SparkyTansy

I don't know if i would... two days early I'd have her inside getting her used to her box etc... chained in the garage seems... odd But anyway! is there anything in your stud contract that he could come back on you with if you refuse a second mating?

LOL they do lay it on a bit thick, but the do make the points they are trying to make. I do recommend though that anyone interested in a breed should also speak to people in that breed. Lines of dogs in the same breed can be very different too. I agree with this completely... lines vary greatly. I have had weis most of my life and the wei I have now leans towards the horrible description of the breed and I am very glad that I have the experience to train her and handle her temperament. The weims I have had in the past, while having some of the characteristics described, certainly didn't have all of them and all were extremely well behaved... it really does depend on the line, and the understanding of the breeder to match the pup to the owner. Completely agree with this... Ok so weimaraners you like the look of... but temperament wise you risk getting something that may end up too much for your wife and family to handle.... In all honesty, apart from the fact that you think your wife might not want to hang out with the dog during the day, your family situation would suit a weim quite well. It is just that the one consideration you have to make is that weimaraners above all else were bred to be the ultimate companion to man... they were bred in Germany and still are today to be companion, hunting dog and protector (always by mans side). If your wife would consider allowing the dog to be with her or around her for much of the day, and certainly not shut away, the dog would end up being a very good companion for her (and dare I say it probably attach itself to your wife) Weims in Australia are not good for protection because their sharpness has been toned down somewhat, however I find that most weims are wary of strangers (depends on the line) and will only alert you to a noise if it is a definite concern, unless encouraged when young to bark at noises you hear (we made this mistake with one of our weis). They do shed hair, sharp little grey ones that stick occasionally into your skin! but they are very manageable coats - they blow coat usually twice a year. Exercise, well, they do love to run - free run, fetch, jogging, obedience training they will do it all and they will do it all day... however so long as they are with their people during the day, they generally are happy to hang around until you choose to take them out.. so long as you are committed to it daily. They can be destructive if left alone for long periods, because of that inbuilt desire to always be with you. They can be prone to separation anxiety, however this is actually not as common as people think in weims... the best way to ensure that it is never an issue is to give the dog a reason not to be upset when you leave them - entertaining toys, no fussing when you leave and when you return, and ensure that they have been exercised (mentally or physically) and are tired first. A very common saying in the weimaraner world is a tired weim is a well behaved weim. Your kids already loving dogs is a good thing too... but they have to learn to ensure they treat a weim with firm commands (but never ever cruel or harsh in punishment of course). Weimaraners, particularly if brought up with kids, will attach and devote themselves to them as much as they do with any other member of the family... but they do have a tendancy to chase and can nip if not trained correctly to understand that this is not an acceptable behaviour with other pets and kids... again firm commands and supervision is key with having a weim with kids. They are extremely tolerant, but they are clumsy and can tend to run into you. I have seen a wei take my 48kg mum right off her feat because the dog wasn't looking where she was running. Socialisation is a must with weimaraners. They can be as wary of other dogs as they are of people and they will make sure that the other dog knows about it... obedience training is a great tool for not only ensuring a well behaved dog but also for learning social behaviour in a group setting. To be honest when I first read about your requirements and your wifes attitude towards dogs, I thought a weim would be a terrible match for you... but on further thought, so long as you are willing to accept the fact that that awful description that shortstep posted about a weim CAN AND DOES happen in weims, and that you could end up with one just like it was described, I think you'd be fine... You have to be willing to alter your behaviours and lifestyle for ANY breed of dog... I just don't think that any dog will come along and just happily slot into peoples lives (except for maybe a stuffed polyesterr one). Best of luck with your decision.. I am sure that you will be a great family for the right dog... whatever breed you choose.

My boys breeder we don't really keep in contact much... we say hi every now and then and sometimes she comes to perth so I get to bring one of my boys down to see her. Ari's breeder is awesome and we keep in touch regularly... we chat most days over email or on facebook and we catch up if she comes to perth for work. i am sure i probably drive her insane with all my questions sometimes, but she has been so supportive of everything since I got Ari.

Valley are you going to be at teh shows this weekend? I suppose not cos of Lincolns foot? I'll be there anyway... i'm definitely going on Monday, so i'll see you there. We could meet up earlier to watch the lab judging. oh RS I have more than likely given up on Ari and retrieving... I am really struggling for her attention most of the time. I am going to have to save it for my next one i think... it's just too hard! perhaps if i get back into obedience and she begins to give me some focus again, i'll try again.

ladyrita and I hope you feel like you can come and visit again one day

I don't envy you at all darkrai... i've finally picked after many many months of deliberation...

Hey guys i have decided to take a little DOLiday after today, so enjoy your oggies and i'll be back!! no doubt ValleyCBR will keep me up to date with stuff Take care all!

Weimaraners can suffer from HD and they also suffer from a lot of Immunodeficiency issues, which can come out in various ways and are quite hard to pinpoint... there is no genetic marker but there have been several findings made that can relate to full vaccinations so it is recommended by most breeders to stagger the vaccs... it's not as common as people think but there was a period where there was a particular stud was used in WA which was thought to throw immuno and that seemed to increase the awareness of the issue. Apparently I think it's wobblers which is quite common for weims in the US buti don't believe it's common here. English Setters also suffer from HD, as well as the possibility of deafness, and skin issues and gut issues. I have one that has skin issues and one that has HD... lucky me!

