Weimaraner behavior issues?

September 28, 2009 11:51 AM

Any Weimaraner owners? Have some questions...

My wife and I are getting really close to choosing a dog breed, and Weimaraner is the front runner... I have some lingering misgivings...

Note up front... we are looking at a rescue first, but are really concerned about our cats. In the end we may need to end up getting the dog as a puppy for the sake of the cats, and have made peace with this.

Anyway, back to the Weimaraners...

1. If they are raised with cats, will they be OK... especially fluffy ones that look kind of like rabbits (ie... prey they were bred to hunt)?
2. Are they really that needy? My wife wants a dog that will pester her to wake up and go for a run... the Weimaraner seems ideal for this... but will it always be in our faces otherwise? Begging for food, etc? Will we be able to take vacations without it chewing its skin off?
3. Is the gastric bloating thing really common and problematic?

Any other potentially problematic behavioral traits you may think to mention would be very helpful!

posted by muscat to pets & animals (14 comments total)

No experience with Weimaraners, but as a new owner of a greyhound ("bred and trained" to chase little furry things), I can pretty definitively answer #1.

Every dog is different. Our neighborhood is full of little bite-sized Malteses, Bichons, Westies, etc. My 80-pound dog is terrified of most of them. The others, he sniffs once or twice, and that's it. He was not raised with small dogs, and had never even encountered any until last week. If you're adopting through a rescue, just make sure they know that you have cats. If you can, try to get one that's been fostered in a home with cats, to be sure that he/she is cat-safe.

Also, some input on #3 (since greys are also prone to bloat):
It's something that you'll always need to be aware of. Know the symptoms, know the preventative measures (mostly about limiting exercise before and after eating), and most importantly, know the location of an e-vet. Again, I don't know much about Weims, so I can't say if it's common or not, but if it happens, it is VERY SERIOUS.

Good luck in finding your perfect dog!
posted by specialagentwebb at 12:13 PM on September 28

From this FAQ:

Are Weimaraners good with cats? Some yes, some no. They are a sporting breed, bred to hunt anything with "fur or feathers" and most have a strong " prey drive". A very high percentage of Weimaraners will kill cats if given the opportunity. If you own cats and want to own a Weimaraner, you will have to teach the Weimaraner that the cat is not prey or their toy, and teach the cat to not tease and annoy the Weimaraner. You should be prepared to have to keep them separated for the entire life of the pets, there is a chance they will never accept each other.

*********************

There are a lot of things you can do to reduce bloat., but it is the leading cause of death in young Weimaraners (15-25% fatality rate). Weimaraners have 19x the chance of getting bloat of a mixed-breed dog.
posted by blue_beetle at 12:18 PM on September 28

I regularly dogsit a female Weimaraner, and I find that she is a delight to have around. She never seems to be distressed at the absence of her owner. She never begs for food, probably because she has been well-trained. Most of the time she is content to just hang out with us in our living room and sleep on the couch, even though she is still pretty young (about 3 years old) and has a lot of energy. I've found that the trick is to give her plenty of outlets for this energy. There is a baseball field near my house, so in the mornings I take her there and let her gallop around for about 20 minutes. In the evenings, I try to take her to run on beaches or trails through the woods. I find that if I can't let her run around for whatever reason, she will definitely become very antsy and demanding of my attention.

This dog in particular was rescued from a shelter. She was originally placed there because she killed her first owner's cat. You would never know it from looking at her. She is one of the sweetest, most serene dogs I have ever met. But I guess the hunting instinct is pretty strong in these dogs. I've noticed that if there is anything moving quickly across her field of view, she will chase it no matter what it is. She will only give up the chase if she realizes it's something that she doesn't really want (for example, a butterfly).
posted by sotalia at 12:31 PM on September 28

1. I can't help with this one. I know mine would probably hurt a cat if she had access. That said, a rescue would probably be your best bet since they rescue can probably tell you if the dog is okay with cats.

2. Oh yeah, the neediness. Ours is a rescue who was abused, so I'm sure that's not helping the situation. But you get used to having a nose 3 inches from your face when you're watching TV, trying to move the mouse with a dog head resting on your hand, and having a large dog who wants to lay with her head on your throat. Sometimes she just wants to put her 2 front feet on the sofa and stand with her face near yours, even when there is plenty of room for her to come up and lay down next to you.

Plus my neighbors must think we abuse her. We have 3 dogs, but two don't get along anymore, so we keep them separated. If the Weimaraner doesn't have access to us, she makes noises like she's dying. Every morning we go through the same routine where one of the others gets fed first, and she never gets used to the idea that she will get to eat in just 5 minutes, and makes noises like she's dying. We make jokes about "oh listen, someone's upstairs kicking Madison again." And when she gets excited, boy does she get excited.

