Which Breed?

[Scottsmum]

This is my experience with Wei's:

We had 2 purebred sisters growing up. We were a family of 4 kids and 2 adults. They were always outside dogs, they would go hunting with my dad on the weekends. They both lived to 15 and died within months of each other (heart condition then the other rapidly deteriorated without her sister so was PTS). They were very easy going friendly dogs and I have nothing but fond memories of them Good luck in your decision

Reasonably similar experience - we;; - family with weims who worked with Dad - sadly 2 went early due to lead poising - Brit (the last one) was around until she was 17 or so.

[Kavik]

on 14.6 there is DOGS ON SHOW at Orchard Hills showgrounds

All sorts of dogs are shown in the All Breeds Show plus there are competitions in many other dogs sports representing a variety of anything and everything.

Come along, starts at 9am

Luddenham Rd Orchard Hills

BTW I cant see a reason why a Weim wouldnt suit you.

Will you be there MonElite?

I'm going for the agility demo - would be great to catch up, haven't seen you in ages!

[persephone]

off topic

*waves to Mon*

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

Weis are known as a velcro dog & can be very hard to live .

I would suggest talking to breeders ,you will not be wasting there time ,a good breeder should be very honest as to whether the breed is for you & there experience is what you need.

I helped a colleague rehome his, problems started when his wife returned to work (albeit part time). They tried everything over many months including a behaviouralist. The Weim had severe separation anxiety and destroyed the back door amongst other things. Something to check with breeders as some breeds are prone to this and don't cope well with being alone (I rescue a breed that often has sep anx issues if left alone).

Edited June 6, 2014 by Her Majesty Dogmad

[Salukifan]

This may seem like an odd question but: Do you want the dog to fit in with your current life or for your life to change to revolve more around the dog.

People won't necessarily see it the same as me but I think the athletic breeds that have been bred to work with and for man on a daily basis are best suited to the latter category of owner. The Weimaraner is such a breed.

I don't mean that you have to give up a life outside your home BUT unless most of your time after work and on weekends is spent with your dog, I'd not choose a Weimaraner. I do not think they thrive without a fair bit of companionship and training and you can say that about a lot of toys, gundogs and working breeds.

Others may disagree but that's my observation. There are "easier" breeds to own. I'd put the Weim in the category of an "enthusiasts breed".

It would seem I'm not alone in that. (this is a link by the way, you can click on it)

Edited June 6, 2014 by Haredown Whippets

[The Spotted Devil]

I tend to agree with HW, having come in contact with them through retrieving trialling (these dogs also bred for show). Highly capable dogs but they need a job/plenty of exercise from what I've seen. Certainly a breed for the enthusiast - also a good description for my own breeds!

[VizslaMomma]

We had Weis when I was a kid - don't remember them being velco or needy. Lovely pets, loyal and kind dumb was my overall impression of my dads 3 girls. (no offence to any one)

I'd have another in a flash - but we rent and I wont get another big dog until we own our own home.

You've told us about the practical YOU and what you can offer but you haven't spoken about what you want .... Does it have to be a big dog, can it be a cattle dog, terrier, do you melt every time you see a weim?

We have fox terrier. I've always had a little dog and a big dog. As I said, my lifestyle restricts the big dog side of things so we just have the foxie at the moment. But for me - it was a no brainer. My little dog of choice is a foxie/Jack russell / tenerfield style dog. Not a pom or a poodle - nothing wrong with eiter - they just dont speak to me.

Just to state the obvious - each breed has its pros and cons. Every single person on this board will be able to give you reasons for or against any breed, mutt, rescue. Some people really want to go through the puppy stage, others might be happier with an adolescent who;s ready to hike and bush bash with you, others - myself included wanted an older companion for not much more than cuddles (we adopted a senior).

It sounds like you're going with your head, which is important, but give your heart a little bit of a say too.

good luck :)

Yes this is my memory of ours too!!

Weis are as good as their lines and how much TLC they get from their humans. Same applies to other breeds.

Have friends with Weis and their dogs are super.

Mind, I do love to tease them that the Vizsla is the ancestor of a Wei. Makes for great conversations.

Memories of our childhood dogs are so special.

