The Weimaraner Standard (AKC)

 

  General Appearance-  A medium sized gray dog, with fine aristocratic features.  He should present a picture of grace, stamina, alertness & balance.  Above all, the dogs confirmation must indicate the ability to work with great speed and endurance in the field.

    Height-  Dogs (males) 25-27" at the withers; bitches (females) 23-25" at the withers.  One inch over or under the specified height of each sex is allowable but should be penalized.  Dogs measuring less than 24" or more than 28" and bitches measuring under 22" and more than 26" shall be disqualified.

 

     Head-  Moderately long and aristocratic, with moderate stop and slight median line extending back over the forehead.  Rather prominent occipital and trumpets well set back, beginning at the back of the eye sockets.  Measurement from tip of nose to stop equals that from stop to occipital bone.  The flews should be straight, delicate at the nostrils.  Skin drawn tightly.  Neck clean cut and moderately long.  Expression kind, keen, and intelligent.  Ears long and lobular, slightly folded and set high. The ear when drawn snugly alongside the jaw should end approximately 2 inches from the point of the nose.

 

     Eyes- In shades of light amber, gray or,blue-gray set well enough apart to indicate good disposition and intelligence.  When dilated under excitement the eyes may appear almost black. 

 

    Teeth-  Well set, stong and even; well developed and proportionate to jaw with correct scissors bite.  The upper teeth protruding slightly over the lower teeth but nor more than 1/16".  Complete dentition is greatly desired. 

    Nose-  Grey

    Lips/Gums-  Pinkish flesh shades

 

    Body-  The back should be moderate in length, set in a straight line, strong, and should slope slightly from the withers.  The chest should be well developed and deep with shoulders well laid back.  Ribs well sprung and long.  Abdomen firmly held, moderately tucked up flank.  The brisket should extend to the elbow.

 

     Coat N Color-  Short, smooth, and sleek.  Solid in color in shades of mouse gray to silver gray, usually blending to lighter shades on the head and ears.  A small white marking on the chest is permitted but should be penalized on any other portion of the body. 

 

    Forelegs-  Straight and strong, with the measurement from the elbow to the ground approximately equaling the distance from the elbow to the top of the wither. 

    Hindquarter-  Well angulated stifles and straight hocks.  Musculation well developed.

 

    Feet-  Firm and compact.  Webbed toes well arched, pads closed and thick.  Nails short and gray or amber in color.

 

     Dewclaws-  Should be removed.

 

    Tail-  Docked.  At maturity it should approximately measure 6" with a tendency to be light rather than heavy and should be carried in a manner expressing confidence and sound temperament.  A non docked tail shall be penalized.

 

     Gait-  The gait should be effortless and should indicate smooth coordination.  When seen from the rear, the hind feet should be parallel to the front feet.  When veiwing from the side, the top line should remain strong and level.

 

    Temperment- The temperament should be friendly, fearless, alert, and obedient.

 

Minor Faults-  Tail to short or to long.  Pink nose.    Major Faults-  Doggy bitches, bitchy dogs.  Improper muscular condition.  Badly effected teeth.  More than 4 teeth missing.  Back to long or to short.  Faulty coat.  Neck to short, thick, or throaty.  Low set tail.  Elbows in or out.  Feet east west.  Poor gait.  Cowhocks.  Faulty backs, either roached or sway.  Badly overshot or undershot bite.  Snipy muzzle.  Short ears.    Very Serious Faults-  White,other than a spot on the chest.  Eyes other than gray, blue-gray and light amber.  Black mottled mouth.  Non docked tail.  Dogs exhibiting strong fear, shyness or extreme nervousness.   Disqualifications-  Deviations in height of more than one inch from the standard either way.  A distinctively long coat.  A distinctively blue or black coat.

The unwritten rules:

Now that we have gotten the written stuff all together and hopefully understood, there are other things you should know about the Weimaraner.  I think they are a great breed, but I am very aware that this breed is not for everyone.  The next things to be pointed out are some good and not so good things to remember about the weimaraner.

VIRTUES

Very easy to groom:  Besides cleaning ears and cutting toe nails, there is very little to be done to a Weimaraner on a regular basis.  Their coat naturally repels dirt so a bath is only needed every few months. Unless your baby decides to play in the mud or roll in gross stuff, your pretty covered for bath time not being a weekly event.

They LOVE their people.  Sometimes over love.  They will do anything for their families and are truly devoted.

Shedding is minimal.  Although they are not hypoallergenic, there are many people that have allergens, can easily live with a Weimaraner.

Easy to train and Highly intelligent. 

 

TAKE HEED

This breed is VERY high energy.  They always need to do.  A few walks a day is hardly enough to burn off daily Weimaraner energy.  A fenced yard is very important. 

These guys are as stubborn as they are smart.  Patience and consistency is of utmost importance. 

They are diggers and chewers.  (Not just through puppy hood, sometimes they dont "grow out of it".)

Weimaraners demand attention of their owners.  They demand to be the center of attention no matter who has come to visit.