3. As the owner of a Weimaraner and a Great Dane, bloating scares the crap out of me. Fortunately, it hasn't happened, but I keep a list of the symptoms on the fridge with the emergency vet contact info. We know it's a risk and just hope that if it ever happens we respond quickly enough.
posted by thejanna at 12:33 PM on September 28

The individual weimaraner that I knew left the cat alone but ate the hamster and chased anything that moved. (Killed one dog.) It wasn't needy but was neurotic because it was an athlete kept in a house. Will your dog have the opportunity to run at speed every day ? Breeds have characteristics but, from what I know, the owner's commitment to training is the most important factor.
posted by llc at 1:11 PM on September 28

Thanks for all of the answers so far. My wife is a marathon runner... and she really wants the dog foremost as a running partner. She'd probably be doing ~5-8 miles a day with the dog in the AM.

That would kind of be at a jogging pace though...
posted by muscat at 1:14 PM on September 28

All dogs are individuals, and while you can generalize across a breed, it is important to remember this.

I have a Viszla, which is similar in build and temperament to a weim, and have had several other hunting dogs in the past. You can (generally) train the dog to leave the cat alone - this works better with younger dogs, naturally.

Weims tend to be high energy, high maintenance dogs. Expect to run them for an hour or more every day or you will see anxious behaviors come out - they get stir crazy. We bought our dog a treadmill for the colder months, as he's got such a short coat that he couldn't run outside for very long. It's not as good as running outdoors, but it works pretty well.

As for bloat, get a food bowl that has the inserts to slow down their eating, and raise the bowl up to their level to reduce the risk. Beyond that, the genetics matter most.

As for neediness, they can tend to be neurotic - which can turn destructive if left unchecked. Work early and often on building their confidence by introducing them to new situations. They can develop anxiety when you're not around or are separated from them, so you need to train them to deal with this as well. (IMO crate training works great for them) Again, exercise makes this easier - they are less anxious when they are pooped out.

As this is a working breed, they will go crazy if you don't get them busy doing something. Teaching them tricks or doing some agility/hunting classes can really help you help them stay sane. They are beautiful dogs though and just a joy to work with, if you can keep up :-)
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 1:24 PM on September 28

i have had my weim since he was a baby—he's now 4.5 years old. he is a delight, a great dog, my best friend.

1. in the beginning, schroeder was raised with an older cat that i had. he absolutely adored fred (who was a large cat). fred, being a lot older, was not so enamored of schroeder. i do think this has contributed to schroeder's love of small dogs. and he will chase cats in the nighborhood—but only because he wants to play with them vs. wanting to kill them.

2. neediness. yes, they are called "velcro dogs" for a reason. i work from home and schroeder is constantly at my side, most likely touching me in some way. when i walk to another part of the house, he follows. he will follow me into the bathroom if i don't shut the door. he sleeps with me (and hogs the bed)—altho that is my fault: it's hard to resist letting a puppy in your bed and once they get used to it, it's damn near impossible to train them out of that. same with letting them on your furniture. he's been crate trained since he was a baby but he really hates being in the crate (although i know weims who loooove their crates). they are also one-person dogs so although you and your wife will own him, he will eventually latch on more closely to one of you. and yes, a lot of weims can develop separation anxiety issues. i've been fortunate in that schroeder has a really relatively (he is sstill a weim!) easy-going temperament. when i am gone from the house, he sits in his chair and waits for me to get home. my mother visited this summer and was amazed by this. she said he didn't even get up to drink water; just waited patiently for me to get home. when i have had to go out of town, i usually board him or have a friend sit him. he does absolutely fine in those situations although i am told he does get a bit sad if it's a long period of time. he's also an attention whore so whenever anyone comes to visit, he's a big show-off and will be in their faces until he gets used to them being around. and yes, he does beg, but he also knows better.

3. i have never had an issue with gastric bloating. but i also make sure he's not running around crazy after he eats. there is controversy over whether raised bowls are better or not for weims. my breeder advised against it. and she has never had a dog with bloat. if you go with a puppy as opposed to a rescue, please find a responsible breeder who has had the parents tested for hip dysplasia which is also a common problem with irresponsibly bred weimaraners. you want to meet the parent dogs (or at least the mother) and make sure they come from good lines (schroeder comes from lines that have won both american and canadian field and show champion lines) and have good temperaments. a good breeder can also pick a pup that might be more suitable in temperament for you and your wife as well.

with regard to exercising. yes, they need a LOT of exercising. schroeder can actually be a big couch potato but i can tell when he gets restless. i run about 5-8 miles between 4-6X a week so that really does him good. when we get back from our runs, he's pretty much lying around for the rest of the night. BUT, you can not take a weim running until he's pretty much grown (about a year old) so that his muscles/bones can withstand the impact. i resolved this by taking him to daycare which will also wear him out (one day of daycare = him tired the whole next day at home) until he was old enough to go running with me. with regard to whether to get a male or female, i have found that the males tend to be more goofy while the females tend to be a little more focused and intense.

feel free to mefi mail with any other questions you might have. weimaraner addict is also a wonderful forum for information from other owners.
posted by violetk at 2:02 PM on September 28

My Weim didn't have gastric bloat, which is fucking amzaing, because that dog at everything. We have a blue heeler who could open the last fridge we owned, and then the Weim would go in and have a heyday.

