If you have been searching the internet for the right dog breed, you might have come across the Weimaraner at some point throughout your search. There is so much to learn about this breed of dog that it can be difficult to find all of the information that you are looking for, but we are here to help you with this.
Typically, the Weimaraner breed is known for their high levels of energy, their super-friendly nature, and the fact that they can make excellent companion dogs.
They are sleek and swift dogs that originated in Germany and were bred for hunting purposes. Regardless of this, they have a loving and affectionate nature that comes out quite often.
To help you find out more about the Weimaraner breed, we have created the ultimate guide that contains all the information you could need. This will help prepare you for life with a Weimaraner dog, and you can carefully consider their health, temperament, personality, and more.
Weimaraner Key Facts
Before we get into this article, we are going to share some important key facts with you about the Weimaraner breed, so you can really think about some of the most important pieces of information.
Average Lifespan
On average, the Weimaraner breed will live for between 11 and 14 years. This is quite a long time for a large dog breed. Although, the oldest Weimaraner dog lived to 18 years and 10 months of age.
Minimum Exercise (Per Day)
Weimaraner’s are one of many dogs that have high levels of energy, and they will need a minimum of 2 hours of exercise every day. This should include some long walks with lots of opportunities to run and play off-lead in a secure area.
You can choose to split this exercise into more than one walk, and playing some of their favorite games, like fetch.
These dogs do not tire out easily, and it is important to remember that 2 hours is the minimum amount of exercise they will need. It can sometimes take more than this to fully tire out your dog. You will need lots of free time to dedicate to exercise your dog.
Coat Length
The Weimaraner has a short, smooth, and sleek coat. Their fur is typically longer on areas like the neck, chest, and belly.
Minimum Cost (Per Month)
You can expect to pay a minimum of $100 a month on caring for your Weimaraner dog. You will need to create a budget for things like food, insurance, and other essentials, and ensure that you can afford the total monthly cost before you commit to this dog.
Appearance
The coat of a Weimaraner is short, smooth, sleek, and solid-colored. It can range from mouse-gray to silver-grey, and they will usually have slighter shades on both the head and the ears.
Weimaraners that have long hair will have a silky coat and feathering on their tails and legs. However, they are very rare. The noses of these dogs are dark gray in color.
The looks of these dogs are part of what makes people seek them out. They are muscular dogs with big ears hanging down the sides of their heads. Their coats can occasionally feature white markings on the chest, and the insides of their ears and lips are pink.
Weimaraner puppies are also well-known for their signature light blue eyes, but the color will shift to either an amber or grey blue as they get older.
Size
The Weimaraner is a large breed of dog.
Average Height
Male Weimaraner dogs usually stand between 25 and 27 inches at the shoulder, whereas females are between 23 and 25 inches tall.
Average Weight
Male Weimaraner dogs typically weigh between 70 and 85 pounds, but females weigh less, between 55 and 70 pounds.
Temperament
Earlier tales about the Weimaraner breed made it seem like these dogs were born fully trained and perfect in every aspect. People still actually hold this belief about the breed today.
However, this is a common misconception about this dog, and while they are pretty great dogs, you will still need to put in a lot of time and effort when it comes to their training.
Typically, these dogs are friendly, fearless, alert, and obedient, which are all traits that make them an excellent companion and watchdog. However, they are also assertive, smart, and restless and known for their strong will. If you allowed them to, they would easily take over the household and run things their own way.
The Weimaraner breed will chew, bark, chase cats, and steal food at every possibility, which can become big problems if left unchecked. It will require experienced training to teach them to avoid such behavior.
Overall, their temperament can be affected by lots of different things, like their heredity, training, and socialization. It is essential to see the parents and another family if possible of the puppy you are thinking of getting, as this will allow you to get an idea of their temperaments.
As well as this, you will need to dedicate a lot of time to socialize with your puppy. You should introduce them to as many different smells, sounds, sights, and people as possible to provide them with the best chance of growing up to be a well-rounded dog.
