In April of 1999 we received a call from a client who had lost his Hoytt Dobe six months before and was now ready (having just moved from Alaska) to welcome a new 'kid' into his life. Since most of our Dobes each year go to folks who are already clients--like the children who were raised with Hoytt Dobes who now have families of their own--this was not out of the ordinary until the caller was asked about the parents of the Dobe. At this point I was also told that the sale took place in 1979. That's right, this Hoytt Dobe lived nineteen years. Early this year a client from the west coast contacted me interested in an Accomplished Adult (which she has since received). One of her comments: she hoped this one would live longer than her last who passed away at thirteen.

This was told to me because her previous Hoytt Dobes, the first bought in 1958, had each lived to eighteen years of age. While we hear from clients each year that have enjoyed their Dobes well over the average claimed for a medium sized breed (7 to 9 years), these canine centenarians are regretfully a small percentage. We see more still active at 10 to 14 years so we feel that a fair average (while 20 years too short) would be that more of our 'kids' go past twelve than pass away before the age of ten. Unfortunately things can go wrong and one will be lost at a younger age, but this is as rare as the Centenarians. The greatness of our Dobes in personality, style and longevity is legendary; these are just some of the areas considered when matching a pair for the next generation of American Bred Super Dobes.

Having so many generations of Hoytt Dobes from the past helps us project the future. While we do not claim to have God-like powers we do take full advantage of this knowledge. This in turn is most enjoyed by those who have turned to us for their canine companions and adds further to enhance the value of the dollar investment you are about to make.