Why? Albino Dobermans?

I picked up a rescue dog today... She was adopted from our rescue a few years ago, she's about 6 or 7. Her adopter developed a serious illness ( think terminal cancer) and his elderly mother tried to take care of the dog and just couldn't handle it anymore. Poor Blanche, I picked her up from the vet where she was being boarded. She's very sweet if a little scared and had that confused miserable dog attitude. She's an albino Doberman, some people call them "white". She has horrible skin, it's thick and allergy ridden, she was on expensive steriods to help with the itchyness for a while but it stopped working, she's now on expensive antibiotics and a REALLY expensive shampoo (twice a week) she has growths all over her, probably skin cancer and had a huge tumor removed from above her eye. She has entropion and weepy eyes and cannot see well. She was squinting in the car, with tinted windows in nasty rainy cloudy weather. She was scared of loud noises or even not so loud noises.

Why? Albino Dobermans?
That's the million dollar question. I also work in Doberman rescue and I have yet to see a White Dobie that didn't have at least skin issues and usually they have much worse than that.


People that breed any Z factor Dobermans should be shot on the spot!!





Added: Fancy, in answer to your comment - it's true, white Dobies are not true Albino. They have a gene which masks their normal color gene and it is a mutation that causes multiple other issues. They really should not be bred.





Added: In all honesty, most of the white Dobermans I have met have all had decent temperaments, but when you are dealing with inbreeding and other issues, there are bound to be temperament issues in at least a few dogs. I don't get it either. Most Doberman people are very against perpetuating the issue by breeding Z Factor dogs, but to many crappy BYB's think they are pretty and see no problem breeding them. It's absolutely ridiculous.





drb - yeah, no kidding! The people that think breeding any dog is okay should work in rescue for awhile and just see the messes we clean up after the BYB's get done. It's terrible.





Whether they are or are not true albinos is debatable BUT they actually do have some pigment, making it questionable as to theuir true albinism. I tend to go with they are not true albino due to the fact that they are not actually white but a pale tan.


That's a good website you put up the link to. I will have to go through it.





Added: Oh, I just read here on the DPCA website that the whites ARE Albinos but are Partial Albinos. Wow, I was wrong all this time. I read somewhere that because it was a masking gene rather than a lack of ability to create pigment made them not true albinos. You learn something everyday.
Reply:ive always heard there is no albino dobies just white
Reply:I also work in a rescue group (different breed), and if your foster space is as tight as ours, and there are as many dogs out there needing to be brought in to rescue, you have to start asking yourself whether or not to let this one go, don't you? Cases like that are the ones that really get to you.





Shanna - and people wonder why good breeders worry so much about genetics, and why people go on so much about knowing the genetic history of your dogs before you breed?





Absolutely!
Reply:Well i have to say, I have worked with dogs for years and I have never seen an Albino dobe before.


I am with you I dont understand why people breed for these imperfections, yeah cool you have a really different looking dog...but what about the pain and health problems these poor animals have to go through???


Im with you 100%
Reply:I don't know why people do it.


Until a year ago I did'nt know such a thing existed.It intrigued me a little so I did some research and discovered these poor dogs have so many health issues it's amazing that anyone would want one.But it's an oddity so people are willing to pay high dollar for it and have no clue what they're in for or out of when vet bills have to be paid or the heartbreak of having to watch these dogs suffer miserably daily.


It's just sick that people keep right on breeding them.