About Weimaraners

About Weimaraners

CKC BREEDS STANDARD FOR THE WEIMARANER       

GROUP 1  SPORTING DOGS GENERAL APPEARANCE: A medium-sized grey dog with light eyes, he should present a picture of great driving power, stamina, alertness and balance. Above all, the dog should indicate ability to work hard in the field.  

TEMPERAMENT:The dog should display a temperament that is keen, fearless, friendly, protective, and obedient.   

SIZE:Height at withers-dogs, 25-27 in. (64-69 cm); bitches, 23-25 in. (58-64cm)   

COAT AND COLOUR:Short, smooth and sleek coat in shades of mouse-grey to silver-grey, usually blending to a lighter shade on the head and ears. Small white mark allowable on the chest, but not on any other part of the body. White spots that have resulted from injuries shall not be penalized.   

HEAD:Moderately long and aristocratic, with moderate stop and slight median line extending back over the forehead. Rather prominent occipital bone and trumpets set well back, beginning at the back of the eye sockets. Measurement from tip of nose to stop to equal that from stop to occipital bone. The flews should be moderately deep, enclosing a powerful jaw. Foreface perfectly straight, delicate at the nostrils. Skin tightly drawn. Expression kind, keen, intelligent. Nose grey. 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 inch (.2 cm). Complete dentition is greatly to be desired. Lips and gums pinkish flesh shades. Eyes in shades of light amber, grey or blue-grey, set well enough apart to indicate good disposition and intelligence. When dilated under excitement the eyes may appear almost black. Ears long and lobular, slightly folded and set high. The ear when drawn snugly alongside the jaw should end approximately 2 in. (5cm) from the point of the nose.  

NECK:Neck clean-cut and moderately long.   

FOREQUARTERS:Shoulder well laid on and snug. 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. Dew claws allowable only on forelegs, there optional.   

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

HINDQUARTERS:Well-angulated stifles and straight hocks. Musculature well developed. Feet firm and compact, webbed, toes well arched, pads closed and thick, nails short and grey or amber in colour.   

TAIL:Docked. At maturity it should measure approximately 6 in.(15 cm) with a tendency to be light rather than heavy and should be carried in a manner expressing confidence and sound temperament.   

GAIT:The walk is rather awkward. The trot should be effortless, ground-covering, and should indicate smooth coordination. When seen from the rear, the hind feet should parallel the front feet.   

VERY SERIOUS FAULTS: 

Any long-haired coat. Coat darker than mouse-grey to silver-grey is considered a most undesirable recessive trait. White, other than a spot on chest. Eyes any other colour than grey, blue-grey or light amber. Black, mottled mouth. Non-docked tail. Cryptorchidism. Dogs exhibiting strong fear. Viciousness.   

SERIOUS FAULTS: 

Poor gait. Very poor feet. Cow hocks. Faulty back, either roach or sway. Badly overshot or undershot jaw. Monorchidism. Snipey muzzle. Short ears. Yellow in white marking. Undersize.   

FAULTS: 

Doggy bitches. Bitchy dogs. Improper muscular condition. Badly affected teeth. More than four missing teeth. Back too long or too short. Faulty coat. Neck too short, thick or throaty. Low tail-set. Elbows in or out; feet east and west.   

MINOR FAULTS:

 Tail too short or too long. Pink nose. Oversize should not be considered a serious fault, providing correct structure and working ability are in evidence.

HISTORY AND HEALTH

The Weimaraner - A Sporting Breed

The Weimaraner is a sporting breed which was developed in Germany as an all-purpose gun dog. Often referred to as the "gray ghost", the Weimaraner has a short, sleek coat ranging in color from light silver-gray to dark gray. The eyes are blue changing with age to light amber. The females are usually between 23-25 inches tall at the shoulder and weigh between 55 and 70 pounds. The males are larger at 25-27 inches at the shoulder and 65 to 80 pounds.   

The breed is used for hunting pheasant, quail and other upland birds and waterfowl. They are bred for intelligence and stamina, to be able to work all day in the field. They love to work and play and have seemingly endless energy. When not working, they are part of the family, being included in everything you do.   

Although they excel at hunting, they are used for obedience, tracking, as show dogs and as therapy dogs, as drug detectors and as companions. They excel at dog sports such as flyball and agility. They are a versatile dog with the brains and energy to do almost anything.

Descriptions of the Weimaraner

Weimaraners are:

Highly intelligent, strong willed,spiteful, bossy,mischvous, stubborn, demanding, very senitive, fun loving, good watch dogs, responive, dependable, devoted to family, very affectionate.  

Training

The Weimaraner is at times almost human. How the dog is raised has a big influence on the degree of any of these traits.

A Weimaraner "knows" that someone should be in charge, that someone should be the leader. If one of the humans in the family isn't the leader the dog will take over. However, when one of the humans is in charge, the Weimaraner will accept its role as a family member.

