Weimaraner vs Doberman: What’s The Difference? (Complete Guide)

If it weren’t for the American breed standard of cropping the ears of Dobermans and their distinct coloring, you could easily say that these two breeds are related.

The Doberman (also called Dobermann or Doberman Pinscher) belongs to the Working group, while Weimaraner belongs to the Sporting group.

Doberman measures between 24 and 28 inches, and the Weimaraner measures between 23 and 27 inches tall. The doberman’s weight averages around 60-100 pounds, the Weimaraner weighs between 55-90 pounds.

Weimaraner’s coat is limited to shades of gray from mouse gray to silver and can have a white patch on the chest. Doberman’s coat comes in black, blue, fawn and red color with rust markings on the eyebrows, snout, neck, legs and under the tail.

Table of Contents hide

1. Appearance of Weimaraner vs Doberman

1.1. Eyes

1.2. Ears

1.3. Nose

1.4. Coat

1.5. Tail

2. Personality of Weimaraner vs Doberman

3. General Care of Weimaraner vs Doberman

4. Training and Exercise of Weimaraner vs Doberman

5. Lifespan & Health Issues of Weimaraners vs Dobermans

6. Average Puppy Prices For Both Breeds

7. Doberman Rescues

8. Advantages & Disadvantages of Both Breeds

8.1. Weimaraner

8.2. Doberman

9. Further Reading

Despite their similar appearance, Weimaraners and Dobermans aren’t related.

If you’d like to see more breeds that are similar in appearance to Weimaraners, check out my post here.

Appearance of Weimaraner vs Doberman

Both breeds are considered medium to large with only minor differences. Weimaraner stands at 23-27 inches tall, while Doberman can reach the height between 24 and 28 inches. The Doberman can be a bit heavier than the Weimaraner, reaching 60- 100 pounds. Weimarner’s weight is around 55-90 pounds.

The Doberman is strong and muscular, their posture proud and elegant. Weimaraner has similar characteristics, very sinewy and built for speed.

Eyes

Weimaraner has round shaped eyes that are usually bright blue in puppy hood and they eventually change into amber or blue-gray color. Doberman’s eyes are almond shaped, usually dark brown in black dogs, or lighter brown matching to the coat color.

Ears

Both breeds have floppy silky ears of similar shape placed high on the head and folded. Doberman’s ears are slightly shorter. The American standard (AKC) for the Doberman is to crop their ears, while the FCI standard is to leave them floppy.

On a personal note:
I might get some criticism for this but I personally think that cropping dog’s ears is cruel. They were not born that way and any unneeded surgery can be risky for the dog, not to mention more painful as they heal. I wish the AKC would get on with the times and stop enforcing this as a ‘breed standard’.

Nose

Doberman’s nose usually is the color of their coat or as close as possible – black, dark brown, and shades of brown. Weimaraner’s nose is usually dark brown in gray dogs, dark gray in blue Weimaraners. You can read more about blue Weimaraners in my other post.

Coat

Both breeds have solid colored coat. The Weimaraner comes in various shades of gray from mouse to silver gray and sometimes blue. There can be small white mark on their chest. The Doberman’s coat is usually black, blue, fawn or red in color with characteristic markings on their eyebrows, snout, neck, legs and under the tail.

Tail

If docking is allowed, Weimaraners’ tails get usually cropped at about 6 inches length to cover the genitalia, while Dobermans will have their tail docked to one or two vertebrae. I wrote an article about docking Weimaraners’ tails here.

Personality of Weimaraner vs Doberman

Both the Weimaraner and Doberman are very active breeds. The Doberman is very intelligent and strong, friendly and calm. They are considered a working breed, so a certain alertness is definitely a plus and they can protect their owner or their territory.

Weimaraners are notoriously “velcro” dogs. They stick to their owners and follow them everywhere. They are very loving (though some dogs prefer affection on their terms) and just like the Doberman very loyal, hard working and can be good protectors.

Weimaraners can be a little bouncy when they’re adolescent, so be careful around smaller children as they can be knocked over easily by an excited Weim.

General Care of Weimaraner vs Doberman

Weimaraner has short and sleek coat with no undercoat. They shed seasonally and don’t generally require much care other than maybe weekly brushing and regular trimming of nails. Unless they roll in something stinky, they usually don’t require a bath. If they’re dirty, a quick hose or wipe will take care of it. They don’t have the doggy scent.

Doberman’s coat is also short and smooth and quite hard. It’s set close to the body with no undercoat. Unlike the Weimaraner, they shed regularly but don’t really need frequent brushing. Due to their short coat, dirt doesn’t really cling to them, so you don’t have to bathe them often.

