I have just been told that there is an 18month old male weimeraner that needs rehoming as the owners have to go back to work full time. I don't really know anything else about him yet. My mum finds this particular breed stunning and is quite interested, BUT we don't really know that much about the breed and want to do our homework before we commit ourselves to anything. I have heard that they tend to be very stubborn, independent, energetic and boisterous, is that all true? I am more of a BC, retriever and spaniel kind of person but must say i do find him quite intriguing. So what are they really like?

We often meet an 8 month old weimeraner called Betty on our afternoon walk. She is adorable! a total nut case!! My lab who is 2 gets on with her really well with her as she will play and play and play and we all know how much labs love to play! Her owner is having quite a tough time training her though, she is just too damn happy to want to do what mum says!!

That's about all I know, I hope others will help you, but from what I know of "Betty" she is hard work but totally worth it!

A friend of mine has one, a bitch 3 year old.  From some of the tales she has told she was a nightmare as a pup but she says now that she has hit 3 years old she has matured beautifully.  She is really gorgeous dog and we take her out with our two sometimes and we have absolutely no problems.  I would quite happily have one but unfortunately my heart lies with BCs and always will do.

CLaire

Have a look at these sites they tell you a lot about the nature of the Weimeraner.

http://www.annemaries.co.uk/characteristicsrev.htm

http://www.weimaraner-scotland.com/

http://www.weimaranerclubofgreatbritain.org.uk/

W - Wilful, but so willing to please
E - Exceedingly loyal, sometimes possessive
I - Immensely intelligent & incredibly stubborn
M - Misses his owners dreadfully if left alone
A - Accepts discipline readily with patience but:
R - Rules the roost if allowed
A - Adjusts your lifestyle out of recognition
N - Needs a stable, loving home environment
E - Energetic: exercise essential for mind & body
R - Regards himself as being superior in every way

The weimaraner is a thinking breed.  He is of a proud and dominant nature and can quickly discover who in the family has a similar character, that person will receive the utmost respect.  He is intolerant of weaklings and will probably treat them with contempt !

Weimaraners will respond readily to intelligent, kind handling.  They are very willing and sensitive and have a huge desire to please their owners.  They can be aloof and almost snobbish towards strangers.  Because of their uncanny thinking ability, exercising his brain can test his own powers of reason and your own initiative.  He needs careful, patient training and can be a strange mixture of wilfulness and sensitivity.  Too harsh an approach and he will blank out but too much leeway and he will do his own thing.  If under-exercised, unoccupied or bored he can become boisterous and wreak havoc.

Males can be more difficult than bitches, especially one of around 18mths old as this really is their teenage time.  If you've never had a weimaraner before then usually you are best off getting a bitch, but if you are an experienced dog owner and are willing to put in the time and commitment as well as understanding the weimaraner then you should do fine.  One thing to remember when taking on a rescue dog is regardless of what you have been told about the dogs past just remember to expect ANYTHING and EVERYTHING.

I'm an area officer for Independent Weimaraner Rescue, if you want to talk more about weimaraners please PM me your phone number and I'd be happy to give you a call :-)

Some characteristics of the Spanish there, but I won't say which ones :d  This is very worrying this is the 3rd Weimeraner that I've heard of in this last week that needs rehoming !!

And believe me, there are many more weimaraners in need of new homes right now.  My phone hasn't stopped and I know other area officers are in the same boat :-(

Sadly some of the not so well bred ones are acutely nervous, dog aggressive too. :D  All extreme forms of some of their traits (sensitive and dominant).

We have 3 weimaraners and would love to assist rescue weimaraners find homes or find our home!!! we have 1/3rd of acre and surrounded by fields upon fields to walk our dogs it is weimaraner heaven... anyone advice on how we can help more.

http://www.weimaranerclubofgreatbritain.org.uk/html/about_rescue.html

If you wish to give a weimi a home, someone will do a home visit. 

