wanted a dog for a long time, and Dozier helped me settle on a Doberman as my breed of choice.

We found our own Doberman at animal control. She was kenneled with a dog that was barking constantly, so she was hanging back a bit timidly. I wasn't too sure about her, but the sign on her cage said "Super Sweet," so my sister and brother-in-law encouraged me to take her out of the kennel and get to know her. She was thin and dirty and a bit depressed from having recently been spayed, but she was indeed sweet. Unfortunately, they were getting ready to close, and I didn't want to make an impulse decision, so we left her there. On the way home, I settled on the name Ilsa and made up my mind to get her, so we went back and got her the next day that the facility was open. My sister, brother-in-law, and I caravanned to animal control. On the way home, Ilsa rode in the front passenger seat of my brother-in-law's truck, while my sister and I followed in my car. Ilsa sat politely in the seat, occasionally leaning over to lick my brother-in-law on the cheek. I guess she was thanking him for the ride (and for facilitating her escape).

My husband had not wanted a dog, being more of a cat person. Getting a dog was my idea, spurred by a lifelong dream to have a dog and the desire to have a watchdog since I was home alone in the evenings a lot. I think she officially won him over the night she politely woke us up to let us know that the house two doors down was on fire. He had to admit he was impressed with her, and now he regularly hugs her and calls her his "favorite dog." He also says he would have agreed to get a dog a lot sooner if he had known how helpful they are at washing dishes and cleaning up cooking spills.

Ilsa has adapted quite well to being the token dog in a three-cat household. Our youngest cat, Ro, fell in love with Ilsa at first sight. He shows his love in a variety of ways, including swatting at and biting her wagging tail, running up to her and swatting her in the face, and licking her on the head. She tolerates this behavior with nary a complaint, perhaps because cats mean cat food, and that means empty cat food tins that can be stolen for prolonged sessions of licking.

I love many things about Ilsa, including her big nose, her whiskery snout, her monkey paws, the way she curls her paw around her head when she sleeps, and her loving gaze, but I especially love her floppy ears and the way they bounce when she walks and flop wildly up and down when she runs (or attacks imaginary enemies in the waves on the beach). I also love it when she makes Big Ears at us when we have something she wants. Dog ears are simply a wonderful thing, especially when they are attached to a Doberman and left in all their natural, floppy glory.