Quick Links: Table of Contents
- Weimaraner Breed Overview
- History of the Weimaraner Breed. Where Weimaraners came from
- What the Weimaraner Looks Like
- How Much is the Weimaraner Puppy?
- Best Weimaraner Breeders
- Adopting or Rescuing the Weimaraner
- Weimaraner Growth
- The Temperament of the Weimaraner
- How Long Weimaraners Live
- Weimaraner Litter Size
- How Fast Weimaraners Can Run
- Good Names for Weimaraners
- How Intelligent are Weimaraners?
- How Popular are Weimaraners with New Dog Owners?
- Health Problems in Weimaraners and How to Prevent Them
- How to Take Care of Weimaraner
- Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Weimaraners
- Other Things to Know About Weimaraners
Weimaraner Breed Overview
The Weimaraner is a large-sized dog.
The adult Weimaraner stands 23 to 27 inches tall at the shoulder.
The Weimaraner belongs to the Sporting Dogs group.
Dogs in the Sporting Dogs group, like the Weimaraner, were bred to help hunters catch and retrieve feathered game. Some sporting dog breeds such as Retrievers, which were built for swimming, were bred to hunt waterfowl in water.
Whereas sporting dog breeds like setters, spaniels, and pointing breeds were bred to hunt quail, pheasant, and other game birds nest on grasslands.
Many Sporting Group breeds have thick, water-repellent coats that protect them from harsh hunting conditions.
The fact that the Weimaraner belongs to the Sporting Dogs group is one of the reasons why Weimaraners have the personality and temperament that they have.
The temperament of the Weimaraner is generally described as:
- Alert
- Aloof
- Energetic
- Fast
- Intelligent
- Powerful
- Steady
- Stubborn
History of the Weimaraner Breed. Where Weimaraners came from
Even if you`ve never heard of this breed`s name, you`ve most likely seen its silvery hide at some point.
The Weimaraner was developed in Germany by the Weimar court in the early nineteenth century.
The Weim came from an ideal hunting dog with great speed, agility, courage, intelligence, and a really good nose for sniffing out game.
This svelte and sleek pup excels at hunting everything from large land game to water creatures.
Swimming is no problem for them because of their webbed feet, and they actually enjoy playing in the water! Their sleek bodies allow them to reach their top speed quickly.
With their pointy noses reaching deep into the earth, moles and mice are extremely easy to dig up.
This is a very active and energetic breed that is eager to please.
In fact, due to their extreme loyalty and desire to stay close to their master`s side, the Weimaraner has earned the nickname “Grey Ghost” due to their grey fur and constant closeness like a shadow.
This breed is still used for hunting, companion dogs, and showing.
If you want a dog that is athletic, loyal, friendly, and a great hunting companion, the Weimaraner may be the perfect dog breed for you.
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What the Weimaraner Looks Like
The Weimaraner is an attractive dog due to its medium size and athletic build.
They have somewhat wide-set eyes in a variety of colors, including light amber, grey, and blue-grey.
The dog`s slim head is framed by large, folded ears, and the short coat hugs the body; while the coat is typically a lighter grey color, darker blending of greys can appear on the body as light shadowing.
A white mark on the chest may appear on occasion.
Toenails that can be grey or amber complement the Weim`s webbed feet nicely.
At around 2 days old, the breed`s tail is docked and the dewclaws are removed.
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How Much is the Weimaraner Puppy?
The average price of a Weimaraner puppy is $1080. The price of a Weimaraner puppy ranges from $950 to $1250.
A lot of factors determine the price of the Weimaraner. These factors include what health records the Weimaraner puppy has, the lineage of the Weimaraner puppy, the US state the breeder is located in, etc.
To estimate how much you can expect to pay for a puppy Weimaraner based on the many factors that determine the price of the Weimaraner puppy, check out our calculator that lets you estimate how much you should expect to pay for the Weimaraner puppy based on what you want in the puppy.
When looking to buy a puppy, look at buying a puppy only from well-established breeders that breed puppies primarily for the love of the Weimaraner breed, and secondarily for profit. Do not buy a puppy from a puppy mill. Puppy mills mass-produce puppies in bad living conditions for maximum profit.
You may also consider adopting instead of buying a puppy. Adoption costs are very low compared to the price of a puppy.
Best Weimaraner Breeders
We have researched reputable Weimaraner breeders that you can buy a puppy.
Go to this page for our complete list of reputable Weimaraner breeders in various states in the United States.
On this page, you will see how much these breeders sell their puppies for, and how many puppies they have available.
A few of these breeders are listed below.
William Bernstein
Puppy Price: $1,500
Angela Blackfox
Puppy Price: $Call or text for price 205-$572-$0425
SilverBay Weimaraners
Puppy Price: $Females 1000.00
Craig Dilbeck
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
Tiffany Alvarenga
Puppy Price: $850
Adopting or Rescuing the Weimaraner
You may consider adopting a dog instead of buying a puppy. Many dogs, Weimaraners included, are currently available for adoption in your local dog shelters.