Apartment Living
Weimaraners can live in apartments as long as they are still getting plenty of exercise. There are some people that would not recommend keeping a Weimaraner in an apartment, but there are lots of ways that you can make it work.
These dogs are really good at adapting to their surroundings, as this is something that they have had to do many times before, so they could easily adapt well to apartment living.
Good for Novice Owners
Weimaraners are very intelligent dogs, which can lead to them picking up bad habits just as quickly as they are able to pick up good ones. This is why they are typically better suited to owners with a lot of experience with dogs, especially regarding their training.
However, if you are a first-time owner, or you don’t have any experience with the breed, it is recommended that you take your dog to an accredited training class.
Sensitivity Level
These dogs are very sensitive dogs in many different meanings of the word. They are good at picking up on the feelings of the humans they live with, and their behavior can adapt because of this.
They might get over-excited if you are in a happy and playful mood, and they might even try to cheer you up when you are feeling down.
As well as this, they can develop allergic reactions to some of the things that they eat and touch. It is not uncommon for this breed to experience sensitive stomachs either, so you might need to try a few different types of foods before you find one that agrees with them.
Tolerates Being Alone
Some Weimaraners will tend to tolerate being left alone better than others, but this will all depend on their genetics, boredom, and stress levels. Some Weimaraners can be let alone for a working day without any issues, but others can develop separation anxiety.
Those that do suffer from separation anxiety can start to develop destructive behaviors, like chewing and excessive barking. If your dog is suffering from separation anxiety, you shouldn’t leave them alone for more than a few hours.
Tolerates Cold Weather
Most Weimaraners will have short and thin hair with no undercoat. The lack of an undercoat will automatically make them more susceptible to cold weather, and they won’t do too well during the winter months when the temperature is much lower.
They can also struggle outdoors when it is raining, as they tend to get soaked quickly, making it much more difficult to get warm. For this reason, you shouldn’t leave them outside for too long in the winter, and they might need a coat when you go for walks.
Tolerates Hot Weather
Weimaraner dogs will do better in hotter climates than they do in the cold, but even the heat can easily become an issue. If they run around too much or do not get enough water, they can develop heat stroke and become really unwell.
This is why it is so important to provide them with plenty of shade and water to keep cool and hydrated in the hotter weather.
Affectionate With Family
These dogs are very affectionate towards their families.
Kid-Friendly
These dogs are often too chaotic for young children who could get injured during playtime, which is why they are better suited for households with older children.
Is A Weimaraner Dog Friendly?
Weimaraners will usually get along fine with dogs they pass by outside, but they don’t do so well when living with them. They are typically better suited to a single-dog-household.
Friendly Toward Strangers
Weimaraners can be very suspicious towards strangers and find it difficult to trust them.
Health And Grooming
Now that you know everything there is to know about the temperament and personality of the Weimaraner breed, we are going to take a look at their health and grooming needs.
Shedding
These dogs do shed moderately, but regular brushing will help to limit the amount of hair that is left around your home
Drooling
Weimaraners do tend to drool quite a lot, which isn’t for everyone. If you don’t want a dog that drools, this might not be the right breed.
Grooming
These dogs are really easy to groom as they are a low-maintenance breed. Weekly brushing will help keep their skin and coat healthy and limit the amount of hair left around your home.
They don’t need to be bathed unless they are dirty or smelly, and you will need to brush your teeth at least a few times a week. Due to their floppy ears, you will need to check them weekly for signs of an infection, like redness or a bad smell, and you will also need to clean the ears with a cotton ball and ear cleaner.
General Health
Generally, these dogs are really healthy. However, some health conditions are at a higher risk of developing, and we will list these conditions below for you to read about.
Common Health Problems
Some common health problems for Weimaraners are:
- Hip Dysplasia
- Gastric dilatation-volvulus
- Entropion
- Von Willebrand’s Disease
- Distichiasis
- Factor XI Deficiency
Potential For Weight Gain
These dogs won’t gain too much weight unless they are being overfed.
