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Pronunciation

Description

The Weimaraner is a moderately large, athletic, working dog. The medium sized head has a moderate stop with a medial line going down the forehead. The nose is gray and the teeth meet in a scissors bite. The somewhat wide-set eyes come in shades of light amber, gray or blue-gray. The high-set ears are long and pendant, folded forward hanging down along the sides of the head. The front legs are straight with webbed, compact feet. The toenails are gray or amber in color. The tail is customarily docked to 1 ½ inches (4cm) when the dog is two days old. Note: docking tails is illegal in most parts of Europe. Dewclaws are usually removed. The topline slopes gently downward from the shoulders to the rump. The short, smooth coat is tight to the whole body and comes in shades of mouse-gray to silver-gray, blending with darker shades on the body and lighter shades on the head and ears. It also comes in a rarer longhaired variety (FCI Group 7). All shades of gray are accepted. There is sometimes a small white marking on the chest.

Temperament

Happy, loving, intelligent, cheerful, and affectionate. Good with children. Without the proper exercise they will be very rambunctious and difficult to control. They learn quickly but will get bored if the training is the same thing over and over again. This breed needs firm, experienced training starting at puppyhood, with an owner who understands how to be a dog's pack leader, or they can become stubborn and willful. Without this proper leadership, they can become combative with other dogs. This hunting dog has a strong prey instinct and should not be trusted with small non-canine animals such as hamsters, rabbits and guinea pigs. Socialized well with people, places, things and other animals. Brave, protective and loyal, makes a good guard and watchdog. Weimaraners absolutely crave leadership. They want to know what is expected of them and for how long. If this is not made consistently clear in their head they will not be stable minded, may be stressed, possibly developing separation anxiety, becoming destructive and restless. Owners should not be harsh, but calm with a natural air of authority to their demeanor. These things are instinctually essential to having a happy, behaved, balanced dog. Give your Weim plenty of extensive exercise, or he will become very restless and over excited. Because this breed is so full of energy, the first thing they need to learn is sit. This will help prevent jumping, as they are strong dogs and will knock over elderly or children by accident. This breed especially should not be hit to discipline, they become wary easily. Once they have a fear of someone/something, they look to avoid and training is difficult. They are so eager to please, and motivated by reward (food or praise) Once a trick is learned, the dog will leap to repeat for praise. Although they are often mistaken as dumb, because they have such focus, if the trick or owners request isn't their focus at the time, it will not occur! Spend a lot of time with short leash walk, next to you. If left to run ahead they will pull like a train and start to believe they are alpha, as pack leader goes first. This breed likes to bark, and needs to be corrected if it becomes excessive. Very hardy, with a good sense of smell, and a passionate worker, the Weimaraner can be used for all kinds of hunting.

Height, Weight

Health Problems

Prone to bloat, it is better to feed them two or three small meals a day rather than one large meal. Also can be prone to hip dysplasia, hypertropic osteodystrophy (excessive rapid growth) and tumors.

Living Conditions

Exercise

Life Expectancy

Grooming

Origin

The breed is several centuries old and is derived from the same selective stock as other German hunting breeds and is a descendant of the Bloodhound. The Weimaraner is a good all-around hunting dog and an excellent pointer. They were originally used as big game hunters such as bear, deer and wolves, but is used more today as a bird dog and even a water retriever. A Weimaraner appeared in a Van Dyck painting of the early 1600's. Howard Knight, who founded the first American Weimaraner breed club, imported the dogs to the United States in 1929. The popular children's TV show Sesame Street has been known to plays skits with this breed dressed up in human clothes. The Weimaraner was first recognized by the AKC in 1943. Some of its talents include: hunting, tracking, retrieving, pointing, watchdog, guarding, police work, service dogs for the disabled, search & rescue, and agility.

Group

Recognition

CKC = Continental Kennel Club
FCI = Fédération Cynologique Internationale
AKC = American Kennel Club
UKC = United Kennel Club
KCGB = Kennel Club of Great Britain
CKC = Canadian Kennel Club
ANKC = Australian National Kennel Club
NKC = National Kennel Club
NZKC = New Zealand Kennel Club
APRI = American Pet Registry Inc.
ACR = American Canine Registry
DRA = Dog Registry of America, Inc.

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