Pets

The Weimaraner is a silver-grey breed developed both for tracking large game, such as bears, and as a pointing breed. The name comes from the Grand Duke of Weimar, Charles August, whose court enjoyed hunting.

Appearance
They have a smooth, grey coat unlike any other dog breed, and amber eyes. There is a less common long-haired variety. The colour is rare in dogs and is the result of breeding for a recessive gene. It has also lent the breed the nickname 'silver ghost' or 'gray ghost'. The coat is super low maintenance; is short and smooth to the touch.

The male Weimaraner stands between 25 and 27 inches (63-68 cm) at the withers. Females between 23 and 25 inches (58-63 cm). The breed is not heavy for its height, and weighs upwards of 70 pounds (32 kg). Traditionally, the Weimaraner's tail is docked at birth to a third of its natural length.

Temperament
Weimaraners are fast and powerful dogs, but are also great home animals given appropriate training. Weimaraners require extensive exercise in keeping with an energetic hunting dog. No walk is too far, and they will appreciate games and play in addition. If a play station is your best friend, consider another breed.

Weimaraners are high-strung and easily excitable, requiring appropriate training to learn how to calm them and to help them learn to control their behavior. Owners require patience, as this breed is particularly rambunctious during the first year and a half of its life. Like many breeds, untrained and unconfined young dogs often create their own diversions when left alone, such as chewing house quarters and furniture.

Professional training
Professional training is beneficial, particularly for less-experienced owners. This includes behaviours towards other family pets. Depending upon training they can be quite aggressive towards other dogs, but they are a loyal, playful and affectionate pet and an alert and friendly member of the family. Visitors are likely to be licked rather than warned away. Prospective owners should note that the Weimaraner is not recommended for families with young children as they are too high energy.

Behavior Disorders
Those familiar with the breed acknowledge two common behavioral disorders.

The first common behavior disorder is the propensity of many Weimaraners to suffer from severe separation anxiety. Manifestations of this behavior disorder include panicked efforts to rejoin the owner when separation occurs, excessive drooling, destructive behaviors, and associated injuries such as broken teeth or cut lips. Behavior modification training and medications may reduce the severity of symptoms associated with this disorder in some Weimaraners but not most.

The second common behavior disorder is unacceptable aggression in some Weimaraners. Early and extensive socialization of young dogs can prevent this. However, as the original purpose of the breed was to assist in hunting large game (e.g. bears) and to provide personal as well as property protection a certain amount of aggression is part of the breed.

History
Today's breed standards developed in the 1800s, although the Weimaraner has existed since at least the 1600s in a similar form. It is believed that Continental pointing breeds and mastiffs were its ancestors. The breed was created strictly for the nobility. The aim was to create a noble-looking, reliable gundog. As ownership was restricted, the breed was highly prized and lived with the family. This was unusual, as during this period, hunting dogs were kept in kennels in packs. This has resulted in a dog that needs to be near humans and that quickly deteriorates when kennelled. Interestingly enough, when the dog was still used for hunting, it's instinctual hunting method is to attack the prey's genitals to bring it down.

Originally, Germany was possessive of its skilled all-purpose gundog, but released a pair in the 1950s to America where the breed quickly became popular. Although slower than many other gundogs, such as Pointers, the Weimaraner is thorough and this made it a welcome addition to the sportsman's household. Furthermore, its happy, lively temperament endeared it to families, although it is perhaps too lively for families with young children. Unfortunately, with the rise in popularity, some careless matches were made and some inferior specimens were produced. Since then, both in Britain and America (where the breed remains popular) breeders have taken care to breed for quality and purpose.

Health
The Weimaraner is a deep-chested dog, which makes them a breed which is high on the list of dogs affected by bloat (gastric torsion). Weimeraner owners might never see this problem in their dogs but should be familiar with the ailment.