Easy To Train
These dogs are really easy to train with an experienced trainer as they tend to respond well to firm and gentle positive reinforcement training. They will need someone with experience to train them, as they can be difficult and stubborn at times.
Intelligence
Weimaraners are really intelligent, which can be both good and bad in their training. Their intelligence makes it easier for them to pick up commands more easily, but it also allows them to think for themselves, and they won’t do anything that they deem an unreasonable request.
Potential to Bite
They can develop a biting habit as puppies and have strong jaws as adults. This is why you need to ensure that you teach them that biting is not acceptable behavior.
Tendency To Bark Or Howl
Weimaraners won’t typically bark excessively unless they feel threatened or are left alone for too long.
History
The Weimaraner actually dates back to the early 19th century, which is when they were developed by the Weimar court in what is now Germany. The noblemen there loved to hunt and wanted a dog with courage, intelligence, good scenting ability, speed, and stamina.
They wanted to create a companion that would stick close to them as they walked in search of a game.
It is not currently known how they managed to achieve their dream dog, which was first known as the Weimar Pointer. However, it is believed that the breeds that were used to create this dog included the Bloodhound, the English Pointer, the German Shorthaired Pointer, the blue Great Dane, and the silver-gray Huehnerhund, or chicken dog.
As time went on, Germany’s forests shrank and big game became scarce. So the talent of the Weimaraner was directed towards smaller animals like birds, rabbits, and foxes.
In 1897, a club was started in Germany in order to maintain the breed and ensure that responsible breeders would oversee its development. Nobody was allowed to buy a Weimaraner dog unless they joined the club. There were strict guidelines in place when it came to the breeding of these dogs.
In 1929, Howard Knight, an American sportsman, was allowed to join the German club and bring two Weimaraner dogs with him to the United States. The Germans were so protective of their “Gray Ghosts” that although Knight promised he would protect the purity of the breed, the club sent him two desexed dogs.
However, Knight was not deterred. He kept working to get some foundation dogs that he could breed in the states. Finally, in 1938, he managed to get his hands on 3 females and a male puppy.
Other breeders later joined Knight in his quest to breed these dogs in the United States, and in 1942, the Weimaraner Club of America was formed. The American Kennel Club recognized the breed at the end of 1942, and they made a formal show debut at the Westminster Kennel Club show in 1943.
During the Second World War, it became really difficult for German Breeders to keep their dogs, and many of the Weimaraners that were left were sent to America.
At the end of the war, many American servicemen brought the dogs home with them, and they quickly began to grow in popularity. President Dwight D. Eisenhower brought his Weimaraner, Heidi, to the White House.
By the mid to late 1950s, Weimaraners were the 12th most popular breed to be registered by the American Kennel Club. Unfortunately, this led to a lot of irresponsible breeding, and the quality of the breed dropped. This led to various temperament problems that became quite common, and the Weimaraner’s popularity fell.
By the late 1960s, the number of Weim registrations fell to nearly half of what it had been in 1957. Registrations kept decreasing throughout the 1970s and 1980s, allowing breeders dedicated to the breed an opportunity to improve the health, temperament, and conformation of the Weimaraner breed.
Registrations began to increase in the 1990s, and today, the Weimaraner is again one of the most popular breeds in America. They rank 30th among the 155 breeds and varieties that are registered by the AKC.
Costs
On average, you can expect to pay anywhere between $400 and $2600 for a Weimaraner dog. However, the high end of the breed can cost more than 6 times the amount of the lower quality end.
Weimaraner Fun Facts
- These dogs have dark tiger stripes when they are born
- Their eyes change color as they grow up
- They are referred to as the grey ghost due to their coloring
- These are very clever dogs
- They will do anything they can to disguise their scent
- They have taken part in search and rescue missions due to their excellent sense of smell
