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Dressed for Success?
Despite
the quasicomic persona accorded the weimaraner as a consequence
of Wegman's portrayals, which have appeared on postcards,
calenders, magazine covers and art gallery walls around the
world, this superb working dog should not be mistaken for
a lens hound or a silver-gray mannequin. Longtime weimaraner
fanciers are proud of their breed's dual functions -- hunter
deluxe and boon companion -- and are devoted to producing
dogs that are true to the grand duke's intent. The kind of
trendy acclaim that would mislead anyone to acquire a weimaraner
as a fashion accessory is the last thing those who champion
the breed -- and those who rescue it -- would want.
"I wrote
Wegman and told him he's ruining the breed," said one woman
three years ago. "Between Wegman and the VW Jetta ads, weimaraners
are becoming too popular. People think they're automatically
trained to do the things in Wegman photographs. They get a
3-pound puppy, and six months later it's a 70-pound dog with
very much its own mind."
"The weimaraner is most definitely not a plaything," adds
noted breeder, judge and author Judythe Coffman of Riverside,
California. "It's a dual-purpose dog, and we want to keep
it that way. Nearly all of us who breed also hunt our dogs."
Every Figure Tells a Story
People
who show and hunt their weimies, as the breed is sometimes
called, have no desire to see a resurgence of the popularity
that all but destroyed this dog in the 1950s. The flames of
that conflagration were fanned by American servicemen who
returned home from the Second World War with tales, both real
and embroidered, of the matchless abilities of these amber-eyed
hunters. In addition, many soldiers brought weimaraners back
from Germany with them.
Sporting
magazines and newspapers publicized these wonder-dog chronicles,
which presented the Gray Ghost, another breed nickname, as
a dog that possessed the courage of a lion, the speed of a
gazelle, the intellect of a genius and the athletic abilities
of a decathlon champion. Not surprisingly American sportsmen
wanted to get their hands on this dog, which was fast becoming
a legend; and the more people that sought one of the silver-haired
beauties, the more unscrupulous entrepreneurs there were who
found the kennel space to crank out weimaraner puppies.
In 1946,
three years after the American Kennel Club (AKC) had recognized
weimaraners, total registrations for the year numbered 32.
Eight years later the breed had rocketed to 12th place among
the 98 breeds then registered by AKC, with total registrations
of 6,608 for that year alone. Needless to say, even the best-bred
dogs were unable to live up to the hyperbole that had ignited
their rise to fame, and the mass-produced stock barely qualified
as good companions. People who bought into the tales of wonder
connected with the weimaraner expected their dogs to all but
add, subtract and solve algebraic equations. What these newcomers
got instead was a sorry imitation of a dog that under the
best of circumstances needed a steady, guiding hand and plenty
of exercise to reach its full potential, a dog they had no
clue about bringing to that potential.
Consequently
the breed lost favor. Annual registrations peaked at 10,011
in 1957, when the weimaraner was still the 12th most popular
dog in America. By 1968, registrations had fallen by nearly
half, and the weimaraner stood 28th among 115 breeds registered
by AKC that year. As the smoke was clearing, all that remained
was the for people with the best interests of the breed at
heart to sort through the rubble and start to undo the damage
wrought by greed.
Three
decades later, however, weimaraner registrations are on the
rise again. After declining steadily from 1971 to 1988, when
new registrations for the year numbered only 3,653, the trend
was reversed; and in 1997 there were 7,701 new weimies enrolled
by AKC, a 111 percent increase. The breed stood 39th in popularity
among the 145 breeds that year.
The
Grand Design
In the
first decade of the 19th century the Grand Duke Karl August
of Weimar set out to create a multipurpose dog to meet the
assorted needs of the German forester. This dog would compete
with the best hunting, fetching, tracking and swimming dogs
of its day. It would, furthermore, be regal-looking, surpassingly
intelligent, loyal, robust and strong.
Precise
records have not survived the nearly 200 years that have passed
since Karl August and others began their pursuit of the canine
grail, but various observers believe the formula for his superdog
included, at very least, the red schweiss hound, which resembles
a bloodhound, and the Great Dane. Some claim that a French
dog descended from stock brought home from the Middle East
by Louis IX during the Crusades also figured prominently in
the mix.
Whatever
the combination of scent-hound and fowl-hunting dogs used
to create the weimaraner, by the 1880s it had become a dog
whose working ability in the field made him one of Germany's
strongest, most highly revered hunters. The essence of versatility
and intelligence, weimaraners have been used as bird dogs
and water retrievers and have also been used on wolves, wild
cats, deer, mountain lion and bear. In Europe weimies have
further excelled at police work, making excellent use of their
remarkable scenting powers and tracking ability.
