The Weimaraner :Breed Info

[Novel]

I thought that I would compile some information on the Weimaraner here, for those that are interested.

the following is from the WCA (Weimaraner Club of America)

Characteristics
1. Weimaraners are very energetic animals...they are bred to hunt all day with their master. Changing this behavior changes the essential Weim. If you can not deal with this behavior, you should look at other breeds less rambunctious!

2. Weims are not soft mouthed like a Golden Retriever or Irish Setter. They are still the game hunter and some Weims have a low tolerance for small fur bearing animals including cats and small dogs. Changing this behavior again changes the basic temperament of the dog.

3. Weims can bark and if you are away from them too much and they are left to themselves, Weimaraners are like any other lonely dog, they will bark incessantly and develop bad habits or try escaping their surroundings.

4. Although Weimaraners are hunting dogs, they do not like living outdoors. They require your attention. They are the true, loyal, hunting companions in every respect, needing your friendship. Chaining a Weim outside will not work!

5. Inspite of the folklore and myth surrounding the breed, the Weimaraner is not a wonder dog. Given the opportunity, he will still steal the pot roast off the dining room table when no one is looking!

Brief History of the Weimaraner Breed

The original Weimar Pointers appeared in the 19th century. They were prized for their versatile hunting skills and remarkable character. In the early part of the century, the Nobles of Weimar were avid sportsmen and hunted a variety of big game. They required of the Weimaraner an exceptional tracking ability, speed, courage and durability. Their breeding programs developed these specific traits and qualities. More likely by accident, they produced the distinctive gray coat color that is the hallmark of the breed.

During the first century, the Nobles rigidly controlled the availability of the dogs. To insure the future of the breed, the German Weimaraner Club was formed. Membership was restricted and members only were permitted to own and breed the dogs. Few outsiders really knew much about the breed. Legends developed about the great gray hunting dog. Type and temperament was refined and eventually, during the latter half of the 19th century, the Weimaraner was converted from a bear and dear hunter to a ‘fur and feathers’ dog.

However, much of the original hunting instincts remain today and must be taken into consideration when deciding to buy a Weimaraner.

In 1928 a New England sportsman, Howard Knight, applied for membership in the German Club. Despite his promises to protect the purity of the breed, the club sent Knight two sterilized dogs. He was determined to acquire foundation stock. Finally, in 1938, three bitches and a puppy dog were sent to him: litter sisters, Adda and Dorle v. Schwarzen Kamp; year old bitch, Aura v. Gaiberg; puppy dog, Mars aus der Wulfsreide. Others joined Howard Knight’s efforts and in 1942, the Weimaraner Club of America was formed, a standard was created for the breed. American Kennel Club recognition was applied for and dogs began exhibition in obedience. At the end of 1942, AKC recognition was granted and the breed had it’s coming out at Westminster in 1943.

An era of imports began in the forties. It may have been difficult to keep dogs in wartime Europe, so many quality dogs were sent to the states. The most outstanding of these was Aura v. Gaiberg (bitch) , the first companion dog titlist. Her son, Ch. Grafmar’s Jupiter, UTD was the first to complete all the obedience degrees. Thirty -six Grafmar dogs earned obedience titles in the next ten years. Weimaraners began attending field trials in 1948.

The last half of the fifties brought fame, fortune and problems to the breed. In some ways they were the glory years of the first big bench winners, multiple Best in Show and big running flashy field dogs. It seemed for a while, though, that all the hard work and careful planning of the early years had gone for naught. A Weimaraner was a status symbol and the more it cost to obtain the more status it afforded. While the boom was going on, many of the animals produced were ill bred, ill tempered and ugly. The once rare Gray Ghost ended up “free to good home”. The breed quality survived among the concerned and dedicated people who maintained breed standards of excellence. By the mid-sixties, the breed began emerging from this devastating growth period and breeders began working on correcting past abuses. Recovery, however, would not have been possible without the original strong gene pool.

Today, the Weimaraner is enjoying a renewed popularity. It ranks forty-first in popularity in the United States. This is a drop of two points from thirty-ninth for most of the past decade. There has been a surge of the number of animals in rescue shelters and foster care (see rescue pages). A short number of years ago, there were only a handful of dogs in need of homes,currently there are more than thirty listed. The responsible breeders are carrying the burden of the taking care of the animals unwanted by careless breeders and buyers. While the over-popularity is not as extreme as the 1950’s, both breeders and buyers need to educate themselves about the Weimaraner temperament and needs before selling or buying a friend for the dog’s life.

