Hi I'm new on here. After reading the post's reguarding Merlin's Jaw I'm gobsmacked!!!! I can say quite honestly, with hand on heart Merlin has not got an undershot jaw !!!
Merlin is a beautiful 99.9% perfect dobe IMO. How can you judge from a photo. Saying that even on the pic you can see no sign of an undershot Jaw.
How do I know. On Feb 15th this year A friend (breeder) and myself flew to France to meet Mo and her incredible Dobermann's. It was some experience !!! Merlin has got the WOW factor. No way is his jaw undershot. He has got some stiff competition in his offspring Raven who is also a stunning dobe. Colin I think you cannot justify your critisicism, having never seen Merlin in the flesh, and just being imo picky about a photo. A beautiful photo.
Mo same as I is new on here, some of the thing's you have wrote to my mind could have been phrased more politely. But hey Mo is a very strong person, Colin just hope you never meet her in the flesh lol.
Random, one thing is sure, you will never ever have to eat your hat !!!! lol. Jane.

I know nothing about Dobes - but ADORE your dog - he is STUNNING!

I completely agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hes an absolutely stunning dog, wow!!!

Now if you think Merlin is undershot you can tell me which is his photo














Mo and the Gang

Bilclarie, I think it only fair to offer an apology for my previous comments and don't think it was necessary to put up photos of Merlins bite to prove a point.

I think Merlin is a very nice looking dog, but I find it difficult to look beyond the "alterations" as its impossible to judge a breed on what is not original. Anyway that aside he has good look about him.

If I was being honest I would say his body shape is pretty good, but does drop away at the croup and the shoulder line might be a little upright which BD already mentioned, but that may be the stance that gives that impression, but I don't agree with BD entirely about the head. I would also add that his coat appears to be less than black, and is particularly shows in the photo against Raven (which I actually prefer) .

The head planes are generally good with a nice shallow stop, but the top line of the muzzle has a slight bulge, also the nose pigmentation is a bit light imho. Its difficult to tell from the photos but they tend to suggest that the head definition when viewed from the top maybe slightly less wedge shaped then the photo suggests, but I still think the eyes are too round. If you was to put him against my dog Chillie, Merlin would win hands down but I don't think he is as good as you maybe hoping.

Anyway he is still a good looking dog and I hope you do well and once again apologies for causing any upset.

Don't have to hope, Merlin is far from perfect as I have already said, but as with his mouth you and a few others have his coat eyes etc wrong he has a dence thick coat no patches nore undercoat, he has the correct bite and correct eye shape and colour, he has been seen and judged by breed judges who have awarded him the mark of excellence and certified him fit for breeding, which I can asure you if he had what you and others think he has wrong with him he wouldnt have been awarded this, unlike in England europe is very tight on this you can breed from anything in England regardless of type shape health charactor etc.
I am saying no more on this subject I live with the dog and have paper work that backs me up, his show results are also posted on my web site for all to see even other exhibators who I'm sure would have something to say if I had made faulse statements, all those who have made derogatory remarks about Merlin IMO have done so because he is a cropped dog for no other reason than that and have tried as hard as you can to find fault with him, thats fine it just shows you for the small minded people you are because you can't look past his ears like it or not it is / was part of the origanal breed standard I would rather have a good cropped dog than a bad natural earded one anyday of the week. There are other dobes on here which have not had to prove anything to anyone it would seem it's only Merlin that has had to do that!!!!!! if the owner of another Dobe has come back with an answer to correct your thoughts you have taken it as that and left it at that, the only thing that has ever been mentioned in the breed classes re Merlin is his lack of colour on his chest, which I pointed out origanally and Colin had something to say about well I have already posted a picture of a German champion with lack of tan on his chest so that has blown Colins theory out of the window, I will be in the north of England later on in the year with all my dogs anyone that wishes to come and meet Merlin or any of them is more than welcome to do that.

Mo and the Gang

Really?? You find us small minded? So far you have called me aT**t, and yet you call me/us derogatory?
So what are you trying to say? You are in France and you can do as you please whereas in England because we are bound by English law we have second rate dogs ?

You posted in a critique section, your dog was weighed, measured and found wanting regardless of anything else.

Trouble is that you come across so smug asking for critique and get two pages of swooning over your dog and then get on your high horse about a few comments which were directed at two practices which have now become illegal within the UK, did you ask yourself why they have been made illegal, and why you might meet with some criticism within a predominately UK forum?

Anyway I am drifting offtrack again and will no doubt feel the mighty sway of the forum police.

Once again, sorry if I offended you, it was not personal and certainly not derogatory, your dog is a good looking boy, but slightly flawed in some areas eyes/croup/ muzzle being probably the most downside , but best of Luck in the North of England, shame you can't show him here :smug:

Nowt wrong with his mouth though is there!!!!

Really Borderdawn I cannot tell from those photos as they are more than a little blurred, but the general gist is the bite looks about right, maybe with all the surgery he wore a brace as well .

I would also like to extend my apology to you as well as my comments were rather abrasive, however they were intended to hit home hard (note I did intend them) as I have encountered resistance in the showing world particularly in the Doberman fraternity and am sick of the attitude towards non docked dobes which amounts to the fact they have lost before they have started when pitted against poorer quality docked dobes. Basically the dinosaurs need to get with the times and either accept it, or bow out gracefully as many have.

I fully respect your stance towards docking and cropping but you must of course be aware that this is the way its going to be within the UK and no amount and dodging and weaving is going to escape the inevitable.

So to conclude. Nice dog shame about the ears, shame he can't compete in the UK (officially)

FBF out......

I have seen this kind of attitude from you on a few threads to be honest,,I think a few people have had the short shaft from you on other threads, ok mabey you felt a bit critisied {critiqued } here but to be fair to others, hes not a UK dog they are diff from breeding here there were always going to be questions asked!