The Weimaraner: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet
3/5
()
About this ebook
Read more from Patricia Riley
Growing Up Native American Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to The Weimaraner
Titles in the series (57)
The African Grey: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Quaker Parrot: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Rhodesian Ridgeback: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Guinea Pig: Your Happy Healthy Pet Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Weimaraner: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Cockatiel: Your Happy Healthy Pet Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Freshwater Aquarium: Your Happy Healthy Pet Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsKitten Care & Training: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Choosing a Dog: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDachshund: Your Happy Healthy Pet Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5The French Bulldog: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Pug: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Hermit Crab: Your Happy Healthy Pet Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Conure: Your Happy Healthy Pet Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: Your Happy Healthy Pet Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHousetraining: Your Happy Healthy Pet Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Shih Tzu: Your Happy Healthy Pet Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Parakeet: Your Happy Healthy Pet Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Border Collie: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Yorkshire Terrier: Your Happy Healthy Pet Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJack Russell Terrier: Your Happy Healthy Pet Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5American Pit Bull Terrier: Your Happy Healthy Pet Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSaltwater Aquarium: Your Happy Healthy Pet Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMiniature Schnauzer: Your Happy Healthy Pet Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBoston Terrier: Your Happy Healthy Pet Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Betta: Your Happy Healthy Pet Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Maltese: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBoxer: Your Happy Healthy Pet Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTurtle: Your Happy Healthy Pet Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Lovebird: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related ebooks
The Weimaraner: A Guide for Owners Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Everything Rottweiler Book: A Complete Guide to Raising, Training, and Caring for Your Rottweiler Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTraining Your Dog: The Step-by-Step Manual Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Quick Guide to Cocker Spaniel Puppies Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMedical, Genetic & Behavioral Risk Factors of Belgian Malinois Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Rottweiler: Centuries of Service Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHip Ideas for Hyper Dogs Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Medical, Genetic & Behavioral Risk Factors of Belgian Tervurens Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMedical, Genetic and Behavioral Risk Factors of the Herding Breeds Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThink Like Your Dog - And Enjoy the Rewards Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Siberian Husky: A Comprehensive Guide to Owning and Caring for Your Dog Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Giant Schnauzer Training - Dog Training for your Giant Schnauzer puppy: Giant Schnauzer Training, #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Doberman Pinscher: Brains and Beauty Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Ultimate Guide to Dog Training: Puppy Training to Advanced Techniques plus 50 Problem Behaviors Solved! Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Do It Yourself Dog Food Logic: The Complete Food Guide To Optimum Health For Your Precious Dog Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDog-Gone Good Cuisine: More Healthy, Fast, and Easy Recipes for You and Your Pooch Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsChihuahua Training Vol. 2: Dog Training for Your Grown-up Chihuahua: Chihuahua Training, #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRottweiler Training - Dog Training for your Rottweiler puppy: Rottweiler Training, #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFirst Aid For Dogs: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAggression: Aggression Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPotty Training for Service Dogs Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Story of Your Dog: A Straightforward Guide to a Complicated Animal Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Total Dog Manual: Meet, Train, and Care for Your New Best Friend Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDog Diet – The Right Food For Your Dog Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFirst Aid for Cats: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Kennel Building and Management Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Dogs For You
100 Ways to Train the Perfect Dog Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Lucky Dog Lessons: Train Your Dog in 7 Days Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Your Dog Is Your Mirror: The Emotional Capacity of Our Dogs and Ourselves Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Puppies For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Ultimate Service Dog Training Manual: 100 Tips for Choosing, Raising, Socializing, and Retiring Your Dog Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Teach Quantum Physics to Your Dog Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dog Food Cookbook: 41 Healthy and Easy Recipes for Your Best Friend Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dog Training For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Cesar Millan's Short Guide to a Happy Dog: 98 Essential Tips and Techniques Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5MINE!: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO RESOURCE GUARDING IN DOGS Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5No Nonsense Dog Training: A Complete Guide to Fully Train Any Dog Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Do No Harm Dog Training and Behavior Handbook: Featuring the Hierarchy of Dog Needs® Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Signs From Pets In The Afterlife Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Arthur: The Dog who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost a Pet Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5If My Dogs Were a Pair of Middle-Aged Men Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5BEHAVIOR ADJUSTMENT TRAINING 2.0: NEW PRACTICAL TECHNIQUES FOR FEAR, FRUSTRATION, AND AGGRESSION Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Home Cooking for Your Dog: 75 Holistic Recipes for a Healthier Dog Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5ON TALKING TERMS WITH DOGS: CALMING SIGNALS 2ND EDITION Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Before and After Getting Your Puppy: The Positive Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, and Well-Behaved Dog Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Amazing Afterlife of Animals: Messages and Signs From Our Pets on the Other Side Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Everything Essential Dog Training and Tricks Book: All You Need to Train Your Dog in No Time Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow Stella Learned to Talk: The Groundbreaking Story of the World's First Talking Dog Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How Dogs Think: Understanding the Canine Mind Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Unlock Your Dog's Potential: How to Achieve a Calm and Happy Canine Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5How To Raise A Puppy You Can Live With, 4th Edition - Revised & Updated Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related categories
Reviews for The Weimaraner
1 rating0 reviews
Book preview
The Weimaraner - Patricia Riley
part one
External Features of the Weimaraner
chapter 1
What is a Weimaraner?
