Weimaraner Care Tips

Weimaraner like all hunting breed needs regularly training, active lifestyle and proper diet because he has high intelligence, a lot of energy and a strong hunting instinct. You have to give Weimaraner lots of space to roam and exercise with him often.

He can live in apartments, but not outdoors or aviary. Weimaraner does not like being alone and can spoil items in the house if he is bored.

Coat of Weimaraner does not need difficult grooming. You have to brush coat 2-3 time a week, cut claws, check ears and brush teeth. Also you have to follow proper dog diet and never feed your Weimaraner once a day, as he is inclined to bloating. Instead, feed your pet with small portions several times a day or give dog food into a special slow feed bowl.

How to Care for Weimaraner

Care for Weimaraner is easy, whether it's a short-haired or long-haired dog, because Weimaraner coat molts seasonally and it does not need cut.

Your home will always be clean, if you spend 5 minutes during a walk and brush dog  coat with a rubber brush (a short-haired Weimaraner) or with a natural bristles brush (a long-haired Weimaraner). There is one a very important point, Weimaraner cannot live in a room with dry and warm air. This can provoke a permanent molt. If you notice a persistent molting, bald patches on dog's skin, dandruff, redness or any changes on dog skin and hair, you should change his diet. If nothing changes, you should consult a veterinarian. Weimaraner does not have a characteristic “dog smell”, but only with the right diet and a healthy lifestyle. If unpleasant odor appears it can be a signal about dog health problems.

Comb: Coat Weimaraner must be combed with a natural bristles brush, rubber glove or rubber brush 1- 2 times a week. Hair is combed every day during molting. During combing a blood circulation improves and dead and dirty hair is removed and this procedure is a very useful like a massage.

Bath:  Like any hunting dog, the Weimaraner has a self-cleaning coat which does not need regular bathing. A dog of this breed is bathed with shampoo for short-haired dogs once a month or as it is necessary.  You have to put a rubber rug on the bottom of the bath to prevent the slide of dog paws and avoid injuries. The pet is wiped with a towel and dried slightly with a hairdryer. You can walk with a dog 2 hours after bathing.

In winter it is better to bathe a dog after an evening walk. Make sure that the pet does not sit in the draft and the coat is well dried. Also a dog hair is cleaned with a wet cloth or dry shampoo in the cold period.

Dry shampoo or talc is applied to the hair, rubbed, and then is combed well.

Weimaraners like to swim in a lake or a swimming pool in the summer. Always rinse the pet with warm boiled water that would wash away sand and small microorganisms after water procedures. 

Eyes: Check eyes Weimaraner every day. Healthy eyes are clean without tears.

 Once a week, wipe the eyes with a soft cloth (not cotton wool) soaked in chamomile tea to prevent souring. Each eye is wiped with a different clean cloth.

Small grey lumps in the corners of the eyes in the morning are acceptable, since Weimaraner is active dog which runs a lot.  Lumps should be removed with a soft cloth or washed with chamomile tea.

If you notice a profuse reddening of the eyes, yellowing (which after rinsing is collected again), a swollen eyelid, abundant tears it is necessary contact the veterinarian. It can be an allergic reaction, an insect bite, etc., so it is better to trust the specialist.

Ears: Weimaraner ears are hanging and poorly ventilated, so check they regularly to prevent illness, redness or allergy. You have to wave ears for a few minutes like the butterfly wings to ventilate them.

Ear shells are washed with a wet cloth soaked in warm water once a week.

Ears need to be plugged with cotton wool or simply put a bathing cap on dog head while bathing to prevent water ingress. After bathing, put dry cotton wool in dog ears to remove excess moisture and protect the dog from inflammation of the ears.

A healthy ear of Weimaraner is pink, odorless and surplus of sulfur.

When you see too much sulfur, unpleasant odor, fluid leaks from the ear, the ends of the ears are swollen, pimples or wounds appear, the dog shakes its head and rubs its ears on the floor, contact the veterinarian.

Teeth are cleaned with special toothpaste for dogs and with a toothbrush 2-3 times a week. To prevent the appearance of tartar, include solid food in dog diet and visit the vet regularly.

Claws are cut 1-2 times a month. The more often a claw is cut, the less risk of damage to the blood vessel. You need to cut off quite a bit, the soft part of the claw hardens eventually, and the vessel moves higher. The sharp ends are erased with a nailfile to avoid  burrs.

Paws are wiped with a damp cloth after walking. Paw pads should be checked for injuries. Rub vegetable oil into the pads and always include it in dog diet (1 teaspoon per day) in order to avoid cracks.

Clothing is an important attribute for Weimaraner because he has a short coat without undercoat. He does not tolerate the cold. Put your dog on the overall or blanket in cold weather or rain that will preserve his health. Of course, do not forget about the cap, which will protect pet`s ears from frost.

Ticks and fleas: Weimaraner needs regularly treat with medicines against ectoparasites. Ticks and fleas are a great threat of dog health and life because they carry a lot of dangerous diseases.

Fleas carry many diseases when they migrate from one animal to another. Their bites cause itch, redness of skin, anxiety and terrible discomfort of dog. In addition, there is a threat of getting infected with worms if the dog swallows the flea during biting himself.

Ixodid mites are carriers of a deadly disease for dogs - pyroplasmosis (babesiosis). The period of their increased activity: in the early spring (April-May) and summer-autumn (August-October) until the first frosts.

Always check Weimaraner skin after walk. The neck, armpits, ears, belly, genitals are the places where you can most often find ticks.

Do not panic if you find a tick, put on rubber gloves and use "Tick Twister" or tweezers and with circular movements to unscrew the parasite from dog`s skin. The bite is treated with an antiseptic.

The next few days, watch the dog's health. If Weimaraner is active, eats with appetite, there is no increased body temperature, he was lucky, the mite was not contagious.

How is piroplasmosis diagnosed?

• Lethargy, apathy
• High body temperature (39 - 42 degrees)
• Refusing to eat and drink
• Yellow eyes
• Urine is a reddish-brown color
• Dog cannot stand on feet

If you notice this symptoms immediately contact your veterinarian. Only a specialist can save health and life of your Weimaraner.

Worms: it is necessary to do deworming every three months.