Hello

I had a chocolate Labrador that unfortunately passed away two years ago. I promised myself that I would never get another dog again as I was so upset. However friends of ours have a three-month-old Weimaraner that they are having problems with. She is very boisterous and energetic and they have two young children 2 and 5.

When my old dog Travis was a puppy he never seemed to calm down and was always active. My children are 7 and 9 and could cope with a energetic dog. My main question is, as I haven't had the puppy from very young have I missed the opportunity to train her? In particular, walking on the lead, not jumping up and eating the kid's food and coming back to me when off the lead. Many thanks, I love this new dog but want to make sure I can enjoy being with her.

Thank you
Simon

Sorry, they have had her for three months!!

I don't see any reason why you can't just "start again" with this pups training.  I don't have Weims myself, and am sure someone with more knowledge of this particular breed will be along soon with more detailed advice.  Good luck :)

I'm not a weim person either, but the window for training certainly doesn't close - you CAN teach an old dog new tricks ;)  Work on building a bond with her based on mutual respect and you won't go far wrong - it's very much like raising children.

Hi of course you can start again with training. However Weims are a very different dog to Labs. Still excelent fun but no where near as lazy, and that is from someone with 2 lively chockies. One of the happiest Weims I know used to go running and cycling with its fitness fanatic owners and covered on average 100 miles a week and would still have run further! So if you are serious about getting/keeping fit it could be the dog for you. :D 

Hi, I suppose I might be considered a bit of a weimy person...............

Weims are very different from labradors, much more independent, wilful and strong, both physically and mentally.

As a member of the HPR group this dog has a strong hunting instinct and therefore if you take her on recall training is a must.  Relentless, consistent for about two years!

Not stealing food may be a bit more problematic; although the labrador may be considered the ultimate eating machine, a Weimi is generally a bit of a chow hound too!

Walking on the lead, again that is down to you.

Weims are large, powerful, energetic dogs and, when mature, can take any amount of exercise.

A tired Weimaraner is usually a dead one.

Good luck!

we have a 15 month old weim, she was very lively as a small pup but now we have problems getting her out of bed! she is sooo lazy!! she has lots of walks, but the last 2 days for example, she has still been in bed at midday!! she looks at us like we are stupid if we get her lead out early in the morning or try and take her in the garden!!!
mind you she has her moments!!!
she was our 1st weim and i know they can be a challenge but 99 % of the time she is an angel!!!

There are always atypical members of any breed.

It would only be fair to point out that IME over 15 years and 4 of my own that generally they like to do everything at the speed of light.

Unlike me :D

yeah cleo is certainly one of a kind!!! she is our first, and im sure the next wont be so lazy!! i think she has adapted to sleeping so much, because  my husband does nights twice a week so she is used to him coming in and gets in bed with him for a cuddle. only she has taken it a bit far!! basically if either one of us in bed at any time of the day, cleo will be there too for a cuddle and a nap!!!

hi simon, i was looking at getting a weim.  i contacted a cd member called weim, she was very helpful sent me loads of information on the weim . needless to say weve decided a weim is not to dog for us! she works for or has something to do with weim rescue so shede be able to help if your friend rehomed the dog and you couldnt take her. just pm her she wont mind! :)

Well, it's a small world, my last dog was a Choc Lab. I also have a Weim who is now 6 years old and the apple of my eye.

Yes, they can be boisterous, clumsy, easily excited, noisy, fiercely protective and dominant. With fairly basic training and a firm-but-fair hand, they are absolutely amazing dogs. They're very intelligent, so with the right handling they are quick and keen to learn and once they know their place, are the most incredibly loving and loyal dogs. I can't recommend them highly enough - but would never recomend one as a 1st dog. They need time. They need patience. They need discipline. Once you've got thorough the basics, you will have the most wonderful creature sharing your home. They're very intelligent, so unless you are wise to their abilities to manipulate you to get what they want, you might well find that the Weim is running the house; rather than being just part of the  family!  Be warned. Don't be put off though!