The first thing that comes to mind when people think of a Weimaraner is that silver dog with the amber eyes.
With those words you have begun the description of the Weimaraner. But it is only the beginning—loyal companion, energetic playmate, tireless hunting partner are also words that come to mind. The Weimaraners’ remarkable coloration and haunting eyes make them a stand out almost anywhere they may go; their friendly attitude and intelligence make them as popular as they are striking in appearance. A Weimaraner is more than a medium-size gray dog; he is an attitude, and a lifestyle.
A Versatile Dog
A dog that is athletic and intelligent, the Weimaraner can be an ideal family companion. Of medium to large
In the United States, Weimaraners have served in many capacities. Their versatility is literally legendary. Serving as companions or hunting partners is but a small portion of the vast repertoire of the Weimaraner. They have served in police departments and the military as protection, rescue, and detection dogs. Documentation even shows a Weimaraner served as a guide dog for the blind. Primarily used by hunters as upland bird dogs in the United States, historically, in their native country of Germany, they are also used to track large, wounded game of all sorts including boar, bear, and stag, tracking and retrieving smaller game, such as rabbits. Today Weimaraners participate in a staggering array of activities from those recognized by the AKC to less common ones such as weight pulls, skijoring, Frisbee, flyball, and more.
Both athletic and intelligent, Weimaraners are are happiest being a part of a family with an active lifestyle.
A dog that is athletic and intelligent, the Weimaraner can be an ideal family companion. Of medium to large size and high activity level, they are dogs best suited to families with active lifestyles. The Weimaraner is not a dog that will tolerate languishing in a kennel or yard, but demands, loudly and actively sometimes, to be a part of the family. Their short, easy-care coat shrugs off water, burrs and dirt, and requires only minimal grooming to maintain their appearance, complementing the lifestyle to which they would like to become accustomed—part of your life, that is. Easy to train and eager to please, Weimaraners quickly learn to adapt to whatever activities you and your family enjoy. While friendly under most circumstances, they are devoted to their family and can become protective of their people and property.
WHAT IS A BREED STANDARD?
A Breed Standard—a detailed description of an individual breed—is meant to portray the ideal specimen of that breed. This includes ideal structure, temperament, gait, type—all aspects of the dog. Because the Standard describes an ideal specimen, it isn’t based on any particular dog. It is a concept against which judges compare actual dogs and breeders strive to produce dogs. At a dog show, the dog that wins is the one that comes closest, in the judges’ opinion, to the Standard for its breed. Breed Standards are written by the breed parent clubs, the national organizations formed to oversee the well-being of the breed. They are voted on and approved by the members of the parent clubs.
The Breed Standard
When discussing the perfect Weimaraner it is important to remember that the dog described in the standard approved by the American Kennel Club is theoretical. And while every Weimaraner should look like a Weimaraner, if your dog doesn’t meet the ideal of the standard, he can still be a valued family member and a great companion. The purpose of the standard is to identify the features unique or identifying to the breed, and to provide a basis on which to judge and compare Weimaraners at a conformation show. You can get a copy of the American breed standard from the American Kennel Club. Most aspects of the standard serve to maintain the breed’s usefulness in relation to its historic purpose. Unless you are interested in competing in conformation shows or breeding, deviations from the standard are only important in how they affect your dog’s health and participation in your life.
GENERAL APPEARANCE
A medium-sized gray dog, with fine aristocratic features. He should present a picture of grace, speed, stamina, alertness and balance.
It is almost impossible not to recognize a Weimaraner at first sight. Their balanced body type is moderate in all things, lacking extremes in any feature, except their aristocratic mien. Aristocratic does not mean soft or weak though: Every aspect of the Weimaraner should indicate their suitability for working long hours in the field.
Weimaraners don’t have to measure up to every aspect of the breed standard to make a loving and loyal pet.
SIZE
The Weimaraner is considered a medium-sized dog. Males should be 25-27 inches tall at the withers and females 23-25 inches tall. There is a great deal of variation in size in different bloodlines. Males can be as tall as 30 inches and females as short as 20 inches. However, a dog that is smaller or larger than the desired height by more than 1 inch either way would be disqualified from a conformation show. Weight may range from 45 pounds to over 100 pounds. The size of the ideal Weimaraner keeps in mind the breed’s historic uses. A very small dog was not able to cover large expanses of territory while hunting, or to be able to face down large game as easily as a larger dog. An overly large dog was cumbersome to transport, subject to stress injuries and often actually slower in the field than a more moderate size dog.
THE HEAD
Moderately long and aristocratic, with a moderate stop and slight median line extending back over the forehead.
