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Subject :A few questions about owning a Weimaraner?..
2009-07-09 16:39:22
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| Urquhart
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I've always wanted one of these dogs, but have only ever owned small dogs, Chihuahuas, Westies, Yorkies and a poodle.
I believe I have trained them all very well, they were all walked daily, the Westie more than the others because she could handle further walks (I re-homed the others and they were quite old).
They were all house trained and only had 'accidents' when I didn't let them out in time, I had trained them to bark at the door when they needed to go out!
So, the questions:
How long can Weimaraners be left on their own for? With a large bowl of food & 2 bowls of water.
How many walks should they have per day & how long for each time?
Do you train them the same way as a smaller dog, or should I go for help with a professional trainer?
Hmmm, I think that's all the questions.
If I do re-home/buy one, I'd obviously buy myself a good book and read it before I get the Weimaraner, but I just thought I'd get a head-start and see if a big dog is ideal for me.
Thanks for any help. |
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Subject :A few questions about owning a Weimaraner?..
2009-07-09 16:39:22
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| Corwyn
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Weimaraners can be left alone for up to 8 hours, however, they are very prone to separation anxiety as they become very attached to their owners. Weimaraners should NOT be left alone with a big bowl of food and two bowls of water. Weims suffer from a problem called bloat, they must be fed 2 small meals a day and left with only 1 bowl of water they shouldn't be allowed to "free graze" feeding smaller meals and waiting several hours before and after eating before exercising will help to prevent this problem.
Weimaraners are sporting dogs, they can go for 6 hours in day care and still have tons of energy left over for an hour of agility training. They need tons of exercise so a 30 minute walk is not going to be sufficient for this dog, only hours of running will tire this dog out. The rule of thumb is a tired weim is a good weim, an exhausted weim is a great weim.
I have a 3 year old weimaraner and she's the best dog ever. She's very mellow for a Weimaraner and can be a couch potato when I need her to be, however, I do know that this breed needs a ton of exercise so I take her to the dog park and day care and also do agility with her so she gets enough exercise to make her happy.
They are food mongers, counter surfers, escape artists, and notorious chewers. I would say my Weim has chewed door frames, wood base boards, my sofa, sticks, wood, sponges, magazines, books and shoes. I suggest crate training, POSITIVE reinforcement training ONLY, harsh training and hitting does not work with a weim they become very aggressive and very wary of you if you use punishment as a training tool. They are quick learners and easy to train as long as you use only positive reinforcement training.
They are very needy dogs, the term velcro dog is used to describe a Weim, they attach very closely to their owner and have been known to suffer from severe separation anxiety and will do anything to get to their owner. I've trained mine from 8 weeks to learn to be alone and to deal with me going to work so she's pretty good. but if I leave her with my sister she will cry and pace for a while after I leave.
Also they require SUMS OF MONEY for their medical care. Mine has a very sensitive stomach she gets gastroenteritis at the drop of a hat, I spent $470 on vet bills because a dog treat made her sick. I now feed only very high quality food which so far has not caused any stomach problems.
If you socialize and train from day one and don't stop, then there is no reason you cannot have a terrific dog, I've heard horror stories from a friend who owns two Weimaraners, she told me her dog has stolen the groceries from the counter and eaten 1/2 of them or stolen them from the car while left in it and eaten 1/2 of them. but my dog has done none of this she's as good as gold and a joy to have because I spent the time training and socializing her. Not that her's aren't good dogs too every dog is different. I have no problems with mine she is such a gentle dog whereas my fathers Weimaraner is vicious and I do believe it was because whoever trained her used force or harsh training methods.
The dogs are great with children, older children, but not young children under the age of 6 because they are very active and boisterous they can easily knock a small child over, they won't be aggressive to small children as mine just loves all children especially my niece, however, she gets excited and gets in their face and that frightens small children.
I would recommend one but I would add a word of caution, be prepared to throughly exercise this dog [a walk around the block or back yard will NOT do it] be prepared to throughly socialize this dog with people, children and other dogs and be prepared to train from day 1 using only positive reinforcement. Failure to do any one of these and you could end up with a very crazy hyper dog. These dogs are NOT for everyone so just make sure one is right for you before buying. Too many of these dogs end up in Rescues because people didn't know what they were getting themselves into.
These links should help you decide if one is right for you.
"Weimaraners are obnoxious, clingy, possessive and sometimes downright rude, they are the only dogs I would own." |
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Subject :A few questions about owning a Weimaraner?..
2009-07-09 16:39:22
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Subject :A few questions about owning a Weimaraner?..
2009-07-09 16:39:22
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| Stephanos
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I think they're very pretty dogs, I've always wanted one |
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Subject :A few questions about owning a Weimaraner?..
2009-07-09 16:39:22
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| Faro
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You really need to do a lot of research on weimaraners before deciding on one. I'd suggest meeting and talking to breeders and people who own them. This is an extremely active breed! They need more than just a couple of walks a day - they need to be taken for runs.
And you don't leave a dog, any dog, with a bowl of food and bowls of water all day long. Dogs need to be on feeding schedules to prevent them over-eating and messing in the house.
