Weimaraner
Overview
The Weimaraner is a silver-gray breed originally developed in the early 19th century for hunting. Early Weimaraners were used by royalty for hunting large game, such as boar, bears and deer. As the popularity of large game hunting began to decline, Weimaraners were used for hunting smaller animals, like fowl, rabbits and foxes. Rather than having a specific purpose, like pointing or flushing, the Weimaraner is an all purpose gun dog. The Weimaraner is loyal and loving to his family, an incredible hunter and a fearless guardian of his family and territory. The name comes from the Grand Duke of Weimar, Karl August, whose court enjoyed hunting.
Weimaraner Quick Facts
- Weight: 55-70 pounds (25-32kg), some can grow to be upwards of 130 pounds
- Height: male: 25-27 inches (62-69cm), female: 23-25 inches
- Coat: Short, fine, smooth gray (or a rarer long-haired variety)
- Activity level: Very high
- Learning rate: High - These are very intelligent dogs.
- Temperament: Happy, affectionate, very rambunctious, intelligent, opinionated, willful, territorial, brave, loyal, quick to learn but resistant to repetitive training, social, and very curious. If not properly socialized as a puppy, they may become aggressive towards other dogs
- Guard dog ability: High
- Watch-dog ability: High
- Litter size: 5-7
- Life span: 10-12 years
Personality
Weimaraners are fast and powerful dogs, but are also suitable for the home given appropriate training and exercise. These dogs are not as sociable towards strangers as other hunting dogs, like Labradors and Golden Retrievers. Weimaraners are very protective of their family and can be very territorial. They can be aloof to strangers, and must be thoroughly socialized when young to prevent aggression.
It should never be forgotten that the Weimaraner is a hunting dog and therefore has a strong, instinctive prey drive. Weimaraners will sometimes tolerate cats, as long as they are introduced to them as puppies, but many will chase and frequently kill almost any small animal that enters their garden or backyard. In rural areas, most Weimaraners will not hesitate to chase deer or sheep. However, with good training, these instincts can be curtailed to some degree. A properly trained Weimaraner is a wonderful companion that will never leave its master's side.
Training
Weimaraners are high-strung and often wear out their owners. They require appropriate training to learn to be calm and to help them learn to control their behavior. Owners need patience and consistent, firm, yet kind training, as they are particularly rambunctious during the first year and a half of their life.
Weimaraners are known for having a penchant for stealing food from table and counter tops whenever given the chance. Like many breeds, untrained and unconfined young dogs often create their own fun when left alone, such as chewing furniture. Thus, many that are abandoned have behavioral issues as a result of isolation and inferior exercise.
Activity Requirements
Weimaraners are also highly intelligent, sensitive and problem-solving dogs. From adolescence on, a Weimaraner requires extensive exercise. No walk is too far, and they will appreciate games and play in addition. An active owner is more likely to provide the vigorous exercising, games or running that this breed requires.
Behavior Disorders
Those familiar with the breed acknowledge two common behavioral disorders: severe separation anxiety and aggression.
Manifestations of separation anxiety include panicked efforts to rejoin the owner when separation occurs, excessive drooling, destructive behaviors and associated injuries such as broken teeth or cut lips. Behavior modification training and medications may reduce the severity of symptoms in some Weimaraners. However, the breed is generally refractory to such treatment and behavior modification training efforts. As individuals of the breed age, the severity of separation anxiety symptoms decrease somewhat, but do not completely abate.
Early and extensive socialization of young dogs can prevent aggression. However, as the original purpose of the breed was to assist in hunting small to large forest game and to provide personal as well as property protection, a certain amount of aggression is innate to the breed.
Source: All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.
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