I have tested on LayoutRoot, LayoutAnchorablePaneGroup, LayoutAnchorablePane, it seem not working if in the series of item to dimension (on vertical direction or Horizontal direction) there are only Anchorbles and not documents.
In the sample project attached I need to have a right column with an anchorableGroup (with the B and C panels) that I want to assign a DockWidth=100 and the panel B must have a DockHeight=50
Comments: ** Comment from web user: adospace **
Set first anchorable DockHeight to *, second anchorable DockHeight to 2*:
<avalonDock:LayoutAnchorablePaneGroup Orientation="Vertical" DockWidth="200">
<avalonDock:LayoutAnchorablePane DockHeight="*">
<avalonDock:LayoutAnchorable Title="B">
<Border Background="Orange">
<StackPanel>
<TextBlock Text="DockWidth = 200 ==> OK"/>
<TextBlock Text="DockHeight != 100 ==> KO" Background="Red"/>
</StackPanel>
</Border>
</avalonDock:LayoutAnchorable>
</avalonDock:LayoutAnchorablePane>
<avalonDock:LayoutAnchorablePane DockHeight="2*">
<avalonDock:LayoutAnchorable Title="C">
<Border Background="Yellow"/>
</avalonDock:LayoutAnchorable>
</avalonDock:LayoutAnchorablePane>
</avalonDock:LayoutAnchorablePaneGroup>