The Dobermann is a German breed of medium-large working dog of pinscher type. In Canada and the United States it is known as the Doberman Pinscher. It was originally bred in Thuringia in about 1890 by Louis Dobermann, a tax collector. It has a long muzzle and – ideally – an even and graceful gait. The ears were traditionally cropped and the tail docked, practices which are now illegal in many countries.