CAMBRIA DOBERMANS
Jim and Ann Ramsbottom
Interview with Breeders
Meet the Breed: The Doberman Pinscher
BIS Magazine USA December 2020
Photo Credits: Gay Glazbrook
Q: Thanks for doing this interview with Best in Show Magazine. Please tell us, how did you get involved in dogs? How did you start with Dobermans?
A: Jim and Ann Ramsbottom both started with Dobermans. For Jim, it was 1957 when he fell for the sheer physical beauty of the breed. He initially trained and competed with a male in obedience. Within a year, he had a female, entered the show ring, and the rest is history. He jumped head first into the show scene and became a self-described ‘trophy hunter’. His list of ‘trophy’ dogs includes Best in Show winning Ch. Schauffelen’s Rendevouz. Jim co-owned and personally pointed top winning Ch. Marienburg’s Sunhawk before Hawk was campaigned by Moe Miyagawa. It was not until thirty two years into the sport, Jim entered the whelping box, where he found his true passion.
In 1970, Ann purchased her first Doberman from Mildred Bryant through Irene “Nail” Bivin. Born into the cattle business, Gretchen was Ann’s first livestock project in 4-H. It was then she began competing in obedience trials, conformation shows and junior showmanship. Ann became infatuated with the purebred dog scene and knew from that moment, she wanted to be a breeder. Jim and Ann, both from Texas, met and eventually married through their journeys in the breed.
Q: Which Doberman has been your heart dog? Please share a short story about them.
A: Jim’s heart dog would be Betta, Ch. Florowill’s Bit of Magic. Not only is she still the top producing female Doberman of all time, but she was his travelling companion. Eddie, Ch. Cambria’s Cactus Cash was a grandson of Betta, was also a hard one to lose. They were inseparable. Eddie happens to still be the top producing Working Dog. Ann does not really have a heart dog as each of her personal companions have had a piece of her heart and left a painful void. This includes her relationships with some of her champions.
Q: Which attributes are your priorities when breeding the Doberman?
A: When breeding, Jim and Ann’s priorty is the standard, as it is written. The AKC breed standard reads as ‘energetic, watchful, determined, alert, fearless, loyal and obedient.’ They believe the Doberman is first and foremost a functioning athlete.
Jim compared breeding to building a house. “As with the construction of a house, everything must fit and contribute to the whole. Correct angles, for example, have a whole lot to do with the ability to move with speed and agility. But, so do the soft tissues as does correct temperament.” Ann clarified, “No one part makes the animal.”
Q: What criteria do you use when evaluating puppies regarding coat color? Do you prefer one?
A: Jim and Ann agree that coat color has no place in determining quality. Jim believes,”Dilutes are to be judged as equals.” There is now DNA testing available to determine and eliminate the possibility of dilution. Dilution often comes with coat problems later in life. Unfortunately, the dilutes are also often judged with prejudice. So, as breeders, Jim and Ann prefer not to add a negative to the mix.
Q: How many dogs do you keep in your kennel? How often do you use dogs for reproduction from the private families who own your puppies?
A: In their kennel, Jim and Ann house show dogs that are in training and in competition, puppies that are growing out, and bitches in for breeding. The kennel is not intended to be a long term home for their dogs. If their personal dogs do not live in the house, they go live in someone else’s home. Jim continued, “Many of our breeding bitches are co-owned and live elsewhere and come to us only for breeding and whelping. That said, we keep ten to fifteen Dobermans at any given time.” Ann described that they do sometimes lease outside bitches for breeding. They breed primarily for themselves and the continuation of their breeding program. They are always breeding for the next outstanding producer. Jim put it simply, “That is what a good breeder does.”
Q: How often do you use a dog from other breeders at stud or by acquisition? Are these generally dogs in the USA or do you also go abroad?
A: Jim and Ann often go outside their kennel for stud dogs, but seldom go abroad. The dogs most compatible to their standard are in the United States. In most cases, these sires carry Cambria dogs in their pedigree. Cambria males, including males their kennel does not own, have produced over 500 champions. Jim pointed out, “We have included a number of South American sires in our breeding program, but those ultimately go back to American dogs.”
Q: In the show ring, which achievements are you most proud of?
A: Jim and Ann agreed “Our Futurity wins at the Nationals, where we have won three Grand Prize Futurities, and many Best Junior, Best Puppy and Best in Sweepstakes. These are raw, ‘for real’ wins often judged by breed specialists. Winning with specials is exciting and great for marketing a breeding program, but it is not realistic. There is a huge human element involved in specialing any dog including advertising, performance and marketing.”
Ann continued, “It is certainly exciting to have Garden wins. We have had a number of Best of Breeds wins and a couple of Group 2 placements (at the Westminster Kennel Club).”
Q: Which 3 dogs showed in recent years, not from your kennel, do you most admire?
A: After some discussion, Jim and Ann would include Ch. Royal Tudor’s Wild as the Wind , Indy, Ch. Brunswig’s Cryptonite , Kafka, and Ch. Protocol’s Vini Vidi Vici, Fifi on their short list. They noted each of these dogs were great spokesdogs and did much to promote the Doberman in a good light. Indy, Kafka, and Fifi all had outstanding temperaments, which is a hallmark of the breed.
Q: What do you think are the strong points and weak points in the breed today?
A: Ann responds, “One does not have to flip through many old Doberman Quarterlys to be reminded that the Doberman has improved tremendously in many qualities. Consistently, Dobermans today have better heads, angles, temperaments, and soundness”. Some weaknesses that Jim feels has become rather consistent include body shape (incorrect outline), improper croups, and forward set shoulders.
Q: Do you think judges generally have a well understanding of your breed?
A: Ann answered, “We feel a lot of winning goes to the prettiest, best trained or performing dog. We believe real judging, from knowledgeable judges, is sorely lacking”.
According to Jim, “Our breed is not hard to understand, but it rarely comes down to truly selecting breeding stock by evaluating according to the standard”.
Q: Which judges would you consider ‘specialists’, meaning that their understanding of the breed is deep enough, that their opinion should represent a point of reference to breeders?
A: Jim chuckled, “That’s a loaded question! We believe that when we lost Pat and Judy Doniere, we lost two true patriots of our breed. They truly understood, preached and rallied for our breed. No longer actively breeding, they were in a politically advantageous position to speak from a non-partial position. We did not always agree with their judging but their passion and desire to pull a judge aside, who needed guidance, tutoring or just to see a great example of the breed, was like no other. Certainly, judging is an evolution and we commend those who are curious and ever-learning. It is a rare and self-confident judge who bothers to have conversations with breeders when questions arise.”
Ann said, “There are up and coming judges we are excited to show to. Vicky Seiler-Cushman is an example of handler turned judge who probably owes a lot of her notoriety to her time spent handling Dobermans. She is certainly giving back as she has taken on a leadership role in the parent club mentoring program. She has written excellent articles, and worked closely with breeder-mentors in reaching out to our judges.”
Q: Which breed would you have if you did not have Dobermans?
A: Ann quickly answered, “Most people know that my other love is Pointers, which I have also bred. Jim is rather in love with his American Foxhound. We are both, however, devoted to the Doberman Pinscher. We are interested in other breeds and feel there is a great deal to learn by understanding the differences in our breeds.”
Q: Finally, please share why you would encourage people to get a Doberman?
A: “Dobermans are very special to us. They are extremely smart and maybe too smart for someone who just wants a dog as a casual companion. To own a Doberman, you must be prepared to raise a child. They demand both mental and physical stimulation. They cannot be left to their own devices as they will rot in a kennel. Dobermans are demanding but incredibly giving. They will be your sidekick, your protector, and your friend,” Ann added with a smile.
Jim summarized, “A Doberman’s mind is a terrible thing to waste and many owners do not even begin to tap into the intelligence of their own dog. They will be your Einstein or your worst nightmare if left and forgotten. And did I mention they are incredibly beautiful?”
