Weimaraner Appearance and Classification

Weimaraner (Silver Ghosts or Gray Ghosts) is a hunting dogs breed. Weimaraner has an unforgettable appearance, beautiful coat and charming eyes. This strong and elegant dog breed with a graceful physique was bred in Germany in the late 19th century for the Duke of Carl August and his noblemen. Weimaraner was used for hunting big game - wild boar, bear and deer. Later he was used for hunting fowl, rabbits and foxes because the popularity of hunting large game was declined.

This energetic and hardy dog is called the "Silver Ghost" for his grey coat and ability to run very fast. Weimaraner has an excellent sense of smell, is trained well and shows great results in competitions for dogs. Freestyle, agility, frisbee and other sports are as if created for him. But you must know the hunting is the main purpose for this dog and any sport can replace it fully.

Weimaraner has an excessive amount of energy which needs to be released. Weimaraner has a strong hunting instinct because he was bred as a gundog. He should be able to navigate in the field and the forest, find a bird, make a rack to show the game (believe me this is an amazing action). And most importantly, he must bring and give away the bird to the owner although this is very difficult for a hunting dog because the bird has very pleasant smell.

Interesting fact: Appearance of Weimaraner Puppies is very unusual. They are born with blue eyes and gray-blue coat. But eyes can change color and become amber-yellow and the coat acquires a greyish-silver hue when puppies are grown up.

Weimaraner Dog Breed Classification and Standard FCI

Origin: Germany

Utilization: Gundog

FCI Classification: Group 7 Pointing Dogs. Section 1.1 Continental Pointing Dogs, Type “Braque”. With working trial.

General Appearance: Weimaraner is medium to large size hunting dog. Active working type with harmonious constitution and strong musculature. Difference in type between male and female is clearly visible.

Important Proportions:

• Length of body to height at withers nearly 12: 11.
• Length from tip of nose to stop is slightly longer than from stop to occiput.
• Forequarter distance from elbow to mid-pastern and distance from elbow to point of withers about equal.

Behavior / Temperament: Weimaraner is versatile, easily trained and an energetic hunting dog. He is stubborn and hardy in systematic search, but not excessively active. Weimaraner is able to catch the smell quickly due to strong olfactory receptors. He is reliable a pointing and working dog in water. He possesses wonderful ability to work after the shot to grab game and other booty. He is a good watchdog without any aggressive behavior.

Head:

Skull is balanced with size of body and facial region. The relationship between width of cranial region to total length of head must be in good proportion, although in males slightly wider than females. Median furrow on forehead. The occipital bone protrudes weakly or moderately. The cheek arches are easily traced behind the eyes.

Stop (the transition from the forehead to the muzzle): Extremely slight.

Nose: is large with wide open nostrils. The color of the nose varies from dark to grey and gradually becomes lighter towards the skin.

Muzzle is long (especially in males), powerful, almost rectangular. Region of canines and carnassial teeth are equally strong. Bridge of nose is straight or slightly arched, never with a concave curve.

Flews: moderately deep. There is an easy fold in the corner of the mouth.

Jaws/Teeth: Jaws are strong. Teeth in the set, properly positioned and strong. The upper and lower canines densely adjoin the scissor bite.

Cheeks: Muscular, clearly defined.

Eyes: Weimaraner eyes are round, set barely slanting. Lids are well fitting. Eyes of adult dog are an amber color, from dark to pale, with intelligent expression. Weimaraner Puppies have sky blue eyes.

Ears: are hanging, wide and rather long, reach the corner of the mouth. Set on high and narrow, forming a rounded off point at tip. When dog is alert, ears are turned slightly forward, folded.

Neck is muscular, almost rounded and dry, not too short. It expands to the shoulders and blends harmoniously with the top and chest. The upper line is convex in profile.

Topline gradually unite with a long strong back from the convex scruff through well-developed withers.

Withers: Well defined.

Back is strong, muscular, without sagging. Not rising backwards. A somewhat longer back is a pedigree feature, not a disadvantage.

Loin is wide, muscular, straight or slightly arched, transition from the back to the loin well closed.

Croup is long and moderately sloped.

Chest is strong, long but not unduly broad; it can reache to elbows in depth. Ribs are long, well sprung, not barrel-shaped. Forechest well developed.

Underline is slightly rising, but belly not tucked up.

Tail is strong and well coated. It is carried hanging down when dog is calm.  Tail is carried on level of the back or higher when Weimaraner alert or works. In countries where it is allowed by law, the tail of shorthaired Weimaraner is docked if dog is used for hunting.

Forequarters:

General appearance: Forequarters are high, sinewy, straight and parallel, but not standing wide.

Shoulders are long and sloping. Well fitting, strongly muscled. Well angulated shoulder joint.

Upper arms are sloping, sufficiently long and strong.

Elbows are free and lying parallel to median plane of body. Elbows should be turned neither in nor out.

Forearms are long, straight and vertical.

Wrists are strong and taut.

Pasterns are muscular and slightly sloping.

Forefeet are strong and are standing straight in relation to median plane of body.

Toes are arched. Longer middle toes are a breed characteristic and therefore not a fault.

Nails are light to dark grey.

Pads are well pigmented, resilient and coarse.

Hindquarters:

General appearance: Hindquarters are high and well-muscled. They stand parallel, turning neither in nor out.

Thighs are long enough, strong and muscled.

Knees are strong and taut.

Lower thigh is long with clearly visible tendons.

Hock joint is strong and taut.

Rear pasterns are sinewy, almost vertical.

Hind feet are tight and firm, without dewclaws.

Toes are arched. Longer middle toes are a breed characteristic and therefore not a fault.

Nails are light to dark grey.

Pads are well pigmented, resilient and coarse.

Movements are sweeping, smooth and free.

Skin: Strong. Well, but not too tight fitting.

Соат: Weimaraner has coat of two types:

Short-haired Weimaraner: coat is short, strong, very dense, smooth lying topcoat. Without or with very sparse undercoat.

Longhaired Weimaraner: coat is soft, long topcoat with or without undercoat. Smooth or slightly wavy. The integumentary hair is long, dense, and close fitting about 3-5 cm.  The coat is shorter on the head and muzzle than on body. The ears are covered with long wavy hair. A velvety hair is permissible on tips of leathers.

The coat is slightly longer on the underside of the neck, front of the chest and on the belly.

There are feathers on the back of the forelegs and on the back of the thigh are "pants". There is hair between toes. The tail is covered with long hair.

Size /Weight:

Weimaraner height at the withers: Males 59 – 70 cm (23–28 in). Female 57 – 65 cm (22–26 in).

Weimaraner weight: Males about 30 – 40 kg (66–88 lb). Female about 25 – 35 kg (55–77 lb).

FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and its ability to perform its traditional work.

Severe Faults:

• Widely spread woolly coat in the shorthaired variety.
• Extremely curly or sparse feathering in the longhaired variety.
• White markings except on chest and toes.
• Ears: Feathering extremely short or long, not turned.
• Back: Severe sway or roach back. Definitely overbuilt at croup.
• Particularly pronounced dewlap.
• Definitive bow or cow hocks.
• Poor angulation definitely turned outward turned elbows. Open paws.

Disqualifying Faults:

• Aggressive or overly shy.
• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioral abnormalities shall be disqualified.
• Significant deviation in type, untypical for sex.
• Serious deviation in the proportions.
• Size more than 2 cm outside the standard.
• Absolutely untypical, above lumbering or weak.
• Absolute disproportionate.
• Extremely impaired when walking.
• Skin malformations and defects.
• Partial or total hair loss.
• Lack of feathering on belly or ears.
• Deviations from grey tones, such as yellow or brownish, tan brand.
• Color other than grey. Blue coloring.
• Foreface absolutely untypical.
• Facial region: Absolutely untypical i.e. distinctly concave nasal bridge. Muzzle too short, pointed, roman nose or with too short flews.
• Entropion, ectropion. Slight and one sided lid defects.
• Jaw and teeth: Missing more than two PM1 or M3.
• Chest, belly: malformations; barrel chest; insufficient chest depth or length; definitely tucked up belly.
• Malformed legs.
• Other malformations.
• Excessively aggressive towards dogs or people, excessive fear.
• Clearly showing behavioral abnormalities

N.B.:

• Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation, should be used for breeding.

Weimaraner Coat Color

• Silver and all shades of this color.
• Charcoal-blue
• Mouse-grey
• Silver-grey
• Blue-grey

Head and leathers are slightly lighter. Only small white marks on the chest and fingers are admitted.  Sometimes a more or less definable belt is found along the back. A brown spots are serious defect.