Weimaraner

Coat and looks how to spot one

short and smooth, or long and soft (two varieties)

The usual short-haired Weimaraner wears a dense, sleek coat that lies flat but feels a little thicker than on similar pointers. The rarer long-haired variety has a soft, straight or gently wavy coat with feathering on the ears, legs and tail. Underneath either coat is a lean, athletic, well-muscled hunting dog of medium-to-large build, with pendant ears and light eyes in shades from amber to grey-blue.365

Personality what they are like

A friendly, bold and alert companion that bonds very closely with its family and likes to be part of whatever is going on. It is keen and trainable, with a strong hunting drive, and tends to be a bit more watchful with strangers than many other sporting breeds. Weimaraners thrive on company and do best living indoors with their people rather than in a kennel.654

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Very high. The Royal Kennel Club recommends more than two hours of exercise a day. Running, hiking, retrieving and scent work suit the breed well, and it also enjoys hunt tests, tracking, obedience, agility and lure coursing.75

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Easy for the short coat: a weekly rub-down with a rubber curry brush or hound glove keeps it sleek, with a bath only now and then. The long-haired variety needs a little more brushing to keep the feathering tidy. The breed does shed.745

Home where they are happiest

Best in an active home with a securely fenced garden and regular access to open space. As a short-coated dog it should sleep indoors in a warm, draught-free spot during cold months. It prefers living alongside its family rather than being kennelled.84

Food basics what goes in the bowl

A complete, good-quality diet formulated for large, active breeds, with portions adjusted to age and workload. Puppies do well on a large-breed puppy formula.4

Company who they like around

Needs plenty of companionship and should not be left alone for long stretches. It usually gets on well with other medium and large dogs. Because of its strong prey drive, early introductions and supervision are advised around cats and small pets.48

The story where it all began

The Weimaraner takes its name from Weimar in central Germany, where tradition links it to the hunting court of Grand Duke Karl August in the early 1800s. Early dogs still carried a lot of old hound blood and were used on large game, and gamekeepers and professional hunters in the region crossed them with other hunting dogs over the following decades. The breed was recognised as distinct in 1891, systematic breeding started around 1890, and it has been bred pure since about 1900. A breed club was founded in Erfurt in 1897, and it kept tight control over who could own the dogs. As big game became scarcer the Weimaraner was reshaped into an all-round pointer and retriever for birds. The American sportsman Howard Knight brought the breed to the United States in 1929 and went on to found the Weimaraner Club of America. The AKC recognised it in 1943, and interest grew further after the Second World War as returning soldiers brought dogs home from Germany. The FCI gave definitive acceptance in 1954, UKC followed in 1955, and the breed reached Britain in the 1950s. Short-haired and long-haired varieties have both been recognised since around the turn of the 20th century.327946

Recognised by the official bits

FCI

Standard No. 99, Group 7 (Pointing Dogs), Section 1.1 Continental Pointing Dogs, Braque type; definitive acceptance 27 Nov 1954; current standard published 19 Mar 2015; two varieties (short-haired and long-haired); subject to a working trial1

The Royal Kennel Club

Gundog Group; smooth and long-haired coats both recognised within the one breed7

AKC

Sporting Group; recognised 19434

UKC

Gun Dog Group; recognised 19556

Popularity AKC rank 54 of registered breeds (2025 registrations)11