The most important thing to realise is that they absolutely crave human company at all times. My 'little girl' is very luck in that she is able to come with me to work, most days. They'll certainly be even more destructive than a Lab puppy, if they're left alone for very long. 

I am a little concerned about the age of your kids. It's not that Weims are untrustworthy, more a matter of clumsiness at times and they need a firm hand to make sure they realise that your children are children. Once they know that, they will be incredibly devoted & protective of the whole family. Unfortunately, it is all too easy for a young dog to make a mistake and get confused, IMHO. I guess most people wouldn't worry for a second about leaving a Lab alone with young kids. In my opinion, it would be unwise to do that with a Weim. It's not that they're bad-natured, they just don't quite have that ingrained wisdom about kids that Labs seem to have! They are also prone to being extremely jealous. In other words, they will soon come to love you, unconditionally...so anyone who appears to be interfering with that love had better watch out!  :)

I hope I haven't put you off. Owning a Weim has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. You just need to be prepared. They're not easy. But the best things in life generally aren't. My best advice boils down to this:  Your dog will need your time (or your family's) and plenty of it. Don't leave the dog alone with very young kids until you are quite sure the dog knows the score.

Just re-read this thread...a few other things I should comment on.

My Weim, now that she's an 'adult', is quite happy to sleep just as much as the average dog (ie. several hours/day)!

When a pup, she was far less motivated by food than my Lab. She's never stolen food. In fact, she used to have to be persuaded to eat her dinner.

Labs are walking dustbins. Weims, much less so. ;)

She does like the sound of her own voice. She likes to do her job. You need to train a Weim when to bark and when to shut the **** up!
It's not a major problem. Just make sure your dog knows the word, "QUIET!".

She adores her 'cuddles'. Actually, I'd say she is addicted to them! In her little world, there's no such thing as 'too close'.

They want to know where you are at all times. They're not like Collies, who are constantly under your feet, but you need to get used to the fact that they are only happy when they know where you are. They'll follow you, if unsure. Ocasionally, they'll need to be reminded that you don't need their company in the bathroom.

Oh, one last thing that surprised me to learn:  Weims don't get fleas!  (Not my opinion. My vet's). Their hair's too fine, so the little critters can't hang on, apparently!  I haven't needed flea spray/FrontLine/etc in 5 years. Sceptics are invited to inspect my carpets!

Thanks everybody for the advice.

She came around last night for a visit to meet the kids, and stayed!!!

She woke us up once at 3-30am but soon went back to sleep with a little cuddle. She is now ours, Its 6-00am here in the UK, and we are off for our first walk, a little road work first with the lead (which she doesn't like) and then a run in the field with the local dogs.

I think we have done the right thing and our friends will visit us regularly to see how she is getting on.

I will keep you updated and no doubt ask for your wisdom again.

Kind regrds

Simon

Just rember at her age shw shouldn't be getting more than about 20 minutes lead walking.  Rule of thumb five minutes per month of age.  Some say per day, and others per walk (with the very active breeds perhaps the latter???), as the speed their bones are growing care needs to be taken to avoid damage, and overtiring an enthusiastic pup.

Congrats, Simon.  I hope your family will be very happy with the new addition!

It's great to hear a happy story. Too many young dogs end up being rejected because their owners can't cope. From what you have said, it's clear that you have entered into this with your eyes wide open; you understand that she's just a pup and I'm sure that cuddle this morning was just the little bit of reassurance she needed. She'll repay that a thousand times over.

BTW, as your last dog was a male, I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the advantages of owning a bitch. I doubt you will have any trouble with 'recall' training. A happy bitch doesn't wander. She'll keep a very close eye on you and your family and won't let you out of her sight for a minute, once she's settled :)   Be a little bit wary of her with other dogs. My Weim is not very tolerant of other dogs at all. In particular, she won't tolerate other dogs bouncing up to her unexpectedly, even though they just want to play.

