Weimaraner Addict Community Portal

elcome to Weimaraner Addict! This website is dedicated to the German dog breed, the Weimaraner. Here you can chat with other Weim owners, share stories, read articles, find out about Weimaraner Rescue, and much more. Weimaraners are agile by land or by water, eager to please, friendly and people loving, while at the same time being an aggressive hunter, and of course quick and graceful, with a touch of an aristocracy, and highly intelligent. These dogs truly are a joy to those that value their qualities.

While there are quite a few speculations about the exact origins of the breed, without a doubt we know that the breed was tied to nobility from early on. This Van Dyck painting circa 1631 is a painting of Prince Rupert (Ruprecht von der Pfalz) with what seems to be a dog almost identical to a modern Weimaraner.

The name and the refinement of the breed though is a little bit more recent. The breed was thought to be originally refined by the Grand Duke Karl August sometime in the late 1700s. He was the Grand Duke of Weimar, Germany (hence the name Weimaraner). We know that at this time, Germany still had large wild game to offer in the way of hunting. A strong versatile hunting dog was required for this, and the early Weimaraner fit the bill. Also, as it is believed that hound (possibly the St. Hubertus Brachen) is also part of the Weimaraner ancestry, the dog also proved to have formidable scenting ability. The breed was rigorously protected from the rest of the outside world for many years. Developed under strict guidelines, the Weimaraner became a superior hunter.

However in later years, European big game became scarce. As such, the Weimaraner made the transition from large game to small fur bearing animals and birds. The resulting prey drive was very strong. After WWII, guns were illegal in Germany. As a result, the Weimaraner was further refined to not only track game, but to kill it as well. This further strengthened the Weimaraner's desire to chase down small critters and kill them. With proper breeding, training, and socialization, the Weimaraner can learn to tolerate most small animals, but the neighborhood kitty should still watch his back...

For more information about Weimaraners, please visit the AKC website or the Weimaraner Club of America website.

Last Updated on Sunday, 22 August 2010 03:26