Breeding Doberman

Breed Club Recommended Health Testing

​https://ofa.org/chic-programs/browse-by-breed/?breed=DP
There are only 5 health tests required for the CHIC certification:
  • VWD genetic test - can be completed at any age
  • Autoimmune thyroiditis - can be certified starting at 12 mths old
  • Advanced cardiac - echo and holter - can be certified starting at 12 mths old
  • PennHip or OFA hips - PennHip can be certified at 16 weeks old, OFA'd at anytime after 16 weeks, OFA certification starting at 24 mths old
  • OFA eye exam - can be certified starting at 8 weeks old
The only non-health related test recommended is the WAE aka working aptitude evaluation. It is an award not a health screening. The WAE is identical to the AKC's ATT aka AKC Temperament Test.
If the breed Club only recommends 5 health tests why do breeders focus so much on other tests? SIMPLE! The more you know the more you know! Knowing your lines is about knowing their health inside and out, even the parts that aren't deemed necessary y the breed club. You can not rely on "I know my dogs", "I've been breeding for __ years and know my lines", "my dogs are vet checked", "my dogs are healthy", etc because you can't know until you check. Are your lines prone to spinal issues? OFA certify the spine. Prone to elbow arthritis? OFA certify the elbows. Your puppies tend to grow up missing teeth? OFA certify your adults with full dentition. Certifying your dogs helps track health conditions in your lines both privately and publically.   
Do not rely on genetic testing to "determine" if a dog is fit for breeding or if it is healthy. Genetic testing is only one small SMALL piece of a very BIG and COMPLEX puzzle. You can't gene test for hip dysplasia yet it is a genetic and hereditary disease. You can gene test for DM (degenerative myelopathy) yet having two defective genes doesn't mean a dog will develop DM. Genetic testing has limitations. There are factors such as overriding genes, missense mutations, copies or deletions, incomplete penetrance, and more. DNA and RNA can also be damaged overtime with age or illness. Genes can be turned off or on with autoimmune or other health factors. A clear genetic panel is not a guarantee for longevity and good health. At any given time a single dog can have hundreds of genetic mutations and be totally healthy and long lived. 

Why You Should Breed

A breeder should be looking out for the whole dog, not just one aspect. 
  • Preserve the breed's integrity
  • Maintain the breed standard by understanding it's origin as well as the breed's future
  • Improve the breed's health, appearance, longevity, temperament
  • Advocate for responsible breeding and pet ownership
  • Dedication to the breed
  • Passionate for caring for animals
  • Willing to take on the next generation of the breed
  • Full understanding of canine pregnancy, gestation, diet, medical conditions, whelping, neonatal care
  • Able to to make decisions based on facts not emotions
  • Have enthusiasm for learning and self study
  • Mentally, emotionally and physically prepared
  • Have adequate space for rearing a litter and housing the mom/parents
Breeding takes patience, dedication, flexibility, open-mindedness, quick thinking, and forethought. 

Why You Shouldn't Breed

Breeding can be intense, emotional and even traumatic. It is not to be done so lightly and uneducated. 
  • Unable to handle offensive odors, blood, bodily fluids, sight of organs
  • Never breed a dog you're not prepared to lose/die
  • Can't afford emergency care (which can easily be $5-10k for emergency C-sections)
  • Unable to dedicate months to rearing puppies, cleaning and time away from work/friends/family
  • Emotionally/mentally unable to handle watching a puppy die (a pup may pass from a variety of ailments: congenital defects, birth injury, medical condition)
  • Unable to watch a dam in distress (labor can be difficult and painful; dams may scream, bite, thrash, scratch, snarl, whine, shake, drool, writhe)
  • Unprepared for a premature litter or hand-rearing a litter 
Breeding is a rewarding experience but it is not easy. There are moments you must make a decision and it will never be easy. Breeding can be wrought with difficulty and heartache. It is horrible losing a puppy. It is emotionally and physically draining to hand-rear a litter. 
The best advice I can give someone who wants to breed is this: 1) NEVER BREED A DOG YOU'RE NOT WILLING TO LOSE and 2) There is no right-wrong in breeding, it is a spectrum. 
​
There isn't a handbook or study guide when it comes to being a breeder. A lot of it is what you learn along the way. Many breeders are guarded about their practices and their lines. Many aren't open to letting just anyone know their programs or "secrets". Breeding is the preservation of a breed, whether you breed one litter or one hundred. Each litter produced is the next generation. How you plan that breeding is the structure of the next generation. The aim should be to produce better dogs than the ones you started with.

