New to Weimaraners

gray0486 · Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 12:13 pm Post subject: New to Weimaraners

Hey folks, just found your site and was hoping that you could help me out. My boyfriend and I are young (under 30) and looking for a dog.
Someone let us know of two Weims that need new homes. I don't believe that they were show dogs, just family friends. We live on a large farm with horses, sheep and cats. We are looking for a family dog that can be in the house but be outside also (I'm assuming we would tie him on a long chain) only while we are home. They are crate trained and stay in their crates while the current owners are at work. The dogs are 1 and 2 years old.

We are active people and could offer them plenty of exercise and are planning on marrying and having children in the next few years...

Any thoughts or suggestions as to if this sounds like a good situation or not?

Also, even though we were only looking for one dog, would it be easier on them to take both? I have read that Weims tend to have separation anxiety and we don't want to throw too much at them at once.

Thanks for any help that can be offered!!!

fts1981 · Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 2:57 pm Post subject: Welcome to the site

It think it depends on the dogs. I could never tie my weim outside. If I even let him in the backyard without me, in about 10 minutes he looses it and destroys the yard (he has bad sep. anxiety that we are still working with. He has gotten much better lately).

If the dogs are already bonded, have been together all their lives, and get along then I think two would be fine. I think everyone here agrees two puppies at the same time are a bad idea (lol) but this seems like a different situation. Have you met the dogs yet?

You sound like a good household for them. As long as you keep them active, although I know things will get busy when you have children, etc, you should be fine. Very Happy

h20fwlkillr · Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 3:18 pm Post subject:

Most weims don't take well to being chained, unless that chain is attached to their owner. If your yard is fenced well, your dogs will be fine roaming.
Be careful of a weim and your cats and sheep. Weims are natural hunters. You may not be happy with what they decide to hunt.

GrayGhost · Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 3:27 pm Post subject:

I agree, chains don't always work well with Weims.

If they are already crate trained, then there is no problem with them being in a crate while you are at work as long as they can go out when you are home.

If you have the correct fencing, you should be able to allow them to roam around the yard and in the house while you are at home. It would probably be easier to take both, if you can.

bsides2 · Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 5:19 pm Post subject: Chains

I would definitely avoid the chaining outside as the others mentioned. If you can't quite picture it, imagine a giant grey firecracker whizzing about, up and down back and fourth on the end of the chain all the time making more noise that anyone can tolerate. Laughing

Good luck with them.

RK · Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 12:25 am Post subject:

i think chaining a dog outside is bad for dogs in general for any extended period of time—along with the reasons other people have cited, it makes them feel very vulnerable because they are tied up and are not in a position to defend themselves if danger should arise. this can lead to aggression, depression, a host of other bad and sad problems for the dog.

if you must leave them for a period, and they are already crate trained, leaving them in the crate should not be a problem. you would not want to leave them out in the yard, even if you have a fence. some weims can jump even a 6' fence. or dig out—and weims can be real diggers! i work from home but i have no problems leaving schroeder in his crate for 4-8 hours if i need to be away.

they are great dogs for active people–i think they can go on long after they are tired! as for when you are home, weims do best when they are with their people, which to them means pretty much being by your side at all times—they aren't called "velcro dogs" for nothing! they will even follow you into the bathroom! Laughing

schroeder doesn't like to be outside for long unless i am out there too. they do best with a lot of attention so if you need a dog who likes to do his own thing, think hard before you get the weims. altho, since there are two of them, their focus on you may not be as intense. but, they are super loveable and fiercely loyal if you give them the love and attention they need. i wouldn't have it any other way!

if you haven't already, check the national weim club site for more information about their temperaments. they even have a good quiz to take to see if weims are the right kind of dog for you.

http://www.weimclubamerica.org/

wildlifecr13 · Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 8:25 am Post subject: sep anx

our first weim, zoe, was terribly destructive and a mess when left home alone. separation anxiety is a bit scary to watch - we video taped her when we left to see how she did. we ended up getting her a sister about 7 months later. she still isnt perfect, but the difference is night and day - for her, having some company was critical. we still have to keep them caged while we are gone, but they have a 6'x6' are, with blankets and pillows. we also leave a radio on to keep it from being too quiet. they do pretty well most days... they do tear up a pillow or two when they dont want to be locked up .... there is a photo of zoe and one of her pillows in the photo discussion under "weims behaving badly". this would be a daily thing if it were just her. as is, it happens about once every 3 months.

nfp20 · Puppy Joined: 30 Oct 2006 Posts: 20

I'm afraid I come from a country where a dog chain is seen as barbaric & cruel Sad

so I certainly wouldn't recommend doing that.