I haven't heard good things about greenies... have a look for ingredients there are a bunch of preservatives and stuff on there... Best thing for puppy would be supervised introduction to raw meaty bones of appropriate size...they are healthy and fresh and do wonders for teeth.

Harryviolet your girl has similar symptoms to what my English Setter did... he showed symptoms early on though, when i got him from 8 weeks he had issues. Turns out he not only suffered from Atopy but also from an allergy to chicken. Even now he cannot manage any raw meat, just a single kibble which I found for him which is lamb based... he can have lamb flaps every now and then however these can cause an outbreak if given too often... recently he had camel,which he had no issues with. We also had some success with him with turkey and rabbit, but again, all the meats are given to him rarely due to the time it takes to show a reaction in his skin. When we did the elimination diet, spartan was on fish and potato... however due to his atopy we struggled to diagnose his food allergy but after a very strong and bad reaction after having chicken one day, we managed to figure out that chicken was his worst enemy, and realised that his most difficult time as a baby was when we had him on straight chicken mince and rice (which many vets recommend to help dogs with upset tummies!) In addition to this, we had the intradermal testing done and found high reactions to moulds, some insects and grasses. We started the immunotherapy and he was on it for maybe a year and a half before he no longer showed any symptoms of itchiness. So long as he got his normal diet, there were no issues with his other skin reactions either (i can tell the difference between a food reaction and an atopic one). The only time now we have issues with his atopy are seasonal changes... usually a course of antibiotics and antihistamine help him through it. Spartan is one of the success stories from intradermal testing and immunotherapy and I am extremely happy to be able to say that. He is not symptom free, but he is symptom free for most of the time which is huge for us. Spartan was so bad he couldn't be without cortisone, weekly baths, supplements, and would have to constantly wear a t-shirt to stop his scratching. He has been cortisone free for at least 4 years. Skin allergies are awful... it takes a lot of time and unfortunatley money to get on top of it and I am so grateful that i am lucky enough that i had success.

If she will let you you could hold her still in the bath while she uses her legs to paddle... My life would be sooooo much easier if James was small enough to just put in the bath!! it's the beach for us!!

Bridie swimming would be the best exercise for her, and being so small that is easily remedied by filling a warm bath... by all means check with your vet but swimming has low impact on joints and her weight will not affect her in the water.

hey bridie... dont be too disappointed... if she is not losing any weight, just cut it back a little more! she is obviously still getting too much. also, have you been exercising her?

bug while I agree with you that people dont know the other side of this, there is one thing you missed pointing out in your post. The fact that a breeder became defensive NOT because the purchaser had doubts, but because of the questions in regards to health of the pups. You also deliberately left out the rest of a sentence which explains why the buyers were still concerned with the pup at 6 weeks - because the pup was STILL inactive during a time when puppies should not be.

That is my thought. The more experienced person assesses whether the breeder is any good or not. The breeder then speaks to the person who wants to adopt the dog to assess whether the buyer is any good or not. I wouldn't expect a breeder to sell a pup to someone without assessing that person obviously. Exactly - just like it isn't always easy for a breeder to pick a good owner from a bad one, it's not always easy for someone who hasn't bought a registered puppy from a breeder before to decide who is good or not. As said in my original post, it was about doing the ground work, asking the questions and narrowing it down to breeders to contact. We all know that if someone asks the wrong type of questions, a breeder will not always reply... the idea was that I would declare who i was and ask them questions, then ask if i can refer a friend onto them to speak to them about purchasing a puppy. Anyway, it all worked out. My friend put down a deposit for a puppy and I believe that the breeder is a fellow DOLer I am sure they are now in very capable hands.

A friend of mine was over in Adelaide for the Wei national & laughed at how walking on a loose leash sorted out the "men from the boys".....so to speak. Personally I always/will show my sheppies on loose leashes too, I always smile to myself when I hear the group 5 judge clearly say "loose leashes" for the sheppies. :p Hmm just out of curiosity, how would walking on a loose leash sort the "men from the boys"? do you mean it didn't allow anyone to disguise movement or do you mean something else? I personally wasn't bothered by it... but i am aware of the many that were. I am regularly asked to walk on a loose lead with the other breed I show... but there is a reason for that.

Huge Congrats! :p

sorry BL I guess I should have said planning on showing him ;) :p I am sure you would freak a few people out attempting it,if you could.

Do you still show him BL?

I grew up with weimaraners - my mums first love... although introduced to having a dog a bit later in my childhood (7 years old). I embraced having a dog and fell in love with having them around all the time. I devoted myself to getting out books on dogs and such, drawing them etc. I was around 8 when I got a book about dogs and opened the page up to an english setter puppy. I was instantly in love and to me they are the most beautiful dog in the world. As i got older and read more about them I was attracted by their gentlemanlike temperaments but also their fun loving nature. We continued with weimaraners and we lost our last when I turned 18, after losing her daughter from cancer at an early age. I got Spartan, my first English Setter when I was 19 and my life will never be without one... In saying that, I succumbed to another Weimaraner 3 years ago!! I guess they will always have a place in my heart too.

