Weimaraner Dogs

A young, grey coated Weimaraner standing tall, showing off its slender physique

A beautifully soft Weimaraner puppy with striking, pale eyes

A close up of a Weimaraner's large floppy ears and short grey coat

A lovely Weimaraner bitch lying neatly, awaiting a command

A resting young Weimaraner stretching out across the floor

A beautiful adult Weimaraner, showing off it's powerful physique

A close up of a Weimaraner's lovely, short, soft coat

A close up of a tired Weimaraner beautiful, soft ears

A healthy, adult Weimaraner lying beautifully, waiting for a command

An adult Weimaraner standing tall in the water, waiting for a command

Two lovely adult Weimaraners playing together on the grass

History

The Weimaraner originates from Germany in the 19th century and was bred as an all round gun dog that could hunt game of all sizes including deer and bear. It was crossed with Bloodhounds, Schweisshund and other pointer breeds to create the modern breed we recognise today. It's affectionate nature makes it a very popular pet.

Behaviour

The Weimaraner is a working breed that is very active. They are loyal, affectionate and bold. They are devoted to their owners and will do what you ask of them if well trained but do require a lot of time in training initially. They can be stubborn and will try and take over if you aren't firm with them. They are intelligent dogs and thrive on training. It is said there is nothing you can't train a Weimaraner to do, they just can't do sitting around all day. They learn very quickly and like to keep their minds active at all times. Patient and kind training works best for this breed. Failure to do this will result in a destructive dog. Their hunting nature will come out when out walking. They can walk all day and have massive exercise needs. The breed needs lots of physical activity to keep it happy and will happily jog along side you or trotting along with you on a bike ride. They will act like puppies for the first 18 months or so.

Weimaraners like to be outdoors and can become bored if kept inside for too long. A bored Weimaraner will be destructive and this is one of the main reasons for them being re-homed. However, given enough exercise they make a wonderful pet. The breed is good with children, but can be a bit too boisterous with little ones. Good training will prevent them jumping up, but they only want to say hello, no malice is ever meant. They are a great dog for an active family. If they are with their family they are happiest and will want to be close at all times. If they are on the floor, they will want to be touching you, so have a habit of climbing on to the bed to get closer... Good with other dogs and pets generally, they can sometimes be wary of strangers, but are soon friendly towards newcomers.

Their coat needs brushing to keep it looking good and remove dead hair, but little else is needed grooming wise. Bloat can be a common problem with Weimaraners.

Temperament

Weimaraners have an energetic and inquisitive temperament. Weimaraners are very athletic dogs who are bred to hunt all day whilst loping across the countryside. For this reason they require a lot of daily exercise or risk having a bored dog who tears up your furniture. They can be too lively for families with small children or elderly and as a breed they tend not to be too interested/friendly towards strangers and other pets.

Health Problems

Health problems that may affect Weimaraners include canine hip dysplasia (CHD), bloat, Hypertrophic osteodystrophy (malformation of bones), cancer, heart disease, eye diseases and allergies.