The Weimaraner does not usually thrive as a kennel dog or adapt well to a routine of being alone.

The time you will need will depend upon two things:

What you want to teach (Housebreaking, basic manners, tricks, advanced obedience work, retrieving, etc.)  

How you train (Consistency, praise, patience and repetition work best with a Weimaraner.)  Weimaraners are generally easy to housebreak and crate train. They like to be clean with their personal habits and Mom will teach them the early lessons. Many breeders begin elementary housebreaking before the puppies leave for their new homes.

Conditioning

Many breeders also begin conditioning exercises to get the puppies used to being handled.   

Weimaraners tend to suffer from "Separation Anxiety", causing excessive barking, destructive chewing, etc. when left alone. They must be conditioned at an early age to being left alone for short periods of time DAILY.   

Most breeders recommend that you should attend at least puppy socialization and basic obedience classes with your Weimaraner. The exercise will be good for both of you and it will help establish that you are the boss, while teaching both of you useful skills. Besides, it can be fun. Who knows, you may even have the class clown.

Health

There are many varied health problems in purebred dogs today.  There are several tests available to help ensure that breeding stock is clear from eye defects, blood disorders and heart problems. Some lines of Weimaraners are prone to skin problems, eyelash abnormalities, auto-immune and immune deficiency problems.

 Reputable breeders do not breed affected stock. The Weimaraner Club of Canada has a code of ethics that should be followed in a breeding program.

Finding a Breeder

The best place to get a Weimaraner is from a responsible breeder. When deciding on a breeder from which to buy, remember that you want someone you will feel comfortable with, and who will offer you advice and encouragement throughout your dog's life.

Does the breeder display an obvious love of Weimaraners?

Responsible breeders are concerned with the betterment of the breed. They are concerned with the health and welfare of their puppies.

Does the breeder want to keep in contact with you after the purchase has been completed?

Do other reputable breeders recommend this person?

Can the breeder provide references of previous puppy purchasers?

What type of purchase agreement or contract does the breeder require?

If, for any reason, you can no longer keep your Weimaraner, is the breeder willing to take the dog back or help you find a new home for the dog?

Is the breeder a member of the Weimaraner Club of America and/or local Weimaraner club?

Are you satisfied with the guarantees covering hereditary defects that the breeder offers?

To what extent will the breeder contribute to veterinary expenses if a hereditary problem arises?

Visit the breeder, if at all possible. Observe the conditions under which the dogs and puppies are kept. Don't get discouraged if you have to talk to several breeders and even wait a while for a puppy. Responsible breeders do not have a kennel full of breeding females. They breed physically and mentally mature dogs that have been carefully selected. It takes a lot of time, energy and devotion to raise a healthy litter. They will not have puppies available all of the time. 

FAVORITE LINKS

WEIMARANER ASSOCIATION OF CANADA  (WAC)

WEIMARANER CLUB OF AMERICA               (WCA)

CANADIAN KENNEL CLUB                             (CKC)

OTHOPEDIC FOUNDATION FOR ANIMALS   (OFA)

NORTH AMERICA HUNTING DOG                 (NAVHDA)

AGILITY ASSOCIATION OF CANADA             (AAC)

AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB                            (AKC)

WESTERN WASHINTON WEIMARANER CLUB

BC ALLBREED POINTING CLUB

SKAHA KENNEL CLUB

BREMAR PEDIGREE

OFA .

Pointing Breed Hunting tests are non-competitive pass/fail tests which assess each dog independently based attributes such as display of desire, boldness, independence, speed with a useful pattern of running across difficult or confusing scent patterns to pinpoint the location of birds. Other categories judges will score are; bird finding ability, pointing, trainability and in Senior and Master tests – Retrieving and Honoring. The teamwork between dog and handler is essential.

Participating in pointing breed hunt tests is a great way to let dogs experience what they were bred to do and enjoy what comes naturally.

​If you would like to get started in Pointing Breed field trials attending a trial in your area or finding your nearest pointing field trial club are good ways to start.                                                                             .Breed: Weimaraner
Type: Pointer

Hunting Style
The Weimaraner is a good all purpose gun dog that is able to hunt many types of game. It is a versatile hunter that was originally bred for hunting large game but became more focused on upland game as the popularity for large game hunting declined. Prey drive is strong and instinctive, so training should begin at a young age to shape their general hunting instincts.

General Appearance
The Weimaraner is a large breed with a coat that is generally short and smooth in a mouse-gray or silver-grey color. Tails are generally docked early to a length to no more than one-third of the natural length.

Size
Height usually ranges from 23 to 27 inches from the ground to the highest point of the shoulders and weight usually ranges between 55 and 80 pounds.

Disposition
A fast and powerful breed, Weimaraners are very active and are known for their stamina, so they must be kept active in a family setting. They tend to be less social toward strangers and can be very protective. They can also be territorial and should be socialized early to avoid aggression.