Q.
Do you know of a reputable breeder in my area?
A. Weimclub has tried addressing this question
in several indexes on the website. The Weimaraner Club of America
Board of Directors has explicitly asked us not to participate
in breeder referral. This also includes involving the website
in any mode of interaction that could be used as breeder referral,
such as chat lines and webrings, etc.
Q. Where can I find a reputable breeder?
A. The local Weimaraner Clubs have lists
of club members and many times the members place their names on
a list concerning puppy availability. There is an index on the
WCA website listing all of the clubs
around the U. S. and an index listing clubs outside the U. S.
For those people who do not have a club available in their area,
it might be necessary to contact the nearest Weimclub or to contact
the local all breed club. Our rescue coordinator Rebecca Weimer
also acts as breeder referral for the club. Her contact information
is in the breeder
referral index.
Q. How can I
tell if a breeder is reputable?
A. We add frequently to an index on the WCA website called,
'Questions to Ask'. We are constantly learning from others
the methods dishonest breeders use to sell their puppies. After
all is said and asked, a good dose of intuition never hurts. Many
of the local Weim clubs have their own 'things to look for' and
list them on their webpages. We have a list of the Weimclub webpages
on the WCA homepage.
Q. I would like to rescue a Weimaraner.
Who do I contact?
A. Please contact your local Weimclub (see
local clubs index),
the local all breed dog club, shelters, the Humane Society or
the National Rescue Coordinator, Rebecca Weimer (618-236-1466).
You can also visit WeimRescue.Org
Q. How can I join
the Weimaraner Club of America?
A. You will need a sponsor. A sponsor is someone who is already
a member of the WCA. Weimclubs, all-breed clubs and friendship
contacts are the best sponsors.
Q. Do Weimaraners
shed?
A. YES! They do shed. The fur is short and falls to the floor.
Most of it comes out in the spring. Keep the dog bathed and brushed
and you will not have much problem with the fur. Most of the time,
people who suffer allergies get along with a clean Weimaraner.
Q. My puppy bites
a lot, is there anything I can do?
A. The puppy is teething. He does not care what he teeths on or
when. Because your little buddy is so young, it will take some
time to curtail the mouthing , grabbing and just plain biting.
Try this: Right after he bites, grab the little 'bugger', wrap
his jowels in inside of his mouth with teeth nicely placed and
squeeze his little teeth down onto his own jowels(lips) and say
firmly, "NO BITING". Of course, do not do this so hard
it makes his jowels bleed, just hard enough to make him uncomfortable.
He will get the idea, it usually works.
Q. My Weim is
terrified of my new husband. What can I do?
A. Put your husband in charge of gently caring for the puppy.
Feeding, letting the dog out, taking it for walks, playing with
him...everything you can think of and do it repeatedly for as
long as it takes for the dog to build a trust with your husband.
It is important to do this immediately before the dog gets any
older. Do not make this simply a 'try to befriend', make this
an imperitive for the dog's sake. Part of the socialization should
include trips to the playground where the puppy can see and interact
with children. An effort in this area is also inportant as when
the dog gets older it may feel threatened by children, he might
turn to biting...this would be unfortunate. This may all take
several months, but is certainly worth the effort.
Q. I saw someone
selling Weimaraners on the street corner recently. Is there someone
I can report this to? I think it is wrong.
A. Unless the dogs are obviously abused or neglected, nothing
can be done.
Q. Our family
just adopted our first "Weimie". Needless to say we
are all very in love and find it hard to ever imagine our lives
without a Weim. However....we have a few concerns. Our puppy,
now 10 weeks old is not showing any interest in chasing a ball
or retrieving any object. We were told this is something they
will pick up naturally but we are beginning to wonder. We researched
this breed enough to know her love, affection and calm disposition
is a definate match with our life style, however, we also want
her to hunt with our boys. What can we do, if anything, to bring
out the best in her?
A. You should give your puppy more time to adjust living in your
home. Your expectations for a puppy this age are too high. His
attention span is as long as it takes to piddle on the floor and
he is easily distracted. Housetraining is more of a priority.
As far as hunting: buy some feathers and play games with them
with the puppy such as attaching them to the end of a fishing
pole or hiding them in the grass.
Q. How long
does it usually take to house train a Weimaraner puppy? Are they
easy to train?
A. It is a very individual thing with Weims. If you have the time
and patience to spend with them, it is a shorter time to housetrain.
Less time spent, the longer it takes them to get the idea. Sometimes
the length for training is longer as there are unforeseen problems
as with any breed. Such as an immature or small bladder. We currently
have one male who is a year old. He has some allergies and every
now and then, he seems in a state of irritation and wets his bed.
We also have a puppy bitch (five months old) who was born four
days premature. Everything is taking more time for her, including
house training. She is not retarded, it is just her physical development
is delayed.
In both cases, we do not scold them, but rather
keep them as clean as possible. Instinct eventually rules and
they stop wetting as they do not like urine soaked bedding.
An eight week old puppy should be watched closely and taken
out at least every hour. So, you can see, if you are gone all
the time, it will take longer to housetrain any puppy. See next
answer for more information.
Q. I have taken an
older dog into my home. The dog spent most of it's life out of
doors. What can I do to house train the dog?
A. There are no magic answers for your predicament...only repetitive
hard work...I hope you understand this. Do for the three-year-old
what you would do for a puppy:
1. Take the dog outside after every meal or drink of water.
2. Take the dog outside after it wakes from a nap.
3. If there is not reason to take the dog out, take it out every
time you have a moment and take it to the 'potty place'.
4. Do not leave the dog confined for long periods of time and
expect it to be a good doggie. If you have to be away at work
or school for a long period of time, arrange for a friend to take
the dog out to the 'potty place'.
5. Give lavish praise for a job well done.
6. Restrain yourself when the dog does not do well. Weims respond
better to positive reinforcement techniques than they do to anger
and force-housebreaking does not mean to break the dog!
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