Again that aristocratic appearance! And the word moderate
—twice! A correct Weimaraner head would never be confused with the heaviness of a Mastiff head, the blockiness of a Labrador head, or the fineness of an Afghan head. For the Weimaraner, the distance from the tip of the nose to the stop (where the muzzle joins the skull) should be equal to the distance from the stop to the occipital bone (where the top of the skull joins the neck), giving a balanced appearance. The stop should be obvious but not contribute to a squareness of the skull, but rather slope back into the skull. The median line is a slight indentation that runs from the stop to the top of the skull. In puppies the occipital bone is normally very prominent but tends to moderate with maturity.
The neck of the Weimaraner should lend a balanced look to the dog. A short, thick neck is a more common fault than one that is too long. The proportion of the head and neck contribute to the appearance and physical balance of a dog in motion—and Weimaraners are usually in motion.
The American Kennel Club standard describes the Weimaraner’s head as aristocratic.
EYES
When you get your Weimaraner puppy his eyes will probably be the most beautiful shade of blue you have ever seen in a dog. Take lots of pictures; as your puppy begins to grow up the blue will usually fade and then change to yellow and often darken to amber. Sometimes the color will be different in each eye. Occasionally a dog will keep his blue eyes, though not the typically brilliant blue of a puppy. There is no evidence that eye color affects the dog’s visual acuity. The acceptable eye colors for Weimaraners are light amber, gray, or blue gray.
EARS
Because of their size and high set (placement of the ears on the skull), the Weimaraner’s ears contribute a great deal to their expressive face, from a forward alert position, or laid tightly back against the skull expressing embarrassment, submission, or coyness. The ears are large, and rather long, but not pendulous or hound-like. When held snugly alongside the dog’s head the ears should end about (but not more than) 2 inches from the tip of the nose. The fur on the ears is typically softer and finer, and sometimes a lighter color, than on other parts of the body. The ear leather itself frequently has folds and curves that are typical and a hallmark of the breed. It is also common for the edges to thicken as the dog matures. In puppies the ears are very large in proportion to the rest of the head, but like all their excess skin on their little bodies, they usually grow into them.
Take a long look now, because your puppy’s pretty blue eyes will likely change to amber before you know it.
TEETH
Teeth are important to any hunting breed, and are not typically a problem in Weimaraners. In fact, their canine teeth are relatively larger than in many breeds. To be effective as a retriever and defender the teeth should be strong and well set in the jaw, and meet in a scissors bite. That means that there should not be more than l/16 of an inch between the top incisors and the bottom incisors when the dog’s mouth is closed (if you can easily slide the tip of your fingernail there, it is probably more than 1/16 of an inch). The flesh inside the mouth is normally a pink (gums) to a pinkish gray (inside lips and palate) color, sometimes with liver-colored mottling.
BODY
Primarily a hunting dog, the Weimaraner’s body should again reflect his ability to work in the field. Just because he is a gentleman, does not mean that he is not an athlete. Moderation is the keyword. A correct back should be strong and tight (but not inflexible) when the dog moves at a trot. Although there is a moderate amount of slope to the topline (where the spine runs from the withers to the hips) when the dog is standing still, when the dog moves, the topline will remain relatively level. The back should not be so long as to cause strain on the vertebrae or muscles. This would be apparent as excessive flexing in the spine when the dog moves at a trot. A back that is too short does not allow the dog to take advantage of his full stride and he either interferes with himself when moving, or he moves with a short, choppy, inefficient stride.
THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB
Familiarly referred to as the AKC,
the American Kennel Club is a nonprofit organization devoted to the advancement of purebred dogs. The AKC maintains a registry of recognized breeds and adopts and enforces rules for dog events including shows, obedience trials, field trials, hunting tests, lure coursing, herding, earthdog trials, agility and the Canine Good Citizen program. It is a club of clubs, established in 1884 and composed, today, of more than 500 autonomous dog clubs throughout the United States. Each club is represented by a delegate; the delegates make up the legislative body of the AKC, voting on rules and electing directors. The American Kennel Club maintains the Stud Book, the record of every dog ever registered with the AKC, and publishes a variety of materials on purebred dogs, including a monthly magazine, books and numerous educational pamphlets. For more information, contact the AKC at the address listed in Chapter 13, Resources,
and look for the names of their publications in Chapter 12, Recommended Reading.
Even if you don’t plan on hunting with your Weimaraner, these relationships within your dog’s physique can still affect his ability to interact with you. If you expect your Weimaraner to go jogging, hiking or compete in any type of athletic activities, these factors can affect your dog’s ability to perform, both in the short-term and long-term.
TAIL
The tail is another distinguishing characteristic of the Weimaraner. While many breeds have their tails docked, the Weimraner’s is typically longer than most. At maturity the tail should be about 6 inches long and cover the genitals. If it is docked too short, there’s not much you can do. Some owner’s have had tails re-docked if they are too long, but there is really not much reason to unless you are competing in conformation events; and even then, the carriage of the tail may be permanently affected. The original docking is done at the same time the dewclaws are removed.
Even though a Weimaraners tail is docked, it is not as short