About the Breed
The Weimaraner is a sleek, moderately large, athletic dog with beautiful lines and a short, fine, smooth gray coat. All shades of gray are accepted. The head and ears are a bit lighter in color than the rest of the body. The head is long and aristocratic and the muzzle is strong. The eyes are amber, blue-gray or gray - with an intelligent expression, and the nose is gray. The ears are moderately long and pendant. The topline slopes gently downward from the withers. The forelegs should be straight with dewclaws removed. The tail is docked to 1½ inches (4cm) when the dog is two days old. The limbs are long and muscular. The Weimaraner has webbed feet for swimming.
Happy, loving cheerful, affectionate and very rambunctious. Intelligent, but can be highly opinionated and willful, therefore this breed should have firm, experienced training from the start. Quick to learn, but resistant to repetitive training. Reserved with strangers and sometimes combative with other dogs. Socialize them well at an early age. Protective on his own territory. Very brave and loyal, it has a strong prey instinct. Do not trust with small non-canine animals. This is definitely not a herding or farm dog. The Weimaraner needs to live indoors as a member of the family. He needs attention and companionship. If relegated to a kennel life or if left alone too much, he can become very destructive and restless. He is a natural protector. Weimaraners are often kind to children, but are not recommend for very young ones because they are energetic enough to accidentally knock a child down. This breed likes to bark. Very hardy, with a good sense of smell, and a passionate worker, the Weimaraner can be used for all kinds of hunting.
Height: Dogs 24-27 inches (61-69cm) Bitches 22-25 inches (56-63cm) Weight: Dogs 55-70 pounds (25-32kg) Bitches 50-65 pounds (23-29kg)
As they are prone to bloat, it is better to feed them two or three small meals a day rather than one large meal. They may also suffer from hip dysplasia, but are in general a hardy breed of dog. Hip dysplasia has been reduced to only 8% through conscientious breeding. Prone to hypertropic osteodystrophy (too rapid growth) and tumors.
The Weimaraner will do okay in an apartment if it is sufficiently exercised. They are relatively inactive indoors and will do best with at least a large yard.
These are powerful working dogs with great stamina. They need plenty of opportunities to run free and lots of regular exercise. Do not exercise them after meals.
About 10-12 years.
The smooth, short-haired coat is easy to keep in peak condition. Brush with a firm bristle brush, and dry shampoo occasionally. Bathe in mild soap only when necessary. A rub over with a chamois will make the coat gleam. Inspect the feet and mouth for damage after work or exercise sessions. Keep the nails trimmed. This breed is an average shedder.
Roger Caras, “The Voice of Westminster” died on February 21, 2001 at the age of 72. Below is an excerpt from his book “The Roger Caras Dog Book”. The Westminster dog show won’t be quite the same without him and he will be sorely missed.
The Weimaraner is an all-purpose hunting dog developed in Germany from the Bloodhound. He is a large, assertive, intelligent animal of unmistakable quality. He is also a dog who requires special qualities in his master.
The Weimaraner makes a better watchdog than almost any other breed of sporting dog because he is aggressive and quite fearless. He is a dog of great character, and he spends much of his time telling everyone about it. If allowed to have the upper hand, there is no worse pest than this breed. He should not be a person's first dog.
This is a breed that simply must be given a full course of obedience training at the professional level. If the owner is competent, that is fine; if not, then the cost of taking your Weimaraner to a top obedience school should be considered a part of the acquisition price. An untrained Weimaraner is going to walk all over his owner, his family, and their friends. While not dangerous, he can be pushy and extremely unpleasant to have around. Conversely, a well-trained Weimaraner is one of the most splendid looking and gentlemanly of all breeds, sporting or otherwise.
The only real problem with the Weimaraner as a breed is that he is often more intelligent than the person who owns him. When this happens, it is not the happiest of man-dog relationships. The owner should always be in command. Any person smart enough and strong willed enough to properly select, train, and manage a Weimaraner is in for an unparalleled dog-owning experience. The owner who overrates him self or under-rates his Weimaraner is in for an ordeal.
Reprinted from "The Roger Caras Dog Book" 2nd edition, copyright 1992