[VizslaMomma]

grmelins

Sorry

:laugh:

Edited June 7, 2014 by VizslaMomma

[Weibritty]

jesse_083 - Please go to some dog shows and contact Weimaraner breeders to see if they really are the right breed for you. Do lots of research.

Having owned the breed for 25 years now, I believe a Weimaraner is a breed that is not suited to just anyone.

They are a high energy, intelligent dog that needs a lot of mental stimulation. If you are prepared to put in a lot of hard work and train them from puppyhood and provide on-going life training they are a wonderful family dog. We do this by doing dog sports, like obedience, tracking, agility and basic retrieving work.

You sound like you could potentially provide a great home to a Weimaraner. Oh and consider the Longhair Weimaraner, they are better looking than their short-hair counter-parts. :laugh:

[jesse_083]

Thanks everyone!

Haredown whippets, that link was excellent! I'd read through the 101 and parts of the breed sub forum thread but that link really laid it all out for me.

Scottsmum, we both think they are just beautiful dogs and seemed on paper to be a possible good fit for us. What I really needed was just some reassurance we can meet a puppy/dogs needs. Not just friends/family saying yeah get one and who are mostly just wanting to live vicariously through us as they don't have a doggy companion :)

To those that asked (sorry I find it hard to quote on the iPad) the list for what we can offer/have time for was sort of a bare minimum list of what we can offer. On weekends there is a lovely spot on the water 15min from my place, our dog would come to family dinners, camping, plus more. so our dog would be out and about with us where possible. We are very committed to ongoing training as I can't think of anything worst than a med/large dog with poor manners!

We are looking at more a med to large dog. My biggest concern was that we would be getting in over our heads just getting a dog. None of the responses here were 'nope don't even look at getting any sort of dog, your current lifestyle doesn't seem to suit'. We are also looking at going to the show on sat14th too. I'll try to chat to some competitors and go from there.

I'm glad I asked here, thanks everyone for taking the time to provide us with plenty of food for thought!

Edit to add: I didn't include info on kennel/bedding, coats in winter, toys ect as I figured they were a given. Buffy (bird) has toys on a rotating basis, outdoor cage, indoor cage, indoor stand with food bowls, my shoulder.... So getting all the associated 'stuff' for a dog is a given for us!

Edited June 7, 2014 by jesse_083

[Salukifan]

Glad you found it helpful. :) I love that website.

Lovely dogs with the right care and attention and I'll confess I like the Longhairs best too!

[VizslaMomma]

You sound like you could potentially provide a great home to a Weimaraner. Oh and consider the Longhair Weimaraner, they are better looking than their short-hair counter-parts. :laugh:

Would you dare ever tell your short-hair Wei this?

[aussielover]

You sound very responsible and would offer a dog a great home :)

I tend to agree with HW about Wei's being a enthusiasts breed. In my experience they are one of the more challenging gundog breeds, being quite large, high energy and more independent minded than a lot of the other gundogs.

However with some minor (depending on how you look at it) adjustments to your lifestyle, I think they could be quite suitable for you.

On average I'd say 1 hour exercise a day in combination with full time work isn't enough for this breed. Definitely running or cycling is the way to go, a 1 hr walk won't challenge this breed at all. If you could also do another hour or so before work (which may mean getting up quite early) or get a dog walker, I think that would be better. Even my laid back labrador gets 2 hours of exercise a day minimum to keep her happy. Having said that, I enjoy exercising her and she is a good running/ cycling partner as she is good motivation! I wouldn't advise looking at a high energy dog like a Wei if you find exercise tedious or boring.

As with all breeds, there are individuals who are more laid back so finding a good breeder is paramount.

What is it about Weimaraners that appeals you? I guess it comes down to whether those features that you love are worth making the necessary adjustments to your lifestyle.

Good luck with your decision!

[Weibritty]

You sound like you could potentially provide a great home to a Weimaraner. Oh and consider the Longhair Weimaraner, they are better looking than their short-hair counter-parts. :laugh:

Would you dare ever tell your short-hair Wei this?

Well, I don't own shorthair Weis any more. :laugh:

Have now owned Longhairs for the last 10 years and just prefer them now.

Here is my handsome boy Clay, now 18 months old and a bit of a handful but doing well in obedience and tracking.