Basics of Doberman Coat Genetics

The DPCA states there are only four acceptable coat colors; black (#1,#2, #3, and #4), red (#7, #8), blue (#5, #6) and fawn (#9), with a white spot/star no more than 1/2 in long/wide on the chest. There are other variations that have been floating around the breed since it's origins such as melanistic and masking (the tan points are "masked" over with a solid color). The white Doberman was a fairly new genetic mutation that has been exploited and popularized since the 70's. The DPCA accepts that melanistics/masked dogs and the white/albino Doberman are purebred, their color variations are not accepted in the breed standard. There are variations that repress the main over coat (such as the black coat) exposing the pointed colors; these dogs are often referred to as "clears" or "all clear reds". 
Every Doberman carries a coat color. There are four different types of black Doberman; they all look the same with a black coat and tan/rust points, but genetically they are different in that when bred they can only produce colors within their genetics. Example, a #1 black can only produce black pups no matter what it is bred to, where a #4 black can produce a rainbow litter (one with all colors) if bred to another #4 black, to a #6 blue, to a #8 red, or to a fawn (#9). The coat colors are assigned letters based of the part of their genes responsible for colors; B lotus (BB, Bb, or bb) are responsible for a black or red coat. The D lotus (DD, Dd, or dd) is responsible for if a dog carries dilution (Dd) or for "diluting" the coat to either a blue or a fawn if the dog (dd). A DD on the D lotus does NOT carry dilute and can NEVER produce blue or fawn puppies. To add a bit more, dogs that carry two defective genes at SLC45A2 will be albino (termed "white" by many supporters of this color color being bred). A dog with only one SLC45A2 gene will be a traditional coat color but will be able to produce albinos if bred to either another carrier or effected/two defective genes. A albino dog's genetics will show as a traditional coat color, such as a BbDD (black coat) but the two SLC45A2 genes suppress the melanin production resulting in a "white" coat (shade varies from a light cream to a bright, snow white). A "white" Doberman is by all scientific literature an albino.
the above image is from EmbarkVets
Melanistic Doberman and recessive red/clear red Doberman are variations seen in the coat spectrum. The recessive reds and clear reds are throwbacks to the German Pinscher and Manchester Terriers used during the breed's creation. Merle colored Dobermans are all mixbreeds bred specifically for color. The DPCA doesn't condone the breeding of off-standard colors. The gene pool from melanistic and recessive red/clear red carriers can be valuable to the breed diversity. They have retained some older genetics that should be considered for genetic diversity. Those dogs of standard color and good representation of the breed can be used to lower the COI in lines that are heavily inbred. The off standard dogs should not be used for breeding as they're not preserving or maintaining the breed standard.

What to Look For in a Breeding Dog

Health, a pedigree with longevity, diversity, lower inbreeding rates, breed standard: you want a dog that encompasses as much of the breed "ideal" as you can get. Solidify what you want your program to focus on. Find dogs that are the closest to that focus. When pairing dogs together look for ones that balance each other out while maintaining the breed standard. Do not deviate from the breed standard unless you feel it improves the breed and are prepared to defend that reasoning. Those deviations do offer diversity for buyers and may, one day, become part of the breed standard. Breed standards do change over time, as interests wax an wane. The core of the breed standard should be upheld. The standard is the heart of the breed.

