TO HAVE A WEI IS TO HAVE A SECOND SHADOW

The Wei is a breed you'll either love or hate.

Personality: Active,alert,friendly and intelligent,the Weimaraner needs regular physical and mental stimulation to ensure a happy and healthy adult dog.

Suitable for:People who accept them as part of the household and have the time to train their dog.Weimaraners enjoy spending time with their family and make great companions and watchdogs.As they are quite boisterous,care needs to be taken around young children.

Favourite activities:Conformation,obedience,agility,tracking,lounging on the couch and playing ball with the family.

Backyard requirements:Weimaraners don't require a large backyard as long as they are given daily excercise.However,they are highly intelligent and will become destructive if relegated to the backyard for long periods of time.

Watchdog qualities:The breed has a natural watchdog ability and will alert you to intruders.Socialisation with regular visitors and their dogs needs to happen from a young age as the breed can be protective of its territory.

Size: height - 59cm to 63cm for bitches and 62cm to 67cm for dogs.                       

Weight: -25kg to 35kg for bitches and 30kg to 40kg for dogs.

Lifespan: 10-12 years possibly longer

Care of the Weimaraner & Long Hair Weimaraner

*See Coat care of the long hair Weimaraner below

Daily:Fresh water and a balanced diet including fresh meat and raw meaty bones,vegetables and quality biscuits.A daily run will help keep the Weimaraner in shape.

Weekly:Nail clipping and ear cleaning. 

Monthly:Heartworm and flea/tick treatments.

Bath:Once a month or when required.

Regular Worming: 8,10,12 weeks of age then at 4,5,& 6 months of age, then every 3 months.

Vaccination: 6,12,16 weeks of age then annually.

Hereditary diseases:Can be affected by gastric torsion as most deep chested dogs,and hip dysplasia. Currently seeing cases of auto immune deficiency which research from America has linked this to over-vaccinations.

note:Large and giant breeds are prone to gastric torsion or twisted stomach.

        To help prevent this ,leave at least half an hour between feeding and exercise.

 IS THE WEI RIGHT FOR YOU? Take the quiz,see links page. 

Coat Care of the Long Hair Weimaraner: Most long haired breeds have alot of fussing that comes with a long haired dog ie bathing, brushing, clipping the hair between the toes, trimming around the feet and nails. And much to my surprise after the bath it only took me a couple of minutes to clip the hair on her feet, I was actually feeling a little let down as I was looking forward to doing all the grooming that comes with a long coated dog and apart from the feet and a quick brush there wasn't any.

I am also surprised to learn that a lot of people from Mackay area and up the north of QLD have never seen a longhaired Wei or didn't know that there was a longhaired Wei. Which is ashame as they are a beautiful dog.The longhair has occurred within this breed historically long before the short haired Wei was actually recognized as a breed in the early eighteen hundred's. It has come along way since the early day's, when it was intially excluded from the German stud book. The German Weimaraner Club changed this policy in 1935, the decision was influenced in part by several traits that began appearing in the short coated Wei's, in which all of the modifiers linked with the longhair recessive had been eliminated.  (a) The coat was very short spars and brittle (b) The sparse coat provided little protection from the cold and insect bites (c) The skin was more sensitive to allergens.  Therfore, the Germans decided to stop trying to eliminate the longhaired trait from the breed. Today the two coat types are judged separatly in the show ring. 

How much brushing does the Longhair need? Dependng on the circumstances, a quick brush especially the ears and tail once a week or when I bath them that way no knots begin to form in behind the ears or in the tail. If they have been up the bush tracking or through long seeding grass, I will brush and check them over which I do with all my dogs incase of injury, paralysis tick or if they come into contact with a plant out here called spear grass. If that gets into their coats and you don't get it out it will continue to borrow into their skin and cause infections.

Do they shed more hair than the short coat? They shed their coat twice a year like the short coat, but the hair is thicker & longer and therefore more noticeable.

