Although all dogs are unique and experience growth on their own timeline, they follow similar growth patterns from birth to adulthood. Like many other breeds, the Doberman Pinscher experiences its fastest growth in its first 6 months. For this breed, the general rule of thumb is to gain ten pounds each month until 7 or 8 months of age. After that, you can expect your Doberman Pinscher to continue to gain weight until he stabilizes at his full adult weight around 15 to 18 months of age.
If you want to predict the adult size of your Doberman Pinscher, be sure to check out our interactive Doberman Pinscher size and weight chart. Simply enter your pup’s breed, current weight in pounds, and current age in weeks. Our calculator will generate an interactive growth chart so you can track your puppy’s growth and estimate their adult weight. Female Doberman Puppy Growth Chart 12 months72 lbs 13 months74 lbs 14 months74 lbs 15 months75 lbs 16 months75 lbs 17 months75 lbs 18+ months75 lbs
age, there are other methods than the Doberman owners have used it to help determine how big a Doberman puppy will be as an adult with relatively good accuracy. These are:
- DNA Testing – Modern at-home DNA health tests, like these DNA test kits from Embark, can give you incredibly deep insight into your dog’s genetic health , including the adult size of a puppy! Embark DNA test kits (a favorite among Doberman owners) test for five specific genes known to influence approximately 85% of the variation in their adult size. You can read more about how to do a DNA test on your Doberman at home here.
- Parents: Looking at the size of your Doberman puppy’s parents is a good indicator of his genetics in terms of growth and can give you a good general idea of your dog’s growth potential. Although DNA testing seems to be more accurate, as a puppy can also inherit growth genes from her grandparents.
- Size Relative to Littermates: If you know how big your pup’s parents are, you can compare your pup to its littermates to help predict how big it will be. If they are the biggest in the litter, it means that your dog will probably be as big (or bigger) than his parents.
- Paw Size – This has been a go-to gauge for Doberman owners for years. The general thought is that the larger your Doberman’s paws, the larger they will be as an adult.
This is because larger legs are needed to support a heavier dog, so it’s a good indicator of your dog’s genetics in terms of size.
- Your 4-month-old weight: Take your Doberman’s weight at 4 months of age (or around 16 weeks) and multiply by two, then add 5 pounds. That formula will get you close to your adult weight. So if your Doberman is 30 pounds at 4 months, take 30 and multiply by 2 to get 60 pounds. Then add 5 pounds and you’ll get an expected adult weight of about 65 pounds.
- Age when spayed or neutered: If your Doberman is neutered before reaching full maturity (6 to 24 months of age), then he is more likely to be taller. This is because the dog’s hormones have a big impact when the growth plates close, causing their paws to stop growing. Spaying and neutering removes these hormones. Some owners report that they end up with taller, but leaner Dobermans when they are spayed or neutered early. This is also supported by recent studies like this one published in the National Library of Medicine.
Birth: 2 weeks
This is because larger legs are needed to support a heavier dog, so it’s a good indicator of your dog’s genetics in terms of size.
A newborn Doberman puppy is very small, weighing approximately 10-20 oz. They are born with their eyes and ears closed. They nurse every hour or two and grow very fast for the first two weeks.
After three to five days, the vet will dock the tails as Dobermans have long, thin tails that are easily damaged. The two small spurs are usually removed as well.
Doberman Pinscher Basic Breed Information
Name: Doberman Pinscher
Breed Age: Recognized by the AKC in 1908