Why Breed a Carrier?

Simply put, carriers are vital genetics and are essential to maintaining genetic diversity. Eliminating carriers from a breeding could cripple the gene pool. Carriers make up as much as 50% (or more) of the current genetic breeding pool. When breeding carriers you have to determine the risk VS value of breeding. You need to have a thorough understanding of the gene, the disorder it may cause, the quality of life for the offspring, the effect the gene has on the breed, if the gene can be safely bred out, the value the gene may have and the risk to the dam or sire. If you're breeding a VWD carrier you should know that the disease requires 2 defective genes to be an active disease risk/affected. A carrier is not at risk of a bleeding episode. Breeding a carrier is safe. What the carrier is bred to is the important part; a carrier bred to a clear will produce carries and clears (no defective gene). Each puppy has a 50/50 change of inheriting a VWD gene. A carrier bred to another carrier will produce affected puppies (two defective genes, active disease risk), carrier puppies (one defective gene, no disease risk), and clear puppies (two normal genes). A carrier bred to an affected will produce affected puppies and carriers. It is not advised to breed a VWD carrier to a VWD carrier, or ever breed a VWD affected dog.
There is a reason to breed a carrier to a carrier, however, you must thoroughly understand what you're doing. In the case of a DCM carrier bred to a DCM carrier it is deemed acceptable by current breeding practices. Nearly every Doberman carries one or multiple DCM gene mutations. The breed has too little diversity as it is; refusing to breed carriers could damage the breeding pool and future genetic diversity. The DCM genes are not directly linked to active disease and should be taken into consideration when looking for quality breeding dogs. A breeder should not base breeding a good dog solely on its DCM status. There are great dogs with phenomenal genetics that carry one, two or multiple DCM genes. Those dogs are too valuable to ignore their genetic diversity potential. 

Is There Ever a Reason to Breed an Affected?

Breeding affected dogs should be avoided. With the exception of the DCM genes there is little reason to breed an affected dog. Breeding a VWD affected dog is to risk the dog's life/health to a bleeding episode. VWD affected dogs can suffer internal bleeding easier than an un-affected dog. Breeding a DvDOB (aka Dings) affected dog is risking that dog's safety or even the litter's safety. A deaf dog is at risk of being spooked by an unreceptive mate and running away. A deaf mother is not able to hear her puppies cries when they're hurt, too far from the pack, hungry, or needing to be stimulated to potty. A dog with PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy) genes is likely to develop blindness. A blind dog is disadvantaged in breeding and for it's health and safety should not be bred. In the event of breeding an affected dog it is best practice to breed only to a clear/non-carrier. 

​Jackson's Kennel does not support the breeding of VWD or DvDOB affected dogs.

Breeding and DCM

No pedigree is free of DCM. No Doberman is immune to DCM. No breeder should ever claim to have DCM free lies. All Doberman are prone to develop the disease; it is the breed's #1 plague! DCM is a complex disease with a strong hereditary component as well as correlation to genetic disease. DCM also has a very strong autoimmune component to it. Thus far there are two genes associated with the disease (among 5 under investigation (DCM1 (PDK4) and DCM2 (TTN). EmbarkVet states "​The vast majority of research exploring the genetics of DCM has been performed on purebred American Dobermans, a high risk population for DCM. Even in the Doberman, DCM2 is incompletely penetrant, meaning that while having one or two copies of this mutation is thought to confer some increased risk of developing DCM, it is by no means predictive of disease. DCM is a highly complex disease that is modulated by many genetic factors, most unknown." The genes are one part of DCM. Clear dogs can still develop DCM; one study found that 15% of PDK4 clear dogs developed clinically symptoms of DCM.
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You can read more about DCM and the Doberman here.

