What You Should Know About Weimaraners

If you consider having Weimaraner as a pet, it is important that you are aware of this breed's characteristics. Discover the weimaraner's temperament, physical appearance and more...

The first time you see Weimaraners, you will definitely be amazed with this breed's pleasing appearance. Having bred from dogs used by royalty, Weimaraners possess elegant, noble and athletic appearance. Although they were originally bred to hunt large game such as boar, bears, deer and foxes, they can be loyal and loving pets of the family as well. Yes, these all purpose gun dogs can make great household pets too! But before you take home a Gray Ghost, it a great idea to find out fact about them.

Appearance.
It is important that all parts of the dog should be in balance with each other. The head is long and aristocratic and the muzzle is strong. The ears are moderately long and pendant. Both head and ears are a bit lighter in color than the rest of the body. The tails are docked usually at birth to keep it short (a third of its natural length). AKC standard calls for a height of 25 to 27 inches at the withers for male and 23 to 25 inches for female. Males normally weigh 70-85 pounds while females are usually between 55-70 pounds. The breed comes in short and very smooth coated or a rarer long-haired variety. The color may range from charcoal-blue to mouse-gray to silver-gray. A distinct blue or black coat is an automatic disqualification based on the AKC.

Temperament.
As gun dogs, weimaraners are very protective of their family and can be very territorial. They are usually not sociable to strangers thus they must be thoroughly socialized to prevent aggression. Known as dogs with human brain, weimaraners are highly intelligent dogs ranking 21st in Stanley Coren's The Intelligence of Dogs. They are usually kind with children but bear in mind that smaller children should not be left with this dog because they have the tendency to knock out a kid while playing.

Being hunting dogs, they have strong instinctive prey drive. They will not hesitate to chase small animals that enter their territory. Luckily, this can be prevented with proper socialization when your pup is still young.

Training.
Like any other breeds, this breed needs training too. Less-experienced owners may need to have their pets trained by professional trainers given this breed's strong personality. Should be done at an early age, socialization should include introducing to other pets such as cats, birds and other animals, introducing to cars, buildings and other people as well. Vigorous exercise, games and running this breed is absolutely needed.

Health.
Weimaraners are more likely to suffer from bloat or gastric torsion because of their deep chest. Other health issues include hip and elbow dysplasia, hypothyroidism, progressive retinal atrophy, entropion and distichiasis.