[Guest donatella]

I didn't didn't even know they came in longhair

[jesse_083]

Weibritty he is beautiful!

The more I see of them the more I think I'm definitely more partial to the long hairs! Unfortunately Ian sees the longer hair and thinks there's just too much fur. I'll convert him hopefully. :)

[WeimMe]

They are wonderful wonderful dogs - but I can say with complete honesty that to a certain degree your life will need to revolve around them as they tend to form a very strong bond with one particular person.

They are not an independant dog and if not given the level of attention, training and companionship they require they can develop destructive tendancies. This is not a dog that will cope being an outside only dog. They need human companionship and do not tolerate extremes of temperature well. If lonely they will howl - very very loudly and for hours at a time.

They are clumsy, boisterous and powerful dogs while they are young and can easily knock over a child...or even an adult during play. Your committment to training must be absolute and you must keep in mind that they are sensitive dogs and do not respond well to negative reinforcement. They are slow to mature and strong willed but generally quite food motivated. The people at our dog obedience school maintained that Weims are not particularly intelligent and therefore difficult to train. I always believed that she was smart enough not to bother doing anything she didn't feel like if thre was not sufficient reward in it for her.

Leaving them in a boarding kennel is completely out of the question - Weims need to be babysat more than merely kenneled and are eaily stressed.

That said, if you put in the time and the training you will have a loyal, obedient and beautiful dog who loves to be close to you.

[Weibritty]

Weibritty he is beautiful!

The more I see of them the more I think I'm definitely more partial to the long hairs! Unfortunately Ian sees the longer hair and thinks there's just too much fur. I'll convert him hopefully. :)

Don't let the fact that they are longhaired put you off. They are still low maintenance in the grooming department compared to say a Golden Retriever which has a much thicker coat. A weekly brush over, mainly on and under their ears, their tail and leg feathering and trimming under their feet and in between toes when required. That's it. They do drop coat like all dogs, but what you find is soft grey fluff balls on the floor and they are easily vacuumed up, whereas I found the shorthair Wei hair seemed to stick to clothes and furniture.

[Dave73]

Ever thought about a Ridgeback. They are supreme athletes large breed, fine as a 1 dog household. Short coat minimal health issues.

[jesse_083]

They are wonderful wonderful dogs - but I can say with complete honesty that to a certain degree your life will need to revolve around them as they tend to form a very strong bond with one particular person.

.......

They are not an independant dog and if not given the level of attention, training and companionship they require they can develop destructive tendancies. This is not a dog that will cope being an outside only dog. They need human companionship and do not tolerate extremes of temperature well. If lonely they will howl - very very loudly and for hours at a time.

That said, if you put in the time and the training you will have a loyal, obedient and beautiful dog who loves to be close to you.

WeimMe I have shared this thread with my husband so he knows what we are in for. There are a few places near us that will offer obedience classes (obviously training is not a once a week activity!) so we can all learn correctly from the start. We discussed checking out agility too.I've read the info on exercise before 12-18months, but figure we need to plan for the 90% of a dogs life when it will have high exercise needs.

TBH I have not even looked into kennels for when we go away, we have enough family nearby (who already look after my bird when needed) who will also look after a dog for us too.

We live in the midish mountains so it tends to be warmer here than Richmond and katoomba. We are only planning on leaving our dog outside while we are at work, otherwise it's inside with us (including sleeping). Plus if I'd buy a coat for myself because it's cold, why not our pets too! Buffy has never slept outside since I've had her (over 10yrs) if I leave her out after dark she certainly lets us know about it!!

The only thing that concerns us (after reading all the feedback) is the bark/howling factor but now that we know, it's something we'd def discuss with any breeders we chat to. Weimaraners (and heaps of other breeds we have looked at) need the mental and physical exercise, if we are willing to provide that then hopefully the potential for noise will be lessened.

Dave73 I've read up on ridgebacks and I know this will sound silly (esp as I am asking about weims) but they sound like too much dog for us. I've trawled the breed101 forums and other sites and there are some dogs that I've thought yep they sound awesome and will fit in well into our family and others where I've gone oh they sound lovely but just don't seem like what we are looking for. If that makes sense?