The Importance of Self Education

Being a breeder is mostly self-taught. There isn't a college or a curriculum for this career. Having a degree or base education in animal welfare, canine genetics, canine evolution, veterinary basics, animal husbandry and such focuses is helpful. Having some education in business, entrepreneurship, and marketing is a plus. These will only help better your business skills, but there is no class that can prepare you for being a breeder. This is why it is crucial to keep learning. Study all you can about canines; from gestation to death, you need to know all you can about what you can.
Basics you need to know are:Learn all you can before you ever plan a breeding. The more you know the more prepared you are. You need to know what is normal and what is not. It is best to have a solid foundation before puppies than scrambling for answers mid-crisis. There are lots of articles floating around google that are free to read. You can buy breeding books or rent some from your local library. The AKC has a Canine College they offer free classes through.

How to Build Your Program

  1. Know your focus and how to get there. Are you wanting to produce a certain look/conformation or to eliminate a gene? Do you want to be a show breeder and navigate the show realm?
  2. Do you're health testing and know your dogs. From pedigree to testing you need to know as much about your lines and their health as you can!
  3. Be prepared for backlash and harassment. Other breeders can be nasty to you. There are people out there who will try to insult you, belittle you, and attack your dogs (cyber bullying is awful in the breeder world). Be prepared for other breeders and even Doberman fans to be rude to you. Being a new breeder can be difficult. The Doberman breeder world is not the most welcoming to new breeders. 
  4. Find someone you can trust. This may be a friend, a hired consultant, a business mentor, a family member, a fellow breeder; find someone who can vent to, toss ideas around with, ask questions to, and to be a general support for you.
  5. Never stop trying to learn. Don't rely on hear-say or grapevine education. Find research, talk to vets, read books, scour the internet, find the evidence. 
  6. Build a efficient whelping box and sanitizing process. A clean whelping box means healthy puppies. 
  7. Invest in your dogs; whether you show or compete or just breed for companion pets, invest into your dogs. Their health should be #1 priority before you ever drop a litter.
  8. Find quality dog. Good dogs are everywhere. Know the reality that an "all clear genetics with the best cardiac and hips, perfect eyes, and world-class pedigree" is not going to be cheap. Most likely you'll have to shape your program through generations of breeding refining. You will most likely have to select the best puppies to keep back for the best health results.
  9. Health should come before titles. 
  10. Invest in security. Don't slack here; you need to have a security system with cameras to at minimum monitor young puppies while you're not in the room. Being able to look into the room when you're away is a comfort to you and a way to keep everyone safe. Also, security systems reduce crime; people may want to steal or hurt your dogs. Animal Rights activists have been known to falsely accuse breeders of mistreatment or abuse. You need to protect yourself and your dogs. 
Your program should be your's. You set the focus and you run the show. Don't be afraid to stand up for yourself and your dogs. Protect what you have. You know your dogs and their worth, both monetarily and the value they offer the breed. There are plenty of good dogs out there. There are lots of good breeders around the world. 
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Where to Get Testing Done At

Testing is a sign of a responsible breeder. Testing is crucial to ensuring the health, longevity and preservation of the breed.

Participate with Research

It is important that breeders work together for the benefit and preservation of the breed. Unfortunately, biasness is all too common in the Doberman world. It is very difficult to work with other breeders, even more so to work with the breed's parent club and other breed clubs. Clicks have taken over the breed and has severely crippled the breeders network. Thankfully, we have many other networks to work with that will help better our breeding programs. The Doberman Diversity Project offers the ease and unity of Embark Vet at a discount. You can use their Match Maker tool to find a suitable mate for your dog, get an insight into the genetics pairing, and estimate the litter COI. You can also become a "Citizen Scientist" and participate with the Institute of Canine Biology's Citizen Scientist Project to help study and combat hip dysplasia. Other easy ways to participate in information sharing is to submit eligible health testing results to the OFA for public reporting. Sharing this information publicly helps other breeders and owners identify stable lines and dogs.