• $40 worth of popcorn? check
• 16 oz of cheddar? check
• 16 oz of baclava (left out on the counter)? check
• huge tub of butter? check
• entire loaf of sourdough bread? check
• and the worst? i mean the worst thing ever? used tampon from the trash, which an hour later she threw up, and then tried to eat again before we could stop her (and it took us a little while to figure out what the fuck just came out of her before we recognized the string) check shivers

Other than that she was an awesome dog. She got along really well with the blue heeler, loved to trail run with me (I even took her to a high school track once and she did 4 miles one night, staying 6 feet in front of me the whole time, right between the lane lines). They're lanky dogs which I think makes them really good running partners.

We did have a problem with furry things coming into our yard. She's bolt off to chase a squirrel or bird, and if a cat or other furry animal came in the front yard while she was in the house she'd go totally fucking crazy trying to let us know that there's something in our yard that she needs to chase. Twice she broke windows in our living room doing this.

Very sweet dog though. She'd lay her head in your lap the entire length of a movie while you patted her head or rubbed her floppy ears. When our daughter was born she looked after her in a very motherly way, she was a total guardian. She died of rectal failure shortly after that, around age 7. They're a great breed, but from my experience they can indeed be really neurotic about the furry animal thing.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 3:37 PM on September 28

In regards to the running partner question, while we don't own a Weimaraner ourselves, our neighbors across the street have one and it runs like the wind. Jaeger seems to have boundless energy, so I think that your wife would have a great running partner. I can't speak for the other two questions, though. Good luck with your future dog!
posted by ThaBombShelterSmith at 3:43 PM on September 28

I've been around Weimaraners and just from my anecdotal experience I tell you they are the neediest most obnoxious dogs ever. You'd be better off with thirty five two year olds.
posted by xmutex at 3:57 PM on September 28

I have one named Lucy who is 3 years old now. Gets along great with the family cat. I have youtube videos of them that I'd link but can't reach youtube from work. A strange cat is a different story. She's off and running after any other animals. Oh, how they run. Very fast and, as said already, boundless energy that will wear your wife out. They love to hunt so if you do get one, buy a pheasant wing from a hunting supply store, hide it, and enjoy watching as the dog uses it's natural instinct to "Hunt it up!".

Most loving dog ever but yes, needy. Mine is so sweet but they truly are a dog who needs to be with their pack (you and your wife). When Lucy eats, she will keep coming into the room to make sure her people are still there. Wants to be as close as possible all the times. I often say "Geesh Lucy, stop being so neurotic." She gets fixated on an idea such as playing frisbee and won't let it go. Will pace for hours back and forth in front of the table where her frisbee is.

They are very high maintenance. I've never had any issue with her and bloat but am always careful not to let her run or jump after she's eaten. If she's left alone for very long, her neurosis kicks in and she gets pretty destructive. She's all but destroyed the window sill in the front bay window from chewing it when no one is home. Same with the large sectional sofa that is missing the seat from one recliner now. You have to be willing to sacrifice a lot of time teaching them manners from the onset. They are very smart but once they learn something, it's deeply ingrained and almost impossible to break a bad habit.

Having said all this, they are an awesome dog IF you have the time and patience. Loads of patience. Good luck!
posted by justlisa at 6:44 PM on September 28

As far as cats go, it depends on the dog. It just depends on the dog.

As far as Weimaraners - the breeding really makes a difference. A dog from ol' boy working lines should be rock solid all the way around. A dog from a non-working background you just don't know.

By the way, you don't want a dog that will pester you for anything. A dog that politely indicates a run would be great, that's okay, but pestering is bad.

Have you and the wife been to dog parks and shows and training clubs and looking around at dogs in action? Seeing live dogs in action is the best way to learn about breeds.
posted by Lesser Shrew at 6:57 PM on September 28

My mom has been breeding and showing Weimaraners since 1977. The entire time I was growing up there were never fewer than seven of them in the house. Here's what I can tell you based on my experience (keep in mind that this mainly relates to a particular bloodline and may not necessarily represent the breed as a whole):
Re: cats: Very rarely do they have problems with cats. I've only seen one (out of dozens) that actually went after cats and she had a rather bad attitude in the first place. The vast majority of them just don't care about cats.
Re: neediness: Seems to depend on how they're raised. The ones that mature in a busy environment (i.e. lots of other dogs/people around all the time) are usually pretty self-sufficient. The ones that spend most of their adolescence with a single working person or couple tend to be pretty needy. Begging is usually not a problem.
Re: bloat: It happens. Over the fifteen years or so that I lived at home and noticed such things, I'd say that maybe 10% of the dogs died of bloat. Surgery can correct it if it's caught early enough.
There are some great kennels and some really awful ones. Talk to a few people in your regional Weimaraner club and find out who breeds with an eye towards temperament.
posted by hjo3 at 7:42 PM on September 28