Personally, I'd ask your friends not to visit for just a little while. Let the dog settle and adjust and be completely comfortable and secure in her new home, with no doubts about who she now lives with.

Good Luck!

A happy b itch does not wander?!!!!!

Good grief, the Weimaraner is a member of the HPR sub group of gundogs and as such hunting instinctshould be of paramount importance.

However, fortunately for a lot of pet owners, people often breed from dogs that do not meet the breed standard.........

Weimaraners do hunt over a large area, hence why recall training is vital...............

Don't whatever you do, be tempted to overlook it.

"However, fortunately for a lot of pet owners, people often breed from dogs that do not meet the breed standard........."
What's that supposed to mean?

I doubt Simon's any more interested in breed standards than I am. This topic is about a pet, as you have surmised.

My statement that "a happy bitch doesn't wander" was a bit all-encompassing, I admit. I was speaking from experience though, and not just with my Weim but several previous bitches. I should not have implied that bitches can be trusted 100% not to wander but, in any case, it seems to me that Simon is well-enough experienced in dog ownership to have the common sense to take his new pet to training classes.

Your comment that hunting instincts should be a matter of paramount importance is nonsense in the context of this thread. We are not talking about working animals. I doubt we will agree on this subject, though.

I've not been here long. Anyone is most welcome to make criticisms of anything I say in a friendly & constructive manner (as did the previous poster, regarding Chloe). Frankly, I find your comments a little bit sneering and inept. You clearly have some considerable expertise regarding Weims/HPRs, so I would be very interested to hear your constructive and helpful feedback on anything else I (or anyone else) has said in this thread.

Sadly Daxdad I am too "inept" to make any constructive comment................. :D

Congratulations Simon :)
It was obviously meant to be - enjoy your new addition!

Daxdad, you've obviously never met my Chloe! ;) Although not a weimeraner, she is a HPR being a Large Munsterlander. She likes to take herself off for a little walk every now and then. As I live in the country near a dual carriageway this causes a lot of worry. She only goes off when I take the dogs for a walk and she goes a little bit further into the woods, or fields, but wow is she DEAF!! :D At least the garden is dog escape proof ;)

Fair comment, LindyLou. I must admit, as my Weim has grown older, she has acquired the confidence to disappear from my sight on the odd occasion, in pursuit of some interesting scent. I found the best way from deterring her from making a habit of this was to keep a distant eye on her and then 'hide'; waiting for her to notice I had disappeared.  The ensuing 'panic' on her behalf, once she realised I couldn't be seen, was enough to remind her not to stray too far (I guess this won't work for all breeds/individuals though)!  One of the things I love about my dog is her excellent sense of humour. In this kind of scenario, she is quick to see the joke and realise I am just teasing her :)

Having said all that, she did (inadvertently) get her revenge one day. I lost her in a park in Brighton one afternoon amongst a crowd of several thousand people. Took my eyes off her for just a moment and she was gone. An utterly gut-wrenching few minutes which I hope never to repeat. All ended well...she was discovered a few yards away, happily investigating the bins around the nearest burger bar, & innocently unaware of the angst she had caused.

Dogs, don't you just love them :D

I have never had a 'wandering' bitch too, granted they run around and hunt on a walk but they always come back to check on 'mum' and if they don't see me, panic...the biggest wusses in the world are Munster boys!   Oooohhhhh they lurve their mummies!

Don't they just Christine :D And if they hurt themselves, you think they are dying ;) Until you check them out and find that there is nothing wrong. Then you get the 'look' that says 'Well, it hurt!!!!' ;:)

Curtis won't walk in the park if he has a twig in his feathering, he just lies down until I check him over & pull it out!   But then he will go crashing through brambles and gorse like there's no tomorrow out on a 'country' walk!!!!