Genetic Testing

In Doberman the focus in genetic testing is on VWD, DCM1, DCM2, MDR1, Narcolepsy, DvDob (Dings), B lotus (black or red coat), D lotus (dilution), OCA (albinism), and COI (coefficient of inbreeding). There are hundreds of other relevant tests available that can help shape a breeding program.
  • Embark Breed & Health via https://embarkvet.com/ - Embark is the gold standard of genetic screening and breed ID, offering over 190 health risks and traits for the one time payment of $179. Embark gives breeder invaluable information such as genetic lineage origin (haplogroups and haplotypes) as well as the genetic inbreeding percentage. Discounts are available at certain times of the year (they often run site sales), to new breeders (coupon code TryEmbark99), for litters, to breed clubs, and through the Doberman Diversity Project (for $129). Embark uses a simple cheek swab.
  • Wisdom Panel Premium via https://www.wisdompanel.com/en-us/products/wisdom-panel-premium - The most-used DNA service by veterinarians; screening for over 200 health test and 35+ traits as well as breed ID for a one time payment of $159.99. Wisdom Panel uses a simple cheek swab.
  • Gensol Breed Test Panel via https://www.gensoldx.com/product-category/doberman-pinscher/ - GensolDx is best for single or limited gene testing. Their breed panel offers VWD, DCM1, DCM2, OCA, DvDOB/DVD/Dings, They often run specials for multiple tests purchased at one time. Most tests are $40 per panel. Gensol uses a simple cheek swab though a blood sample can be submitted.
  • Vetnostic Doberman Pinscher Panel via http://www.vetnostic.com/doberman-pinscher.html - Vetnostic offers a compact panel of just VWD, DCM1, DM
  • UCDavis's Doberman Pinscher Health Panel via https://vgl.ucdavis.edu/panel/doberman-pinscher-health-panel - A panel specifically for the Doberman testing for VWD, DVD/DvDob/Dings, DM, DCM1, DCM2, Narcolepsy, and OCA (albinism); UCDavis requires a blood sample.

Hips (& Elbows)

Blooming Paws in Bloomington, IN - https://bloomingpaws.net/ (OFA)
Animal Care Clinic in Bedford, IN - https://animalcareclinic.vet/ (OFA, PennHip)
Franklin Animal Clinic in Franklin, IN - https://www.franklinanimalclinic.net/ (PennHip, OFA)
Moore's Animal Care Clinic in Salem, IN - https://www.facebook.com/mooresanimalcareclinic/ (OFA)
Salem Animal Service in Salem, IN - https://salemvetservice.com/ (OFA) 
​Bloomington Veterinarian Hospital in Bloomington, IN - https://www.bloomingtonvethospital.com/ (PennHip, OFA)
Bannon Woods Animal Clinic in Fairdale, KY - https://bannonwoodsvet.com/small-animals/services/ (PennHip, OFA)
Metropolitan Veterinary Specialists in Louisville, KY - http://metrovetlouisville.com/ (PennHip, OFA)
Four Loving Paws Veterinary Services in Brazil, IN - http://www.fourlovingpaws.com/ (PennHip, OFA)
AirIndy Vet in Indianapolis - https://www.vsecindy.com/ (PennHip, OFA)
IndyVet in Indianapolis, IN - https://indyvet.com/ (PennHip, OFA)
Noah's Animal Hospitals in Indianapolis, IN - https://www.noahshospitals.com/west and https://www.noahshospitals.com/ ​(PennHip, OFA)
Eagle Creek Animal Clinic in Indianapolis, IN - http://www.eaglecreekvet.com/ (PennHip, OFA)
East Side Animal Hospital in Evansville, IN - https://www.facebook.com/eastsideah/ (PennHip, OFA)
The Paw Patch in Indianapolis, IN - https://www.thepawpatch.com/ (PennHip, OFA)
​Broad Ripple Animal Clinic in Indianapolis, IN - ​https://bracpet.com/ (PennHip, OFA)
VCA Advanced Veterinarian Care in Indianapolis, IN - https://vcahospitals.com/advanced-veterinary-care-center (PennHip, OFA)
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PennHip Vet Search Here