Every dog is different though, so some dogs may require more brushing or bathing more often due to skin conditions.

Training and Exercise of Weimaraner vs Doberman

As I mentioned above, both breeds are very active and need a lot of exercise. Ideally at least two hours a day. While running around is great, sometimes Weimaraners can run forever and not get tired.

Physical exercise is important (suited to their age, of course) but a lot of mental exercise is also very crucial. Without any mental stimulation, they can get bored easily and start rearranging your house.

Both Weimaraners and Dobermans learn rather quickly and are eager to please their owners. Both need a firm but kind hand. They both enjoy working; the Doberman can be used as protectors, in police task force, military, search and rescue and also as service or therapy dogs.

Weimaraners excel at hunting (read my article What do Weimaraners hunt?) but they will excel in field trials, obedience, agility, tracking, search and rescue work.

Lifespan & Health Issues of Weimaraners vs Dobermans

They have a similar lifespan around 10 to 12 years. The oldest Weimaraner lived to be 18 years and 10 months old. The oldest Doberman isn’t officially recorded, however I’ve seen some people say their Dobermans lived between 14-16 years.

They are both considered deep-chested breeds and these breeds are very prone to bloat and gastric torsion, which can be fatal if not acted upon quickly.

Both breeds are prone to hip dysplasia, eye disorders like entropion (inward rolling of the eyelid) and ectropion (bottom eyelid gets separated from the eyeball), and epilepsy. You can read more about these conditions in this post I wrote on the topic.

Both breeds can also suffer from dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), which is a condition where the heart is enlarged. It’s a serious and often fatal condition and the symptoms can appear quite suddenly, though the condition has been developing under the surface slowly. DCM can end in congestive heart failure quickly. It’s best to catch DCM early.

Dobermans can also suffer from von Willebrand’s disease, which is a clotting disorder. The symptoms may not show up at all or some dogs can start bleeding from their nose and other places spontaneously.

Dobermans can be also genetically predisposed to albinism and hypothyroidism.

These disorders are inherited, so make sure you’re getting a puppy from a reputable breeder who tests their dogs for these conditions.

Average Puppy Prices For Both Breeds

The average price of Weimaraner puppies has increased dramatically in the recent years. The average price nowadays can be anywhere between $700 and $2,600.

On average, Doberman puppies will cost between $1,500 to $2,500.

Both price ranges can vary depending on the breeder and the parent’s heritage and the legitimacy of the American Kennel Club registration.

There are situations where people would offer puppies outside of these price ranges but that’s generally not a good thing. These can be signs of puppy mills or inexperienced breeders.

Good and reputable breeder will screen the health of potential parents and their pedigrees and will try to breed the puppies for the best combination of temperament, health and skills.

There are Weimaraners and Dobermans needing loving forever homes, so if you don’t want to purchase a puppy, you can definitely look up a rescue in your area.

Doberman Rescues

• Dobies and Litte Paws Rescue – California
• Aztec Doberman Pinscher Club – California
• Doberman Rescue of Atlanta – Georgia
• Illionois Doberman Rescue Plus – Illinois
• Doberman Rescue Unlimited – New Hampshire
• Delaware Valey Doberman Pinscher Association – Delaware
• Doberman Pinscher SOS – California
• Lone Star Doberman Rescue – Texas
• San Antonio Doberman Advocacy and Rescue – Texas
• Doberman Rescue of North Texas – Texas
• Last Hope Doberman Rescue – Texas
• Utah Doberman Rescue – Utah
• Doberman Paw Rescue – Wisconsin
• Georgia Doberman Rescue – Georgia
• Volunteer State Doberman Rescue – Tennessee
• Doberman Underground Rescue – Ohio, Michigan, West Virginia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Indiana
• Hand Me Down Dobes – Ohio
• Bluegrass Doberman Rescue – Kentucky
• Doberman Pinscher Rescue of PA – Pennsylvania
• Tenessee Doberman Rescue – Tenessee
• Kansas City Doberman Rescue – Eastern Kansas, Missouri, Wichita
• Saving Dobermankind – Colorado

Advantages & Disadvantages of Both Breeds

Weimaraner

Doberman

Further Reading

If you’d like to read more about other breeds and how they compare to the Weimaraner, check out my Breed Comparison category!

Dana

I’ve always loved dogs, ever since I was a child, but I wasn’t allowed to have one. I dog-sit my sister's Weimaraner often. I decided to start this blog and share what I’ve learned about Nelly, the Weimaraner breed, and dogs in general from scientific papers and journals and my own personal experience. Learn more about Dana.