Of course you can,
unlike Germany or Austria where they are usually only bred
for hunting, Weimaraners make excellent companion/showdogs.
Remember though Weims are hunt-point-retrieve (HPR) and love
to work. But "work" could be obedience or agility
courses or even good walks with plenty of stimulation both
physical and mental.
Do I need a large
house + garden?
No, provided they have
enough exercise, somewhere warm and plenty of love and
attention. However Weims do not appreciate being kept in an
outdoor kennel. Your
loves being with you and
being part of the family but remember what he learns as a
puppy he will remember so be consistent in your training.
Children, dogs, visitors, cats ?
If you socialise your
Weim properly they will get along fine with children and
other animals, remember no young child should be left alone
with any dog, your Weim will be relatively big when grown and
could easily knock a child over accidentally. We have 3 cats
who all get on well with our Weim, as do local cats in the neighbourhood.
Hyper-active ?
Weimaraners are very
laid-back, look at our picture gallery, they are however
energetic gundogs and do need their exercise whether it is sun-shine,
rain or snow! They also have to be involved in everything.
What are they like
left in kennels?
Their instinct to be with people is
very strong. While staying in kennels they can loose a lot of
weight through stress. However if you find it necessary to
put them into kennels from time to time the best time to
start is when they are young and for short periods of time.
What is BLOAT/GASTRIC TORSION?
This is one of the few medical
emergencies you could encounter owning a .
It's when the stomach fills with gasses and distends. Weimaraners are
fairly deep-chested and long-bodied dogs - their stomach has got room to turn
causing the blood supply to be cut off and unless the dog is operated on immediately
it will almost certainly die.
The symptoms are an unusually enlarged
stomach, agitation, attempts to vomit but unsuccessfully and also a lot of
pain. If only you suspect gastric torsion - rush your dog to a vet -
IMMEDIATELY. It's better making a fool of yourself than loosing your
dog.
The condition is not fully understood
yet - but can be prevented to a certain extent by not feeding your dog too
close to it's exercise time, feeding twice a day smaller amounts of food
rather than one big portion a day, raising the food bowl off the ground - so
the dog doesn't have to bend down to feed.
?