How does the Weimaraner work in the field?
The Weimaraner is a German HPR with great stamina that hunts, points and retrieves. Some stalkers also use it for tracking deer.
The Weimaraner is a German HPR, originally bred for hunting large game and later developed into an all-round dog that hunts, points and retrieves. Its sleek grey coat and pale eyes make it one of the most recognisable of the HPR breeds. In the field it works with real stamina and drive, quartering ground, holding point, flushing on command and retrieving on land and from water, and some deer stalkers also use it for tracking. Many Weimaraners in Britain are kept as companions, so if you want a working dog, look for parents with working test or HPR field trial experience, and ask the breeder to show you how they work.
What is the Weimaraner like to live and work with?
Intelligent, energetic and intensely attached to its family, and prone to separation anxiety. It needs firm, fair and consistent handling.
Weimaraners are intelligent, energetic and intensely attached to their family. They do not cope well with being left alone and can become destructive or anxious if they are, so they suit households where someone is around for much of the day. They have a strong hunting drive and can be wilful, needing firm, fair and consistent handling, and some are protective. With enough exercise, training and company they are affectionate and rewarding dogs. Look for parents that are confident and settled rather than nervous or sharp.
Which health tests matter for the Weimaraner?
Both parents should have hip scores, ideally elbow grades, and a current eye certificate. Learn the signs of bloat, a life-threatening emergency that has no DNA test.
Ask for both parents' hip scores under the BVA/KC Hip Dysplasia Scheme, elbow grades where they have been done, and a current eye certificate under the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme. Weimaraners are deep-chested and at risk of bloat (gastric dilatation and volvulus), a life-threatening emergency that has no DNA test, so ask whether it has occurred in the parents' close relatives and learn the warning signs. The breed clubs keep an up-to-date list of recommended DNA tests, so ask which have been done and see the certificates. Results for Kennel Club registered dogs can be checked on the Kennel Club's Health Test Results Finder. See our checklist for buying a gundog for everything else to ask.
How much training and exercise does the Weimaraner need?
The full HPR syllabus with consistent boundaries. An adult needs well over an hour of hard exercise a day, but not straight after meals.
Training covers the full HPR syllabus: obedience and the stop whistle first, then quartering, pointing, steadiness on point and to flush, and retrieving. Weimaraners learn quickly but test boundaries, so consistency matters more than intensity. Many are not finished until two or three years old, and HPR training groups are a good way to learn. An adult Weimaraner needs well over an hour of hard exercise a day, plus mental work. Avoid hard exercise straight after meals, which is linked to bloat. The short coat needs very little grooming, but the dogs feel the cold, so a coat for long waits in winter is worth having.
How long does it take to train the Weimaraner?
For the Weimaraner, readiness for the intended role matters more than a birthday. Check demonstrated foundations, physical suitability and the support needed for the next stage.
For related options, see German shorthaired pointer. Early learning includes socialisation, recall, the stop whistle and getting used to short periods alone, which helps prevent separation problems later. After comfortable everyday foundations, it learns to quarter, its point is encouraged, and retrieving is built with dummies. With reliable foundations, it is steadied on point and to flush, retrieves on land and from water, and meets game. To start from the beginning, browse the Weimaraner puppies for sale. Use the training progression guide to discuss readiness with a reward-based trainer. Ask your vet about physical demands, and plan game, water and gunfire introductions with competent help.