Ears:  Inside the ear surprisingly enough it doesn't get as dirty as the short coat but I find it's seems to be more moist, so they all get their ears checked weekly if their dirty or moist they get cleaned out with ear cleaner. I usually squirt some ear cleaner into the ear give the ear a good rub then wipe it out with a piece of cotton wool. 

Feet: I trim the hair between the toes because if the hair is thick there it will spread the toes making the foot loose and more susceptible to damage while tracking through the bush, it also helps to keep the foot looking nice and neat for showing. To clip the hair between the toes, pull the hair up between the toes then cut it off.I also trim around the foot and underneath were it is thick between the toes.

WEIMARANER BREED STANDARD

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY: There are numerous theories regarding the origin of the Weimaraner. One fact remains certain, that the Weimaraner at that time contained a great deal of Leithund blood. These dogs were kept during the first third of the 19th century at the Court of Weimar. In the middle of the century, before pure breeding started, breeding was mainly in the hands of professional hunters and gamekeepers in central Germany, mostly in the regions round Weimar and Thuringa. As the days of the Liam Hounds passed, the dogs were crossed with the Huhnerhund and breeding continued with this cross. From about 1890 on, the breed was produced according to a plan and regarded as suitable for registration in a studbook. Apart from the short-haired Weimaraner, a long-haired variety occurred now and then. Since being admitted to the studbook, the Weimaraner has been pure bred, remaining mostly free from crosses with any other breeds, in particular Pointers. Therefore the Weimaraner is likely to be the oldest German pointing breed, which has been produced for about a hundred years.

GENERAL APPEARANCE: A medium to large size hunting dog. Functional working type, pleasing in shape, sinewy and very muscular. Difference in type between dogs and bitches easily distinguished. Important proportions:
- Length of body to height at withers approximately 12:11
- Proportions of the head: From tip of nose to stop slightly longer than from stop to occiput.
- Forequarters: Distance from elbow to mid pastern and distance from elbow to point of withers about equal. [Distance from elbow to ground is slightly longer than distance from elbow to withers]

TEMPERAMENT: Versatile, easily trained steady and passionate hunting dog. Persevering in systematic search, yet not too lively. Remarkable ability to pick up scent. Ready to seize game and other prey; he is a good watchdog, without aggressiveness however. Reliable pointing dog and worker in water. Remarkable inclination to work after the shot.

HEAD AND SKULL:
Skull: In balance with the size of body and facial region. Broader in dogs than bitches, yet in both, the relationship between width and cranial region to total length of head must be in good proportion. Median groove on forehead. Slightly to moderately protruding occipital bone. Zygomatic arches easily traceable behind the eyes.
Stop: Extremely slight.
Nose: Nose leather large, protruding over the underjaw. Dark flesh colour, merging gradually into gray towards the rear.
Muzzle: Long and, especially in the male, powerful, appearing almost angular. Region of canines and carnassial teeth equally strong. Bridge of the nose straight, often slightly arched, never with a concave curve.
Flews: Moderately deep, flesh coloured, as are the gums. Slight labial corner. Jaws: Powerful.
Cheeks: Muscular, clearly defined. Definitely clean head.

EYES: Amber colour, dark to pale, with intelligent expression. Sky-blue in puppies. Round, set barely slanting. Lids well fitting.

EARS: Lobular, broad and fairly long, just reaching to corner of mouth. Set on high and narrow, forming a rounded off point at tip. In alertness, turned slightly forward and folded.

MOUTH: Bite: Complete, regular and strong dentition. Incisors should touch with a correct scissor bight.

NECK: Noble in appearance and carriage. Upper line arched in profile. Muscular, nearly round, not too short, clean. Becoming stronger towards the shoulders and merging harmoniously into the topline and chest.

FOREQUARTERS:
Front legs General: High on leg, sinewy, straight and parallel, but not standing wide.
Shoulders: Long and sloping. Well fitting, strongly muscled. Well-angulated shoulder joint.
Upper Arm: Sloping, sufficiently long and strong.
Elbows: Free and lying parallel to median plane of body. Turned neither in nor out.
Forearm: Long, straight and vertical.
Pastern joint: Strong and taut.
Pastern: Sinewy, slightly sloping.

