How to Care for a Weimaraner

The weimaraner is a durable and healthy dog, bred to hunt. Give her plenty of exercise, but more importantly, include her in all family activities, as she craves attention. Also, keep in mind that weimaraners are take-charge kinds of dogs and will run your house if you let them. Early training is essential.

Things You'll Need

• Chamois Cloth
• Worming Medicine
• Dental Kits (for Dogs)
• Dog Beds
• Dog Bones
• Dog Brushes
• Dog Conditioner
• Dog Crates
• Dog Dishes
• Dog Food
• Dog Grooming Sprays
• Dog Leashes
• Dog Tags
• Dog Toys
• Dog Training Aids
• Dry Shampoo For Dogs
• Nail Clippers For Dogs

Instructions

1. Vaccinate your weimaraner when you first get her and then get yearly booster vaccinations to maintain the dog's immunity to diseases. Also worm your adult dog every three months and consult your veterinarian about flea-control products.

2. Give your weimaraner high-grade dog food. The first ingredient should be meat if you want a quality product. Crude protein should be no less than 30 percent and crude fat no less than 20 percent. The fiber content should be 4 percent or less.

3. Feed your dog two to three small meals a day, as opposed to the traditional one to two large meals. Weimaraners are prone to bloat and need smaller portions of food to promote better digestion.

4. Socialize your weimaraner early on to be with children and other animals. They are generally good with children, but can knock smaller ones down because of their size and energetic natures. Be careful if you have cats or other dogs, unless a weimaraner is socialized with them early on.

5. Provide obedience training for your weimaraner when she is very young. They are quite boisterous and do well with crate training. Crate training will help with housebreaking and destructive chewing habits.

6. Walk or run your weimaraner at least once or twice a day, and give her plenty of time off the leash. They have a lot of energy. But remember not to exercise your dog after she has eaten, as the weimaraner is prone to bloat.

7. Brush your weimaraner's coat with a firm bristle brush as needed. For a really shiny coat, wipe it with a soft cloth. Shampoo as needed with a dry shampoo (a powder that is used on the coat and then brushed out). Weimaraners are medium shedders.

8. Trim your weimaraner's nails every two to three weeks, or more frequently if needed.

9. Understand the health problems that a weimaraner is prone to. These include bloat, hip dysplasia (a malformed ball and socket in the hip joint), tumors and hypertropic osteodystrophy (rapid growth).

10. Fence your backyard properly. The weimaraner has a strong instinct to chase prey and will go after other animals at the first opportunity.

11. Expect your male weimaraner to grow to 24 to 27 inches and weigh between 60 and 75 pounds by the time he is full-grown. Females will grow to 22 to 25 inches and weigh between 50 and 65 pounds.

12. Be prepared to enjoy a full 9 to 15 years with your weimaraner, as this is the average life expectancy for a weimaraner.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember to be firm but kind when you are disciplining your weimaraner. They do not respond well to extreme force or negativity.

• Contact the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals for more information on hip dysplasia.

• Weimaraners love to swim and play fetch.

• This breed needs to be supervised at all times when it is around other dogs, cats or smaller animals.

• Know that your weimaraner will need to be with the family at all times. They do not do well if left alone in the backyard and can be destructive.