You can go hunting and be smart. The Weimaraner is the proof of it. While many hunters think of the breed as the ideal pointing dog, the Weimaraner’s current success is linked to the larger public, which like it for its company. Is this an heresy? Certainly not, as long as aesthetics doesn’t come before its natural skills.
The grey colour of the coat is a distinctive element, which makes of the breed an exception in the world of pointing dogs. It seems that this colour is very old. It would indeed date back to the 13th century and the time of the French King Saint Louis, who was supposed to prefer this colour. One could think that these dogs were the ancestors of the Weimaraners, but nobody was ever able to prove it.
Many breed authors affirm that the breed originated in the Duchy of Saxe Weimar, as early as the 17th century, at the time of Grand Duke Carl August. Yet around the same time, one can see on a van Dick’s painting, a grey hunting dog at the side of the young Prince Rupprecht von der Pfalz. The dog displays a similar morphology, which tends to prove that the breed could be found quite far from the region of Weimar. Geneticians provide a more scientific explanation: the change from brown colour to grey colour is quite a common genetic modification. And as the grey coat is a recessive coat, it is therefore easy to select and keep it present in the dogs. That’s what the Dukes of Weimar are supposed to have done during the first half of the 19th century. The Weimaraners were possibly crossed with Pointers, to improve their hunting skills, and with Great Danes, to give them more substance. The name Weimaraner became the only used at that time, and the first club was founded in 1897, a year after the first registration in the German Book of Origin. The breeding of the Weimaraners from then on was no longer limited to the Dukes.
At the beginning of the 20th century, an accumulation of circumstances helped the boom of the breed. Indeed, in 1915, Major Robert aus der Berber accidentally killed a Weimaraner while hunting. To make amend to the breed, the Major started breeding Weimaraners and selecting many dogs. The Major became chairman of the breed club, and the first standard was edited in 1935. Unfortunately, and like many other breeds, WWII was tragic for the Weimaraners. Its selection and renewal was then taken back by English and American breeders.
The Weimaraner is relatively large for a pointing dog. Indeed, dogs can reach 70 cm at the withers, for a weight of 30 to 40 kilos. This adds strength to the hypothesis of a cross with Great Danes. Bitches are smaller than the dogs. Their maximum size is 63 cm, and they weigh around 10 kilos less. Both dogs and bitches are powerful and well muscled, with a proportionate body, slightly longer than tall. According to the standard, the ideal ratio between the two should be 12/11. The chest is powerful, and the limbs are strong. The tail is traditionally docked – apart from the countries where this is now no longer authorised – to leave about a third to a half of its original size. The head is typical of gun dogs. Its shape is rectilinear, different from that of the Pointers or Setters’. The muzzle is quite large. The large ears are set high, and fall along the head. The eyes are bright or dark amber. The general appearance is soft and smart.
People mostly know the short haired version of the Weimaraner, which represents anyway 95% of the births. There is also a long haired variety of the breed, certainly less appreciated because it is less practical. There can be different shades to the grey, from silver to mouse, and sometimes turning to the brown. Although this is not the only interest of the Weimaraner, its coat is surely one of the possible reasons for its success. After the German Pointing Dog, the Weimar is the second most popular gun dog in the world.
This wonderful dog is supposed to be stubborn, it is therefore not advised as first dog. But it can be taught and controlled! Its education must be careful monitored, while taking into account that it’s not the most precocious dog. You have to quickly teach the puppies about the hierarchy, and to obey. Thanks to its intelligence, it’s almost useless to repeat an order. Once it has learnt something, the Weimaraner will remember it for ever. The dog is very social and naturally playful. It loves children, and the only other thing to its complete happiness is activity and sport. Its favourite is of course hunting. As a gun dog, its function is to find the prey and compel it to move, then wait until hunting goes on. It knows how to retrieve the prey, and many a hunter uses it as their only dog. Others say it’s better to have a retriever do the retrieving job, and let the Weimaraner out of this mission. A matter of taste. Practicing field trials, is a good opportunity to train your dog or simply to provide it the amount of sport necessary to its balance.
You don’t have to be a hunter to own a Weimaraner. You can make it happy with long walks in urban areas, and running in the woods. There’s a whole load of feelings to share during these moments between man and dog.
The Weimaraner’s reputation about its health fears nothing. It often lives 13 or 14 years, and it suffers from no specific affections. The breed’s lightly disposed to skin disorders, but these can usually be prevented thanks to a proper and balanced diet. Like other large dogs, it can suffer from stomach torsion/dilatation problems, this is why you should always let it rest after it has eaten. There are no known eyes or hips problem. The Weimaraner’s care is easy, especially in the short haired variety. Brushing your dog every week is fine. If you’re hunting with your dog, you should be careful about ticks, which can carry serious diseases. You can wash your dog, if you’re using a special shampoo. You should carry a special care to the folded ears.
It’s also necessary to watch its food, as the breed is naturally voracious, and all the more so if your dog lives a sedentary life. It can quickly become obese.
Weimaraners are quite common dogs, and it’s not too difficult to find a good breeder, at least for the short haired variety. Bitches are advised for beginners, as the dogs tend to be more stubborn and dominant. Hunters will generally look for dogs coming from lines famous for their working abilities. Generally speaking, this typical hunting dog is now seen as much in cities as in the countryside. Even city dwellers begin to really appreciate the breed. It can be very happy in a city, as long as it gets the play and exercise time it needs to be balanced. You’d better be sportive yourself. Weimaraners enjoy family life, but it must be said that they’re not good guard dogs at all.
Consult the Weimaraner’s breed card in our encyclopaedia.
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