The Weimaraner Club of America has a growing membership of interested persons. The club encourages responsible breeding and dog ownership. Also, it serves as a collection point of information about some of the breed’s health and rescue issues. The club maintains a liason to Germany and has members in Australia, Austria, Bermuda, Brasil, Canada and other places throughout the world. The Weimaraner Magazine is published monthly with a Blue Ribbon Issue published in June. A members directory is also published allowing members to keep in touch.

Some information taken from A Pictoral History of the Weimaraner, Volume One.

The American Kennel Club Standard for the Weimaraner Breed

General Appearance
A medium-sized gray dog, with fine aristocratic features. He should present a picture of grace, speed, stamina, alertness and balance. Above all, the dog's conformation must indicate the ability to work with great speed and endurance in the field.

Height
Height at the withers: dogs, 25 to 27 inches; bitches, 23 to 25 inches. One inch over or under the specified height of each sex is allowable but should be penalized. Dogs measuring less than 24 inches or more than 28 inches and bitches measuring less than 22 inches or more than 26 inches shall be disqualified.

Head
Moderately long and aristocratic, with moderate stop and slight median line extending back over the forehead. Rather prominent occipital bone and trumpets well set back, beginning at the back of the eye sockets. Measurement from tip of nose to stop equals that from stop to occipital bone. The flews should be straight, delicate at the nostrils. Skin drawn tightly. Neck clean-cut and moderately long. Expression kind, keen and intelligent. Ears-Long and lobular, slightly folded and set high. The ear when drawn snugly alongside the jaw should end approximately 2 inches from the point of the nose. Eyes-In shades of light amber, gray or blue-gray, set well enough apart to indicate good disposition and intelligence. When dilated under excitement the eyes may appear almost black. Teeth-Well set, strong and even; well-developed and proportionate to jaw with correct scissors bite, the upper teeth protruding slightly over the lower teeth but not more than 1/16 of an inch. Complete dentition is greatly to be desired. Nose-Gray. Lips and Gums-Pinkish flesh shades.

Body
The back should be moderate in length, set in a straight line, strong, and should slope slightly from the withers. The chest should be well developed and deep with shoulders well laid back. Ribs well sprung and long. Abdomen firmly held; moderately tucked-up flank. The brisket should extend to the elbow.

Coat and Color
Short, smooth and sleek, solid color, in shades of mouse-gray to silver-gray, usually blending to lighter shades on the head and ears. A small white marking on the chest is permitted, but should be penalized on any other portion of the body. White spots resulting from injury should not be penalized. A distinctly long coat is a disqualification. A distinctly blue or black coat is a disqualification.

Forelegs
Straight and strong, with the measurement from the elbow to the ground approximately equaling the distance from the elbow to the top of the withers.

Hindquarters
Well-angulated stifles and straight hocks. Musculation well developed.

Feet
Firm and compact, webbed, toes well arched, pads closed and thick, nails short and gray or amber in color. Dewclaws-Should be removed.

Tail
Docked. At maturity it should measure approximately 6 inches with a tendency to be light rather than heavy and should be carried in a manner expressing confidence and sound temperament. A non-docked tail shall be penalized.

Gait
The gait should be effortless and should indicate smooth coordination. When seen from the rear, the hind feet should be parallel to the front feet. When viewed from the side, the topline should remain strong and level.

Temperament
The temperament should be friendly, fearless, alert and obedient.

FAULTS

Minor Faults
Tail too short or too long. Pink nose.

Major Faults
Doggy bitches. Bitchy dogs. Improper muscular condition. Badly affected teeth. More than four teeth missing. Back too long or too short. Faulty coat. Neck too short, thick or throaty. Low-set tail. Elbows in or out. Feet east and west. Poor gait. Poor feet. Cowhocks. Faulty backs, either roached or sway. Badly overshot, or undershot bite. Snipy muzzle. Short ears.

Very Serious Faults
White, other than a spot on the chest. Eyes other than gray, blue-gray or light amber. Black mottled mouth. Non-docked tail. Dogs exhibiting strong fear, shyness or extreme nervousness.

DISQUALIFICATIONS
Deviation in height of more than one inch from standard either way. A distinctly long coat. A distinctly blue or black coat. Approved December 14, 1971

Taken from the American Kennel Club web site.


