Here are some fun and fascinating facts about the Weimaraners that will surely surprise a lot of people!
The Weimaraner is not a very old breed and these grey-coated canines have only come into existence in the early 19th century. They get their distinctive name from the place of their origin as these dogs were developed in the city of Weimar which is situated in Germany. When these pooches first came to life, they were called the Weimar Pointers, but later their name was changed to Weimaraners.
These canines are very famous for their unique-looking grey colored coats and because of that, they have earned the nickname of Gray Ghosts. Many people also say that these canines can easily merge or get lost in the fog because of the uncommon color of their coats. Interestingly, this distinctive coat color is believed to be totally coincidental and was not the intentional outcome that the breeders wanted.
When Weims are born, they have beautiful light-blue eyes which makes their appearance even more unique. But this color gradually fades away as these pooches grow up and their blue colored eyes turn into a grey-blue or amber color, which also gives them a special look.
Weimaraners have an amazing sense of smell that helps them to track down various things. These pooches were heavily used as hunting companions when they first came into existence and because of their strong nose, they could track down various targets that their owners wanted to hunt. Even today, these pooches are used in several tracking contests which they are known to dominate with ease.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the German Noblemen decided to create a new breed of canines that could accompany them on their hunting expeditions. So, with the main goal of a superior hunter, these noblemen started a breeding program between several different canine breeds. They crossed various breeds like the German Shorthaired Pointers, the Bloodhounds, the English Pointers, and the Great Danes and the result of this breeding led to the creation of Weimaraners. The German Nobles protected this new breed with all their might and they also kept the bloodlines as pure as possible.
After these canines were born, they were heavily used for hunting purposes. And, with the help of their powerful nose, they were able to track down immensely large sized games such as bear, deer, boar et cetera. And, apart from hunting big games, these canines were also used to find smaller targets like birds, hares, and rabbits.
Because of the excellent sense of smell that Weims have, a Weimaraner named Dingo was selected to find the missile parts that were scattered after various launches so that the scientists could study them once again and learn from their mistakes. These canines were heavily used for this purpose during the Cold War and because of this, they became even more popular than they originally were.
Weimaraner is a very active and agile breed that requires a lot of exercise on a daily basis to remain healthy and happy. These pooches love to run and go on long walks with their family members. They also enjoy playing loads of games with their loved ones which is not only good for their physical fitness but is also very important for mental health. These canines don’t like to sit idle or without any purpose for a long time and they can become highly frustrated and demotivated if they are not given any work or their exercise needs are not properly fulfilled.
Out of almost 200 canine breeds, Weims are mostly placed at #21 spot in the list of most intelligent canine breeds in the whole world. These pooches are exceptionally smart and they have amazing learning, thinking, and decision-making skills.
Based on the length of the coat, Weims are divided into two types: Short-haired Weimaraners and Long-haired Weimaraners. We mostly see only the Short-coated Weims as they are more popular, but some people also prefer the long-coated Weimaraners.
Various popular celebrities have owned these beautiful canines over the years. The 34th U.S President Dwight D. Eisenhower had a Weimaraner named Heidi. The first President of the Turkish Republic also had a Weim named Fox. Hollywood actor Brad Pitt was also a proud Weim owner and his pooch’s name was Purdy. Famous Photographer Williams Wegman had more than one Weim at the same time and he made this breed highly popular in America through his work and photographs. Apart from this, Weims have also appeared in several famous movies and Tv shows like Maid in Manhattan, Trailer Park Boys, Sesame Street et cetera.