These helpless but adorable dogs are waiting in dog shelters hoping that someday someone will rescue them. Dog adoption costs are lesser than the cost of a new puppy. Dog adoption costs are usually around $300 or even less.
In addition to your local dog shelter, another good place to find dogs that are available for adoption is petfinder.com.
Below is an adorable Male Weimaraner named Tomas that is currently available for adoption on Petfinder.com. You can find other lovely Weimaraners like Tomas on pefinder.com.
Fettuccini Alfredo is the name of another Weimaraner (Male) on petfinder.com that is looking for a new forever home.
You can find more Weimaraners that are available for adoption on petfinder.
Weimaraner Growth
New Weimaraner owners need to know about the growth of their Weimaraners. This will help them plan their living spaces accordingly.
Also, knowing the typical growth pattern of the Weimaraner will help new owners catch the abnormal growth of their Weimaraner early.
See our calculator for predicting how big your Weimaraner puppy will get. You will also learn about the typical weight of the Weimaraner at different ages and how to catch abnormal growth in your Weimaraner
The Temperament of the Weimaraner
The temperament of the Weimaraner based can be summarized as in the table below.
The table shows the scores of the Weimaraner for 13 important dog behavioral factors.
We obtained these scores by analyzing raw data from the C-BARQ dog personality survey tool. The higher the score of a dog for a factor, the worse the temperament of the dog regarding that factor.
The C-BARQ tool was developed by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, and it is a scientific tool that is used worldwide for reliably measuring the temperament of dog breeds.
See our complete analysis of the temperament of the Weimaraner here.
| Factor | Score |
|---|---|
| Prey Drive | 64.8 percent |
| Energy Level | 64.0 percent |
| Separation Related Behavior | 63.6 percent |
| Attachment Attention Seeking | 60.1 percent |
| Excitability | 49.2 percent |
| Dog Directed Fear | 43.6 percent |
| Stranger Directed Aggression | 42.2 percent |
| Dog Directed Aggression | 35.2 percent |
| Stranger Directed Fear | 28.8 percent |
| Touch Sensitivity | 26.3 percent |
| Dog Rivalry | 22.4 percent |
| Stubbornness | 21.2 percent |
| Nonsocial Fear | 18.4 percent |
| Owner Directed Aggression | 10.2 percent |
How Long Weimaraners Live
The lifespan of the Weimaraner is typically from 11 to 13 years.
Moreover, a few years back, veterinarian researchers performed a scientific study to determine the lifespan of the Weimaraner. In this study, the scientists collected data on how long 242 pet Weimaraners lived.
From the study, it was found that Weimaraners have an average lifespan of 11.1 years. Furthermore, the study found that it is not uncommon for Weimaraners to live as long as 18.8 years.
Note that you need to put in some effort if you want your Weimaraner to live long.
Weimaraners live long if they eat well, drink well, exercise well, and visit the veterinarian regularly.
There are also dog supplements that you can give your Weimaraner to improve your Weimaraner`s quality of their life.
Click here to learn more about how to make your Weimaraner live long.
Weimaraner Litter Size
Researchers from the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science did a study where they counted the numbers of puppies in 5 different Weimaraner birth litters.
From this study, the researchers found that the average number of puppies that Weimaraners can have is 8 puppies. Also, the Weimaraner can have as few as 4 puppies per litter and as many as 12 puppies per litter.
The number of puppies that the Weimaraner will have depends on factors such as the age of the Weimaraner, the method of pregnancy, etc.
Click here to see our calculator for predicting how many puppies your Weimaraner will have and how the litter size of the Weimaraner compares to the litter size of other dog breeds.
How Fast Weimaraners Can Run
How fast a dog breed can run is a good measure of how athletic the dog breed is.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) regularly conducts dog running competitions. The AKC records the running speed of competing dogs in these competitions. These competitions are open to all dog breeds.
Based on our analysis of the speeds of 164 different Weimaraners, the average speed of the Weimaraner is 24.7 mph (39.7 kmph).
The fastest speed on AKC record that the Weimaraner ran in a race is 36.33 mph (58.5 kmph) and the minimum speed on record in a race for a Weimaraner is 12.25 mph (19.7 kmph).
Click here to see how the speed of the Weimaraner compares to the speed of other dogs and other mammals such as cats, horses, humans, etc.
Good Names for Weimaraners
Here are some really good names that are typical for the Weimaraner ranked by popularity:
- Ruben
- Max
- Ghost
- Dexter
- Blu
- Hank
- Jack
- Jax
- Luke
- Sid
How Intelligent are Weimaraners?
| Weimaraner | |
|---|---|
| Intelligence Rank | 21 out of 130 dog breeds |
| Trainability | Tend To Learn New Commands After 5 To 15 Repetitions |
According to Prof. Stanley Coren, a Canadian psychology professor/dog trainer, the total intelligence that a dog demonstrates is the addition of three types of intelligence. These intelligence types are:
- Instinctive Intelligence: This is the natural intelligence that comes from instinct. For example, dog breeds that have been historically bred to be guard dogs will have a high `guarding` intelligence compared to dogs that were not bred for guarding.
