WEIMARANER

In my own words

Information essential about the WEIMARANER

Kennel Club Group: Gundog. Size: Large : Height, Male 25 – 27” (63 – 68 cm) to withers. Female 23 – 25” (50 – 63 cm) Weight: Male 70 – 80 lb (32 – 35 kg) Female 55 – 70 lb (25 – 32 kg)

Popularity:

The Weimaraner’s athletic beauty and colouring have led him to be a popular character in movies all over the world. In “Se7en”, one of Detective Mills’ dogs is a Weimaraner. Jennifer Lopez, Drew Barrymore and Sylvester Stallone are among others who have starred alongside them. Weims have been popular among presidents too. US President Dwight D. Eisenhower had one called Heidi, President Valery Giscard d’Estang of France had one called Jugurtha, who drank tea with her owner, and the first President and Founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk had one called Fox.

Breed History:

A dog closely resembling a Weimaraner belonged to the 13th Century King of France, Louis IX, but it is commonly accepted that they are a much more modern breed, first developed by Karl August, Grand Duke Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach at his court in Weimar, Germany, during the late 18th and early 19th Century. His idea was to breed a line of reliable gun dogs to the nobility. This exclusivity of ownership meant that, rather than be kept in kennels with the other hounds, the Weimaraner lived at home with the family. Consequently, it soon became a true family dog that hated being left alone or kennelled, but became very versatile, being happy to go hunting with Master, or stay at home and guard Mistress, and nanny the children as well. At first, the German aristocracy took pains to ensure that the breed did not spread beyond their country, even spaying or castrating any exported dogs. Eventually however, the Weimaraner spread throughout the world. Nowadays this energetic, devoted dog personality is most popular in Britain and the United States, though the long haired variety is not recognised by the American Kennel Club.

Character:

Have you got lots and lots of energy? You’ll need it, because your Weimaraner is on the go all day long. Weims are eager to please and need lots of attention. Set your Weim a task, and he’ll do it with marvellous enthusiasm, especially if it involves digging. Weims can be unruly if you don’t start training early, and you need to be as strong willed as he is, prepared to put lots of time, and knowledge, into socialising and discipline. A bored or neglected Weim can be an extremely destructive force, quite able to wreck your home, not to mention eating your socks, soiling the carpets and barking the place down. On the other hand, your Weimaraner is a kind and gentle person, just clumsy! Because of his size, he can easily knock a child or an elderly person over, not to mention anything you value kept at “tail height”, so he is probably better suited to a larger home. Your Weim is also an escape artist, so don’t leave him alone in the garden for too long, or he will open the gate or be over the fence and away before you know it. Weims love to dig too, so mind your flower beds and favourite bulbs. Your Weim is definitely a one-person dog, and although loving to other members of the family, will be “your dog” for the whole of his life.

Temperament:

Energetic, excitable, intelligent, your Weim will keep you as busy as he likes to be himself. Your Weim may appear to be a loopy, playful clown, but in truth he is a sensitive soul, and once bonded with you will not leave your side. This clinginess can make him suffer severely from separation anxiety, but once your Weim understands that you are going to come back after going out for a while without him, he will probably just sit at the window, waiting. Your Weim has a mind of his own, and can be stubborn, but with time and patience your pet can learn lots of commands, and will thoroughly enjoy playing agility games with you and taking part in competitions. Given the right training and environment, your Weim will make an adoring, somewhat clingy, totally devoted companion and playmate.

Conformation:

Whether short or long haired, your Weimaraner should be tall and quite rangy with a deep chest. He should be a study in power, stamina and balance. The head should be long and aristocratic, with a medium stop (the space at the top of the nose between the eyes). Deep flews should enclose the powerful jaw. The face should be straight, and the nostrils delicate. The nose should be grey. The eyes should be medium sized and round, placed far enough apart to give an open, friendly look. The expression should be keen and intelligent, but kind. The long ears should be set fairly high and slightly folded. The jaws should be strong with a perfect scissor bite. Lips, gums and the inside of the ears should be a pinkish flesh colour. The length of the body should be the same length from the withers to root of the tail as from the withers to the ground. The back should be level, with a slightly sloping croup. The hindquarters should be moderately angulated, but strong and muscular. The tail (undocked) should reach to the hocks and taper towards the tip and should be carried below the level of the back when relaxed. The webbed feet should be a generous, round shape. The coat should be short, smooth and sleek. Long haired Weims should have a coat no more than 1 – 2” (2.5 – 5cm) long on the body, slightly longer on the neck, chest and belly with feathering on the tail and backs of the legs.

Colour:

Weimaraners can be any shade from charcoal blue to silver grey, steel grey, mouse or roe grey. The coat has a glamorous metallic sheen, and many dogs carry a dark eel stripe along the back. Occasionally, small white marks can be seen on the chest.

Training:

Your Weimaraner needs knowledgeable training in order to fulfil his potential, as he doesn’t always want to learn what you are teaching him at the time! He will look bored while you try to teach him to sit, so you give up. Meanwhile he has worked out how to open the fridge door and steal your supper. Then the next time you ask him to sit, he will probably do it perfectly! Your Weim may suffer from separation anxiety, which shows up as chewing furniture, swallowing socks or bits of torn fabric (leading to a visit to the vet!) and incessant barking. Weims can also make an unearthly keening noise when they know you are about to go out, or can hear you returning. Consider that he was bred to stay by his owner’s side at all times, it isn’t surprising that he gets upset when you leave him, but he can learn to be left for a few hours, but not all day while you are at work. Time and patience are essential to overcome his natural stubbornness too. And don’t forget that youthful exuberance - it is a good idea to crate your Weim when a puppy, to help him understand about quiet times, and to prevent unwanted destructive habits from developing. Despite these challenges, with correct discipline, your well trained Weimeraner will be a joy to own.

Care:

Your Weimaraner only sheds a little, so his short sleek coat will need grooming about once a week. If he is of the long haired variety, his feathers will need a regular brush. Weimaraners have no undercoat, so bear in mind that they will feel the cold in winter. If like many Weims, yours likes water, a good rub down as soon as he comes ashore will be appreciated.

Health:

With a lifespan of up to 17 years (normally 14 to 15), your high octane Weim should keep his health all his life, but the breed does have a tendency to hip dysplasia, tumours and immune system problems. Like most deep chested types, he can be prone to bloat, or gastric torsion, which is very dangerous and will need immediate veterinary attention. Two small meals a day rather than one large one will help prevent bloat occurring. Also make sure you do not exercise your Weim too soon after meals. Provided you are careful to buy only from a reputable source, your Weimaraner should provide you with many years of happy, often hilarious, companionship.

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