White doberman Information by Ivorydobes [Archive] - Dog Forums

DiggityDogs

08-19-2006, 05:53 AM

I love dogs, regardless of what kind or color, but I have to disagree with you. I have been dealing with dobermans, working for a breeder, showing, training, and owning, for 12 years. White dobermans ARE albinos. They are not what's called a classic albino, but there are lots of forms of albinism, such as amelanism, hypomelanism, etc. Here's a link with info about what causes them to be white, why they're considered albino, and why they should not be bred. Don't get me wrong- I don't hate your dog, but I'm strongly against white dobes being passed of as 'non-albino' dogs. It's simply not true. You can say that they are not a classic albino- this is true, they do not have the classic albino mutation, they are tyrosinase positive albinos, which is actually considered a genetic defect, not a mutation.

I also wanted to add a comment about what was said on the ivorydobes page you posted. She said that 'being partially albino is like being partially pregnant. you either are or you aren't'. This is an unrealistic comparison since being pregnant is not a genetic fault or mutation. I'm sure you've heard of someone being 'mildly autistic'. Or have probably seen varying degrees of downs syndrome- some people who have it are barely affected, others can barely function. For each genetic mutation, fault, defect, whatever you want to call it- there are varying degrees, so by saying 'partial' albino, you're saying that the dog is not 100% afflicted like a classic albino is, but it does have a degree of albinism. A partial albino refers to a partial lack of dark pigment- which is why albino dobermans have cream or tan colored markings but still have pink skin, because they are only partial albinos. Ask anyone who breeds selectively for albino traits- snake breeders, gecko breeders, bird breeders, rabbit breeders. They'll be able to tell you every type of albinism, how it works, and how to produce it. That's because they're not typically in it for the money as dog breeders, (ie albino doberman breeders) are because it's not about a fad- it's about exploring genetics for them. The woman who wrote the page you quoted said herself ''Disclaimer: All the theories in this website are purely the author's beliefs. I am neither a geneticist nor an expert on albinism. And for the record, neither is the person who wrote the site I mentioned above so just keep that in mind'' so that page is purely her opinion, not anything based on fact, and is mislabled as 'facts about white dobermans'.

http://www.doberdogs.com/WolfPak/white.html

And here's another link with some interesting information about the breeding of albino dobermans and why it's frowned upon by ethical breeders.
http://whitedobes.doberinfo.com/textframe5.html

And finally, the DPCA website's take on albino dobes
http://www.gilesdoberman.com/opwhiteout.htm

seraphicia

08-19-2006, 08:41 PM

This is a very interesting topic. I know about white dobes, and I know of some people on both sides of the fence. They are interesting dogs but I personally think breeding for them or breeding them intentionally is sad and awful to do it knowingly, unethical I guess sums it up. There are too many dogs in the world to breed for the intention of making more of these dogs, with their mutations and possibility of problems they may have. After all on a related note it is still very prominent for irresponsible breeders(in great numbers) to put down or otherwise kill puppies that are white/deaf/ blind or too far from standard. That breaks my heart and this is along those lines IMO. Dont mean to offend I'm sure they can still be good dogs, but anything beyond that is irresponsible and rediculous, again IMO.