Gundog Breeds

Weimaraner

The Weimaraner belongs to the Hunt, Point, Retrieve grouping of gundogs and his highly distinctive coat is his most eye-catching feature. It is described as being in shades of grey, but the most curious aspect is the metallic sheen. Very easy to keep smart with a hound glove and chamois leather for polishing. The Weimaraner's eyes too, are unusual in their colour; either blue-grey or amber. The name comes from the German court of Weimar where he was extremely popular. There is a Van Dyck painting dated in the early 1600s which shows a dog of very similar type.The Weimaraner was developed by foresters who wanted a true multi-purpose dog; he was expected to track and hold at bay large game such as wild boar and deer, and find, flush and retrieve smaller game and birds. In addition he was required to hunt and kill predators and also to be protective to his owner and his family. 

He is a tall dog, up to 69cm and weighs as much as 39kg; add this to his enormous energy, intelligence and alert outlook and he makes a very demanding package. The Weimaraner is certainly not a dog for the novice owner (which is not to say that some people who have the right qualities could not form a very successful partnership with him), and a fair description of the Weimaraner is that he is a restless dog. He is easily bored and relieves this by excessive barking and/or destructiveness; do not expect him to lie around the house all day, just happy to be close to you. All those qualities that he was bred for do not disappear just because they are inconvenient in a house pet. He has, however, become less protective which makes him a little easier as a housedog.

He was not recognised as a separate breed in mainland Europe until 1896, and was first seen the the UK in 1952 when he was brought back from Germany by serving army officers who valued his working abilities. The Weimaraner's undoubted elegance and beauty has earned him many admirers; however, he is a challenging breed and considerable thought should be given to whether or not you are the right owner for him.

To read the Kennel Club Breed Standard for the Weimaraner click here.

Selected Books

The time to make sure that this is the right breed for you is before you bring him home; if you and your Weimaraner are to be happy together there is plenty of research to be done.  Even if you do not intend to work him, having an appreciation of Gundog Training will help you understand why he behaves as he does. 

In addition to learning what kind of behaviour is specific to Gundogs, understanding your dog, and what his motivations are on a more general level can save a lot of confusion and misunderstandings for both you and him. Many mistakes can be avoided, and quick solutions reached if you have the basics of puppy training to guide you through all the early settling in difficulties.  It helps, too, to have some idea of basic healthcare so you can make informed judgements about whether a visit to the vet is necessary or if there is a simple remedy.  For example, many cases of upset tummies are best cured by 24 hour starvation.  The books we have chosen will be able to guide you as to whether your dog can be treated at home, or a visit to the surgery is necessary.

Weimaraner Breed Clubs

• NORTH OF ENGLAND WEIMARANER SOCIETY        Mrs J Byrne       01706 853550
• WEIMARANER CLUB OF GB                                Mrs J Wrixon     01799 523605
• WEIMARANER CLUB OF SCOTLAND                     Mr A Kousourou  01698 813817
• WEIMARANER ASSOC

Weimaraner Rescue and Rehoming

Contact  a Weimaraner Breed Club. They should be able to give you information about dogs requiring homes and procedures for re-homing; if you are in the unfortunate position of having to re-home your own Weimaraner, please go through breed rescue. They will not be judgmental and are best able to find the right permanent home for your dog.

Weimaraner Breeders

•  Ryanstock 
•  Sadana 
•  Silvestre 
•  Stormdancer 
•  Sybaris 
•  Tramannin 
•  Wipfel 
•  Zilverein

If you are looking for a puppy contact the Breed Clubs and the Breeders listed and visit the puppyfinder website where there is a great deal of information on hereditary conditions.  If you are a Breeder and wish to advertise your puppies puppyfinder is an excellent showcase.