The key to owning a Weim

A little over a year ago, my husband and I decided to purchase a Weimaraner. We did all the research about them just to ensure we knew what we were getting into. The characteristics of a typical Weim is they are energetic, very intelligent, family oriented and friendly. Now that doesn't sound bad does it? No, however you find out the down sides of each of these great behaviors. For instance, yes, my dog Alex is a great ball of energy. He is fun to be around and he keeps the kids busy for hours. Yet, if you have absolutely no time to run and exercise these dogs for at least an hour a day, don't put any effort in trying to own one. These dogs are equivalent of children with ADHD. Untrained, they do not focus and want to run uncontrollably all over the place. But do not take that for stupidity. Weims are so very intelligent, they call them the dogs with the human brain. As a puppy, Alex would get bored and go for the things most valuable to chew up. For example, my husbands X BOX equipment, or the remote to his big screen TV, or better the cable wire so we couldn't watch the University of Kentucky basketball game that night. They are incredibly smart and luckily are easily trained. Alex understands most of everything my husband and I say and cocks his head to the left and right when you speak to him almost in confirmation. When as a family, we get together in the living room and play games or bowl on the Wii, Alex will stand at your feet for a while and after unsuccessfully gaining your attention he will go lay in a corner or right in front of the tv and stare at you. Almost to say, "look at me, I'm so sad because I cant play games with the rest of the family". They love doing family oriented things and want to desperately feel like part of the family. If you don't grant that wish, you can always end up with a dog who has the worst kind of separation anxiety and either tries to bite his way out of his crate, or tears up your house the minute you close your door to leave. In a case like that, you may want to start to take your Weim to the park, or the beach with the family...until he barks at everyone and whines because he is on his leash and cant run about. They are friendly dogs no doubt, but if he is confined to his leash, the terror begins. No one will have a good time if he can't, but if you let him go he will run up to every child, adult, dog and baby in a stroller that he can. Just because he likes people and other animals.

The key to owning a Weimaraner is this, treat them like they are a child in the family. From the beginning you MUST train them. Be consistent, but not too strict. Give them room to show their personality, because believe me they have their own. If you crate train them you must also do that from the very beginning because if you start after six months of life it will be very traumatic for them. Start putting them in there for short periods daily, giving them treats for good behavior. Then, when you must leave them in there for a long period of time, they have a treat to look forward to. If you do not crate train them, you must also do the short periods of time daily in the house by themselves to see what they will do. They have separation anxiety always but you can help lessen the anxiety by leaving for short periods of time, and coming back and NOT giving them a whole lot of attention. Come home, put your keys down, take a seat, and then hug and kiss your pet. This will help them realize that leaving is not that much of a big deal to you and it shouldn't be to them.

Weims have tons of energy and need to be ran for atleast an hour a day. If you do not have time, or patience I would say to you to leave the Weim right where they are and get another dog. Part of this breeds personality is energy and they need plenty of exercise. I suggest going to an enclosed field so that they can run, run, run. Lack of exercise can increase the amount of anxiety in these dogs as well. Even better, find a play date so they can run around with another dog or dogs to help release some of their energy.

My dog, Alex is so smart he cracks me up sometimes. I can talk to him and feel absolutely confident that he understands what I'm saying. These dogs are so intelligent and have a great sense of smell that it was said they use to sniff out nuclear weapons. I can ask Alex "where is daddy?" or where is "Gabe?" (my son) and he will look for them. He thinks that my 5 month old son is his baby, and he is hilarious when the baby has a stinky diaper and he doesn't want anything to do with him at that point.

I love my dog, and he is in essence like another child to me and thats the way he likes it.