Cautionary Tales
The weimaraner's
short, slick coat, hardy constitution and medium size (males
stand about 26 inches at the shoulder, females about 2 inches
shorter) are widely appealing. Many breeders point out, nevertheless,
that young weimaraners are not aware of their size and strength,
and their lack of grace can present hazards for the toddler
or the elderly.
Weimaraners
are, in addition, people dogs. If they are relegated to outdoor
runs with insufficient human contact or if they are left home
alone for long periods, they can easily and quickly become
neurotic, problem dogs that are almost impossible to manage.
If you cannot control your weimaraner, it will control you.
Although
weimaraner fanciers admit that the adolescent period of a
weimie's life, which extends in some cases to 2 or even 3
years of age, can be a trying if not downright embarrassing
time, they are quick to add that when maturity does arrive,
there are few breeds as devoted, responsive and beautiful
to behold as the silver-haired and celebrated Gray Ghost of
the Weimar Republic. One is just as apt to find the breed
competing in the show ring as in obedience and agility trials.
Many mature weimaraners have proven to be excellent therapy
dogs in hospitals and homes for children, the aged and the
infirm. What's more, some of these dogs are even good sports
about getting dressed up in human clothes and posing for unusual
photos.
The Longhair Weimaraner
There
is a longhair variety of weimaraner that many people find
attractive. This variety is, in fact, recognized by and shown
in all the major kennel clubs of the world except those in
the United States. Although longhair weimaraners are in the
minority, they are regularly born into shorthair litters.
The long coat is no drawback in any of the many levels of
competition or sport for which the versatile weimaraner is
suitable. Unlike the shorthair weimaraner, which has its tail
docked in puppyhood so that it is approximately 6 inches long
at maturity, the longhair weimaraner generally is not subject
to tail docking. If the longhair's tail is docked at all,
only a vertebrae or two are removed.
Flaws in the Ointment
Persons
interested in weimaraner puppies should be aware of the genetic
disease conditions that have been associated most frequently
with this breed. Like many medium- to large-size dogs the
weimaraner is subject to hip dysplasia, a malformation of
the hip joint resulting in a poor fit between the head of
the femur bone and the hip socket, in which the femoral head
normally lies. Because dysplastic dogs often produce dysplastic
puppies, buyers should ask if both the sire and the dam of
the puppy in which they are interested have been rated clear
of hip dysplasia by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals
or by Penn HIP. Do not take yes for an answer without seeing
the certificate, and ask for a copy to take to your veterinarian.
Hip dysplasia can be corrected by surgery, but the prudent
buyer is one who avoids problems rather than having to pay
to correct them.
Weimaraners
can be susceptible to skin ulcers caused by excessive licking.
The onset of this condition, known as lick granuloma, is caused
by boredom. The dog licks certain areas until the hair is
gone and the skin surface breaks. Treatment can be prolonged
and cure evasive. Changing routines and ensuring the dog gets
plenty of exercise appear to help considerably.
Some families
of weimaraners are susceptible to a condition called hygroma,
a swelling of a joint, very often the elbow, that can grow
to the size of a golf ball. Hygroma is caused by repeated
contact with hard surfaces such as cement runs or hardwood
floors. This disfiguring problem can be avoided if a weimaraner
is provided with a padded or cushioned sleeping and resting
area.
Other
troubles that may befall weimaraners are bloat and assorted
eye problems. Bloat is a condition wherein the stomach can
turn and become blocked, causing a buildup of gas. Unless
treated quickly, bloat can be fatal. Signs of bloat are stomach
pain and futile attempts to vomit and to salivate. Bloat may
also lead to cardiovascular collapse. Bloat usually occurs
when a dog is exercised too soon after eating. The risk of
bloat can be lessened by feeding adult dogs twice a day and,
of course, by allowing them time to digest their food before
going for a run in the park.
The eye
problems sometimes found in weimaraners include distichiasis,
entropion and eversion of the nictitating membrane. Distichiasis
or double eyelashes is a condition in which a dog is born
with an extra row of eyelashes, usually on the lower lid,
that causes irritation to the cornea and tearing. Entropion
or diamond eye occurs when the eyelid rolls inward and hair
rubs against the cornea. The effects of entropion range from
irritation to tearing to loss of vision from scarring. Eversion
of the nictitating membrane is a condition in which the third
eyelid protrudes..
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