Eyes

IndyVet - https://indyvet.com/services/ophthalmology/ $50 per OFA exam (OFA fees extra)
Animal Eye Clinic in Caramel, IN - http://www.indyanimaleyeclinic.com/
Purdue Vet in West Lafayette, IN - https://vet.purdue.edu/vth/ophthalmology.php
Blue Pearl in Louisville, KY - https://bluepearlvet.com/opthalmology/

Dentition 

Franklin Animal Clinic in Franklin, IN - ​https://www.franklinanimalclinic.net/
Broad Ripple Animal Clinic in Indianapolis, IN - ​https://bracpet.com/

Thyroid

Buck Creek Vet in Knightstown, IN - https://www.buckcreekvet.com/services/
BloomingPaws in Bloomington, IN - https://bloomingpaws.net/

Cardiac

Echo/Ausc/Holter ECG Holter - You can buy your own holter unit (from $750-2500) from Alba Medical; http://www.albamedical.com/k9holteroverview.html

Working Aptitude Evaluation (WAE) 

Performed directly through the DPCA. A list of testing dates and facilities are located on the DPCA website.
https://dpca.org/awards/wae/

The AKC introduced a similar evaluation/certificate called the AKC Temperament Test (ATT) due to the lack of availability of WAE evaluators. This is as acceptable as the WAE and much more accessible.

How Much is the Puppy? Why?

​"Responsible breeders don't breed until we have sufficient interest.  We know we can feel more confident that the potential home is serious if they took the time to do a bit of research to find their way to us.  So interest in a potential litter is most often gauged by how many inquires we have received without advertising.  While this seems counter productive, every breeder gets a *LOT* of inquires, but if the inquires come via advertising litter announcements, many inquires end up just being tire kickers that don't pan out if the breeding actually occurs.  No breeder wants to breed a litter only to determine that it might be more difficult than we anticipated to home the puppies we are working so hard to raise and carefully socialize.

By the time any reputable breeder posts a litter announcement, chances are they already have at least a few people on their list, or have a well established breeding program and can trust that the name they have built for themselves will bring homes when they do decide to announce a breeding.  If you want to be higher on a breeder's list, don't wait for an announcement, reach out to them before they breed.  Many breeders may even tell you that they don't have immediate breeding plans, but you will often find that, if you take the time to learn more about their program anyway, they might reach out to you a couple of months later if they change their breeding plans.  Or if they definitely won't be breeding any time soon, after chatting with you, they probably have another breeder or two to recommend you reach out to.

So how do you find a good breeder to begin with?  Ask someone who has a Dobe you think is amazing - where did they get their dog?  If they purchased it from a breeder - how did they find the breeder? What did they like about the breeder?  Has the breeder been supportive since they brought the puppy home?

If you don't know anyone with a Doberman, even if you aren't interested in becoming active in a breed club, go to just one meeting.  Introduce yourself and say that you are considering getting a puppy in the future and wanted to get to know some people in the breed.  You are guaranteed to get a few names, either of breeders there, or of breeders that those people know of and respect, or even got their dogs from.  (Of course with COVID, this may look a bit different, but hopefully it still inspires some ideas)
Many of you maybe thinking that it sounds like a lot of work when you just want a dog.  Well yes, but there is a difference between a carefully bred and thoughtfully raised puppy and one churned out from a puppy mill.  This is especially true in Dobermans - a working breed where there is the potential for a lot of drive that can be a really bad mix with inadequate socialization or poor nerves. And also a breed where there are health issues that can strike down a young dog out of nowhere.  
You may also be thinking "What am I supposed to be asking a breeder when I talk to them?  I just want a dog."  Well, I'm guessing you want more than that if you are looking for a reputable breeder. 