As for a professional trainer, the dog would need puppy kindergarten classes for socializing when it's really young, then it would definitely benefit from obedience classes where the dog would get socializing and you'd have the benefit of a qualified instructor to teach you how to train your dog properly.
The big thing with this breed is their very high energy level - please talk to people who own them. |
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Subject :A few questions about owning a Weimaraner?..
2009-07-09 16:39:22
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| Urquhart
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We have a two year old weimaraner who was very easy to train, very quick learner. He requires ALOT of attention. I can't stress that enough. We take him for hour long walks everyday, and he runs around the yard for most of the day. He is very touchy, always requires a human touch if lounging or sleeping. We only leave him in his kennel for about three hours at a time. If he gets left alone for more than a couple hours at a time he'll get destructive and seek out things to destroy. |
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Subject :A few questions about owning a Weimaraner?..
2009-07-09 16:39:22
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| Corwyn
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I hate it when I get to an answer a little late and everyone else has said exactly would I would have said. Take all the advise you've received so far. Weimaraners RULE.
They are very smart and you have to stay one step ahead of them ALL THE TIME. If you are an outdoorsy person with lots of metabolism and get up and go not matter what the weather and no matter how you feel than this is the breed for you. You sleep when they sleep pretty much for the first couple of years.
A huge % of weimy's are immature for a longer period of time than other dogs of their size.
I really wouldn't suggest leaving a weimy alone for long, 8 hours is a huge no-no. You will regret the outcome and so will the poor pup.
These dogs LIVE FOR YOU and if you are not there things will happen.
My weim took forever to grow up, honest to God she still shows too much puppy for my liking and she just turned 7! I wouldn't change her for the world - I'm just hoping she lives a few years longer than my aging 13 1/2 year old boy (another weimy).
Weimaraners love to roam if you open the door an let them run themselves you might not see them for a few hours if they find something to chase. Keep them with you for the first 24 months (when they are outside you are outside) and I guarantee that they will stay close off lead for the rest of their lives. Now that pays off.
Good luck and let us know what you decide - I hope our comments didn't scare you off, they are an amazing breed but one not to take in stride. I'm glad you are doing your homework because if you do decide on this breed after all these comments/suggestions you will be totally satisfied and a very proud owner of a Weimaraner. |
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Subject :A few questions about owning a Weimaraner?..
2009-07-09 16:39:22
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| Maddockson
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I personally own 3 weimaraners. So i can answer your questions but i must let you know a weimaraner is not for the first time big dog owner, they are hyper and really intelligent. They can outsmart the common human. They can become unhappy if not properly exercised, and stimulated.
Weimaraners can be left for a long time by themselves but they must have something to entertain themselves if kept out loose or crated.
Do not leave food out for them all day long. Weimaraners are notorious for being over eaters so if you dont want weight problems and joint problems dont leave food out. Do keep clean water out all day though. Personally i think all dogs need to be on a food schedule. We feed ours 1 cup twice a day.
I take mine at least once a day for an 1-1 1/2 walk. But its good to go for two walks a day for that amount.
You train them the same as a small dog but you have to understand they love to work more then a small dog does so they can be hyper on a leash so you would need a firm hand with them. Even when they are older they still think they are puppies.
If you have any more questions dont hesitate to ask.
Just like to add weimaraner mom hit the nail on the head. Couldnt say it better myself |
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Subject :A few questions about owning a Weimaraner?..
2009-07-09 16:39:22
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| Stephanos
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I own a 8 month old weimaraner puppy myself, I LOVE her! I haven't had to leave her alone yet, so not sure how long they can go. I walk mine at least 3 - 4 times a day for about 15 minutes. I have never had a small dog, I believe you can train a weimaraner the same way you trian a small dog, my puppy is also trained to bark at the door when she needs to go potty. Hope I helped in some way. You will love having a weimaraner they are grea dogs & beautiful! |
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Subject :A few questions about owning a Weimaraner?..
2009-07-09 16:39:22
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| Faro
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its best to research the breed and you'll get more precise answers!
and way.
with leaving the dog alone the trick is to times 5 mins by how many months old it is.
so if your dog is 3months old it can be left 15hours.
obviously its not going to work all the time its just an estimate.
its not fare on the dog if its lefft on its own all day, to be honest i think its pretty cruel.
with walking every dog no matter how big or small should be taken on at least 2 walks.
with weimaraners i personally would take them on 2-3 walks, about 1 "n half "- 2hours each day.
thats what i do with my dobies and they are simular to weiramaraners.
training- obedience classes are a must!!
they are very helpful and make the bond between you and your dog much stronger
hope this helped |
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Subject :A few questions about owning a Weimaraner?..
2009-07-09 16:39:22
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| Urquhart
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Weimaraners, can be great pets, but they are VERY high energy, so i don't recommend getting one unless you have a lot of room for it, and have some sort of activity, or "job" for the dog. they do great on farms etc, i do not recommend them if you live in the city.
Weimaraners are also very smart. so they get bored easily, this makes them hard to train. the will get it very quickly, but will often misbehave just to entertain them selves. people often believe these dogs are stupid, but the are not.
do a lot of research and maybe spend some time with a good breeder to get a feel for the bread. like i said they are great dog, but they are not for everyone, they need an experienced patient owner. |
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