Learning as I go~

Hip_Shot_Hanna · 10-01-2007, 01:12 PM

Hi all - I'm new to the wonderful world of Dobermans, though I have admired and desired one for years.

I'm now the fortunate owner of an absolutely wonderful male Doberman who is just four months old. I weighed him last week ( the LAST time I will pick him up and weigh him at home!! He's heavy, though he behaved perfectly)

Torque now weighs about 48 pounds at 4 months. I just read he should weigh around 40 pounds for this age.. but I can tell you he isn't fat, as I can sometimes see his ribs under the skin, (no, not skinny either, just a normal weight I think?)

I feed him 4 to 4.5 cups per day of Nutro Natural Large Breed Puppy Food. He is ALWAYS big on his food - has been since the day I brought him home. I scatter the food on the floor to slow down his eating. He can gobble up his food in ten seconds if it is in a bowl! I spread the food between three feedings a day.

When I say he's wonderful... he is! I didn't housebreak him, though I got him at the tender age of 7.5 weeks. He's just housebroken.. (Still can't quite get my head around that one... LOL!)

He's responsive, intelligent, loving - sometimes full of energy, sometimes couch potato. He loves his toys and chewies, but has not bothered much of anything. I do know enough not to trust this.. but he's amazing me every day.

I do have a question - is the amount of food I'm feeding appropriate? I don't think I'm either over or underfeeding him.

And is he unusually big then for his age? His sire weighs 100 pounds, but is very well proportioned.

Thanks for any input!

HSH

**Luvbirds59** · 10-01-2007, 01:26 PM

48 pounds for 16 weeks is BIG. My Petey is a Euro Dobie, he was 40 pounds at 16 weeks and then at 5 months 53 pounds and 70 by the time he was 6 months. He is presently around 95 pounds at 11 months old, he is expected to be around 100 at a year old and maybe just couple more pounds fully grown.

I think the amount you are feeding him is fine, he may just be from lines that grow very quickly or he may end up bigger then his sire. I wouldn't feed him less, but you might want to consider a higher grade food like Canidae, Solid Gold, Innova....

Good luck with him....sounds like a complete blessing and a joy!

Carol & Petey!
ox

Bizzy & Howie · 10-01-2007, 04:35 PM

At 15 weeks my little bugger is 35 pounds. He is a big boy, and sometimes I think he's getting a bit thin. He eats about 1.5 cups 3 times a day, so I'd say you're on target for a big guy.

**Burns** · 10-01-2007, 04:40 PM

At 16 weeks (4 months), Red was 43 lbs, so I'd say you're okay at that age and weight so far.

It's hard to say how much to feed (believe me, I asked the same question with my pup), because the different foods are going to be different in calories. Also depends on the particular dog. Most everyone here said that if he looks thin, feed him more, and if he looks pudgy, feed him less. And that's seemed to work so far!