my dobermann is 20 moths old but i think he may be under weight as I seen another dog that was only 14 months old and he would have made two of my dog.

I feed him twice daily 7am and 1pm...he gets a generous portion each time a mug and a half of complete dog food with a medium size tin of meat each time he gets fed...

but this other person said he shows his dog , and he said his dog is slightly underweight,
I nearly collapsed as I thought my dog was in generally good health, he gets wormed regularly walked regularly although i,d say in the last 3 months ive been awfully busy with work comitments and he has not got his regular walks (about two miles per day without the lead)

but ive still managed to get him out round the golf course where i stay.

his height is : 28 inches to his shoulder blades

his weight is : 4 and a half stone

alex scott

lennoxtown

glasgow

alexscott18@hotmail.com

When you stroke his sides, how do his ribs feel? Sticking-out and sharp or bumpy under a smooth skin? How about his spine? Do the vertebrae stick up? Are his hip-bones clearly visible? If not, then he's probably all right for his build. How well does he digest his food - ie are his poos well-formed? Most dogs nowadays are too fat.

Hi Alex

I would expect your lad to be a few kilo's heavier at his age but I would rather have a slender (as described by JG) Dobe than a fat one - many show Dobes are shown much too heavy for my liking.

Is there any reason why you feed him at 1pm?  If you fed him later in the day it would even out the times a bit.

I took my puppy bitch out to a show recently and met up with someone with a dog pup a week older - he was probably 10-12 Kilos heavier than she is if not more but she is much less likely to get problems with her bones during growth then he is being so heavy.

I would possibly be inclined to increase your lad's food to say a mug and three-quarters and see how that goes for a few months.  When I fed dry I just looked at the dog and thought - you want a bit more and so they got more and others would get less.

HI THERE KERIOAK

WELL WITH WHAT I FEED HIM THE NOW HE HAS AT LEAST 3 BIG STOOLS PER DAY AS THE COMPLETE FOOD MUST SWELL..SO I WAS THINKING IN STEAD OF MORE DRY A BIT MORE TINNED DOG FOOD IN HIS MEAL ...ALSO CAN YOU GIVE ME SOME ADVICE ON HIS COAT ITS A BIT DULL TRIED EGG IN HIS MEAL ..BUT NEVER WORKED

THANKS ALEX (NERO IS HIS NAME)

Hi Alex

I would guess Nero may not be absorbing his food properly and would advise that you have a word with your vet.  It may be that his food does not suit him but, depending on the size of your cups it does not sound as if you are giving him very much?  Generally large and frequent bowel movements mean that the food is not of good quality and is not being assimilated or that the dog is getting to much and cannot digest the amount or that there is an absorbtion problem.  I would rule out the latter before you start changing food and amounts.  Any of the above could account for the dullness of his coat - is it quite long for a Dobe - ie when he gets wet does he look dry almost immediately or does he stay wet for a hour or so?  The longer coats often don't look as shiny as the very short coats.

I would expect most two year old male Dobes to weigh around 38 - 42 Kilos but will check on this.

Hi there -I feed my male dobe on dry ( Autarky ) and and some Nature diet -he also gets pichards in oil or tomatoe sauce once or twice a week  for his coat -as to his weight  I can feel his ribs when I run my hand over him -more of a vest effect rather than a jumper ;) :D

Right can we start with the kilos thing,I dont know the weight diffs from kilos to pounds ,To stones..please explain..I sound like a complete numptie but ive been out for a beer and now have came back to your reply. (that I am sorry for) .REALLY SORRY.

To me going from when I picked him from the Bunch, he was the smallest , but I`d  like to know the general statistics of a good healthy dog.I know youve your own personal opinion of what he should be at, But Stats wise compared to showing dogs qaulity..and your own intake on how youve learned over the years about dobes, As youve said, Give him a little bit more,But what about cod liver oil caps..does that not suppose to bring his coat out ...please reply.

When he got his booster jag from the vet he says he was in fine condition. (i`ll take it that you know what age he got his booster)

Also this dog will eat any veg you give him ..carrots/pototoes/leeks/and fruit any kind with a vengence.

JUST DONT KNOW WHATS UP!!!

If I've done my sums right he weighs 28 kg, which seems low. An adult male dobermann should be about 27" to the shoulder. However without seeing his build (he could be naturally narrow-made like one of my dals) it is hard to say what is his personal ideal weight. If his ribs aren't easily visible then he isn't too thin.

Don't worry about him liking fruit and veg - dogs do - and it's good for them too!
:)

Right a stone is 14 pounds, and a kilo is 2.2 pounds.  So your dog weighs 63lbs or 28.6kg.

As for the tinned food I and many people find that it goes right through them, and their motions are not firm and smell a lot more than on dry food or raw meat.  Also it works out a lot dearer feeding tins for the same ingredients that are in the dry food.  You should also be careful about over supplemeting complete foods, as a good quality one will have more than enough of the right balance of vitamins.

What tinned food are you giving him? Some are much better than others. Chappie, Denes or Butchers Tripe are among the best.
:)

I am at present giving asdas own make of dog food as the rest seem to run right through him

thanks for the posts by the way

I would suggest Chappie original may be better for him (unless you've tried that of course). I agree about Pedigree Chum - it goes straight through my dogs too!

ok i`ll give that chappie a try thanks again...

im also gonna give him a tin or two of tuna a week for his coat ,,what you think will that be too strong for him..suppose i,ll need to try it first.

He stays wet until we get home then we give him a quick towel over ,,he has a short coat...

thanks for the reply

I have a freind with dobes and would think 38kg to 42kg about normal depending on sex and build.  A lot of people keep their dogs too fat. You should be able to feel his ribs but not see them clearly defined except for the lat one, ans there should be a visible waist.

Hi Nero -Can't say I've ever weighed my dog ( too Damn heavy lol ;) but there does seem to be alot of variation in them -My lad is very slender chested but is tall .Some of the show dobes I have seen appear to be quite ..ermm.......rotund !!!!   ( dodging for cover ) What where his parents like ??
I agree with Brainless on the tinned food going through them-I use the nature diet as a 'taster'  and the oil in the fish is good for his coat .
What do you feed him ? 

I feed him asdas own brand of tinned food as the others like butchers tripe and pedigree chum go right through him...the complete meal i give him sez it has all the vitimins in it but i dont think its a very good make,,i`ll get back to you on the name as ive not got through the last bag i got ,,and cant remember the name.

thanks for the posts

I've had some replies back from people on my Dobe lists and around 38 Kg seems to be about right for a dog of his age.  I know that when I got my lad he was the same age and weighed 26 Kg but he was very ill (intestinal blockage) and as soon as that was fixed soon gained weight and within months went up to 35 Kg - is now just over 40 Kg having been on a mild diet :-).

At 28" (at the shoulder) Nero is at the top range of Dobe sizes so I would still be inclined to recommend that you get your vet to check him out before you try making any diet changes.

(My lot are fed on a raw diet which seems to suit them)