In the village of Apolda, in the state of Thuringen, in the southern part of Germany lived Louis Dobermann (1824 - 1894). Much has been written about him, but only a small part of it grounds on firm facts and there's lots of controversial and wrong information. Even in Apolda's church books there are no original and authentic facts. People who have researched his biography must have settled with info, which has been told by people who knew Louis Dobermann themselves, like his sons and the first breeders of Dobermann mainly.

According to different sources Louis Dobermann was active in many professions. He was employed as a tax collector, a "dog catcher", a night watchman, and as a supervisor for local slaughter houses. As a night watchman, Herr Dobermann found his need for a suitable dog to accompany him on his rounds. It is also not beyond imagining a protection dog would be desirable while working as a tax collector carrying large amounts of money.