- Adaptive Intelligence (learning and problem-solving ability): This indicates what a dog can learn to do for himself or herself. Adaptive intelligence is specific to each dog, and not breed specific. You can improve your dog`s adaptive intelligence by investing time to train your dog.
- Working/Obedience Intelligence: This type of intelligence is breed-specific. Certain dog breeds tend to have higher working/obedience intelligence than some other breeds. This intelligence is the closest to what we might call school-learning ability and it is based upon what the dog can learn to do when instructed by humans. This type of intelligence can be measured for each dog breed and compared to that of other dog breeds.
Professor Stanley Coren measured and ranked the working intelligence of about 130 different dog breeds.
Prof. Coren found that the Weimaraner has an obedience intelligence rank of 21 out of 130 dog breeds. Thus, Prof. Coren put Weimaraners in the `Excellent Working Dogs` category.
This means that Weimaraners tend to learn new commands after 5 to 15 repetitions.
However, we should mention that a dog should not be judged based on its intelligence alone. There are other important factors you need to consider when deciding on which dog breed to get. These other factors include sociability, adorability, and compatibility of the dog breed with your lifestyle.
See the intelligence ranking of some other dog breeds below:
| Breed | Intelligence Rank |
|---|---|
| Rottweiler | 9 |
| Australian Cattle Dog | 10 |
| Belgian Tervuren | 14 |
| Belgian Malinois | 22 |
| Pomeranian | 23 |
| Cardigan Welsh Corgi | 26 |
| Airedale Terrier | 29 |
| Border Terrier | 30 |
| Samoyed | 33 |
| American Water Spaniel | 44 |
| Bichon Frise | 45 |
| Skye Terrier | 55 |
| French Bulldog | 58 |
| Saint Bernard | 65 |
| Bullmastiff | 69 |
| Shih Tzu | 70 |
| Beagle | 72 |
| Pekingese | 73 |
| American Bulldog | 77 |
| Basenji | 78 |
How Popular are Weimaraners with New Dog Owners?
Every year, the American Kennel Club (AKC) publishes information on how popular a dog breed is in that particular year. The AKC gets the popularity information of a breed from how many dogs of that breed the owners register with the AKC every year. The AKC collects this data for about 200 dog breeds.
The graph below shows the popularity trend of the Weimaraner.
The popularity of the Weimaraner averaged over the years is Number 36 out of about 200 dog breeds.
Do not get a dog breed just because it is a popular dog breed. And do not reject a dog breed just because it is an unpopular breed.
Health Problems in Weimaraners and How to Prevent Them
Every dog breed has its own set of health problems that it tends to develop. There is nothing like a perfect dog breed.
The Weimaraner is prone to certain genetic health conditions. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) is an organization that keeps track of genetic health problems in dog breeds.
From the extensive records that the OFA keeps, the OFA knows what health problems each dog breed is naturally prone to develop.
Hence, the OFA recommends which health screening breeders should perform on a dog breed to make sure that the breeders won`t breed `defective` dog parents that can pass down defective genes to their puppy offspring.
If you want a Weimaraner puppy that will grow up to be healthy, make sure that your Weimaraner breeder screens your puppy or your puppy`s parents for the health problems that the OFA recommends for your puppy`s breed. This will increase the chances that your puppy is free from genetic defects.
The following are the health tests that Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) recommends that breeders should screen Weimaraners for:
You can find out more about OFA`s recommended tests for Weimaraners here.
How to Take Care of Weimaraner
To take good care of your Weimaraner, you need to make sure that you groom your Weimaraner regularly.
Secondly, you need to find a veterinarian in your area that will routinely check the health status of your Weimaraner regularly, and give you appropriate recommendations on your Weimaraner`s preventative care.
Thirdly, you need to commit some time to exercise your Weimaraner daily. Regular exercise helps improve the health and quality of life of your Weimaraner.
Also, you need to feed your Weimaraner high-quality dog food, and the food should be of the right amount to prevent your Weimaraner from getting overweight or underweight.
See our recommendations on what to feed the Weimaraner and how much food to feed the Weimaraner at different life stages.
Finally, you need to make sure that your Weimaraner has access to clean water all the time. See our recommendations on how much water your Weimaraner needs to drink at different ages.
Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Weimaraners
If you have not made up your mind on which dog breed to get, you may also want to consider some other dogs similar to the Weimaraner.
We crunched the numbers and found that the following dog breeds that have similar behavior and temperament as the Weimaraner:
- German Shorthaired Pointer (77 percent match with Weimaraner). Learn more about the German Shorthaired Pointer here.
- Black Mouth Cur (74 percent match with Weimaraner). Learn more about the Black Mouth Cur here.
- German Wirehaired Pointer (77 percent match with Weimaraner). Learn more about the German Wirehaired Pointer here.
Other Things to Know About Weimaraners
Here are some of the very important characteristics of the Weimaraner that you need to know about the Weimaraner breed: