• Q. Is there a difference between male and female Weims?
  A. Male Weimaraners tend to be more outgoing and carefree than females...this should sound like typical male behavior. Both genders are loving and sweet. Then there are the actual physical differences...males like to wet trees and other things down and females are more discreet. Females as well as males can be spiteful when they do not get attention. Currently, I have three adult females and four adult males and do not have any preference. My oldest adult male is an alpha type who is very intelligent, protective and loving. He also likes everything his way. He is an individual type that does not come along often, so because of him, I give slight preference to males...but again, he is an exception.

  Also, I currently have a litter of puppies. In this make-up of the group, I found an equal irritation with some of their personalities whether they were male or female. I was really glad to see one of the males go to his home. There is a little girl who we still have that just annoys me...can not explain why...so it just depends on the individual dog personality rather the gender. We had a man come with the notion he would take home a female and ended up taking a male because something between them was mutual.

• Q. I have a 4-month-old male weim. We have a fenced-in back yard, but can not let him loose. He has this problem with eating rocks and wood chips. Our vet told us that "some dogs like rocks and some don't." Is this something that we can cure? We are concerned with his internal organs and teeth.
  A. It has been our experience the more attention paid to the habit the worse it gets. Our dogs usually vomit them back up. Our older dogs have gotten bored with eating rocks, but the wood eating never seems to go away. Try making certain good, tough 'chews' are available.

• Q.As weird as this may seem, I have taken my 4 month old weim to the Vet. several times because she eats everything she see's. She eats tree bark, sticks, grass, and has started eating her own poop. The Vet says it may be some enzyme disorder.
  A. Most Weimaraner owners meet this problem with shock, disgust and shame. Stool eating is common among dogs in general, but most especially among young female Weims. It can also be a learned behavior from watching other dogs. Well-cared for, loved, and socialized Weimaraners can even develop this habit. Stool eating is also indicated in enzyme disorders. Most commercial products for solving the problem only make it worse by making the stools "tastier". The most effective remedy for solving the problem is purchasing a remote controlled shock collar for the dog and "zapping" them followed by a voice command "no" "yuck" "drop it" etc. Beyond that, make sure you keep your yard immaculate and that the dog is fed the right amount high quality food.

• Q. We have a male weim and have been approached for studding? Do you know what the customary fee for studding is? We know its the cash or the puppy, right? But what kind of a fee should we ask for?
  A. There is a big difference between the price of stud service from a dog not in competition and a dog in who is show or field titled. The unfinished dog has not been seen by a conformation judge to see if the dog fits the breed standard as written by the Weimaraner Club of America and approved by the American Kennel Club. Additionally, it has not been tested in the field to see if its physical structure and temperament can live up to the expectations of endurance required for a hunting dog. I really have no idea what others charge for stud service from a champion and have no idea at all what people charge for stud service from a non-champion .

  I suggest you should look closely at what you are doing and ask if you are adding to the overpopulation of dogs at this time. If you do put the dog out to stud, I would hope you would screen the bitch and her owners carefully for their motives. It is not a good idea to give something away, even if it is stud service from a dog. It makes my heart wilt every time I hear about where backyard-bred dogs end up when the owners and the breeders have no more thought of the animal than a disposable item they are tired of .

  I breed Weims in order to insure the health, soundness, correct type of the Weim for now and in the future. The 'future' part of the equation is the most important. Anyone can breed a dog, but not everyone takes the time and effort to breed for the future of the Weimaraner breed. I place a value on stud service or the puppies as a means of screening peoples motives. I never recover the cost of what I am doing. Therefore, because I do not look at breeding dogs the same as you do, I can not give you an answer about the value of stud service from a non-show or field champion.

• Follow-up Q--I appreciate your opinion and will take that into consideration but I think you may have our misunderstood our motives as well. Our monetary return was not really an issue but the issue was our being taken advantage of. Weims are more than show dogs they are pets and become a part of peoples families, like ours. We hope that in the future someone else will have the joy of owning an animal with such personality and such an affectionate heart. We are not all into the dog and pony quality of the AKC breeds. Once again thanks for your opinion.
  Commentary A: This fellow still does not understand his idea of breeding the two non-titled Weims together adds to the problems facing rescue organizations around the world. He does not consider the health and genetics of the dogs he will put together. Backyard bred dogs and those from puppy mills account for the largest number of dogs who do not have good temperament or good health. They also account for the largest number of dogs in rescue.

  Those individuals who buy these dogs seldom have a clear grasp of the type of dog they are bringing into their homes. The health problems can be many, including terrible hip dysplasia, eye cysts, immune problems as well as serious temperament problems.

  The 'dog and pony' quality he is referring to is what makes the breed remain what he calls with 'such a personality and such an affectionate heart'. Without abiding by the breed standard and judging dogs against others within the breed, the loving Weims we know today would soon become extinct in favor of whatever the breeder wanted their dog to look or act like. Inevitably, people would breed the dog calmer and less intelligent in order to make them more malable to the busy "absentee" modern lifestyle. After all, a calmer dog can be left home longer hours without becoming destructive, bored and lonely. As a result, Weimaraners would eventually lose interest in hunting and the intelligence it takes to make a good, versitile hunter.

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