Weimaraner Complete Breed Guide

Weimaraners are beautiful, silvery-gray hunting dogs who love to spend time with their owners. They are challenging to own because they require lots of exercise and nearly full-time companionship to stay happy, but they reward their owners with a deeper love than most other breeds can provide.

Weimaraner’s are beautiful gray dogs who are the subject of famed photographer William Wegman’s works of art. Many people see only their beautiful looks but do not prepare for the intense commitment it takes to own a Weimaraner. They love their owners deeply and have a never ending supply of energy that they absolutely need to burn off by hiking, jogging, or preferably, hunting. Weimaraner’s do not take well to being left alone and are prone to separation anxiety, which leads to destructive behaviors. For people who have a lot of time to dedicate to a dog, separation anxiety is no problem and the deep, loving relationships developed between humans and Weimaraners make all of the effort more than worth it.

Lifestyle & Living Conditions

Weimaraners absolutely need to live indoors with people. They are not outside dogs and will become depressed in situations where they don’t receive lots of attention. If well-socialized, they are friendly with other dogs and can get along with cats if brought up with them. However, they are hard-wired to chase small furry animals, so it’s definitely best to supervise your Weimaraner around felines. To raise a happy Weimaraner, you need to be a person who is willing to share a large percentage of your time with this highly energetic, loving dog.

Exercise & Activity

Weimaraners are high-energy dogs who love to chase. Their favorite way to burn off energy is by going for a hunt, but they’ll also enjoy long walks, hikes, or anything that involves spending time with their favorite people. They’ll need an hour or two of exercise every day, but they’ll play for much longer if you have time.

Weimaraner’s love being active. Their favorite ways to burn off their excessive energy is by going hunting, out for jogs, or long hikes. Weimaraners love to chase anything that moves, so they need to be kept on-leash in areas with lots of cars. They are very intelligent and can be stubborn when it comes to training because they like to think they know what’s best. They can become very attached to their owners and do not like being left alone for long. When they are, they often panic and develop severe separation anxiety. The deep relationship Weimaraners have with their owners means that you have to be gentle when training or correcting negative behaviors. They are very sensitive and don’t learn by being punished.

Weimaraners are very easy to groom. You’ll want to brush their silvery coat once a week or more to cut back on shedding, but otherwise there’s not much to do. Baths are only necessary a few times a year or whenever your gray friend has decided to chase something across a muddy field.