Is The Weimaraner Right For You?
The Weimaraner Standard describes the breed temperament as friendly, fearless, alert, and obedient, but this is but the half of its personality. Assertive, bold, loyal, and headstrong also fit, giving the dog a loving attitude with a willingness to take the upper paw in the family if the opportunity presents itself. Housebreaking can be a problem, as can destructive chewing.

Like most large hunting breeds, the Weimaraner needs lots of exercise and must be kept in a fenced yard to prevent him from ranging in search of game. Because he was developed as a hunting dog and still maintains those instincts, he may be dangerous to birds and small mammals. Unlike many hunting breeds, however, the Weimaraner is a house dog and does poorly when confined to a kennel.

This is a breed that needs obedience training to control his rambunctious nature. Owners should have a crate for the new puppy for help in housetraining and to protect furniture and woodwork from puppy teeth when the little rascal cannot be watched. Puppy classes or control exercises at home are essential for the Weimaraner the moment he enters the family. He must be taught all members of the family are to be obeyed. Training methods must be gentle and firm, for harsh treatment will sour his attitude.

1. Weimaraners are very energetic animals...they are bred to hunt all day with their master. Changing this behavior changes the essential Weim. If you can not deal with this behavior, you should look at other breeds less rambunctious!

2. Weims are not soft mouthed like a Golden Retriever or Irish Setter. They are still the game hunter and some Weims have a low tolerance for small fur bearing animals including cats and small dogs. Changing this behavior again changes the basic temperament of the dog.

3. Weims can bark and if you are away from them too much and they are left to themselves, Weimaraners are like any other lonely dog, they will bark incessantly and develop bad habits or try escaping their surroundings.

4. Although Weimaraners are hunting dogs, they do not like living outdoors. They require your attention. They are the true, loyal, hunting companions in every respect, needing your friendship. Chaining a Weim outside will not work!

5. Inspite of the folklore and myth surrounding the breed, the Weimaraner is not a wonder dog. Given the opportunity, he will still steal the pot roast off the dining room table when no one is looking!

This may seem like a lot of work, but a good owner/dog relationship could last around fifteen years. Longer than some marriages! The time and effort put into finding a dog that suits your needs and personality, whether it a Weimaraner or some other breed, will provide a rewarding experience for both of you over the life of the dog.

[reichoff55]

PERFECT.....good work!!!
they are a very mischevious dog....gotta love 'em!
We have a few that are couch potato's but they are energetic when the time comes.
Well written,!

[Novel]

I can't take credit for any of the writing, but I am glad that you liked it. They are truly wonderful dogs and I can't imagine not having one in my life!

Do you have pictures of your crew?

[reichoff55]

sure do!! I just cant post pictures(I dont know how)
Most of our bloodlines are imports(germany, the netherlands) Or Reiteralm. We have some Von Luchbach..Smokey city and a bit of Nanis too.

But a few years ago we became breeder partners with Virginia alexander..so most of our stock is Reiteralm/Weimars Joy

I went to your website....Toppper is an impressive dog!! Nice pedigree and great structure, how old is he?

[Novel]

The best way to post your pictures is to go the pictures section. Click on Pictures in the blue bar at the top of the screen. It's to the left. From there you can upload pictures. If you have any problems, PM me.

Thank you for the compliments on Topper. This Saturday he will be 21 months old. As you may have noticed Topper has Smokey City and Nani's in his pedigree. He really is a wonderful dog, a true joy to have in our home!

We're off this weekend to pick up his last major.

[DexyDoo]

Novel---
I wanted to tell you your Weims are very cute! We used to raise them back when one know knew what they were. Now days, they are overbread, but that's another story. My cousin has 2 "blue's" and I have grown to like the looks of them better. We now have 2 Vizsla's and a Blue Heeler mix. Weims and Vizsla's are somewhat similar, but I really don't miss the stubbornness!

[Novel]

LOL -- They are strong willed, aren't they.

See this other thread of mine for more blue pics. http://www.globalpaw.com/thread5422.html

[Clarence]

True i own a weimy and the yare very energetic dogs.

[Novel]

They sure are... that whole sporting dog thing...

[shay05]

Just wanted to say, Novel your dogs are beautiful. I know nothing about the breed but saw the first one in my life at the vet about a month ago and went home to tell my husband how beautiful they are.

[Novel]

Thank you, they are beautiful dogs, but can be a little difficult to own. I was raised with them, and I guess I'm immune to their quirky mannerisms.
Thank you again for your compliments.