Breed of the Week – Weimaraner
The breed of the week is the Weimaraner, a medium sized hunting dog. Some of y’all might know this breed via Goose, or because of Sesame Street.
He said ironically. I think this took place at Hogwart’s. Y’all didn’t know there were Weims at Hogwart’s? Me either.
What is a Weimaraner?
The AKC Breed page for the Weimaraner describes this beautiful dog this way:
Often referred to as the “grey ghost” because of the distinctive color of its short, sleek coat, the Weimaraner is a graceful dog with aristocratic features. Bred for speed, good scenting ability, courage and intelligence, he remains an excellent game hunter and active participant in other dog sports.
The one Weimaraner I’ve known in person was an agility dog, not a hunter. The Weim, though, is believed to be a direct descendant of the Bloodhound.They’re used for bird hunting now, and are good, strong swimmers. Did you know that they have webbed toes? Similar to the Bloodhound, the Weimaraner typically makes a good family dog.
The Weimaraner was bred for nobility a few hundred years ago. Their stance, their personality, are regal. This is, I think, the first breed I’ve come across which is bred in only one color. No spots. No other colors. Only grey. And though there’s a photo online of a long-haired Weimaraner, that gene is recessive and they’re not often seen. A long-haired Weim will also have its natural tail (Weimaraner tails are docked at birth, growing to only about six inches long in adulthood).
Weimaraners Are Good Family Dogs
When I say that this is the perfect family dog, I mean families with small, tough children who are home, or for families who are physically active. The Weimaraner has lots of energy. It really is the perfect dog for my friend and her boys.
Let’s walk through the pros and cons of owning a Weimaraner (partly based on this highly informative site).
Reasons to Have a Weimaraner
Pros:
- Happy, intelligent, cheerful dogs – with the happiness comes unbounded energy!
- Loyal and brave – a great family dog if you’re looking for loyalty and protection
- Eager to please/easy to train – the Weimaraner is highly intelligent and very loving, so it learns quickly (treats are a great motivator, especially, it seems, the Big Paw Jerky)
- Great sense of smell and a passionate worker – hunting, tracking, agility – this dog aims to please
- Short coat, low maintenance – I think this is one of my favorite things about this breed, the lack of hair all over the house!
- Relatively healthy – in comparison to other breeds, there are few health issues associated with the Weimaraner – hip dysplasia, bloat (feed two to three small meals a day to avoid that) and rapid growth issues – that’s so little compared to other dogs
- Long lived for a larger dog, up to 14 years
Reasons Not to Have a Weimaraner
Cons:
- Very active – the Weimaraner should have plenty of energy its entire life, not just when it’s a puppy, meaning a large yard and lots of long walks – teach your puppy to sit first thing, or it will knock over everyone in sight
- Stubborn – it seems that with high intelligence comes stubbornness – just like with children – hmm
- Strong prey instinct – not a good dog if you’re fond of raising rodents, like hamsters, guinea pigs and rats – this dog will find and try to eat them, or so I hear
Seriously? That’s all the cons for this dog? Why doesn’t everyone own a Weimaraner? They truly are very energetic, meaning people like me, who sit on the couch a lot, would fall over dead with a heart attack trying to keep up. Or, I’d have to go for long walks, which would be very good for me. Hmm.
Giveaway
What kinds of Jones Natural Chews would Weimaraners like? Well, Libby loves the Big Paw Jerky (most dogs do), but I know she’d also love the Stuffed Windees we’re currently giving away. Your dog would, too! So do yourself and your dog a favor and click this sentence, then follow the instructions in the new post which will open to enter our current giveaway. Treat your dog to happiness. And let me know if you decide the Weimaraner is right for you!
Spreading the good chews …
Flea