Mistel Dobermans
Seven Generations of
Breeder Owner Handled Champions

Doberman Breeders

Bob and Nancy Vandiver purchased their first show Doberman puppy from a well known show breeder.  She completed her championship, and became their foundation bitch. 

Since the early seventies, Bob and Nancy have bred occasional Doberman litters (about every one or two years) under the Mistel kennel name. Their breedings have been quite successful considering they have produced only 16 litters of show age.  To date they have had 25 American Doberman champions and 14 others that have won AKC championship points. 

Mistel Name

Our first Doberman litter was due on Christmas day many years ago.  We wanted a German name that celebrated the season of our first homebred Doberman puppies.  We chose "Mistel,"  the German word for Mistletoe, a seasonal favorite.  In those days we did not have progesterone testing or ultrasound for dogs.    The whelping date was a "guess" based on one of the breedings (of which there are usually two or more.)   Mother Nature decided that New Year's Eve would be a better whelping date.  The name stayed.

Top Champion Producing Dam

A highlight of Bob and Nancy's breeding career was receiving the Doberman Pinscher Club of America's Award For Top Champion Producing Dam . It was awarded to Champion Mistel’s Derrick Doll in 1987 for producing four champions in one year from a litter of five.

AKC Handler

Bob was an AKC licensed Doberman handler in the seventies, when AKC still regulated handlers. He applied to judge Dobermans in 1995 and is now approved by the American Kennel Club to judge most all working breeds and all sporting breeds.

AKC Judge

Bob has judged many prestigious specialty and all breed shows all over the United States. He has  judged the Doberman Pinscher Club of America National Specialty , the Doberman Pinscher Club of America Top Twenty Competition, three DPCA National host clubs, the Canadian National Doberman Specialty, the Philippine National Dobermann Specialty,  the Victoria Dobermann Specialty in Melbourne, Australia, the Western Australia Dobermann Specialty in Perth, Australia, the Southeast England Dobermann Championship show, the Brazilian National Specialty, the Mexican National Specialty, and  the New Zealand Central District Specialty.   He is presently approved to judge all  working breeds, all sporting breeds, many herding breeds and all breed junior showmanship.  

Club Activities

Bob and Nancy have both been very active in the dog organizations. Bob was Chapter Club Secretary of the Doberman Pinscher Club of America (DPCA) for two years, and a member of the DPCA Board of Directors for an additional four years. He is presently chairman of the DPCA judges education committee.  He is an officer in the Carolina Dog Judges Study Group.  He was a member of the Houston, Texas Kennel Club.  Bob was also President of the Doberman Pinscher Club of Houston for three years, and held most of the club's other offices at one time. He is past President of the Greenville, South Carolina Kennel Club, and is now show chairman and cluster chairman for the Foothills Classic Dog Show Cluster (one of the largest in the southeast).

Bob and Nancy presently have three Doberman's: Ch. Mistel's Moxie Merrimac, Ch. Mistel's Mia Merrimac, Ch. Mistel's Indelible, and Ch. Mistel's Anything You Can Do. 

Outside Profession

Bob is a retired Project Director for the largest Engineering Construction Company in the US.    He is a Registered Professional Engineer, and after he moved into management he was responsible for the Design, Procurement, and Construction of very large industrial projects, typically in the $100 million range.  Nancy is a retired school teacher, having been involved in academic activities for 25 years.

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