Description

The Weimaraner is a graceful and decent hunting dog with kind and calm features. The Weimaraner is a moderately large dog, and is quite athletic with a complete balance of body which gives it a quality look.  The Weimaraner unites the qualities of speed and stamina with elegance, an alert demeanor, and pure determination and stamina. The smooth and easy gait indicates a smooth coordination of the dog. When seen from the rear, the hind feet look parallel to the front feet; and when viewed from the side, the top line remains strong and level.

The head of this breed makes it unique, with a reasonably long and noble head, a small median line that smoothly expands back above its forehead, and stops somewhat there. The occipital is quite prominent with well placed back temples, opening behind the wide set sockets of the eye. The color of the eye ranges from shades of light amber to gray to blue-gray which tends to appear black when the dog is excited. The nose of the dog is gray in color and the teeth meet a scissor’s bite. The ears are long, highly set and pendant shaped which are folded forward, hanging down the sides of the head. The flews are generally straight and fragile at the nostrils with the skin drawn firmly back, whereas the gum and lip pigment is of a soft pinkish shade. The small, silky coat of the dog is tight to the entire body and appears in shades of silver gray to mouse gray, merging the darker shades on the body with the lighter shades on the head and ears.

The height of the male Weimaraner is around 24-27 inches (61-69cm) and the weight is around 55-70 pounds (25-32kg); while that of the female Weimaraner ranges from 22-25 inches (56-63cm) and 50-65 pounds (23-29kg) respectively.

Coat Description

The coat of the Weimaraner is small and silky, which requires very minute care other than a weekly brushing and bathing every two weeks to a month that depends on the activity and routine of the dog. High quality feed and fine care makes the grayish coat shine and cleaning the coat down must be ensured after the bathing is complete. Scheduled worming and vet checks are compulsory as the dog remains mostly out in the field or on the ground.

A severe disqualification for the aristocratic Weimaraner is a noticeable long coat, especially one which is black or blue. Serious faults are known to be the white color over the whole body other than a patch on the chest; or the color of the eyes other than gray, light amber or blue gray or a non-docked tail.

 History

The Grand Duke Karl August of Weimer wanted to develop a multi purpose hunting dog, and was thus responsible for the earlier stages of the Weimaraner’s growth. The Germans were well-known for having a reputation as developing the finest hunting dogs in the world, and the Weimaraner was a result of that development. The Weimaraner was originally bred as a tracking, fur-hunting dog that was apparently meant to be violent toward the predators that it was meant to hunt. Ultimately, the breed became commonly known as the "Gray Ghost" due to its gray color, with the capacity to be very quick. Over the time, the nobles strictly began to manage the breed’s availability to the public so as to ensure the superiority of the breed. It appeared in a Van Dyck picture in the early 1600's. Howard Knight, who is known to have found the first American Weimaraner breed club, introduced the dogs to the US in 1929. The Weimaraner was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1943.

Temperament

The Weimaraner is a breed that normally exhibits awareness and friendliness, combined with intelligence and energy. Known to be brave and extremely rambunctious, this breed loves to run and hunt. If not permitted to do what its heart truly wishes or is pent up, it will build up a destructive manner with total irritation. With a tendency to be obstinate and stubborn, lack of running or exercise will compel this character into an unhappy dog. It needs a yard which is big enough to run and travel around in, and a home which allows it to sleep indoors on cold nights, due to their very short hair. A special type of breed, the Weimaraner remains happy when it is permitted to live a life both outdoors and indoors.

The Weimaraner needs an owner or a trainer who has the confidence and the strength to exercise, train, socialize, as well as love this dog. Nervous with other pets and people, it makes an outstanding watchdog. Apart from being a thinking dog, it is not only very proud but is also quite dominant and tends to quickly discover his trainer or the family member who has the most similar personality. The Weimaraner treats other people with ignorance, contempt and prefers to shower attention to those who are more deserving.

Health Problems

A major worry of the Weimaraner’s health problem is Gastric torsion, where the stomach gets twisted and traps the contents in the stomach along with gas. This is a severe situation and is the second major reason for the death of the dog next to cancer.
Gastric torsion can kill the dog within one hour if it is not looked after or treated. Precisely, it is called Gastric Dilatation Volvulus, which is associated to swallowing air along with food and fluid that are present at times. Abnormal accumulation of fluid, air and/or foams that are present in the stomach is called gastric dilatation. The bloated stomach can cause several complications in the body of the Weimaraner like shock, low blood pressure, and internal organ damage. The life span of the breed ranges from 9 to 15 years.

 
Grooming

The Weimaraner is generally considered to be a regular shedder, due to its silky and smooth short coat. If brushed once in a week, with a soft bristle brush, the dog is considered to be an easy care for grooming. Generally baths are given on a monthly basis, but it can vary with respect to the coat of the dog and its activeness. Moreover, depending on the owner and location, the tails of the breed are docked and the dewclaws are removed. If the tail is to be docked, it should be done at time of birth and only one third of the natural length of the tail is left. The ears of the Weimaraner should be cleaned every week, especially after bathing or swimming. Dental care is also needed for the breed for the prevention of bad breath, gum disease or tooth decay and hence dry washcloths or a toothbrush should be used along with canine toothpaste.

The nails of the Weimaraner are generally kept short and are yellowish-brown or gray in color and must be trimmed once in every two weeks, which might sometimes become difficult if the original breeder did not condition the puppy for toenail care. It is advised that the help of a vet should be taken to do the chore, unless a local groomer can manage to bathe the dog and also do the tails simultaneously. Special care with the nail’s length is always advisable as cutting it too short may result in excessive bleeding and causing pain for the dog while on the other hand, if it is not conducted on a regular basis, the nails will become too long and might get torn or can cause difficulties in walking for the Weimaraner.

Exercise

The Weimaraner needs an average exercise level as compared to other breeds because they are quite powerful dogs with great stamina. This breed requires sufficient exercise so as to avoid boredom, excessive destruction, frustration and excessive barking. This breed requires some form of strenuous activities or exercises with lots of stimulation, because it is a very tough and active dog which requires lots of exercise. It needs to be taken for long walks on daily basis along with plenty of opportunities to jog or run free. Special care must be taken that the dog is not fed after meals and must be fed only after it cools down prior to long walks. Another important thing to be taken care of is to include the dog in all family activities and give enough attention that the dog craves for.

Training

Training is considered compulsory by trainers or the owners for the Weimaraner, because of its high energy and taking charge attitude. The training must include lots of exercise that should begin right from a very young age. The general health of the breed, which refers to a clean coat as well as clean kennel, has a lot to do with the training of the dog itself.

Most Weimaraners are quite strong and powerful, with a stubborn streak, and hence becoming the top dog over the breed is necessary. The first four to five months of the dog is considered to be the most important time in its life. Thus, positive and negative experiences, good socialization, and important reinforcement transform the puppy into a right companion; otherwise a negative dog would make everything around it very miserable to the extent that it then becomes necessary to remove it from the home to a shelter or by placing it in a rescue home. All positive behavior of the dog should be rewarded that makes it repeat the same behavior in future. Negative behavior of the dog ranges from digging in trash cans, barking, etc.