Dobbins was born in Los Angeles County, California. Dobbins performed in and coordinated for films such as Stagecoach (1966, with Bruce Mars, Hal Lynch, Walker Edmiston, and stunts by Jim Burk, Robert Herron, and Hal Needham), Bonnie and Clyde (1967, with stunts by Eddie Hice, Mary Statler, and George Sawaya), Planet of the Apes (1968, with Lou Wagner, Paul Lambert, Billy Curtis, Felix Silla, and stunts by Nick Dimitri, Tony Epper, Eddie Hice, Gene LeBell, and George Wilbur), The Great Bank Robbery (1969), Dirty Harry (1971, with Andrew Robinson), Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972, with Lou Wagner, Ricardo Montalban, and stunts by Tony Brubaker, Erik Cord, Chuck Couch, Paula Crist, Nick Dimitri, Tony Epper, Hubie Kerns, Henry Kingi, Sr., Gene LeBell, David Sharpe, Paul Stader, Ron V