All About
Weimaraner

Weimaraners can be a handful to train. They are stubborn and mischievous and have no trouble walking away from you if they are bored with the activity. Start your dog off young to establish leadership quickly – if you don't let him know you are in charge, he will naturally assume the position of leader. Training should involve a lot of praise and treats, but should be conducted with a confident air. Harsh discipline will cause your Weimaraner to disregard you completely, so make sure training is conducted by the most patient person in the home, as these dogs can test the patience of a saint. Novice dog owners may wish to consult a professional dog trainer who understand the nuances of the Weimaraner personality.

Generally, Weimaraners are good eaters. (In fact, they will eat their dinner and then try to eat the bowl.) Owners should feed a highly rated food that has a moderately high protein content. If feeding kibble, some people add water to the dry food. If the dry food is enhanced with canned food or table scraps, be careful not to add too much. Rich food can upset their digestion.

The biggest job in grooming the Weimaraner is keeping the nails short. This is important for the comfort and health of your dog and cannot be overemphasized. When nail length gets out of hand, it’s difficult to get it back to a proper length. (If you can hear a tap-tap-tap when they cross a hardwood floor, the nails are too long.) The short coat should be brushed to remove “dead hair.” Don’t forget to clean the ears clean the ears, since having an ear structure that impedes air-flow makes for the potential of infected ears.

The first thing to know about the Weimaraner is that he's a housedog. He's not meant for kennel or backyard life, and he's also not suited to apartment living. This highly active dog needs a large, securely fenced yard where he can run, and an active family who can provide him with the exercise and mental stimulation he needs. A sense of humor helps as well, especially when you see how your Weim has relandscaped your yard in his efforts to rid it of mice, moles, and bugs. He'll be proud of himself for his good efforts, so don't forget to praise him as you calculate in your head how much time, money, and effort it will require to put the yard back the way you like it. You might want to supervise him more closely and provide him with additional exercise. Weimaraners need a couple of hours of exercise daily if you want to prevent recreational barking, chewing and digging. Play fetch and other running games, take him jogging or hiking, teach him to run alongside your bicycle, or get him involved in a dog sport such as agility or flyball. And, of course, you can always take him hunting.Be sure your yard is escape-proof. Weims are Houdinis when it comes to confinement, and they're very good at learning how to open doors and gates and jump over or dig under fences. That's another reason why it's best to have them as housedogs.In the house, a mature, well-trained Weimaraner will be your shadow, from bedroom to bathroom to kitchen to den. A Weimaraner puppy is a challenge and requires careful supervision. He can be a destructive chewer and difficult to housetrain. Crate training is a good idea. Weimaraners of any age with separation anxiety, which is not unusual in this breed, can become destructive and may "dig" in your carpet or sofa in an attempt to create a secure nest. It's certainly not a behavior problem, but be aware that Weimaraners have loose lips. Nope, they won't sink ships, but they will splash water everywhere when they drink. Keep hand towels handy to wipe their mouths and clean up spills. Weimaraners are highly intelligent, but they're also independent thinkers. That combination can make them a challenge when it comes to training. Be consistent and firm, but gentle. The Weimaraner is sensitive and doesn't respond well to anger, but you must be able to say "No" and mean it. Keep training sessions short and interesting, and always end them when he's done something right so you can praise him for a job well done. Last but not least, hold tight to your sense of humor. Your Weimaraner may or may not do as you ask, depending on any number of factors, but he'll always disobey with style. Among the talents your Weimaraner may acquire are getting ice from the dispenser in the door of your refrigerator, turning on faucets, and opening gates and doors — including refrigerator doors. It's a cinch to teach him tricks and you may want to do so, simply to keep him occupied and out of trouble.

Major concerns: gastric torsion
Minor concerns: spinal dysraphism, CHD, entropion, distichiasis, vWD, hemophilia A, hypertrophic osteodystrophy
Occasionally seen: ununited anconeal process, eversion of nictitating membrane
Suggested tests: (hip), (eye), (blood)
Life span: 10-13 years

The Weimaraner dates to the early 19th century, when he was developed at the Weimar court in what is now Germany. The noblemen there loved hunting and they wanted a dog with courage, intelligence, good scenting ability, speed, and stamina. This dog would stick close to them as they walked in search of game and would be a close companion in the evening by the fireside. How they achieved their dream dog, first known as the Weimar Pointer, is unknown, but it's believed that the breeds used to create the Weimaraner included the Bloodhound, the English Pointer, the German Shorthaired Pointer, the blue Great Dane, and the silver-gray Huehnerhund, or chicken dog. As the decades passed, Germany's forests shrank and big game became scarce. The Weimaraner's handlers turned the breed's talents to hunt birds, rabbits and foxes. In 1897, an exclusive club was stared in Germany to maintain the breed and ensure that responsible breeders would oversee its development. No one was allowed to buy a Weimaraner unless they joined the club. Strict guidelines were imposed upon the breeding of Weimaraners. In 1929, Howard Knight, an American sportsman, was allowed to join the German club and bring two Weimaraner dogs to the U.S. The Germans were so protective of their "Gray Ghosts" that although Knight promised he would protect the purity of the breed, the club sent him two desexed dogs. Knight was not deterred, however. He kept working to get some foundation dogs that he could breed in the U.S. Finally, in 1938, he acquired three females and a male puppy. The females included two littermates, Adda and Dorle v. Schwarzen Kamp, and a year-old female named Aura v. Gailberg. The male puppy was named Mars aus der Wulfsreide. Other breeders joined Knight in his quest to breed Weimaraners in the U.S. and in 1942, the Weimaraner Club of American was formed. The American Kennel Club recognized the breed at the end of 1942. The breed made its formal show debut at the Westminster Kennel Club show in 1943. During World War II, it became difficult for German breeders to keep their dogs, so many outstanding Weimaraners were sent to the U.S. At the end of World War II, many American servicemen brought Weimaraners home with them, and they quickly grew in popularity, especially when President Dwight D. Eisenhower brought his Weimaraner, Heidi, to the White House. By the mid- to late 1950s, Weimaraners were the 12th most popular breed registered by the AKC. Unfortunately, as often happens, this led to a lot of irresponsible breeding. As the quality of the breed dropped and temperament problems became common, the Weimaraner's popularity fell. By the late 1960s, the number of Weim registrations fell to nearly half of what they had been in 1957. Registrations kept decreasing throughout the 1970s and 1980s. This allowed breeders who were dedicated to the breed (not just breeding puppies to sell) an opportunity to improve the health, temperament and conformation of the Weimaraner breed. Registrations began to climb in the 1990s, and today the Weimaraner is once again of the most popular breeds in America. He ranks 30th among the 155 breeds and varieties registered by the AKC.