With regard to the two dogs that you have been offered, I would ask why they are being rehomed? Most people looking to rehome problem dogs have 1 created the problem themselves and lack the patience or willingness to resolve said problems with proper training or two have a genuine reason like losing their home etc.

If its the first then be very strict with your questions and be honest about what your own capabilities are with regard to resolving their problems, ie are your prepared to find a good trainer to retrain both dogs?? Do you have the time and resources available?

As others have already said if these dogs have not lived with cats then I wouldn't recommend it, the weimaraner has on its official prey list feral cat in germany they used to do a specific test with a points system against the killing of said cat... plus with two dogs they will pack hunt so its not just your cats you have to watch out for.

If you have livestock then I would personally not take on someone elses dog or a rescue which could be unpredictable its unfair to all parties aim for a puppy and then you can socialise and train it to suit your home and family.

Remember these are people dogs they want to be near you and being shut up outside is not ideal for a weimaraner Wink

gray0486 · Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 10:41 pm Post subject: Thanks for all your help!!

Thank you to everyone for your advice! In response to all I will update.

The family was getting rid of the dogs because of an illness in the immediate family and just couldn't handle family and dogs in their time of need. The family decided to keep the older dog because they couldn't bear the thought of not having any, and I don't blame them. We brought Leo home and it has been great so far!

It has been quite an adjustment, especially on the task of listening and following directions. We have a feeling he was snuck some table scraps becuase he likes to be in our faces when eating.. Instead we are working on him laying down whenever there is food on the table or in our hands etc..

Learning his signs and mannerisms when he is trying to tell us something has also been a learning process, but only had an accident in the house once on the first night and it was more our fault than his, we didn't know his signals yet (and because of a new environment he was nervous and drank a lot of water!!)

We are slowly getting used to having a "velcro companion" around ALL the time. He is very lovey at times but it can irritating when he just wants to be nosey and sticks himself all over you and doens't want to be petted or given attention to. Again all things we are getting used to day after day. He is only a year and a half so we have plenty of time left together and he is fitting in wonderfuly so far!!
Thanks again for all your help folks!

nfp20 · Puppy Joined: 30 Oct 2006 Posts: 20

sounds like you have everything under control, welcome to the world of weimy Very Happy

Don't worry they all give marks out of 10 for you going to the toilet and its amasing how lost you feel when they aren't there with their noses into everything your doing Very Happy

Duchess · Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 12:10 pm Post subject:

Congratulations on your wiemy. I know you will have lots of fun, more love than you can imagine, and so many adventures.
Welcome to the site. I am fairly new myself and I love it here. I check it out daily, sometimes several times a day. Very Happy

You will get so much GREAT advice here. as I am sure you already know that.

Again welcome from me and my crew: Tess, Duchess, and Beau

RK · Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 2:15 pm Post subject:

congrats on your weim! what's his name? at 1.5 years, he's still very much a puppy so i'm happy to hear you are being so patient with him! you could not have a more wonderful, loving boy than a weim. you'll also have a lot of good times—the boys are so goofy! and weims have such a good sense of humour in general.

heathr · Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 12:50 pm Post subject:

Sorry to be jumping in late on this topic... my name is Heather and my boyfriend and I are in our mid 20's. We have two male weims and I had the same concerns as you did. I would like to get married in the near future and hopefully have kids too. Weims like everyone else has said are velcro dogs. Some more so than others. I am fortunate enough to get to bring them to work with me everyday. There are time when you want nothing more than for them to leave you alone and go away. But when they are not there, things seem so empty and boring. We got Riddick as a puppy and once he got a little older decided to rescue another weim. Suprisingly for us having two weims has been so much easier and they have really bonded.
Congrats on getting a weim... watch out though, they are addictive.

gray0486 · Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 12:26 am Post subject: Update

Again thank you to all who have given wonderful advice! His name is Leo. While they are addicting, I'm sure we won't be getting another one anytime soon!!! Leo keeps us busy enough. Daddy (my boyfriend) is now coaching JV softball in our area so Leo has been tagging along when the weather is nice. We have gotten many compliments and he is learning very quickly how to mind in public with so much going on. But he is enough work right now, I couldn't imagine having both!! The only upside to both would be that at their old home they spent a lot of their energy on each other and didn't require AS much one on one, but we wouldn't have it any other way right now Smile

I've included a picture as he loves to pose for the camera!

camismom · Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 2:33 pm Post subject:

Leo is beautiful - welcome to the site - They are a handful - but like someone else said, when they arent around your life seems pretty empty - I couldnt imagine not having my weims