Weimaraner Owner

Weimaraners and Children

Is a Weimaraner good with children is a logical question, as most people think about buying a dog when the wife has left work to have children, or when the children have started school, and the wife has some free time to devote to the puppy to train and rear him well.

In those conditions, yes, a Weimaraner gets on well with children. If, on the other hand, people want a Weimaraner to amuse and occupy the children while they do something else, the answer is no.

Weimaraners are mentally strong dogs and will become wilful and disobedient if not reared with authority and determination. A young child does not have that authority and therefore you will end up with a badly behaved dog.

Weimaraners find children vaguely boring because they do not mentally stimulate them and so lose interest in them quickly. After a while in a child's company a Weimaraner will usually go off on his own, doubling the original problem, not alleviating it.

If you are looking for a dog specifically for the children, think about a Cocker Spaniel or some other breed that is very friendly, small enough for a child to handle competently and enjoys being in the company of children for long periods of time. Having said that, do not contemplate buying a dog that children will abuse, as this will end in disaster for all concerned.

A dog is an ideal way to teach children respect for others, human or canine. Dog ownership also teaches children the art of sharing and helps them to understand that we all have to do things we don't want to do, for whatever reason.

Obviously children cannot be taught the same black and white rules that you teach puppies. They do things on impulse, which is why we need to teach puppies that humans of any age are higher in the pecking order than themselves and are allowed to do things that puppies are not.

Children, on the other hand, should be taught that they can play with the new puppy, but they must respect him and not treat him roughly.

Children have a natural desire to pull at a puppy's front legs and tail. They should always be stopped from doing this.

It must be stressed that no one should pull a dog's legs nor should he ever pull the front legs apart in a split position. The puppy's heart is suspended in the chest cavity and pulling the front legs apart can tear the heart, killing the dog.

Mistreatment can turn an amenable, loving pup into one with an aggressive nature. Only let children play with the pup, or indeed an adult dog, under adult supervision.