The Weimaraner – the grey ghost

The Weimaraner  is unique in the gundog world of having a silver-grey coat that has earned the breed the nick name of the “Grey Ghost”. 

The breed has its origins in Germany where it was bred as a pointing dog in the early 19th century. 

The modern Weimaraner is a large gundog belonging the HPR subgroup since it hunts, points and retrieves. However this athletic and intelligent breed is also suited to agility, working trials, cani-cross and scent work. It is a truly versatile but challenging breed.

You can read the breed standard here

The following guide to the Weimaraner was written by the late Margaret Holmes, former President of the Club (copyright weimaranerclubofgreatbritain)

Living with a Weimaraner

 The Weimaraner is one of the Hunt, Point, Retrieve breeds, within the Gundog group. He is an all purpose gundog but his character and temperament is quite dissimilar to that of other gundogs. We must take into account the purposes for which he was originally bred. Without knowledge of that and recognition of its consequences, it isn’t possible to fully understand the Weimaraner. He was originally bred to be a tool for the foresters who worked him. He had to be capable of tracking and holding at bay such game as boar and deer. He had to have the ability to find, flush and retrieve furred and feathered game for the pot. He had to catch and kill the predators that deprived his master of sport and also to defend him and his property. He was intended to be a powerful hunting dog with a strong protective instinct. The fact that he was and is, a most subtle and beautiful colour, a dog of exceptional and commanding appearance, is, no doubt, one of the reasons why you find him attractive, but it can also be his downfall, if what lies beneath the silken, grey coat is not understood.

What he is not

He is not the wisest choice for a completely novice dog owner. Of course, there are exceptions. People do buy a Weimaraners as a first dog and succeed admirably in his care and training. These are the people who have energy to match the Weimaraner’s own, who are possessed of patience, perseverance and a certain amount of gritty determination. He must know from a very early age exactly what position he holds in the family pecking order and if you are wise that will be at the bottom of the heap. He does not take kindly to being left alone all day and every day and can show his disapproval by being noisy (very), destructive or both together. He needs free running exercise as well as disciplined walking and also to have his mind occupied. With correct training the Weimaraner will make a good family dog, but he will never make an ‘easy’ pet.

What makes him tick?

He is full of charm, a loving beast with a quick intelligence and a stubborn streak a mile wide. He will, given the chance, take over the household and all its adjuncts. He can become too possessive, too demanding, too intolerant of strangers. Under exercised, unoccupied and bored, he can wreak havoc, cJaws such as his can make light work of the happy home.

He is also quite capable of rearranging your landscape. He can introduce a cavern or tasteful tunnel with apparently very little effort. Truly he should work. We have adapted him to our requirements in this country and here his work is primarily as the rough shooter’s dog and he can perform extremely well in that respect and yet, even for that function we must remember his origins. A strong and sometimes headstrong hunter, he needs careful training. He is a strange mixture of wilfulness and sensitivity. Too harsh an approach and he will ‘blank out’, seem unable to understand the simplest requirement, too much leeway and he will do his own thing in a way that will not amuse you. Get it right however and he will reward you with his total involvement as a working partner.

He has made his mark here in Working Trials too. Again, we can exploit his origins. He was bred to track and track he can. He is extremely intelligent and we can bend that to our purposes. His muscular development is superb, no delicate wimp is he and consequently the agility demands are no problem.

He has however, very little in him that is servile. He will work for you because it pleases him and he respects you. Everything about this beautiful animal has an element of challenge. He is such a ‘get up and go’ creature, possessed of a quick intelligence, an abundance of energy, a drive to hunt, a streak of possessiveness and an exaggerated devotion which has to be tempered to the demands of a modern world.

He is not everyone’s dog and should not be looked on as a commercial proposition, although, alas, he sometimes is. If you take him on, you must remember his heritage and be sure you can enjoy the challenge and its immense rewards. If you do, remember that he will need your time, patience and understanding. Training classes are essential and he needs socializing in as many and varied situations as possible. If everyone in the family is keen to have a Weimaraner, there is no likelihood of a move to a place not suitable for animals, he will not have to be left alone all day and you have enough spare time and energy to cope with him, then go ahead!