Do you want a dog from health tested parents?  Ask them what health tests they have done on the breeding pair, and when they were done.  And don't think that genetic tests constitute health testing.  If that is all the breeder is doing, they aren't responsible breeders.  Sure it is one component, but arguably the most important tests you want to see done within a year of breeding are the two heart tests (ideally within 6 months) - 24 hour holter monitoring with normal results as well as echo cardiograms.  Other tests to look for are hip x-rays evaluated by OFA or PennHip, as well as bloodwork done to check thyroid and liver health.  Also consider asking about other dogs in their pedigree.  

Do you want a puppy that has been well socialized?  Ask how they socialize their puppies.  There are a lot of formal and informal methodologies used for socialization, but it should hopefully include exposure to novelty in puppy sized ways - visits by close friends with trusted kids, visits to the yard, different areas of the house (a garage is a whole different planet to a 5 week old puppy who is raised in the living room), opportunities to explore different surfaces, hear weird sounds, etc.  Then ask them to describe the temperaments of the parents.  While you may "just want a dog", you likely have a picture in mind of what you expect that dog to be like, or you wouldn't be searching for a Doberman specifically.  That dog will hopefully be your loyal companion for years to come - it is worth making sure they are what you are expecting.

If you get evasive answers on anything, listen to your gut - maybe keep them in mind, but do a bit more research into other breeders for comparison.  

And be prepared to answer questions about yourself.  What kind of dog are you looking for?  Be specific.  If you don't know how to describe what you want, tell them about the best dog you have ever owned.  Share what experience you have with the breed, and what has drawn you to get a Doberman.  Breeders are asking questions to get an understanding about what you are looking for and whether you are prepared to bring a puppy into your home with the intention of caring for it for the next decade or so.
And if you get nothing else out of what I'm saying here - don't start the conversation with "How much?"!  I know you are apprehensive about the cost, they are an expensive breed.  Costs vary throughout the country and are often driven primarily by local veterinary costs because health testing, artificial inseminations, prenatal check ups, emergency C sections, cropping and docking, puppy check ups, etc. add up fast when you are breeding.  If the breeder titles and health tests their dogs, provides routine veterinary care and sends puppies home cropped and docked, Just plan on $2,500 being the low end, $3,000-$3,500 being the most common, and higher than that is less common... but still possible if the parents, especially the sire, are highly sought after breeding prospects. (Stud fees on sought after sires can be quite high).  Yes, those prices painfully high, and prices just a few years ago were often about $500 lower, but a recent poll in a breeder's group led to a long discussion on how people have felt forced to raise prices after taking a loss on multiple litters.  Some areas of the country are less expensive, so less is possible, but don't count on it.  The appropriate time to ask about cost is when you are wrapping up the conversation and the breeder has let you know they will keep you posted about any upcoming litters.  They will also let you know if they charge a different amount for show/pet/sport prospects.  Though most have a single price - a puppy costs the same to raise whether it is destined for your couch or the show ring. 

... But hang in there, if you want a Doberman, they are worth the wait. " - anonymous 
Order you discounted Embark Breeder kit HERE: https://www.talkable.com/x/zu8idW

Basics of Canine Gestation

Canine gestation is on average 63 days, or 9 weeks, but can be between 58-70 days. Like humans there are 3 trimesters; weeks 1-3, 3-6, and 6-9.
​https://woofdog.org/stages-of-dog-pregnancy
When a female is receptive to a male it's called a standing heat. When the male mounts and ties they can be "stuck" together for up to an hour. Do not force them apart or toss water on them, let them separate naturally to avoid injury.
Click here for an excellent article on canine fertility, AI and reproduction evaluations.
During pregnancy progesterone is increased, once a pregnancy if over and the bitch enters anestrus progesterone decreases. 
(https://www.animal-reproduction.org/article/5b5a606ef7783717068b4766)