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Weimaraner » Weimaraner Forum
GO!

New weim owner- lots of questions!

This is a forum for bonding with your fellow Dogsters about the traits, quirks and idiosyncrasies of your favorite breed. Please remember that there are absolutely no animal sales or requests for studding or breeding allowed on our sites. All posts and interactions should be in the spirit of Dogster's Community Guidelines and should be fun, friendly and informational. Enjoy!

  
Sabine- "Beanie"

The tornado! 		 
 
Barked: Sat Jul 11, '09 9:16pm PST 
Okay, not that new, I've had my female weim, Beanie, since the end of march, lol. I'm about 4 months pregnant, so I haven't had the energy and haven't been feeling good enough to come on here until now. I'll say, I do already have 2 books on weimaraners, but I know books can only tell you so much.

Beanie is now 5.5 months old, and doing pretty good. I have had some concerns about her weight, as she looks skinny to me and sometimes her ribs show, but she has gained the appropriate amount of weight. According to her food, she should be eating 4 1/4-7 cups a day + treats, and she acts healthy, has a shiny coat, so I assume she's okay? Sometimes she can look great all day, but after a walk it looks like I'm starving her she'll look so skinny to me, the pictures in her profile are recent. It really worries me, but I also don't want to overfeed her. Do you think I should be feeding her more than recommended because she's so skinny?

Also, I wanted to know if you had any suggestions to stop her from jumping up on people. I've been ignoring her, and turning my back when she jumps, and not giving her attention until she's sitting. This seems to be working ok, but when she is excited, it's VERY hard to stop her.

Also, what do you recommend for teaching them to walk? What kind of harness, etc? I am pregnant, and a single mom, so I'd prefer something where I have a bit more control, especially as she gets bigger. I have a field near me, and I usually let her run a little before a walk, but once she's on the leash she still wants to run and pulls pretty hard. She also jumps up. I am afraid as I get father along in this pregnancy she might hurt me if I don't get her under control NOW. After some exercise she is usually really good with walking by me and not pulling, so I know she has it in her!

Those are the only major questions. She is a wonderful little addition to the family, and I also wanted to know if you had any tips or suggestions for owning a weimaraner. This is such a fun breed of dog! I love her personality, she is such a people dog, and makes life at home pretty exciting!
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Uno

I'm huntin'- wabbits		 
 
Barked: Thu Jul 16, '09 6:53am PST 
Dont worry about the weight, younger weims tend to look quite gaunt , they usually fill out by the time theyre 1-1.5. You could give her some canned green beans( salt free) , it works well for dogs who are constantly hungry.
Jumping.. yikes, wish I could offer some productive advice. From what I've read, its best to keep the dog on leash when someone comes into the house, then when then try to jump, say " OFF"! in a stern voice and keep the dog down. Soon they'll get it.

As far as walking goes, there are several contraptions on the market, but since you have a young dog, it would be easier to train her not to drag you around. One of the things you can do is carry treats with you, so when she smells the treat in your hand and walks near you, say "Heel" and reward her with a small piece. When she starts pulling , show her the treat again and keep holding it in your hand until she walks near you, say "heel" again and reward.
Another thing you could try is everytime she pulls, turn around and walk in opposite direction. Some people also stop completely when the dog pulls, then once the dog realizes its no fun to pull, they'll stop. The main thing is to be consistant with training, it can become frustrating. You could use gentle leader headcollar or harness as well to help with more determined puller.

Good luck with your weimy, having one can be a rollercoaster sometimes, but I would never change it for the world. Weims are very bright and learn quickly, but they are quite hardheaded as well, so its important to make sure they are always mentally and physically occupied, otherwise their need for stimulation can turn into destruction.

Edited by author Thu Jul 16, '09 6:55am PST

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Walter Woo- Wood

1010990		 
 
Barked: Fri Jul 24, '09 12:54pm PST 
You don't have your weim in the yard do you? That could be the problem. they suffer from severe seperation anxiety and if she is lonely she might be way over excited when you come out in the yard and thats when she starts jumping. I would never reccomend a weim in the yard... they should only be in the house. They really need to be with people...
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Hunter

Mama's Boy		 
 
Barked: Tue Jul 28, '09 10:17pm PST 
Some weims tend to be a little leaner & taller than others. One of mine is like that & the other two are stockier & w/ deeper chests. A good rule of thumb is to look at your dog; you should only be able to see the last 2 or 3 ribs if she's of a healthy weight. You can also feel of her ribs. You should be able to feel them without applying much pressure. If you're still not sure, ask your vet. Most weims are pretty bad about jumping up on people (they're energetic bird dogs after all). When she jumps up on you, bring your knee up into her chest (not roughly). Very calmly & in a firm voice, give the command "Sit." When she does, praise her. Always keep your voice calm; dogs respond to your voice. If you get excited, they will.
You might want to try a big dog leash, a choke chain (each of my weims wears a choke chain & they no longer pull), or a gentle leader (it fits over their head). Try looking at www.jefferspet.com
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Sylvester

The best thing- to come of- 9/11!!		 
 
Barked: Wed Dec 9, '09 8:04am PST 
I'm new to dogster and work at Caring Hands Humane Society. We are adding dogster and catster to our media/social networking and I am doing some exploring. I am a Weimaraner fanatic. I have been the proud guardian of 2. I recently lost my best man to bloat 1 month before welcoming my new daughter. I decided to learn more about dogster by going through here using Weims as my guide. smile I am also going to speak in my words and not the words of Sylvester, who I am logged in under! smile

That said, I would feed her 2-3 times a day if you aren't already. Not only will this keep her satisfied, but it will also help prevent bloat.

As for jumping, has she been through obedience classes yet? (Yeah right while pregnant, I KNOW!! puppy ) If you are taking her on walks, work on new commands. First start with heel and sit. When you hault have her sit beside you and give her a small piece of treat. For heeling, us a gentle leader. She is at a great age to use the head halter and get used to it. They are a very gentle device and prevent pulling gently. Once she is familiar with it, she will respond well.

As for obedience classes, the reason I asked is simple. Once she learns to sit on command, you can have her do this for anything. Use the 'nothing in life is free' rule. Make her work for her feedings and your attention. No food until she sits. No petting untl she sits. Soon enough you will just look at her and she will sit. But be firm. Don't give in.

To help with jumping, when you first see her after being gone, just keep on walking by, ignoring her until she settles down. She will learn very quickly, as all Weims do, that she isn't getting what she wants until she does what you want. So have her sit and stay in a sit for attention. You can also teach the word OFF by leashing her and stepping on the leash, so each time she jumps up she doesn't go anywhere and say OFF.

I hope that helps you! smile I miss my Weim every day. Treasure your beautiful girl always. smile
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