Yes, many breeders do provide the papers at a later date with no issues, but what I am acknowledging is that collecting a puppy without the papers has a risk attached as some have found out. It's no consolation for the buyer that does get duded on their papers to say that the majority are ok and the system is great........does that help the owner with the now unpapered dog because their breeder has disappeared???. Trust systems have their weaknesses and if a breeder couldn't supply my papers when collecting the puppy, I would want some form of guarentee that I will definitely get them. To assume that getting papers with the puppy doesn't happen and it's all too hard...........I have just collected a puppy 6 weeks ago with the papers, it does and can happen if the breeder tries an bit harder to satisfy their customers Yes, it has a risk... you know, buyer beware and all that. I would consider the risk higher purchasing a puppy with papers ready to go because they breed only to supply the pet market and could be churning out lesser quality puppies because they aren't breeding to better the breed... but that's just me. What happened in this situation is unfair... but who is to say that this person isn't at fault for not doing their research on ensuring the breeder was legit? Did they make sure they would get papers when they picked up the puppy? when they initially enquired, did they ask whether the puppy came with ANKC registration papers? You just don't get it... but thank goodness I'll never be selling you a puppy... I think your ignorance on this topic leaves a lot of us much better off. What a load of rubbish telling people that breeders who supply papers with their puppies are pet market suppliers...........where did you get that nonesence from People are complaining about not getting papers which is what the thread is all about You like that BB? You like it when I pick out things and make sweeping statements and assumptions? Good luck to you all... I'm out... I just thank doG BB isn't in my breed... Mas - I hope that your friend gets their dogs papers soon. Even though I have been arguing for the breeder who doesn't supply papers with pups pick up, I do know what it is like to wait a few months for papers. Difference being, I knew that the breeder was breeding for themselves and that it was in their interest to register their litter... turns out there were difficulties with the names... another delay that can cause problems with supplying papers when they turn 8 weeks.

Yes, many breeders do provide the papers at a later date with no issues, but what I am acknowledging is that collecting a puppy without the papers has a risk attached as some have found out. It's no consolation for the buyer that does get duded on their papers to say that the majority are ok and the system is great........does that help the owner with the now unpapered dog because their breeder has disappeared???. Trust systems have their weaknesses and if a breeder couldn't supply my papers when collecting the puppy, I would want some form of guarentee that I will definitely get them. To assume that getting papers with the puppy doesn't happen and it's all too hard...........I have just collected a puppy 6 weeks ago with the papers, it does and can happen if the breeder tries an bit harder to satisfy their customers Yes, it has a risk... you know, buyer beware and all that. I would consider the risk higher purchasing a puppy with papers ready to go because they breed only to supply the pet market and could be churning out lesser quality puppies because they aren't breeding to better the breed... but that's just me. What happened in this situation is unfair... but who is to say that this person isn't at fault for not doing their research on ensuring the breeder was legit? Did they make sure they would get papers when they picked up the puppy? when they initially enquired, did they ask whether the puppy came with ANKC registration papers? You just don't get it... but thank goodness I'll never be selling you a puppy... I think your ignorance on this topic leaves a lot of us much better off.

Maybe Ellz doesn't see her puppies as merchandise to be sold like you obviously do BB... Believe it or not, there are breeders out there that are breeding to improve the breed, not just pump out puppies to sell to the pet market. I would happily say to hell with anyone that doesn't understand and accept the processes I choose for MY puppies (and they are my puppies until the money changes hands). I would rather sell a puppy to someone with whom I have a good relationship and a mutual trust than to someone who insists I register their pup early and give them the papers when they pick up the pup or they walk away. i would rather they walk away. There are some bad breeders out there who will not give out papers despite their promises... and on a forum such as this where people come on asking for advice about their purebred puppies, those situations are going to be noticeable... right so there are two active threads at the moment about people that haven't received their papers. How many purebred dog owners are there on this forum who HAVE papers from their breeders who have had NO need for complaint, even if they didn't get their papers when they picked up the puppy? Certainly more than you would ever be willing to acknowledge BB...

Mine are all fairly independant... probably with the exception of Ari the Weimaraner who is more attached to me than the other dogs... this is probablymore a result of her breed than her upbringing. I have always given them alone time but not really on purpose. I have at different stages of their lives had to spend time with one over the other (obedience training/walks), and they have all been away from me at different periods again with the exception of Ari.

My sister has an OES and a friend has a full brother from an older litter. Looks wise, very very similar. Temperament wise, not so much. One is more outgoing, friendlier with a much more even temperament although lacks manners at times with other dogs (very over the top and too friendly). The other is a little less tolerant and less active in public, with better doggy manners! I agree with what Liz T said... never get into that trap of comparing dogs. Each dog, just like each person, has their own personality... The english setter in my avatar is my heart dog and exactly what I feel the breed temperament should be, and yet I know I will probably never have another like him.