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OUR STORY
Welcome to Aritaur Dobermanns; home of champions in show and sport – and real life!
Aritaur was established by Martin Horgan & Jay Kershaw (ex Horgan) in Staffordshire in 1987. We are no longer married, but Martin was an equal part of Aritaur, so his name will stay here. It is now just me breeding, still in Staffordshire Moorlands.
I breed for top quality, healthy, confident, sociable and good looking dogs. I show, judge internationally, and train my dogs in the sport of IPG/Schutzhund.
I am a Kennel Club Assured Breeder, not breeding commercially with on average one or two litters a year. I know where all the dogs we have bred are, and remain in regular contact with their owners.
AWARD WINNING DOBERMANN
Aritaur Males & Females
Male Dobermanns
Female Dobermanns
CONSIDERING A DOBERMANN
Puppies
Finding a good puppy from a quality breeder is hard these days. There are a lot of backyard breeders, many Euro breeders and dealers who will ship or import 'no questions asked'. Docking and cropping is illegal in the UK since 2007, so please don't ask. I am very proud of my dogs and sell to good families who want a companion first regardless of what else they want to do. Happy breeder, happy owners, happy dogs. If it your first time to the breed, I'm always happy to put you in touch with owners in your area to join them for a walk and meet the breed.
Dobes & Children
It always gives me a warm feeling to see the Dobermann gravitate towards children, but it works both ways. I would never inflict an unpleasant child on any dog, so if you want a dog for your family, please only bring nice children to meet us or I will assume as you haven't raised good children, you won't be able to raise a good dog! Most Aritaur Dobermanns live with families often with young children.
Feeding
I personally feed my adults raw (meat - beef and tripe am, and chicken carcass pm). I like the condition of the dog on raw, and have never had to have dental work done on my dogs for tooth extractions or cleaning. Equally I respect it's not for everyone, so the following page might be helpful to give you the pros and cons. Whatever you feed, quality will shine through.
Health
Breeders of pedigree dogs often get a very bad rap when dogs become unhealthy or die young. It is natural to want to blame someone when things go wrong, and in some cases it's justifiable, but bad health can't be eliminated in dogs any more than in humans. Heart, cancer and old age are the most common diseases and cause of death in humans and dogs. 'Testing', does not mean your dog won't develop a disease any more than testing a child for cancer means it won't get cancer later, but at least testing for known conditions means a breeder has done their best.
UPCOMING LITTERS
Upcoming Litters
I usually have one or two litters a year myself, but I often have owners of Aritaur bitches who co-breed with me, and am happy to pass on good enquiries to other good breeders.
OUR STORY
Work & Play
Aritaur bred both the top UK Schutzhund working dog - Int Ch Aritaur Histabraq SchH3, ZTP V1A, and the UK bitch breed show record holder - Ch/Ir Ch Aritaur Hipnotique. Aritaur dogs are pets first and I aim to breed Dobermanns as sound in mind as in conformation and health. A beautiful dog with a weak character and poor health has never been for us.
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THE BOOK
Dobermanns: A Practical Guide for Owners and Breeders
Some years ago I was approached by Crowood Press publishers to write a book on the breed as there hadn't been any new breed publications for many years. It took two years and I didn't want to sit at my computer again for months. It is available on Waterstones, Amazon, or most online suppliers or book stores. Hope you enjoy it.
As a breed, Dobermanns have acquired an unjustified reputation as 'devil dogs' due to their courage, loyalty, intelligence and physical strength. This book aims to dispel the myths surrounding this magnificent dog, and shows how Dobermanns can be loving and gentle family pets, as well as their more traditional role as guard dogs.
Dobermanns - a practical guide for owners and breeders traces the development of the breed from its early beginnings in the nineteenth century through to the present day, and offers the reader advice on every aspect of rearing and caring for these beautiful dogs.Topics covered include: The history of the breed; Choosing a dog; Health and welfare; Showing and judging; Breeding. Superbly illustrated with 260 colour photographs.
Author: Jay Horgan (now Kershaw), Aritaur Dobermann