Yes we would love to assist Weimaraner Rescue in re-homing. I have already spoken to Helena Jupp in relation to re-homing- only thing is we have a bitch and 2 dogs, the bitch is 2 years old, and the dogs are  7months and 16 weeks...so maybe we will need to wait awhile before we take on another dog - and when we do we would like it to be a rescue.  However, would like to know of other ways of helping whether fundraising, walking etc.... We just love weimaraners... our bitch and the youngest dog are excellent at HPR we often take them on Alston Moor during the shooting season and across to Cumbria.

Hi there

Obviously what Claire B says is a weimy down to a T!  I absolutely adore this beautiful, graceful, intelligent breed but decided to go for a Bracco when I was looking for my last pup because of their easy-going temperament and laid-back attitude to life.  My Bracco's breeder says that the difference between weims and braccos is that a bracco is happy just to sit and be adored by everyone (so true of my Ruby!) whereas a weim is always looking for something to do and a new challenge.  She breeds and shows both!!!

The breed doesn't suit everyone and unfortunately due to recent media coverage lots of unsuitable people now own this breed.  A well trained weimeraner is a sight to behold - poetry in motion!  An untrained weimeraner is an absolute nightmare!!  One of my friends had 3 - 2 of them excelled at working trials!! 

Weimeraners are a way of life.  They will test your training skills to the limit but, boy, they are worth it. 

This is my personal experience of this wonderful breed but don't be fooled by the dogs looks.  These dogs are 24/7!!!

Kind regards
Annie 

Yes they are rather successful in Working Trials, Not sure mine have "excelled"  but not done too badly....................

There has been one WT Champion in the breed and 3 others with one ticket each.

Well, perhaps "excelled" wasn't the right word.  I don't know much about working trials to be honest but they did really well and it suited them down to the ground because they had something to do.  Although you probably know that if you have the breed!!!!  Lucky you.

Annie

We see one in the park where we walk Abby, Ellie and she is lovely, a complete nut job could be the reason Abby likes her so much.
Mary

A Weim has been the only dog totally unphased by Willis :D And so was his owner :D Says a lot IMO!

;)

I hate being benched near the weimeraners at shows, alot of them bark and howl non stop when they cant see their owners, some lunge growl and snap when you walk past with your dog, they really dont seem to settle easily, must be because they are such busy dogs but the show ones ive seen seem to be very highly strung and possibly nervy.  People say setters are nutters but the Irish benches are almost always quiet and the dogs are usually crashed out :)

We had a weim bitch from rescue and she howled all night , and paced all day. She then snapped at my OH for no reason. Needless to say she went back as my son was face height and I was taking no chances.

The rescue then told me that after a temperment test (which she'd had before I had her) 'she needed professional help'.
This dog should not have been offered to me as I had kids.
The rescue should have told me all the info they had on this dog but they didn't.

I'm not saying all Weims are like this but it has made me very wary of them now and I would never consider owning one.

Hi Jwilson

I really think you could have had that problem with any rescue dog as that is the chance you take when you go for a rescue.  Weims are very sensitive dogs and do not do well with harsh handling.  You don't know what kind of treatment she had before you got her and, perhaps, although you thought it was for no reason, something your hustband did triggered a memory with this dog!! You just don't know.  Or, it could just have been a badly bred dog!! I certainly wouldn't tar all the breed with the same brush though.  In the correct home a weimeraner is a wonderful dog. I don't blame you for how you feel and I think you were correct in returning her to the shelter.  I personally would never rehome a rescue weim to somebody who didn't know the breed, or had lots of experience with dogs, particularly rescue dogs!  The shelter were wrong for letting you have her.  The problem is that because they are such stunning dogs people can't see past their looks.  They are not your run of the mill gundog as I am sure owners on this site would agree!

ClaireyS, the sound of a weim howling is something else isn't it?  I was a border union last year and heard the howl.  I immediately knew I was next to the weim benches. 

Annie

I must admint Annie we usually end up going over and talking to the Weims just to give our ears a rest :p

we have a 13 month old weim and she is lovely! she is our first pup (altho we both grew up with dogs) yes she is lively, and a wee bit loopy but amazingly loving! everyone loves her!!