Breed of the Week: The Weimaraner Part 1





Over the next three weeks, the Breed of the Week will feature a versatile gundog that is very close to my heart - the Weimaraner. I've decided to devote extra time to the Weim for a couple of reasons. First of all, I hope that sharing the story of this fascinating German hunting breed might serve as a wake-up call to other breeds that are on the slippery slope of beauty over ability. But more importantly, I want to make it very clear to hunters that despite the Weimaraner's reputation as a less than stellar performer in the field, there are in fact some awesome hunting Weims out there. With a little homework, you really can find a Weim that is as good as any other versatile hunting dog on the planet.









Despite the fact that I am very familiar with the breed—I own Weimaraners and spend an average of about 50 days per season hunting with them—writing this chapter was more difficult than I had anticipated. It was not due to any lack of information, resources or access to breed experts. The hard part was resisting the urge to rant about the sorry state of the breed in much of the world today.



Nevertheless, if I could only say one thing about Weimaraners, it would be this: they can be awesome gundogs. If you take the time to look around, you can find a Weimaraner that any hunter would be proud to own.



I have been very fortunate that all my Weimaraners have turned out to be good workers. The handsome fellow on the cover of this book is Félix, my very first hunting dog. The best thing about him was his drive, nose and unwavering loyalty. The worst thing about him was that he was way too smart for his own good. Training him was like trying to debate astrophysics with Steven Hawking. Since then, I have had other Weims, short-haired and long-haired, and they’ve all been excellent hunters. They’ve all come from breeders who hunt as much as I do and look for the same things in a gundog as I do: desire, speed, point, nose, and a love of water.







Since the breed suffers from a fairly poor reputation among hunters, especially in the US and Canada, I have been on the receiving end of some nasty remarks when people find out I have Weims. But I am happy to say that I have shown many naysayers the error of their ways. I remember one fellow in particular who could not talk enough trash about the breed when we first met. But after spending an afternoon hunting over my dogs, he apologized for his disparaging remarks, and asked to be put on the waiting list for a pup!



I have heard similar stories from others in North America who are working to keep the hunt in the breed and to convince other hunters to join their cause. Recently, an alliance has been formed among field-oriented breeders to do just that. It is still the early days for a group that exists mainly online at



So how did the Weim end up being at the bottom of the V-dog totem pole when it comes to the ratio of good to bad workers in the breed? Well, it turns out that the story of the Weimaraner has all the elements of a Hollywood melodrama. It is a classic tale of how marketing, money and the vain pursuit of blue ribbons can turn a noble breed of hunting dog into a caricature of its former self. Fortunately, like any good melodrama, there’s a happy ending. Despite the challenges the breed continues to face, there are still dedicated Weimaraner breeders out there producing world-class gundogs.



The official history of the Weimaraner begins on June 22, 1897 when a club for the “pure breeding of the silver-grey Weimaraner pointing dog” was formed in Erfurt, Germany. The breed’s development since that time is relatively well documented. The historical record from before that time is much less clear. And since the further back it goes, the fuzzier it gets, all we have are theories based almost entirely on speculation. Readers of this blog are probably familiar with my views on the Weimaraner. I have written about it since I started the blog in 2006 and have gone off on a few rants like this one here here and here . But when it came time to write the chapter on the breed in my book , I dialled the rhetoric down a notch.Despite the fact that I am very familiar with the breed—I own Weimaraners and spend an average of about 50 days per season hunting with them—writing this chapter was more difficult than I had anticipated. It was not due to any lack of information, resources or access to breed experts. The hard part was resisting the urge to rant about the sorry state of the breed in much of the world today.Nevertheless, if I could only say one thing about Weimaraners, it would be this: theybe awesome gundogs., you can find a Weimaraner that any hunter would be proud to own.I have been very fortunate that all my Weimaraners have turned out to be good workers. The handsome fellow on the cover of this book is Félix, my very first hunting dog. The best thing about him was his drive, nose and unwavering loyalty. The worst thing about him was that he was way too smart for his own good. Training him was like trying to debate astrophysics with Steven Hawking. Since then, I have had other Weims, short-haired and long-haired, and they’ve all been excellent hunters. They’ve all come from breeders who hunt as much as I do and look for the same things in a gundog as I do: desire, speed, point, nose, and a love of water. Ten years ago, I got a pup from Dick Wilber, a straight-talking Texan who has proven his dogs in the highest levels of competition. That pup turned out to be an absolutely “out of the box” dog. She literally trained herself. All I did was take her hunting and keep my mouth shut. I’ve hunted more days over my Souris than over any other dog, and I truly believe she may be my once-in-a-lifetime hunting partner. My other Weims include a long-haired bitch I imported from Germany, and an absolute rocket of a Weim from my friend Judy Balog. I hope those two will be the foundation of my very own line.Since the breed suffers from a fairly poor reputation among hunters, especially in the US and Canada, I have been on the receiving end of some nasty remarks when people find out I have Weims. But I am happy to say that I have shown many naysayers the error of their ways. I remember one fellow in particular who could not talk enough trash about the breed when we first met. But after spending an afternoon hunting over my dogs, he apologized for his disparaging remarks, and asked to be put on the waiting list for a pup!I have heard similar stories from others in North America who are working to keep the hunt in the breed and to convince other hunters to join their cause. Recently, an alliance has been formed among field-oriented breeders to do just that. It is still the early days for a group that exists mainly online at www.huntingweimforum.com , but they are taking a giant step in the right direction. Hopefully, their efforts will lead to a better awareness among American and Canadian hunters that Weimaraners from proven lines can make excellent hunting partners.So how did the Weim end up being at the bottom of the V-dog totem pole when it comes to the ratio of good to bad workers in the breed? Well, it turns out that the story of the Weimaraner has all the elements of a Hollywood melodrama. It is a classic tale of how marketing, money and the vain pursuit of blue ribbons can turn a noble breed of hunting dog into a caricature of its former self. Fortunately, like any good melodrama, there’s a happy ending. Despite the challenges the breed continues to face, there are still dedicated Weimaraner breeders out there producing world-class gundogs.The official history of the Weimaraner begins on June 22, 1897 when a club for the “pure breeding of the silver-grey Weimaraner pointing dog” was formed in Erfurt, Germany. The breed’s development since that time is relatively well documented. The historical record from before that time is much less clear. And since the further back it goes, the fuzzier it gets, all we have are theories based almost entirely on speculation.