BODY:
Topline: From the arched neckline, over the well defined withers the topline merges gradually into the relatively long, firm back.
Withers: Well defined.
Back: Firm and muscular, without a dip. Not running up towards the rear. A slightly longer back, a breed characteristic, is not a fault.
Croup: Pelvis long and moderately sloped.
Chest: Strong but not unduly broad, with sufficient depth to reach almost to the elbows and of sufficient length. Well sprung ribs without being barrel-shaped and with long ribs. Forechest well developed.
Underline and Belly: Rising slightly, but belly not tucked up.

HINDQUARTERS:
General: High on leg, sinewy and well muscled. Standing parallel, turning neither in nor out.
Upper Thigh: Sufficiently long, strong and well muscled.
Stifle: Strong and taut.
Lower Thigh: Long with clearly visible tendons.
Hock Joint: Strong and taut.
Hock [Rear pastern]: Sinewy, almost vertical in position.

FEET:
Front: Firm and strong. Standing straight in relation to median plane of body. Toes arched. Longer middle toes are a breed characteristic and therefore not a fault. Nails light to dark gray. Pads well pigmented and coarse.
Hind: Tight and firm, without dewclaws, otherwise like the front feet

TAIL: Set on slightly lower than with other similar breeds. Tail strong and well coated. Carried hanging down in repose When alert or working, carried level or higher.

GAIT/MOVEMENT: Movement in all gaits is ground covering and smooth. Hind and front legs set parallel to each other. Gallop long and flat. Back remains level when trotting. Pacing is undesirable.

COAT:
Skin: Strong. Well fitting but not too tight.
Qualities:
Short-haired: Short (but longer and thicker than with most comparable breeds), strong, very dense, smooth lying topcoat. Without or only with very sparse undercoat.
Long-haired: Soft, long topcoat with or without undercoat. Smooth or slightly wavy. Hair at base of ear long and flowing. Velvety hair is permissible on tips of leathers. Length of coat on flanks 3-5 centimetres. On lower side of neck, forechest and belly, generally somewhat longer. Good feathering and breeching, yet less long towards the ground. Tail with a good flag. Hair between the toes. Hair on head less long. A type of coat similar to a double-coat (Stockhaar) with medium length, dense, close fitting topcoat, thick undercoat and moderately developed feathering and breeching sometimes occurs in dogs of mixed ancestry.

COLOUR: Silver, roe or mouse grey, as well as shades of these colours. Head and leathers generally slightly paler. Only small white markings on chest or toes permitted. Sometimes a more or less defined trace occurs along the back. Dogs with definite reddish yellow markings may only be given the classification good. Brown marking is a serious fault.

SIZE AND WEIGHT:
Height at withers:
Dogs: 59-70 cm (ideal measurement 62-67 cm)
Bitches: 57-65 cm (ideal measurement 59-63 cm)

Weight:
Dogs: about 30-40kg
Bitches: about 25-35 kg

FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in the exact proportion to its degree.

SERIOUS FAULTS:
- Serious deficiencies ie. skin very fine or very coarse.
- Mixture of coat varieties defined in the standard.
- Clear deviation from type. Untypical sexual characteristics.
- Gross deviations of size and proportions
- Facial region: gross deviations eg. too strong flews, short or pointed muzzle.
- Jaws and teeth: lack of more than two PM1 or M3
- Eyes: Slight faults, above all slight and unilateral faults in eyelids. [Any fault with the eyes and/or the eyelids is considered a serious fault.]
- Ears: Definitely short or long, not folded.
- Throatiness (dewlap), great deviation in neck shape and muscle.
- Back: Definite sway or roach back. Rump higher than withers.
- Chest, belly: Barrel shaped chest. Insufficient depth or length of chest. Tucked up belly.
- Gross anomalies in stance ie. lack of angulation, out at elbows, splay feet.
- Pronounced bow legs or cow hocks.
- Bad movement in different gaits, also lack of free forward movement or drive, pacing.
- Lack of feathering on belly or leathers ( leather ears). Widely spread woolly coat in the shorthaired Weimaraner or curly or sparse feathering in the longhaired variety.
- Departure from shades of gray, such as yellow or brownish, Tan markings.
- Strong departure from correct height or weight (eg. more than 2 cm from measurements given in the standard).
- Slight deficiency in temperament.
- Other serious faults.

