Segment Information (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015 segments	Mar. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of reportable segments	4us-gaap_NumberOfReportableSegments
Reconciliation from Segment Totals to Consolidated [Abstract]
Revenue	$ 1,715,501us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet	$ 1,802,570us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
Reconciliation of Earnings from Continuing Operations from Segments to Consolidated [Abstract]
Interest expense, net	32,037us-gaap_InterestRevenueExpenseNet	32,655us-gaap_InterestRevenueExpenseNet
Earnings before provision for income taxes and discontinued operations	164,675	241,610
Provision for income taxes	47,485us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit	71,569us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Earnings from continuing operations	117,190	170,041
Energy Segment [Member]
Reconciliation from Segment Totals to Consolidated [Abstract]
Revenue	430,423	478,773
Reconciliation of Earnings from Continuing Operations from Segments to Consolidated [Abstract]
Earnings before provision for income taxes and discontinued operations	52,305	118,968
Engineered Systems Segment [Member]
Reconciliation from Segment Totals to Consolidated [Abstract]
Revenue	573,196	567,674
Reconciliation of Earnings from Continuing Operations from Segments to Consolidated [Abstract]
Earnings before provision for income taxes and discontinued operations	88,149	83,227
Fluids Segment [Member]
Reconciliation from Segment Totals to Consolidated [Abstract]
Revenue	340,236	345,009
Reconciliation of Earnings from Continuing Operations from Segments to Consolidated [Abstract]
Earnings before provision for income taxes and discontinued operations	54,634	57,942
Refrigeration and Food Equipment Segment [Member]
Reconciliation from Segment Totals to Consolidated [Abstract]
Revenue	372,097	411,493
Reconciliation of Earnings from Continuing Operations from Segments to Consolidated [Abstract]
Earnings before provision for income taxes and discontinued operations	36,150	44,862
Intersegment Elimination [Member]
Reconciliation from Segment Totals to Consolidated [Abstract]
Revenue	(451)	(379)
Total segments [Member]
Reconciliation of Earnings from Continuing Operations from Segments to Consolidated [Abstract]
Earnings before provision for income taxes and discontinued operations	231,238	304,999
Corporate expense / other [Member]
Reconciliation of Earnings from Continuing Operations from Segments to Consolidated [Abstract]
Earnings before provision for income taxes and discontinued operations	$ 34,526	$ 30,734

Name:	dov_ReconciliationOfEarningsFromContinuingOperationsFromSegmentsToConsolidatedAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	dov_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Amount of income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to the parent. Also defined as revenue less expenses and taxes from ongoing operations before extraordinary items but after deduction of those portions of income or loss from continuing operations that are allocable to noncontrolling interests.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 230

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 28

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3602-108585

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 260

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6371337&loc=d3e3550-109257

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 810

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 18

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7656940&loc=SL4613673-111683

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 225

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.13)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26872669&loc=d3e20235-122688

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperations
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Sum of operating profit and nonoperating income or expense before Income or Loss from equity method investments, income taxes, extraordinary items, and noncontrolling interest.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of current income tax expense (benefit) and deferred income tax expense (benefit) pertaining to continuing operations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 235

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(h))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 08

-Paragraph h

-Article 4

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Income Tax Expense (or Benefit)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6515339

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 9

-Subparagraph (a),(b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32639-109319

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of interest revenue (income derived from investments in debt securities and on cash and cash equivalents) net of interest expense (cost of borrowed funds accounted for as interest).

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InterestRevenueExpenseNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of segments reported by the entity. A reportable segment is a component of an entity for which there is an accounting requirement to report separate financial information on that component in the entity's financial statements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfReportableSegments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ReconciliationFromSegmentTotalsToConsolidatedAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Total revenue from sale of goods and services rendered during the reporting period, in the normal course of business, reduced by sales returns and allowances, and sales discounts.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 225

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.1)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26872669&loc=d3e20235-122688

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 1

-Article 5

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_SegmentReportingInformationLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=dov_CorporateExpenseOtherMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=dov_EnergySegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=dov_EngineeredSystemsSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=dov_FluidsSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=dov_RefrigerationandFoodEquipmentSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=dov_TotalSegmentsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=us-gaap_IntersegmentEliminationMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: