Perhaps no other dog breed’s pedigree throughout canine history has been so jealously guarded as that of the Weimaraner dog! Originally known as the Weimar Pointer or the Weimaraner Vorstehhund, this dog breed that has also gone by the name of Greydog as well as the mystical appellation of Grey Ghost was bred as a sporting dog capable of hunting both small and large prey.
Breed development of the Weimaraner was pioneered by the court of the Grand Duke Karl August of Weimar of Germany in the early 19th century whose court was based in the city of Weimar. The plan was to breed a gundog of exceptional quality whose purpose was to hunt big game such as deer, wolf, bear and boar. However when the numbers of those wild animals started to fade the direction of Weimaraner dog breed development was restructured to turn the breed into an efficient bird dog as well.
It is believed that the Weimaraner’s forebearers included the:
• Bloodhound
• Red Schweisshund
• Various Pointer Dog Breeds
• Various French Hounds
The manner in which the Weimaraner dog breed acquired its very distinctive silver-grey coat (steel grey according to some) is not readily apparent but the characteristic color is perhaps the single most defining feature of the breed.
A Dog Destined For Nobility
The Weimaraner was specifically created and bred as a dog breed designed for the nobility and not the general public. To that end a very exclusive Weimaraner club was formed circa 1897 a good while after the Weimaraner dog breed had attained purebred status approximately around 1810.
With the formation of the Weimaraner Club of Germany came strict breed control guidelines which fore mostly stipulated that only select members of the club would be allowed to own one of these most exclusive of dogs! On the rare occasion that club protocol was broken and for some reason or other they were compelled to part with one of their beloved Weimaraner specimens, the dog was secretly sterilized before being handed over to the hapless new owner in an effort to preserve the breed’s genetic heritage.
It was strictly forbidden to sell Weimaraner dogs to nonmembers and quality control of the breed’s genetic heritage was religiously and rigidly observed such that any litters that were determined to be genetically inferior were dispassionately and expeditiously culled.
Club rules were enforced by one Major Herber and the nature of their severity extended to the point that even amongst club members the cross-mating of their Weimaraner dogs was strictly forbidden without the prior approval from a breed master or breed committee. It was in this manner that the Weimaraner remained one of the most selective and exclusive of all dog breeds for over a century!
Appearance & Temperament of The Weimaraner
The AKC standard states that the male Weimaraner should stand between 25 – 27 inches at the withers with the females being slightly smaller at 23 -25 inches. Weimaraners are athletic dogs and as such are lithe and lean as opposed to bulky muscular creatures. As gun dogs they were designed to be fast, yet still powerful enough to get5 the task done. Male Weimaraners on average weigh in around 70-80 lbs and females average 55 -70 lbs (25 – 32kg).
The breed typically has a very short coat which ranges from charcoal-blue to silver gray; however though not as common longhaired Weimaraners do exist. Up until November 2009 the longhaired variety of the Weimaraner was not accepted by the AKC as were not blue-coated dogs. The one coat color variation that renders an automatic disqualification is black.
Unlike some of the other hunting dogs such as the Labrador and Golden Retrievers the Weimaraner dog breed is not naturally sociable to strangers. It is in fact essential to vigorously socialize the Weimaraner when young in order to avoid issues of aggression. When a Weimaraner feels intimidated or threatened its fur will spike up running down the middle of its back and its tail will point directly upwards.
As mentioned before this is an athletic dog breed which requires substantial amounts of exercise and thus should not be the first dog breed choice for the couch-potato personality. In other words they need lots of daily exercise. That said, the Weimaraner makes for a good all round pet being comfortable with kids, though as the case with all dogs should be carefully supervised around smaller kids.
A word of caution though, remember that this dog was bred to hunt hence has a strong instinctive prey drive; thus if there are going to be smaller pets around the house it is essential that the dogs is socialized to them as puppies.
Weimaraners are very touchy-feely dogs and bond extremely strongly with their owner. In fact the Weimaraner has been nicknamed then Velcro Dog due to its affinity to adhere to its owner. It is for this very reason that Weimaraner dogs are so prone to severe separation anxiety.
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Kayye Nynne is the webmaster of http://www.dog-breeds-spot.com
Article from articlesbase.com
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Tags: Breed, Characteristics, History, Weimaraner
