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Weimaraner

friendly / fearless / obedient
Sporting Group >>

Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.

Height

25-27 inches (male)

23-25 inches (female)

Weight

70-90 pounds (male)

55-75 pounds (female)

Life Expectancy

10-13 years

Breed Traits & Characteristics

Affectionate With Family
  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    100% 100%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.
GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    60% 60%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    40% 40%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    40% 40%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    60% 60%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    100% 100%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    100% 100%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    80% 80%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    100% 100%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    100% 100%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    60% 60%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    100% 100%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

Affectionate With Family

  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%

How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.

Good With Young Children

  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    100% 100%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.

GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS

  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    60% 60%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    40% 40%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    40% 40%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    60% 60%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    100% 100%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    100% 100%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    80% 80%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    100% 100%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    100% 100%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    60% 60%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    100% 100%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

About the Breed

Hunters and pet owners alike adore the Weimaraner, Germany’s svelte and quick “Gray Ghost,” for their friendliness, obedience, and beauty. Along with spending lots of time with their humans, they take pleasure in exercise. Male Weimaraners stand 25 to 27 inches tall at the shoulder, while females measure 23 to 25 inches. They are easily identified by their unique silvery-gray coat. With the possible exception of a tiny white spot on the chest, a properly bred Weimaraner will be solid in color. The face is friendly and intellectual, with long, silky ears framing amber or blue-gray eyes. The breed portrays a vision of sleek balance and grace overall. A Weimaraner in peak condition is a sight to behold.

Weimaraners are great with children and aspire to have a family of their own. As long as owners are devoted to keeping them physically active and mentally stimulated, they make terrific pets thanks to their easy grooming, trainability, affectionate temperament, and can-do attitude.

What To Expect When Caring For a Weimaraner

Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.

Health

Weimaraners have a lot of inadvertent cuts, scratches, sprains, and pulls due to their high level of activity. They enjoy chewing, which can lead to mouth and gum damage. Make sure they don't consume anything that shouldn't be consumed by dogs. Gastric torsion is the breed's most serious health problem. In this potentially fatal condition, the stomach becomes overextended and twists shut. If you ever have the symptoms, discuss them with your veterinarian so you will be able to identify them and seek immediate veterinary care.  
Recommended Health Tests From the National Breed Club:
  • Hip Evaluation
  • Ophthalmologist Evaluation
  • Thyroid Evaluation
  • Hyperuricosuria (HUU)
  • Hypomyelination (HYM) DNA Test
  • Spinal Dysraphism (SD) DNA Test
  • Cardiac Exam
 

Grooming

The main grooming task for the Weimaraner is maintaining short nails. It is crucial for your dog's comfort and wellbeing and cannot be emphasized enough. It's challenging to restore proper nail length once it has gotten out of control. The short coat should be cleaned to remove "dead hair," and don't forget to clean the ears, as having an ear structure that obstructs airflow makes for the possibility of infected ears (if you can hear a tap-tap-tap as they traverse a hardwood floor, the nails are too long).

Exercise

Weimaraners require a lot of physical activity. For the sake of their physical and mental health, they must consistently exercise. They enjoy a nice jog. While walking is acceptable, it is much better to stretch your legs and get "up a full head of steam". The best Weimaraner is one that is worn out.  

Training

Weimaraners need to move around a lot. They must regularly engage in physical and mental activity for the sake of both. They had a pleasant jog. While walking is acceptable, it is much preferable to stretch your legs and get "up a full head of steam". A Weimaraner that is well-used is the best.  

Nutrition

Weimaraners typically have good appetites. Owners should provide a highly regarded diet that has a reasonably high protein content (in fact, they will eat their dinner and then try to eat the bowl). Some people add water to the dry meal while feeding kibble. Be careful not to add too much if adding canned food or table scraps to the dry food. Rich cuisine may cause digestive problems for them.

History

The Weimaraner, pronounced (WY-mah-rah-ner), is a dog breed that dates back to the early 1800s. Grand Duke Karl August of Germany, who presided over the court in the town of Weimar, was a crucial character in the early history of the Weimaraner breed. The duke loved sports like many other European nobility of the time. His goal was to create the ideal hunting canine. He is reported to have crossed several German and French hunting dogs with Bloodhounds in order to achieve this goal. The Weimar Pointer, or Weimaraner, was the outcome.

These unusual-looking canines were initially employed by the duke and his fellow noblemen as big-game hunters in search of bears, mountain lions, and wolves. The Weimaraner gained new vocation as an all-purpose hunter who points and retrieves gamebirds as the population of these predators declined in Europe.

For many years, the Weimaraner was a tightly guarded secret among the German elite, but by the late 1920s, good specimens had started to arrive in America. In the 1950s, the breed had a surge in popularity in the United States as a hunting and domestic dog thanks to well-known owners including President Eisenhower and actress Grace Kelly. Photographer and artist William Wegman, who rose to fame for his Weimaraner photographs, gave the breed still another boost.