DISQUALIFYING FAULTS 
- Completely untypical, above all too heavy or too light in build.
- Completely unbalanced.
- Absolutely untypical, eg bulldog type head.
- Facial region: Absolutely untypical ie distinctly concave nasal bridge.
- Jaws and teeth: Overshot, undershot, missing further teeth other than quoted.
- Eyes: Entropion, ectropion.
- Ears: Absolutely untypical ie standoff.
- Particularly pronounced dewlap.
- Back: Severe say or roach back. Definitely overbuilt at croup/ 
- Chest and belly: Markedly barrel shaped or malformed chest.
- Legs rickety or malformed.
- Chronic lameness
- Totally restricted movement
- Skin defects and malformations.
- Partial or total loss of hair.
- White markings other than on chest and feet.
- Colour other than gray. Widespread brown marking.
- Definitely over or under sized.
- Other malformation. Illness which must be considered hereditary, ie epilepsy.
- Faulty temperament ie shy or nervous.

NB: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

                                      Ykarumba have our Wei's best interests at heart 

Photo:Aust Ch Kismaner Original Sinner "Shiraz' & Aust Ch Weijarra Daman has Style "Dakota"

DESEXING  

Ykarumba encourage all puppy owners to desex there pets so no unwanted pregnancies become reality. Girls can come into season 2-3 times per year, each time  for a period of 21days.During this time bitches in season need to be confined and only let out under supervision. Bitches in season also can attract males up to a recorded 10klm radius away. Boys that have been desexed are less likely to wander in search of a mate. Ykarumba  recommend that the desexing operation takes place at 12 months of age. By then the dog/bitch is fully grown. Early desexing causes some long bones to continue to grow making them taller, finer, and more prone to arthritis in later life.  

GIRLS-Spaying, or desexing, is the term applied to the operation in which the ovaries and uterus are removed from the female dog (bitch). The object of spaying is to stop the bitch from coming on heat and reproducing.There are four main advantages in having your bitch desexed:  

• It avoids the bitch coming into heat twice a year, with the accompanying messy discharges and invasion by all the neighbourhood dogs who can smell a bitch in season literally kilometres away  
• Dogs are extremely persevering in their attempts to gain access to and mate any bitch on heat (in season), thus desexing prevents unwanted attention of this sort and any potential damage to your property 
• Desexing prevents unwanted pups - population control in our pets is a very real and serious problem  
• Spaying greatly reduces the likelihood of breast cancer (if the bitch is desexed before her first cycle)   

BOYS- In this operation, which is performed under general anaesthetic, both testicles are removed, thus removing the source of sperm and the male sex hormone (testosterone). There are many advantages:  

• Usually the dog becomes less aggressive and more placid  
• The dog is less likely to wander and chase bitches on heat  
• Many councils charge more for entire (i.e. undesexed) males  
• Desexing prevents tumours of the testicles  
• Desexing reduces the incidences of problems occurring in the prostate gland, perineal hernias, and hormone-related tumours 

Will castration change my dog's nature?
There is no great character change, although the dog may be quieter. A good watchdog will still be a good watchdog and bark at strangers. Ability to guard your territory is not altered. 

What precautions do I take after surgery?
Do not allow your dog/bitch to jump or exercise vigorously until the stitches are removed. There should be no games or forced exercise for the first week.  

Desexing is unlikely to cause your dog to become overweight. However, sensible feeding and adequate exercise are important to maintain your desexed dog in top shape!!   

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