 He joined the Indian Civil Service in 1892, and in 1903 he was sent to repair boundary pillars erected by the Afghan Boundary Commission along the Russo-Afghan border.After several other posts, he served as the Chief Commissioner of Balochistan 1917–1919.Dobbs was the British Representative on the Kabul Mission in January 1921, during which he met with Afghan Foreign Minister Mahmud Tarzi to discuss Anglo-Afghan friendship.